Duplicating objects on a form?

[Himmel]

Hello,

I am working with a large game database, which has coordinates for where each NPC is located in the game. I am using Access 2003 to query the database for reference purposes, and am trying to create a visual representation of where each NPC is located on a map image.

I have the code set up to position a single "pin" image on the map at the coordinates it should be. However, I would like to know how I could go about creating a function to either insert a new image into the form (another pin) or clone the existing pin object?

Thanks for the help!

[Rabbit]

You can't do that unless you put the form back into design view. Best you can do is have the controls created but invisble till you need it.

[Himmel]

You can't do that unless you put the form back into design view. Best you can do is have the controls created but invisble till you need it.

Well, the idea is to dynamically place pins after a query. So for example, I search for everyone in "room 1", and there are 5 people. So I want 5 pins to be placed. When I hit "search" a new form is opened to display the image of the room. So having code that modifies the form at a design level should not cause any problems. Or if there is a method to create a dynamic form, that would work too.

I hope I'm making some sort of sense. If the only way is to already have 1000 pin images hidden and just make the ones I need visible, I'm going to cry. :)

[ADezii]

Well, the idea is to dynamically place pins after a query. So for example, I search for everyone in "room 1", and there are 5 people. So I want 5 pins to be placed. When I hit "search" a new form is opened to display the image of the room. So having code that modifies the form at a design level should not cause any problems. Or if there is a method to create a dynamic form, that would work too.

I hope I'm making some sort of sense. If the only way is to already have 1000 pin images hidden and just make the ones I need visible, I'm going to cry. :)

You can use the CreateForm() Method to create a Form based on an existing Form Template or the Default Form Template. You can also use the CreateControl() Method to dynamically create Controls on an existing Form. Both Methods are covered in the Access Help Files.

[Himmel]

That's the info I was looking for. :)


A new problem though... Is there a way to make Access create more than 878 controls on a form? This is a monster of a game and each area I want to display has at least 1000 NPC's in it.

[Himmel]

Come to think of it, perhaps you could bring your considerable expertise to review this code and let me know if it's optimal. :) This uses some integers that are based specifically on the gaming environment, so some of the static declarations (range, imagemap, worldmap, etc) are set that way for a reason.

Public Function TemplateForm() As String
 
Dim rst As ADODB.Recordset
Dim ctl As Control
Dim frm As Form
Dim pingx As Long
Dim pingy As Long
Dim stLinkCriteria As String
 
Set frm = CreateForm
Set rst = New ADODB.Recordset
 
frm.InsideWidth = 400
frm.InsideHeight = 400
 
 
frm.NavigationButtons = False
frm.DividingLines = False
frm.ControlBox = False
frm.ScrollBars = 2
frm.RecordSelectors = False
frm.Section(0).BackColor = -2147483633
 
With rst
    .ActiveConnection = CurrentProject.Connection
    .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
    .LockType = adLockOptimistic
    .Open "Select * From QRY_NPC_In_Chunk"
 
    Do Until .EOF
'Our constants:
'Range from map 0,0 to top-left corner is...
range = 102395
 
'The map image is 400px/400px.  A world map is 204790 units.
imagemap = 400.0032
worldmap = 204790
 
'Worldmap / imagemap = quantifier
q = worldmap / imagemap
 
'The map ping will be placed at (pingX, pingY), in quips.
' with 96 pixels to 1 inch, and 1440 quips to 1 inch.
' Since we have the original pixels and want it in quips,
' the math is: quips=(inches=(pixels=(range+coord)/96)*1440)
pingx = (((range + !x) / q) / 96) * 1440
pingy = (((range + !y) / q) / 96) * 1440
 
            Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acImage, , "", "", pingx, pingy, 165, 165)
 
            ctl.SizeMode = 0
            ctl.PictureType = 0
            ctl.BorderStyle = 0
            ctl.Picture = "map-ping.png"
            Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acLabel, , "", "", pingx, pingy, 165, 165)
            ctl.TextAlign = 2
            ctl.FontWeight = 800
        .MoveNext
    Loop
    .Close
End With
 
Set rst = Nothing
TemplateForm = frm.Name
DoCmd.Close acForm, frm.Name, acSaveYes
 
DoCmd.OpenForm TemplateForm, , , stLinkCriteria
 
 
End Function
 

[ADezii]

That's the info I was looking for. :)


A new problem though... Is there a way to make Access create more than 878 controls on a form? This is a monster of a game and each area I want to display has at least 1000 NPC's in it.

The maximum number of Controls and Sections you can add over the lifetime of a Form is: 754

[ADezii]

Come to think of it, perhaps you could bring your considerable expertise to review this code and let me know if it's optimal. :) This uses some integers that are based specifically on the gaming environment, so some of the static declarations (range, imagemap, worldmap, etc) are set that way for a reason.

Public Function TemplateForm() As String
 
Dim rst As ADODB.Recordset
Dim ctl As Control
Dim frm As Form
Dim pingx As Long
Dim pingy As Long
Dim stLinkCriteria As String
 
Set frm = CreateForm
Set rst = New ADODB.Recordset
 
frm.InsideWidth = 400
frm.InsideHeight = 400
 
 
frm.NavigationButtons = False
frm.DividingLines = False
frm.ControlBox = False
frm.ScrollBars = 2
frm.RecordSelectors = False
frm.Section(0).BackColor = -2147483633
 
With rst
    .ActiveConnection = CurrentProject.Connection
    .CursorType = adOpenKeyset
    .LockType = adLockOptimistic
    .Open "Select * From QRY_NPC_In_Chunk"
 
    Do Until .EOF
'Our constants:
'Range from map 0,0 to top-left corner is...
range = 102395
 
'The map image is 400px/400px.  A world map is 204790 units.
imagemap = 400.0032
worldmap = 204790
 
'Worldmap / imagemap = quantifier
q = worldmap / imagemap
 
'The map ping will be placed at (pingX, pingY), in quips.
' with 96 pixels to 1 inch, and 1440 quips to 1 inch.
' Since we have the original pixels and want it in quips,
' the math is: quips=(inches=(pixels=(range+coord)/96)*1440)
pingx = (((range + !x) / q) / 96) * 1440
pingy = (((range + !y) / q) / 96) * 1440
 
            Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acImage, , "", "", pingx, pingy, 165, 165)
 
            ctl.SizeMode = 0
            ctl.PictureType = 0
            ctl.BorderStyle = 0
            ctl.Picture = "map-ping.png"
            Set ctl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acLabel, , "", "", pingx, pingy, 165, 165)
            ctl.TextAlign = 2
            ctl.FontWeight = 800
        .MoveNext
    Loop
    .Close
End With
 
Set rst = Nothing
TemplateForm = frm.Name
DoCmd.Close acForm, frm.Name, acSaveYes
 
DoCmd.OpenForm TemplateForm, , , stLinkCriteria
 
 
End Function
 

I'll review the code at my earliest convenience.

[Himmel]

The maximum number of Controls and Sections you can add over the lifetime of a Form is: 754

Thanks. I will put a limiter in so it won't keep breaking.

[ADezii]

Thanks. I will put a limiter in so it won't keep breaking.

I'm hazy on a couple of areas, but the code itself seems solid. It may be a good idea to explicitly declare several Variables such as q, worldmap, and imagemap. Undeclared Variables without Variable declaration turned on can pose a very annoying problem. You refer to quips several times in your Comments, are you referring to Twips (1440/inch)? It seems you biggest problem may be the restriction on the maximum nember of Controls allowed over the lifetime of a Form: 754.