wmf images dont display whilst bmp do, why ?

[DBenz]

Hi Access 2010,


I have a form that displays records and it also along with the usual fields, a field with path such as D:\AccessPics\dog.bmp to an image feeding an image control with the image, so I see a dog pic.
works for bmp images, but I see I had one of these image fields fed .wmf files and they are not displaying, I seem to recall they did when first designed else I wouldnt have saved it as such !

What can I look at to fix this ?

Cheers

DBenz

[Gicu]

Look at the file size, usually anything over 1-2 MB might create problems. Just tested my db and have no problems loading small wmf files in an image control.

Cheers,
Vlad

[DBenz]

Look at the file size, usually anything over 1-2 MB might create problems. Just tested my db and have no problems loading small wmf files in an image control.

Cheers,
Vlad

Hi, they are 24kb each.
I have just gone to their folder in windows explorer and selected one, but nothing appeared in the preview pane at right, that set me thinking, windows 7 64bit pro I have, previously it was XP, googled wmf and win7 and microsoft have stopped wmf from displaying, honestly I would like to strangle Microsoft at times, why do that to us , they even invented wmf, so why decide we cant display them anymore ?
answer...thank you Msoft for removing wmf as they are a security threat and saying use a 3rd part app which they warn could well be a security threat !

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...4-7fd0477bea82

so before I mess up my pc with some 3rd party msoft fix, what is the best way here, have you got win 7 or 10 and did you get a plug in to get win to show a WindowsMetafile.

Otherwise I will have to convert loads of wmf to another high quality low file size, but despite searching on the net on what file types can be used with access, ALL artciles are how hot to work with them NOT what they can be, and they are always on about bmp or jpg. Just what are the options, what is best to convert ultra lightwuight precise files like wmf into ?



DBenz

[June7]

Vlad said can display wmf in Image control in Access, didn't mention display in Windows. I just tested this and wmf does not display in Windows 10 Explorer preview. Same for emf file.

I also am able to display in Image control.

[DBenz]

Hi,
thats good news, so why doesnt my access display wmf I wonder.
I have now put the image path into another access dbase I run that displays bmp no problem so I know the dbase is good and yet again the wmf doesnt display, nothing at all appears.

Next test, watch a youtube tutorial on adding path type images to a newly designed dbase, follow that exactly, and only a tif diaplays, not a wmf.

So why doesnt access2010 display wmf ? changed wmf to a png and also a gif and they displayed.

DBenz

[June7]

Don't know why Access is now failing for wmf for you. I do not experience this issue. Perhaps provide wmf file you are working with. Zip file and attach to post.

However, might find this interesting https://blog.kareldonk.com/wmfpreview/

[DBenz]

Don't know why Access is now failing for wmf for you. I do not experience this issue. Perhaps provide wmf file you are working with. Zip file and attach to post.

However, might find this interesting https://blog.kareldonk.com/wmfpreview/

Hi,
Installed KarelDonk, now can see wmf in windows explorer preview window at last.
My little test dbase made following you tube video, displays my test jpg and bmp BUT STILL NOT THE WMF ! It saves as an .accdb

I now run the serious dbase and still nothing. that saves as an .mdb doing a file save as.

After some fiddling I see record 1 displays wmf if I hop into design view and back out ! this after setting control source for the image frame to the field that contains the image paths.
I see however the working main pciture doesnt have a control source entry , neither does the two bmp image frames !
This dbase was made in a prior version of access. file names were mdb. Opening into access 2010 may have tripped up something, though the wmf not displaying in explorer was Msoft denying us the file type.
Testing my troublesome wmf imageframe, I decide to set its source to the path of my smaller bmp images that do work on this form, and it fails to display those !


DISCOVERY !!!
working on record 1
I then turn a wmf into a gif and place that path in the field, still nothing, go into design view and back to form view, the gif appears.
change it back to the wmf, go into design view then back out AND THE WMF APPEARS !!!!!
I select another wmf from the drop down list, nothing appears, go into design view and back out, IT THEN APPEARS !!!
I am able to populate the four wmf windows this way but only in record 1. as that page stays put as one hops in and out of design view !

However I then do this for record 134 which has a main window image and smaller bmp images showing, and go design view and back to form view, I am back to record 1, go to record 134 and no wmf displaying.
I still cant get any record to show any image let alone wmf for that image box except for record 1.

