Wave Shaped Reminder Ticker

Introduction.

We have already seen how to create and install a Reminder Ticker that runs in a straight line on the Main Screen. We could do this with a few lines of VBA code and a Label control on the Main Screen. We will try something different this time. This ticker runs in a Zigzag form. An image of a sample run of this method is given below:

Right-click to open Large Image in New Tab/Window.

To create this Ticker, we need a series of labels arranged in a wavelike form, and each one must be named in a way that makes it easy to address them in code. A sample design is given below:

Right-click to open Large Image in New Tab/Window.

Automating the Labels Creation

There are about 42 identical labels to be created. Even if we create them manually once, arranging them in the required zigzag layout is a challenging task. However, this can be done efficiently with a small program. The program generates a new form, creates all 42 labels, arranges them in a zigzag pattern, assigns them sequential names such as lbl1 through lbl42, and adjusts their other properties as described above.

1. Copy the following Code into a Global Module of your Database and save it.
   

   Public Function ZIGZAG()
   '-----------------------------------------------------------
   'Author  :  a.p.r. pillai
   'Date    :  01/10/2008
   'URL     :  www.msaccesstips.com
   'All Rights Reserved by www.msaccesstips.com
   '-----------------------------------------------------------
   Dim frm As Form, ctrl As Label, t As Long, lngleft As Long
   Dim lngwidth As Long, lngheight As Long, lngtop As Long
   Dim j As Integer, k As Integer, h As Long, G As Long
   
   h = 30: G = 0: t = 0
   lngwidth = 0.1146 * 1440
   lngheight = 0.2083 * 1440
   lngtop = 1 * 1440
   lngleft = 0.16667 * 1440
   Set frm = CreateForm
   For j = 1 To 42
   Set ctrl = CreateControl(frm.Name, acLabel, acDetail, , , lngleft, lngtop, lngwidth, lngheight)
   lngleft = lngleft + lngwidth
   With ctrl
       .Name = "lbl" & j
       .FontName = "Tahoma"
       .FontSize = 8
       .Caption = ""
       .BackStyle = 0
       .ForeColor = 255
    End With
    Next
   G = 0
   For j = 1 To 3
        For k = 1 To 7
           G = G + 1
           Set ctrl = frm.Controls("lbl" & G)
           With ctrl
               .Top = .Top - (h * k)
           End With
           DoEvents
        Next
       t = frm.Controls("lbl" & G).Top
        For k = 1 To 7
            G = G + 1
           Set ctrl = frm.Controls("lbl" & G)
           With ctrl
               .Top = t + (h * 1)
           End With
           t = frm.Controls("lbl" & G).Top
           DoEvents
       Next
   Next
   End Function
   

2. You can run the above Code directly by placing the cursor in the middle of the Code and pressing the F5 Key, or running from a Command Button's On Click Event Procedure or a Macro.

   Each time the code is executed, it creates a new form with the labels arranged in a zigzag pattern. Once you’ve created it, you can export this form to other projects where you want to install the ZigZag Ticker. Alternatively, you can place the code in a common library database and run it from your new project after attaching the library file to your project.

   Placement of the Ticker Labels.

3. After creating the Labels, click somewhere outside the Labels and drag over them so that all the Labels are selected without disturbing the Labels' arrangement.

4. Select Copy from the Edit Menu.

5. Open the Main Switch Board (Control Form) in Design View and paste them.

6. When all the labels are still in the selected state, drag and place the Labels into a position where you want the Ticker to appear on the Form.

   We have two more Sub-Routines, which are run from the Form_Load() and Form_Timer() Event Procedures. In the Form_Load() Event Procedure, we can create a Text Message in a String either with a constant value or with Field Values from a Table/Query that provides useful information to display to the User as a reminder. Refer to the earlier example Reminder Ticker Form, which uses data from within the Application as a reminder.

   Formatting Ticker Text

   The Form_Timer() Event Procedure will control the Display of Label values, shifting one character at a time in succeeding labels, giving it a sense of motion.

7. Copy and paste the following Sub-Routines into the Form Module where you have pasted the above labels.

   Option Compare Database
   Option Explicit
   Dim txt As Variant
   
   Private Sub Form_Load()
       txt = Space(42) & UCase("Excellence is not a matter of chance. It is a matter of Change. It is not a thing to be waited for. It is a thing to be achieved.")
       Me.Timerinterval=250
   End Sub
   

8. See that the Dim txt As Variant is placed in the Global Area of the Module, which is referenced from the Form_Load() and Form_Timer() Event Procedures.

   Private Sub Form_Timer()
   Dim x As String, k As String, j As Integer, ctrl As Control
   
     x = Left(txt, 1)
     txt = Right(txt, Len(txt) - 1)
     txt = txt & x
     k = Left(txt, 42)
   For j = 1 To Len(k)
       Set ctrl = Me.Controls("lbl" & J)
       Ctrl.Caption = Mid(k, j, 1)
   Next
   End Sub 
   

   Disable Ticker on inactive Form

9. The following lines of code are useful if you plan to disable the ticker when the Main Form is inactive and run it when the Main Form is active again, so that other processes are not interrupted by the Ticker.

Private Sub Form_Deactivate()
   Me.TimerInterval = 0
End Sub

Private Sub Form_Activate()
   Me.TimerInterval = 250
End Sub

Download

Download Demo Database Access2007.zip


Download Demo Database Access2002-03.zip

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