How to identify an inserted picture within a formula

I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function that
takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp file
would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like CELL
dont know anything about this.

I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture is
not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting this
up.

Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting pictures
might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I need,
or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
components of a railway signalling diagram.)

Any advice appreciated. TIA.

Jeff

Can you point us in the direction of what the symbols look like - perhaps a
rail site somewhere. Just thinking it will be far easier to do this if we
can point you in the direction of a font symbol as you mentioned. There are
thousands of them.

--
Regards
Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function that
> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
file
> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like CELL
> dont know anything about this.
>
> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
is
> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
this
> up.
>
> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting pictures
> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
need,
> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>
> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>
> Jeff
>
>

Please correct your system clock.

--
Don Guillett
SalesAid Software
[email protected]
"Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function that
> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
file
> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like CELL
> dont know anything about this.
>
> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
is
> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
this
> up.
>
> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting pictures
> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
need,
> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>
> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>
> Jeff
>
>

Hey, you're right, daylight saving doesn't end until March.

"Don Guillett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Please correct your system clock.
>
> --
> Don Guillett
> SalesAid Software
> [email protected]
> "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
>> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
>> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
>> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
>> that
>> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
> file
>> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
>> CELL
>> dont know anything about this.
>>
>> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
> is
>> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
>> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
>> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
>> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
> this
>> up.
>>
>> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
>> pictures
>> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
>> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
> need,
>> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
>> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
>> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>>
>> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>
>

Forget daylight saving, you're nearly a whole day out with your clock.

--
Regards
Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Hey, you're right, daylight saving doesn't end until March.
>
> "Don Guillett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Please correct your system clock.
> >
> > --
> > Don Guillett
> > SalesAid Software
> > [email protected]
> > "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
> >> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
> >> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
> >> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
> >> that
> >> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
> > file
> >> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
> >> CELL
> >> dont know anything about this.
> >>
> >> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the
picture
> > is
> >> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
> >> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
> >> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in
such
> >> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
> > this
> >> up.
> >>
> >> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
> >> pictures
> >> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au
fait
> >> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
> > need,
> >> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation.
(For
> >> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
> >> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
> >>
> >> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
> >>
> >> Jeff
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>

The pictures, once inserted, have no tie to the file from which they were
created. You can tell what cell they are over.

ActiveSheet.Pictures(1).TopLeftCell

and its name
Activesheet.Pictures(1).Name

but you would have to assign a meaningful name when it was imported.

--
Regards,
Tom Ogilvy

"Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function that
> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
file
> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like CELL
> dont know anything about this.
>
> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
is
> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
this
> up.
>
> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting pictures
> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
need,
> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>
> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>
> Jeff
>
>

My clock looked fine to me, but the problem was the time zone. Should be
fixed now.

"Ken Wright" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:%[email protected]...
> Forget daylight saving, you're nearly a whole day out with your clock.
>
> --
> Regards
> Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
> Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Hey, you're right, daylight saving doesn't end until March.
>>
>> "Don Guillett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > Please correct your system clock.
>> >
>> > --
>> > Don Guillett
>> > SalesAid Software
>> > [email protected]
>> > "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> > news:[email protected]...
>> >> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures
>> >> in
>> >> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
>> >> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small
>> >> .bmp
>> >> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
>> >> that
>> >> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the
>> >> .bmp
>> > file
>> >> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
>> >> CELL
>> >> dont know anything about this.
>> >>
>> >> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the
> picture
>> > is
>> >> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
>> >> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
>> >> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in
> such
>> >> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for
>> >> setting
>> > this
>> >> up.
>> >>
>> >> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
>> >> pictures
>> >> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au
> fait
>> >> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
>> > need,
>> >> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation.
> (For
>> >> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
>> >> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>> >>
>> >> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>> >>
>> >> Jeff
>> >>
>> >>
>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>
>

Thanks. It sounds as though a custom font would be simpler to use.

