add drawing

[chiefmsb]

i am trying to have a user select from several diagrams and then add to them and have them as part of a record. thanks for any help

[NTC]

diagrams as part of a record? you will have to clarify what you mean by this.

[chiefmsb]

I am a physician and am writing a electronic medical records program. I want to have a series of diagrams, such as a heart, lung etc. I want to be able to pick one of the diagrams, draw on it, and put it into the database.

[NTC]

when you say 'want to draw on it'.....what drawing application are you using for that? since Access (or any db) is not primarily a drawing application....

[chiefmsb]

basically i want a diagram for instance of a lung and want to be able to mark on it where i find an abnormality. i a figuring this to be done in one of two ways. first if there is a way to have a diagram that can be called upon and then to edit it and save the edited diagram. the other way would be to have a button to bring you to another program ( lets just say microsoft paint) to a diagram, edit it and then bring it into a field on the form. thanks

[NTC]

Access is not a drawing application. The approach to this is first to find a drawing application, unto itself, that is right for you in terms of marking/drawing.

The drawing is filed in a folder in its native format; let's say c:PatientDrawings/Patient1.pdf

The database holds data - in records. Let's say there is a record for Patient1. You have in your Access table, a field that is either an Attachment field type or hyperlink field type where this path is stored.

Then when in a form, and lets say you are clicking thru patients - and go to Patient1 that field there with the path, when clicked on, will open that drawing and launch that drawing application.

It is the way the underlying OS is able to then, using native windowing, to toggle between apps...and the database really acts as a pointer (in terms of an exterior application). b.t.w. This approach is true for Word, Excel, PDFs, JPG, MPEG, etc etc.

One very key consideration, whenever an db app involves attached docs/files - is the path. Changing the location of files, folders, etc - will render that path invalid. So great forethought must be given to setting this up between folders whos relative location is not going to change.

Hope this helps.

[chiefmsb]

thanks for all your help so far. ive decided im going to direct via a button to a drawing program. how do i get the drawing back into the form to be stored in a field. thanks, mark

[NTC]

Presuming you have an Access2007 textbook - follow the guide of an 'Attachment' field type.