Lets see if the main image is afflicted as well since opening this into access 2010, create copy of an image and call it test.bmp, use record#2, place its path there, go forward then backward a record and it displays, as it always has done, so how become that works as expected and with no field name in its control source ??

I open Msoft paint and check the address to the wmf, paste the address into file open and it displays it instantly, so the address is good.

So what is going on ?

Finally I create a new image frame as per video, control source again is the field name the path lives in, and nothing displays except at record 1.

What do I do next ?
attached one of my wmf images.

DBenz

[June7]

Image control also has Picture property. The ControlSource property was added with Access 2007.

Your image will not display in my form. However, the wmf I created does display.

[DBenz]

Hi, why dont my wmf's display ?
They used to in the dbase when first made and run on xp. I dont recall what version of access I had back then. They were all created in I think Macromedia Freehand.
They display with a transparent surround.
So why does Access 2010 refuse to display them, but wait it doesnt, they display in record1 if I go into design view and back out, try that.
But that only works for record #1

Msoft have done something to cause this. I am convinced, but what ?

Then I see this on the internet,
http://blog.fmsinc.com/microsoft-acc...icture-images/

Is this the cause, it refers to 2016 not 2010 though. Clearly Msoft are at fault in some image display issues. I cannot go reinstalling thousands of images though.

I will install any updates using check for updates, after first backing up the pc !

Can you upload here your wmf, let me try that.

I have opened another dbase I use all the time which has no problems displaying .bmp files, again I see its image frame has nothing in controlSource .

Can it be that control source can be empty for the property of an image frame because all mine are !..and images display just fine. except wmf.
If my databases were made in access 2000 or whatever, prior to 2007, then the dbase opened into access 2010 would that explain controlSource being blank yet the image frames working with .bmp ?
How did an old access populate an image frame with an image and its image path from another field ?

In fact what was the method used to create an unbound image frame and populate it with a different images per record ?

DBenz

[June7]

Sorry, have no explanation for why they fail now. Can only advise you replace them. Try creating a wmf with PowerPoint and see what your db does with it. That's how I created one.

Prior to Access 2007, images had to be stored in db or had to use VBA setting Picture property for dynamic display of external images on report. Code won't work for form. http://www.databasedev.co.uk/bound_image_report.html

[DBenz]

Sorry, have no explanation for why they fail now. Can only advise you replace them. Try creating a wmf with PowerPoint and see what your db does with it. That's how I created one.

Prior to Access 2007, images had to be stored in db or had to use VBA setting Picture property for dynamic display of external images on report. Code won't work for form. http://www.databasedev.co.uk/bound_image_report.html

Hi, I have zero experience of powerpoint but launched it, dragged out a trianvgle and went save as wmf and place this into my test dbase and it shows !
I have hundreds of user created artwork that could not be made in powerpoint, created in Macromedia Freehand.
Somehow Freehands wmf is no longer recognised by Microsoft access. Its Microsoft at play here, grrrrrr !
I have updated windows today and still no joy.
Thanks for allowing this development to show the issue,.
I will somehow have to convert all my wmf files to msoft 2019 recognised type wmf ! one by one, .
I opened one into powerpoint, saved it as its name suffix ppt, placed that in same folder as the ppt triangle I made that worked, placed that path into my test dbase which uses controlsource etc, didnt display.
Something about the hundreds of images made in Freehand as wmf that wont play ball in access anymore, I cant go recreating them all again. Hells Bells what have Msoft done ?

DBenz

[June7]

No, a ppt file will not display in Image control because it is not an image file type. I tried saving slide with your wmf image on it as another wmf. That fails. Result is a blank image. More weirdness.

Can open your wmf in Paint and save as bmp. That new file does show in Windows Explorer preview and in Access.

The wmf opens in Paint by default for me.

Double click on wmf file to open in Paint, Save As bmp. Sounds like a day of boring, tedious busy work for hundreds of files. But once it's done it's done.

[isladogs]

If you do need to modify your image files, I would recommend converting to .PNG or .GIF.
Both give good quality images with small file size.
Alternatively .BMP is also good but has larger files.
Avoid JPG which are lossy and often don't work well in Access.

There are a number of batch file converters available so you don't need to do so one file at a time

[June7]

Batching, of course

This one looks good but don't know about pricing, there may be a trial/freebie version that will get you through this https://www.nchsoftware.com/imagecon...25a9f9a3859122

[isladogs]

There are plenty of free tools available as well