Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

If I choose a command button on a form in design view,
open the properties box and click the Picture property
and its wiz button, I'm presented with a lengthy list of
pictures. Everything from Add Table, Address Book,
Airplane to Underline, Undo, Undo (Rewind). I would
like to know where they are stored. I thought it might be
c:\program files\microsoft office\office\bitmaps but I
don't think so.

Anybody know where they are stored and if more bitmaps
can be added?

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

MLH wrote:
> If I choose a command button on a form in design view,
> open the properties box and click the Picture property
> and its wiz button, I'm presented with a lengthy list of
> pictures. Everything from Add Table, Address Book,
> Airplane to Underline, Undo, Undo (Rewind). I would
> like to know where they are stored. I thought it might be
> c:\program files\microsoft office\office\bitmaps but I
> don't think so.
>
> Anybody know where they are stored and if more bitmaps
> can be added?

I think the icons used for Access 97 are stored in one of the dll's.

James A. Fortune
CDMAPoster@FortuneJames.com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

> If I choose a command button on a form in design view,
> open the properties box and click the Picture property
> and its wiz button, I'm presented with a lengthy list of
> pictures. Everything from Add Table, Address Book,
> Airplane to Underline, Undo, Undo (Rewind). I would
> like to know where they are stored. I thought it might be
> c:\program files\microsoft office\office\bitmaps but I
> don't think so.
>
> Anybody know where they are stored and if more bitmaps
> can be added?

What you see in the Picture Builder dialog is stored in a DLL and cannot be
modified. The icon selection is not the greatest, to be sure.

I found a program called Icon Maker (no endorsement, just a tool I've used)
that will retrieve all the icons from all the various DLLs and EXEs on your
system and let you customize and save them as a .ico (or just make your own
icons from scratch).

http://www.icon-maker.com/

To use a .ico stored on disk, you'll need to modify the control's property
sheet so the Picture property is the full path to where the icon is located,
and set the Picture Type property to "Linked". You can programmatically set
the Picture path if you need to.

At least this is true for AC03 - not sure about AC97.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

You must be right. I cannot find separate files for any of them.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

"deko" wrote in message
news:lJSdnSxPuYdolGzeRVn-rg@comcast.com...
> > If I choose a command button on a form in design view,
> > open the properties box and click the Picture property
> > and its wiz button, I'm presented with a lengthy list of
> > pictures. Everything from Add Table, Address Book,
> > Airplane to Underline, Undo, Undo (Rewind). I would
> > like to know where they are stored. I thought it might be
> > c:\program files\microsoft office\office\bitmaps but I
> > don't think so.
> >
> > Anybody know where they are stored and if more bitmaps
> > can be added?
>
> What you see in the Picture Builder dialog is stored in a DLL and cannot
be
> modified. The icon selection is not the greatest, to be sure.
>
> I found a program called Icon Maker (no endorsement, just a tool I've
used)
> that will retrieve all the icons from all the various DLLs and EXEs on
your
> system and let you customize and save them as a .ico (or just make your
own
> icons from scratch).
>
> http://www.icon-maker.com/
>
> To use a .ico stored on disk, you'll need to modify the control's property
> sheet so the Picture property is the full path to where the icon is
located,
> and set the Picture Type property to "Linked". You can programmatically
set
> the Picture path if you need to.
>
> At least this is true for AC03 - not sure about AC97.
>


True enough, but if you are distributing the app, you wouldn't want to have
to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command buttons
where needed.

There are a number freeware programs that will extract icons, in addition to
the one mentioned above. I use one called Icon Ripper. Also another
freeware called IconEdit, which makes it easy to edit them.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

> True enough, but if you are distributing the app, you wouldn't want to
> have
> to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command buttons
> where needed.

I tried embedding them but couldn't get it to work. When the app was opened
on the client machine, the button had no icon. So I just put the icons in
the same location as the database, which is easy enough to find with code.
If the user moves the database around without moving the icons, well, that's
a billable call...

