Access Shape Drawing Reference
With a bit of creativity, you can draw just about anything on an Access report. Everything you need to know is in Crystal Long's definitive guide.
Did you know that you could create an entire Microsoft Access report using graphics created with a handful of native Access methods?
You can do a lot with the following four functions:
Line: for drawing linesCircle: for drawing circles and arcsPSet: for drawing points (point set)Print: for adding text
The best resource online to learn more about these methods and their supporting properties and functions is Crystal Long's Report Draw Reference and VBA Syntax page.
I mentioned this page in my recent Access Week in Review, but I felt Crystal's page was packed with so much good information it deserved its own article.
Overview of the Resources on Crystal's Page
Here's a sampling of what you'll find on Crystal's site:
Videos
Drawing the Periodic Table
Crystal's 80-minute presentation to the Access Pacific User Group with a sample database that shows how to draw the periodic table of elements using the four drawing methods mentioned above.
The Unit Circle
A 37-minute math tutorial using Access drawing functions to animate concepts associated with the Unit Circle.
CalendarMaker Video Tutorial
Crystal's 49-minute presentation to the Eastern Time Access User Group demonstrating how to "draw" custom calendars in Access reports.
Sample Databases
The database from the Access Pacific presentation with several features:
DrawAtom: a public procedure that can be called from any report- A sample report that shows one atom per page
- A form to edit the elements
- Example reports showing circles, ellipses, and arcs
- An Archimedean Spiral with customizable radius rate of change
The CalendarMaker sample database with features including:
- One-click to open a blank calendar for the current month
- A menu form to specify options, such as setting the first day of the week
- Flexible method for adding holidays to the calendar via custom query
Tips and References
Including:
- Creating a multi-page report without any underlying data
- Report views that support drawing methods
- Order of Report Events by report section
- Unit of Measure conversion (among twips, inches, and points)
Rewritten Help
Unsatisfied with the official Microsoft documentation for the various drawing methods and properties, Crystal rewrote it based on the results of her own experimentation. This documentation appears at the bottom of the page and appears to be quite thorough.
Other Access Drawing Resources?
If you know of any other good resources for using these methods and properties, please leave a note in the comments for the benefit of other readers.
Image credit: sample of Crystal's Periodic Table of Elements report from https://msaccessgurus.com/VBA/ReportDraw_Reference.htm embedded in smart mockup from canva.com
