Using Access for a photographic database.

I do something very much like this with my family's image gallery website.

Scott is right, it isn't necessarily an automatic process, but you can automate the import of information about image files into the database, and you could set that up to run whenever the relational database application opens.  I wouldn't do that because I'd want to control when it happens, but you certainly could.

I find the loading of images into an image control on a single view form to be very, very fast. If you are planning to display a series of records on a continuous form, though, it might be more noticeable, but I would not worry too much about it unless and until you find it does matter in your case.

I recently created a similar sample demo for another task, and it's pretty straightforward to adapt it to find all image files in a given folder. I will place it on my OneDrive Public Site. To use it, start by placing the appropriate file path in the file  path table. 

Locate and List Image Files

Hi Landy, I'm an independent advisorand will try to help.

In august of 2001, I just finished up a database that cataloged the artwork that decorated my company's offices. A couple of months later this database proved invaluable. You see our offices were in the South Tower of the WTC. We were able to have our insurance claim fully paid because of that documentation.

I relate this to assure that Access is viable tool for your application. However, it doesn't cover all your needs. It will not automatically add new photos. However, it can be used to scan the folder(s) where you store the photos and detect new files and create a new record in the database.

I would NOT recommend using BLOB fields as that can cause database bloat. But you CAN put a control on a form that displays the image. The image file remains unchanged. A record can contain whatever fields you need to describe each image. Once the image record is added, you can fit whatever you need.

Also no problem in setting up searches and reports to group images. You can then open the image file in another photo viewer.

The one issue here is that you would need back up the database and the image files.

If you need any further clarification on this feel free to ask.

It will not automatically add new photos. However, it can be used to scan the folder(s) where you store the photos and detect new files and create a new record in the database.

Hi Landyman,

I am in line with Scott about the general approach. 

I have build quite a large application for storing sheet music.

The sheets itself are stored in files in (different) maps on the computer. The database only stores the path to that file.

To find new files in a certain map-structure I have experienced as too complcated , so I used a "waitroom" map where new files/photos are stored for further processing.

On opening the database, or after pressing a button, the files "processed", that is a new record is added, and the file is moved from the "waiting-room" map to some map in the map-structure. At least  you can get a message that there are new files in the waiting-room-map.

This can be done "blind" without adding any kind of details, or manually one-by-one while adding additional information.

To reduce the size of maps in the map-structure (if necassary), you can add a button to move files from one location to an other, while adapting the new location in the database. 

Perhaps it gives you an idea that you can use.

Imb.

Yes, to automate the process would require VBA coding. Not too complex coding, but coding nonetheless. You should be able to find sample code to do it. If not I can help.

In my experience, the performance of displaying an image within a control on a form is not a problem. Especially since you would be working with direct links, not across a large LAN.

And yes, Access can call other programs. But its even easier that that. If you have a default image viewer file, then all you need is one line of code:

Application.Hyperlink Me.ImagePath

That will open the image in the default viewer

I relate this to assure that Access is viable tool for your application. However, it doesn't cover all your needs. It will not automatically add new photos. However, it can be used to scan the folder(s) where you store the photos and detect new files and create a new record in the database.

I would NOT recommend using BLOB fields as that can cause database bloat. But you CAN put a control on a form that displays the image. The image file remains unchanged. A record can contain whatever fields you need to describe each image. Once the image record is added, you can fit whatever you need.

Also no problem in setting up searches and reports to group images. You can then open the image file in another photo viewer.

The one issue here is that you would need back up the database and the image files.

Many thanks Scott for your reply.

I consider "scan[ing] the folder(s) where you store the photos and detect new files and create a new record in the database.", as an automatic process.  I assume that I would have to setup a procedure for doing this, but at this early stage don't know how to.  A major part of the database would be the ability to edit various fields, which in the case of newly added photos, would be blank apart from the Path Name of the photo.

When I setup a scrolling form (is this the correct word?) of selected photos, I would like to display various text fields and a small copy of the photo.  I thought that Access loading and reducing the size of a photo would be a slow process and that a small thumbnail BLOB would speed up displaying the scrolling form.  But I accept your advice.  (Before retiring I wrote BASIC and ASSY programs.)

You wrote that I could use another photo viewer to display the photo full size.  Can Access 'call' that other program?

Backing up is not a problem as I use ViceVersa Pro.

Thanks again, Scott.