CREATE 3D-HEADINGS ON FORMS

Introduction.

The 3D-style heading text, as shown above, can be created quickly in Microsoft Access by layering multiple copies of the same label. Simply copy and paste the label five to seven times, each with the same caption text. Then, offset each duplicate slightly upward and to the left or right to create a shadow-like depth effect. You can customize the topmost label with a brighter font color and use darker shades for the underlying labels to enhance the 3D appearance. This approach offers an easy and effective way to add visual appeal to your Form or Report headers.

The 3D text design can be customized by using Label controls with your desired caption, font style, size, color, bold, or italic formatting. For dynamic content, you can also create a similar 3D effect using TextBox controls, allowing you to display information from table or query fields directly on the form or report. 

Before proceeding further, ensure that all essential project library references have been linked to your database. Failing to do so may result in runtime errors. Please refer to the earlier post on Command Button Animation and follow the steps outlined there to link the necessary library files to your project.

The VBA Code

Copy and paste the following code into a new Global Module and save it:

Option Compare Database
 Option Explicit
 '-- Global declarations
 Private Const lngheight as long = 0.45 * 1440
 Private Const lngWidth as long = 4.5 * 1440
 Private Const intFontSize as integer = 26
 Private Const intTextAlign as integer = 0
 Private Const intBackStyle as integer = 0
 Private Const LngI as long = 0.0104 * 1440
 Private Const intX as long = 0.15 * 1440
 Private Const intY as long = 0.15 * 1440
 Dim MyFrm As Form 

Public Function FormTxtLabels(Optional ByVal ControlType As Integer) As String 
'---------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai 
'Date : September 2006
'ControlType = 0 for label
'ControlTYPE = 1 for TextBox 
'--------------------------------------------------- 
Dim ctl As Control 
'On Error GoTo FormTxtLabels_Err
If ControlType > 0 Then ControlType = 1 

Set MyFrm = CreateForm 

If ControlType = 1 Then
   Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acTextBox, acDetail, , , (0.2 * 1440), (0.2 * 1440), lngWidth, lngheight) 

   With ctl
    .ControlSource = "=" & Chr(34) & "msaccesstips.com" & Chr(34)
   End With
Else
   Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acLabel, _acDetail, , , (0.2 * 1440), (0.2 * 1440), lngWidth, lngheight)

  With ctl
    .Caption = "msaccesstips.com" 
  End With

End If 

FormTxtLabels = MyFrm.NAME 

FormTxtLabels_Exit: 
Exit Function 

FormTxtLabels_Err: 
MsgBox Err.Description, , "FormTxtLabels" 
FormTxtLabels = "" 
Resume FormTxtLabels_Exit 
End Function 

Public Function Validate_Dup(ByRef MyFrm As Form, ByVal intNooflabels As Integer) As Integer 
'---------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai 
'Date : September 2006
'ControlType = 0 for label
'ControlTYPE = 1 for TextBox 
'---------------------------------------------------
Dim mysec As Section, lblcount As Integer 
Dim myctrl As Control, newctrl As Control, j As Integer 
Dim lngx As Long, lngY As Long, lngH As Long, lngW As Long 
Dim strCap As String, ctrltype As Integer, intlbls As Integer 
Dim ctrlName() As String, ctrlIndex() As Integer, i As Long
Dim strFont As String, intFntSize As Integer, x As Integer 
Dim intFntWeight As Integer  

'On Error GoTo Validate_Dup_Err 

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

Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0) 
ctrltype = myctrl.ControlType 
intNooflabels = intNooflabels - 1 
If intlbls > 0 Then 
  ReDim ctrlName(intlbls) As String
  ReDim ctrlIndex(intlbls) As Integer 
End If 
If ctrltype = 109 And intlbls > 0 Then 
    For j = 0 To intlbls 
      Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j) 
      ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType 
      ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME 
    Next 
  For j = 0 To intlbls 
    If ctrlIndex(j) = 100 Then 
      DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j) 
    End If 
  Next 
  intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1 
End If 

Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0) 
If intlbls < intNooflabels Then 
With myctrl
  lngx = .Left
  lngY = .Top
  lngW = .Width
  lngH = 0.0208 * 1440 ' 0.0208 inches
  strFont = .FontName
  intFntSize = .FontSize
  intFntWeight = .FontWeight 
End With 

If ctrltype = 100 Then 
  strCap = myctrl.Caption 
ElseIf ctrltype = 109 Then 
  strCap = myctrl.ControlSource 
End If 
If ctrltype = 109 And intlbls > 0 Then 
  For j = 0 To intlbls 
    Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j) 
    ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType 
    ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME 
  Next 
  For j = 0 To intlbls 
    If ctrlIndex(j) = 100 Then 
      DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j) 
    End If 
  Next 
intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1 
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(intlbls)
With myctrl 
  lngx = .Left 
  lngY = .Top 
  lngW = .Width 
  lngH = .Height 
  ctrltype = .ControlType 
  strFont = .FontName 
  intFntSize = .FontSize 
  intFntWeight = .FontWeight 
End With 
End If 

i = 0.0104 * 1440 + lngH ' 0.0104 inches 
lngY = lngY + i 
For j = intlbls + 1 To intNooflabels 

