I’m new to designer. I have the great tasks of modifying our ‘contacts’ db to include an individual’s picture and then add the ability to display it in a view.
My problem is actually creating the view. Reading the designer help, I noticed that i’m not able to get the new field i created (PersonImage) via the fields list because it isn’t a ‘text’ field. The field type that i used was rich text lite. (In the form I created a rich text lite field which would only allow ‘graphics’ to be used.)
So upon reading some more in the help section, in order to display rich text and other types besides ‘text’ i have to have/create a “convertion formula” to interpret that field.
I’ve been searching online and in the help, but i have yet to find any information on this convertion formula.
I would appreciate any help (and feedback) on this. Thanks.
Subject: Creating a view to display pictures (images)
Let’s make this easy for you: you can’t do that at all, at least not in the Notes client.
In order for images to be displayed in a view in the Notes client, they need to be database Image Resources. You would then simply reference them by filename in a column set to display values as icons. There is also an older hack that involves setting the rich text field’s IsSummary property to True, but that also requires Image Resources rather than pasted images.
The best you can do, realistically, is to give the users the ability to dialog the document. That’s really no better than having them open the document, though.
The story on the web is another matter entirely, since you can easily create an HTML ![]()
tag in the view. The file would have to be an attachment, though, rather than a pasted picture.
Subject: Or use the preview pane adjusted enough to see the picture when you click on the person.
Subject: What about creating a “contact” printing form?
Any chance you could set up a form like what is used for printing labels in the personal address book - with the name and resized photo?
Also, found this in the Sandbox several days ago. I haven’t played with it at all, so I’m not sure that it will do what you need.
http://www-10.lotus.com/ldd/sandbox.nsf/ecc552f1ab6e46e4852568a90055c4cd/b416b159cb74e9df852568d4006f1720?OpenDocument
Subject: Or use the preview pane adjusted enough to see the picture when you click on the person.
That’s be cool, but you’d need the nose and fingers to extend into the status bar, in traditional “Kilroy was here” fashion.
Subject: RE: Creating a view to display pictures (images)
I think i understand what you are saying.
Now if I go the other method of including the images via Image Resources, i’d have to setup a ‘images’ directory of sorts and have the person’s picture in there? Then in order to tie that image to a person, that’s when i put the filename in the Image Resource (IR) field. But from playing around with IR, my impression is that its setup as static image, for like logos and such. It doesn’t seems to allow different pictures for each individual.
On a similar note, lets assume that i don’t want to create a view (since i can’t anyhow), but just allow a ‘print out’ of that image and person’s name using my current method. Is that only possible by doing a View too?
Subject: RE: Creating a view to display pictures (images)
That’s right – you’d need to create an Image Resource for each person, which you would then reference by file name in the view. That would require Designer access to update your contacts list, of course. Take another look at the properties when you create a picture on a form using Create–>Image Resource. The initial picture you set is static, but the first tab of the Picture Properties allows you to use a formula, which is evaluated at document open.
Subject: RE: Creating a view to display pictures (images)
I will assume that your suggestion of using Image Resource is the ‘best’ approach for this type of thing. Just to be informed, why would using the Rich Text Lite type a ‘bad’ approach to this?
Will using the Image Resource allow for the editor to ‘upload’ an image or is that a different issue?
Lastly, there isn’t a way to allow (or script)a ‘print out’ of images in Rich Text Lite field with PersonName?
Would you suggest a website or other where ther e is a ‘bin’ of formula scripts, snippets, examples?
Thanks for help.
Subject: RE: Creating a view to display pictures (images)
Rich Text Lite won’t allow you to use a view, but it’s perfectly fine for use on documents. If this were my app, I’d just tell people that you can’t do non-icon images in a view and leave it at that. That’s what I’ve been trying to say all along. If you need images in a view, then end-users need to have Designer access. That’s a BAD THING. Don’t even consider this unless someone says they’re going to fire you otherwise, then use Image Resources.