"Tom Ogilvy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The pictures, once inserted, have no tie to the file from which they were
> created. You can tell what cell they are over.
>
> ActiveSheet.Pictures(1).TopLeftCell
>
> and its name
> Activesheet.Pictures(1).Name
>
> but you would have to assign a meaningful name when it was imported.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Tom Ogilvy
>
> "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
>> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
>> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
>> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
>> that
>> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
> file
>> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
>> CELL
>> dont know anything about this.
>>
>> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
> is
>> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
>> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
>> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
>> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
> this
>> up.
>>
>> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
>> pictures
>> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
>> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
> need,
>> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
>> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
>> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>>
>> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>
>

I have prowled the net with yahoo looking for a suitable symbol font, and
concluded that it would be more practicable to try and create one. I'm
currently investigating an evaluation copy of High-Logic Font Creator, which
appears promising. I need to spend some time setting up the font glyphs,
but this does not appear to be much more labour intensive than creating
bitmaps in Paint. I lose the option of multi-colour symbols (not greatly
concerned by that), but a font seems to be easier to use in my application
(see Tom's post).

Thanks to all respondents.

"Ken Wright" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Can you point us in the direction of what the symbols look like - perhaps
> a
> rail site somewhere. Just thinking it will be far easier to do this if we
> can point you in the direction of a font symbol as you mentioned. There
> are
> thousands of them.
>
> --
> Regards
> Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
> Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures in
>> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
>> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small .bmp
>> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
>> that
>> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the .bmp
> file
>> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
>> CELL
>> dont know anything about this.
>>
>> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the picture
> is
>> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
>> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
>> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in such
>> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for setting
> this
>> up.
>>
>> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
>> pictures
>> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au fait
>> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
> need,
>> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation. (For
>> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
>> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
>>
>> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
>
>

It looks like you still have a problem with either AM/PM or timezone.

Jeff Melvaine wrote:
>
> My clock looked fine to me, but the problem was the time zone. Should be
> fixed now.
>
> "Ken Wright" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:%[email protected]...
> > Forget daylight saving, you're nearly a whole day out with your clock.
> >
> > --
> > Regards
> > Ken....................... Microsoft MVP - Excel
> > Sys Spec - Win XP Pro / XL 97/00/02/03
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > It's easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission :-)
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> >> Hey, you're right, daylight saving doesn't end until March.
> >>
> >> "Don Guillett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]...
> >> > Please correct your system clock.
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Don Guillett
> >> > SalesAid Software
> >> > [email protected]
> >> > "Jeff Melvaine" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> > news:[email protected]...
> >> >> I am using Excel 2002. For my application I want to insert pictures
> >> >> in
> >> >> various cells, then write formulae in other cells that take different
> >> >> actions based on what is in the pictures. The pictures are small
> >> >> .bmp
> >> >> files that I coded to represent various symbols. A worksheet function
> >> >> that
> >> >> takes a cell reference as argument and returns the pathname of the
> >> >> .bmp
> >> > file
> >> >> would be sufficient to solve my problem, but worksheet functions like
> >> >> CELL
> >> >> dont know anything about this.
> >> >>
> >> >> I'm hoping the answer will not be "you can't do this because the
> > picture
> >> > is
> >> >> not bound to the cell in a way that would support this function". (I
> >> >> suppose if picture cells can be sorted there is some hope.) If it is
> >> >> possible to write a VB function to do this, I'm not experienced in
> > such
> >> >> exercises and would appreciate fairly explicit instructions for
> >> >> setting
> >> > this
> >> >> up.
> >> >>
> >> >> Using a custom font to represent the symbols instead of inserting
> >> >> pictures
> >> >> might be a more natural way of solving the problem, but I am not au
> > fait
> >> >> with doing this. None of the predefined fonts have the symbols that I
> >> > need,
> >> >> or anything close enough to serve effectively as an approximation.
> > (For
> >> >> those who are curious to know, the symbols in my application represent
> >> >> components of a railway signalling diagram.)
> >> >>
> >> >> Any advice appreciated. TIA.
> >> >>
> >> >> Jeff
> >> >>
> >> >>
> >> >
> >> >
> >>
> >>
> >
> >

--

Dave Peterson