  Set newctrl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, ctrltype, _acDetail, "","", lngx, lngY, lngW, lngH) 

  If ctrltype = 100 Then 
    newctrl.Caption = strCap 
    newctrl.FontName = strFont 
    newctrl.FontSize = intFntSize 
    newctrl.FontWeight = intFntWeight 
  Else 
    newctrl.ControlSource = strCap 
    newctrl.FontName = strFont 
    newctrl.FontSize = intFntSize 
    newctrl.FontWeight = intFntWeight 
  End If 
lngY = lngY + i 
Next 
End If 

If intlbls > intNooflabels Then 
  For j = intNooflabels + 1 To intlbls 
    Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j) 
    ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType 
    ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME 
  Next 
  For j = intNooflabels + 1 To intlbls 
    DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j) 
  Next 
  Validate_Dup = 0 
End If 

intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1 
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0) 
ctrltype = myctrl.ControlType 
If ctrltype = 109 Then 
  For j = 0 To intlbls 
    Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j) 
    With myctrl 
     .Enabled = False 
     .Locked = True 
     .SpecialEffect = 0 
    End With 
  Next 
End If 
Validate_Dup = 0 

Validate_Dup_Exit: 
Exit Function 

Validate_Dup_Err: 
MsgBox Err.Description, ,"Validate_Dup" 
Validate_Dup = 1 
Resume Validate_Dup_Exit 
End Function 

Public Function MsgLabel() 
'------------------------------------------------------------ 
'Author : a.p.r. pillai 
'Date : September 2006 
'------------------------------------------------------------
Dim mySection As Section, ctl As Control, xForm As Form 
Dim l As Long, t As Long, w As Long, h As Long, F As Long 
F = 1440 
l = 0.5 * F: t = 1.2 * F: w = 3.6563 * F: h = 0.4896 * F 'values in inches 
On Error Resume Next 
Set mySection = MyFrm.Section(acDetail) 
Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acLabel, _acDetail, , "", l, t, w, h) 
ctl.Caption = "Click outside the Controls and Drag Over. "  & "Display the Property Sheet. " & "Type New Text for Caption/Control " & "Source Property area for Label/ Text Boxes. " & "Copy and Paste the Controls to " & "Target Form/Report Area." 

End Function

Public Function Heading3D(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, mySection As Section 
Dim j As Integer, intFSize As Integer 
Dim lblName() As String, lngForecolor As Long, x As Integer 
Dim l As Long, t As Long 

On Error Resume Next 

Heading3D = FormTxtLabels(Label0Text1) 

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

On Error GoTo Heading3D_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 = 0  
       Case 1 To intlbls - 2 
              lngForecolor = 9868950 
       Case intlbls - 1 
              lngForecolor = 16777215 
       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 3 
                l = l - LngI 
               t = t - LngI 
           Case 2 
               l = l - LngI 
               t = t + LngI 
        End Select 
    With mySection.Controls(lblName(j)) 
       .Left = l 
        .Top = t 
    End With 
Next 

MsgLabel 

Heading3D_Exit: 
Exit Function 

Heading3D_Err: 
Msgbox Err.Description, ,"Heading3D" 
Resume Heading3D_Exit 
End Function 

How the Functions are Used

The first 3 Functions in the above code:

FormTxtLabels()

Validate_Dup()

MsgLabel()

The above-listed functions are called from the Heading3D() Function and will be used for other forthcoming Heading Styles.

How to Create a Customizable Sample 3D Heading

To create the 3D-Heading on a new Form, display the Visual Basic Window (if not already open) and press Alt+F11. Press Ctrl+G (or select the Immediate Window option from the View menu) to display the Debug Window.

Type the next line in the immediate window and press the Enter key:

Heading3D 1, 0

@@@When the module window refreshes, it will briefly flash. Minimize the Visual Basic Editor window, and you’ll see a new form (named something like Form1) created with a 3D heading. This heading displays the default text msaccesstips.com, along with a help message suggesting possible modifications.

To reuse the 3D heading:

• Select all the controls by clicking outside the Labels and dragging the mouse over all of them.

• Copy and paste the selection into your own Form or Report.

• With all controls still selected, open the Property Sheet and change the Caption property to your desired text.

• You can also modify font settings such as Bold, Italic, or Font Name as needed.

• To change the text color, carefully click only the topmost label (to avoid misaligning it) and apply the color of your choice.

• If you accidentally select all controls and apply color changes to the entire group, simply press Ctrl+Z to undo.

Defining the Shadow Position

The position of the 3D-Text shadow can be controlled by the first parameter value of the Function, and the following values are used:

1. - Shadow tilted to the top left corner
2. - Left Bottom Corner
3. - Right top Corner
4. - Bottom Right corner

The second parameter of the function determines the type of 3D heading:

• A value of 0 creates a Label-based 3D heading.

• A value of 1 creates a TextBox-based 3D heading, with its Control Source property set to a formula for displaying data.

For TextBox-based headings, you can modify the Control Source to display values from the underlying table or query fields. This allows the heading text to change dynamically as you navigate between records on your data editing form.

Tip: You may omit the second parameter when calling the function if you only need a Label-based 3D heading.

Downloads

Download Demo Database

• Border 2D Heading Style.
• Border 3D Heading Style
• Shadow 3D Heading Style