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

Randy Harris wrote:
> to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command buttons
> where needed.

Ahh... I was thinking of new toolbar images. Don't forget that you're
not limited only to icon images for command buttons:

http://groups.google.com/group/comp.databases.ms-access/msg/ 8f9be8a6b757a694

I have one command button with a mushroom-shaped cloud:
Picture: C:\Nuke.bmp
Picture Type: Embedded
ControlTip Text: Nuke

Even though MS has been expanding the pixel dimensions of icon files
they're still more limited than BMP's.

James A. Fortune
CDMAPoster@FortuneJames.com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

> Randy Harris wrote:
>> to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command buttons
>> where needed.
>
> Ahh... I was thinking of new toolbar images. Don't forget that you're
> not limited only to icon images for command buttons:
>
> I have one command button with a mushroom-shaped cloud:
> Picture: C:\Nuke.bmp
> Picture Type: Embedded
> ControlTip Text: Nuke
>
> Even though MS has been expanding the pixel dimensions of icon files
> they're still more limited than BMP's.

True, but if you embed a bunch of BMPs you're increasing the size of the
database. With 1k icons, there's no performance difference between Linked
and Embedded, which is likely with a large linked BMP. And linked icons can
be changed without recompiling - and you can test for their existence. So I
could give my MDE app a new look just be distributing a new set of icons.

If fact, this has got me thinking - could I change the background color of a
form by pointing its Picture property to a solid colored icon? With an MDB,
I can programmatically open a form in design mode and change the background
color, but this is not possible with an MDE. And usually the first question
I'm asked is "how do I change the color"?

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

deko wrote:
> > Randy Harris wrote:
> > > to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command
> > > buttons where needed.
> >
> > Ahh... I was thinking of new toolbar images. Don't forget that
> > you're not limited only to icon images for command buttons:
> >
> > I have one command button with a mushroom-shaped cloud:
> > Picture: C:\Nuke.bmp
> > Picture Type: Embedded
> > ControlTip Text: Nuke
> >
> > Even though MS has been expanding the pixel dimensions of icon files
> > they're still more limited than BMP's.
>
> True, but if you embed a bunch of BMPs you're increasing the size of
> the database. With 1k icons, there's no performance difference
> between Linked and Embedded, which is likely with a large linked BMP.
> And linked icons can be changed without recompiling - and you can
> test for their existence. So I could give my MDE app a new look just
> be distributing a new set of icons.
> If fact, this has got me thinking - could I change the background
> color of a form by pointing its Picture property to a solid colored
> icon? With an MDB, I can programmatically open a form in design mode
> and change the background color, but this is not possible with an
> MDE. And usually the first question I'm asked is "how do I change
> the color"?

You can change the background color of a from in an MDE. The change just won't
persist, but then a change to the background image property wouldn't persist
either. I suppose you could make it persist by changing the name of the bmp
file amongst several of different colors.

--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

deko wrote:
> > Randy Harris wrote:
> >> to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command buttons
> >> where needed.
> >
> > Ahh... I was thinking of new toolbar images. Don't forget that you're
> > not limited only to icon images for command buttons:
> >
> > I have one command button with a mushroom-shaped cloud:
> > Picture: C:\Nuke.bmp
> > Picture Type: Embedded
> > ControlTip Text: Nuke
> >
> > Even though MS has been expanding the pixel dimensions of icon files
> > they're still more limited than BMP's.
>
> True, but if you embed a bunch of BMPs you're increasing the size of the
> database. With 1k icons, there's no performance difference between Linked
> and Embedded, which is likely with a large linked BMP. And linked icons can
> be changed without recompiling - and you can test for their existence. So I
> could give my MDE app a new look just be distributing a new set of icons.

