SHADOW3D HEADING STYLE

This is the continuation of a series of different 3D-Heading-Styles introduced for designing Microsoft Access Form/Report Headings. This design is a variant of the 3D-Heading Style presented under the Title Create 3D Headings on Forms. Both the Styles has its own beauty and once they are created you may copy the same Controls and customize them with different Fore-color, Font & Font Styles (Bold, Italics etc.) and use it on Form or Report Headings.

If you are the first-time visitor on this site and landed straight on this page you must prepare your MS-Access Project by adding few Library Files and Main Programs (if you have not already done) before you are able to run the Code for this Heading Style and others presented on this Site. Follow the steps given below:

1. Link few Common Library Files (they are already there in your System, you only need to attach them) to your Project by following the steps described in my earlier post with the Title Command-Button Animation

2. You need to copy all the VB Codes given under the Title Create 3D Heading on Forms and paste them into a Global Visual Basic Module in your Project and save the Module. This Code implements the Main Functions of each Heading Styles presented so far including this one.

Once you are ready with the above you may copy the Code for this Heading Style and try it out. Copy the Code below into the same Global Module, where you have copied the Main Programs, or any Global Module you prefer and save it.

Public Function Shadow3D(ByVal intStyle As Integer, _
ByVal intForeColor As Integer, _ 
Optional ByVal Label0Text1 As Integer) As String 
'----------------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai
'Date   : September 2006
'----------------------------------------------------------
Dim intlbls As Integer, intFSize As Integer 
Dim j As Integer, mySection As Section 
Dim lblName() As String, lngForecolor As Long, X As Integer 
Dim l As Long, t As Long 

On Error Resume Next 

Shade3D = FormTxtLabels(Label0Text1) 

Set mySection = MyFrm.Section(acDetail) 
intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1 

On Error GoTo Shadow3D_Err 

X = Validate_Dup(MyFrm, 5) ' check type and duplicate 

If X = 1 Then 
  Exit Function 
End If 
intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1 

X = intStyle 
intStyle = IIf(X < 0, 0, IIf(X > 3, 3, intStyle)) 
X = intForeColor 
intForeColor = IIf(X < 0, 0, IIf(X > 15, 15, intForeColor)) 

ReDim lblName(0 To intlbls) As String 

For j = 0 To intlbls 
 lblName(j) = mySection.Controls(j).NAME 
Next 

For j = 0 To intlbls 
  With mySection.Controls(lblName(j)) 
    .Height = lngheight 
    .Width = lngWidth 
    .FontName = "Times New Roman" 
    intFSize = .FontSize 
    If intFSize < intFontSize Then 
      .FontSize = intFontSize 
    End If 
    .FontUnderline = False 
    .TextAlign = intTextAlign 
    .BackStyle = intBackStyle 
   Select Case j 
     Case 0 
      lngForecolor = 8421504 
     Case 1 To intlbls - 2 
      lngForecolor = 8421504 
     Case intlbls - 1 
      lngForecolor = 0 '12632256 
     Case intlbls 
      lngForecolor = QBColor(intForeColor) 
    End Select 
      .ForeColor = lngForecolor 
 End With 
Next 
l = intX: t = intY 

With mySection.Controls(lblName(1)) 
  .Left = l 
  .Top = t 
End With 
For j = 0 To intlbls 
Select Case intStyle 
       Case 0 
          l = l + LngI 
          t = t + LngI 
       Case 1 
          l = l + LngI 
          t = t - LngI 
       Case 2 
        l = l - LngI 
        t = t + LngI 
       Case 3 
          l = l - LngI 
          t = t - LngI 
End Select 
  With mySection.Controls(lblName(j)) 
     .Left = l 
     .Top = t 
  End With 
Next 
MsgLabel 

Shadow3D_Exit: 
Exit Function 

Shadow3D_Err: 
Msgbox Err.Description,, "Shadow3D" 
Resume Shadow3D_Exit 
End Function 

To create the Shadow3D Heading Style:

a. Press Alt+F11 to Display the Visual Basic Editing Screen (you can toggle between Database and VB Window with this Shortcut)

b. Press Ctrl+G (or View Menu --> Immediate Window) to display the Debug Window

Type the following in the Debug Window and press Enter:

Shadow3D 1, 0

You will see the Screen flashes a little as if it is refreshed. Minimize the Visual Basic Module Window and you will see a new Form has been created with the above Heading Style. Help to customize the Control with your own Font, Font Style or Heading Text is also created in a Label Control, which you may follow to change it into your own style.

Let us examine the Command Line Values.

Shadow3D - is the Function Name

1 - First Parameter to the Function which controls the Shadow position of the Heading Text. Range of Values are from 0 to 3.

0 - Shadow position left top corner

1 - bottom left corner

2 - Right top corner

3 - Right bottom corner

0 - Second parameter 0 will create 3D Text on Label controls. By default the Function creates label based Heading Text and this can be omitted. If omitted, then do not use a coma after the first parameter. If 1 is used then the Function creates TextBox based control with Heading Text placed in a Formula in the Control Source property. You can change the Value in the Formula or change to show values from the underlying field of table/query attached to the Form. Or you can write a Dlookup() Function to pick the Value from a different Table.

Example : =Dlookup("CountryName","CountryTable","CountryCode = ‘USA’")

The above example will show United States of America in 3D Style from the CountryTable based on the Values in CountryCode & CountryName Fields. If The criteria parameter of the Function needs to obtain a Value from the current table attached to the Form then modify the Function to:

=Dlookup("CountryName","CountryTable","CountryCode = ‘“ & [CCode] & "’")

Where [CCode] is the Field Name where the country codes are stored in the Table/Query attached to the Form. Note the single quote immediately after the equal sign followed by a double-quote and the closing single quote within double-quotes before the closing parenthsis indicating the CCode field value is character type data.

Tip: Search in MS-Access Help for more details on Dlookup() Function.

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Download Demo Database

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Border 2D Heading Style
Border 3D heading Style
MsgBox with Office Assistant