Yes, I thought about the size factor. Good point. Usually command
buttons aren't very large so that's not a big problem when they're
placed in a 40 Mb mdb. Hmm... your idea about the new look using a new
set of icons for an MDE is interesting and new to me. I'll have to
consider it.

>
> If fact, this has got me thinking - could I change the background color of a
> form by pointing its Picture property to a solid colored icon? With an MDB,
> I can programmatically open a form in design mode and change the background
> color, but this is not possible with an MDE. And usually the first question
> I'm asked is "how do I change the color"?

I haven't tried that either. It looks like I need to do some
experimenting. Thanks for the ideas.

James A. Fortune
CDMAPoster@FortuneJames.com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

> You can change the background color of a from in an MDE. The change just
> won't persist, but then a change to the background image property wouldn't
> persist either. I suppose you could make it persist by changing the name
> of the bmp file amongst several of different colors.

hmmm...

I could persist it this way:

Private Sub Form_Open
Me.Detail.BackColor = _
Nz(DLookup("FormDetailColor", "tblPrefrences"), -2147483633)
End Sub

and just save the user's selection - made from a variety of text boxes with
backcolors that show the different options available - to tblPreferences.

Combine this with different sets of (linked) command button icons - stored
in folders like "ThemeOne" and "ThemeTwo" in the database directory - and
I've got a decent level of user customization... in an MDE!

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

I've got apps with dozens of custom command buttons and toolbar buttons.
Works like a charm. I've got some, that open forms, that are actually tiny
pictures of the form. I did screen grabs of the forms, shrunk them way down
with software then embedded them as images on command and toolbar buttons.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.


"deko" wrote in message
news:19CdnauBYuNjjmzeRVn-sQ@comcast.com...
> > True enough, but if you are distributing the app, you wouldn't want to
> > have
> > to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command
buttons
> > where needed.
>
> I tried embedding them but couldn't get it to work. When the app was
opened
> on the client machine, the button had no icon. So I just put the icons in
> the same location as the database, which is easy enough to find with code.
> If the user moves the database around without moving the icons, well,
that's
> a billable call...
>

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

Ya, don't let Access scale your images down. It has to store the full size
and they can be huge. Shrink them down externally, only embed as big as you
need.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.


"deko" wrote in message
news:pe2dnfyQlucJ2GzenZ2dnUVZ_tSdnZ2d@comcast.com...
> > Randy Harris wrote:
> >> to include icon files. I prefer to embed the icon on the command
buttons
> >> where needed.
> >
> > Ahh... I was thinking of new toolbar images. Don't forget that you're
> > not limited only to icon images for command buttons:
> >
> > I have one command button with a mushroom-shaped cloud:
> > Picture: C:\Nuke.bmp
> > Picture Type: Embedded
> > ControlTip Text: Nuke
> >
> > Even though MS has been expanding the pixel dimensions of icon files
> > they're still more limited than BMP's.
>
> True, but if you embed a bunch of BMPs you're increasing the size of the
> database. With 1k icons, there's no performance difference between Linked
> and Embedded, which is likely with a large linked BMP. And linked icons
can
> be changed without recompiling - and you can test for their existence. So
I
> could give my MDE app a new look just be distributing a new set of icons.
>
> If fact, this has got me thinking - could I change the background color of
a
> form by pointing its Picture property to a solid colored icon? With an
MDB,
> I can programmatically open a form in design mode and change the
background
> color, but this is not possible with an MDE. And usually the first
question
> I'm asked is "how do I change the color"?
>

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

http://www.ffdba.com/icons.htm

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

deko wrote:
>> You can change the background color of a from in an MDE. The change
>> just won't persist, but then a change to the background image
>> property wouldn't persist either. I suppose you could make it
>> persist by changing the name of the bmp file amongst several of
>> different colors.
>
> hmmm...
>
> I could persist it this way:
>
> Private Sub Form_Open
> Me.Detail.BackColor = _
> Nz(DLookup("FormDetailColor", "tblPrefrences"), -2147483633)
> End Sub
>
> and just save the user's selection - made from a variety of text
> boxes with backcolors that show the different options available - to
> tblPreferences.
> Combine this with different sets of (linked) command button icons -
> stored in folders like "ThemeOne" and "ThemeTwo" in the database
> directory - and I've got a decent level of user customization... in
> an MDE!

Sure I save lots of user preferences this way. For instance my main menu as
multiple tabs and some tab pages have sub-tabs. I allow the user to
desginate a "home page" that the menu defaults to at startup. I also store
the width and height of many forms that are resizable by the user to show
more content on higher resolution displays.

--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

Were you using A97?

>I've got apps with dozens of custom command buttons and toolbar buttons.
>Works like a charm. I've got some, that open forms, that are actually tiny
>pictures of the form. I did screen grabs of the forms, shrunk them way down
>with software then embedded them as images on command and toolbar buttons.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

I change Picture property (form background) in mde's. It does not
perform perfectly reliably, but mostly works. Say I open two forms
A & B and suppose B has picture property. If I modify B's picture
property in code, I don't see anything right away. But if I grab A
by its title bar and drag it across B, the drag path 'erases' the old
picture layer, exposing the new picture underneath. Don't ask why.
I have no idea.

I started forcing other objects over the picture to force this to
occur. For instance, I can enlarge a textbox to cover the entire
form surface, then shrink it back to zero size. That'll do the trick.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

Slightly redirected topic...
Say, about those tabs. I just finished posting a Q asking how to move
from page to page in Tab control. How do you handle that on your main
menu?

>
>Sure I save lots of user preferences this way. For instance my main menu as
>multiple tabs and some tab pages have sub-tabs. I allow the user to
>desginate a "home page" that the menu defaults to at startup. I also store
>the width and height of many forms that are resizable by the user to show
>more content on higher resolution displays.

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

MLH wrote:
> Slightly redirected topic...
> Say, about those tabs. I just finished posting a Q asking how to move
> from page to page in Tab control. How do you handle that on your main
> menu?

The TabControl has a Value property that corresponds to the the page index of
the currently selected TabPage. Setting that value brings the TabPage with that
index to the front. For example to switch to the 3rd TabPage...

Me.TabControlName = 2

(index starts at zero)

--
I don't check the Email account attached
to this message. Send instead to...
RBrandt at Hunter dot com

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

Oops, sorry. I'm using A2K. I no longer have A97 installed, so I don't
know if that capability is new in A2K.

--
Randy Harris
tech at promail dot com
I'm pretty sure I know everything that I can remember.


"MLH" wrote in message
news:8c46v1t2te5re6ka41sm91183q7dernuvu@4ax.com...
> Were you using A97?
>
> >I've got apps with dozens of custom command buttons and toolbar buttons.
> >Works like a charm. I've got some, that open forms, that are actually
tiny
> >pictures of the form. I did screen grabs of the forms, shrunk them way
down
> >with software then embedded them as images on command and toolbar
buttons.
>

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

MLH wrote:
> I change Picture property (form background) in mde's. It does not
> perform perfectly reliably, but mostly works. Say I open two forms
> A & B and suppose B has picture property. If I modify B's picture
> property in code, I don't see anything right away. But if I grab A
> by its title bar and drag it across B, the drag path 'erases' the old
> picture layer, exposing the new picture underneath. Don't ask why.
> I have no idea.
>
> I started forcing other objects over the picture to force this to
> occur. For instance, I can enlarge a textbox to cover the entire
> form surface, then shrink it back to zero size. That'll do the trick.

What about a Repaint after changing the picture property?

--
Bri

Re: Where are A97 command button pictures stored?

I tried Repaint. It didn't do the trick. At least
there's a work-a-round. Sizing a textbox large
enough to cover the entire form area, then
sizing it again to reduce it to zero does the
trick quite reliably AFAIK.