Hidden images

[GBoy]

Hi all,

Some time back I was working on importing images to a spreadsheet based upon a list of items that could vary and depending on the reference in any one cell in the list the respective image would be imported and put to the left of the reference (and go through the entire list with a range of images).

However I would like to develop this further so that the image does not actually show initially but appears when the mouse is moved over the cell I previously had it populating. The image would disappear once the mouse is moved off the cell.

I have seen people recommend using comment images but this only works on fixed reference fields and mine will vary so the same image will not appear in the same cell every time.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Leith Ross]

Hello GBoy,

Excel doesn't support mouse over events or hot tracking. The closest option available is the Comment. The picture in a comment can be changed at anytime. Comment cells can be added to or deleted from worksheet cells on the fly. The dynamics are there to do what you want. What's the problem?

Sincerely,
Leith Ross

[GBoy]

Hi,

I am glad you responded as you were my main help last time!

The problem is that my current set up means there is a balance between the size of the image that is imported and the rest of the text to the right of the image.

The image is meant to be there for reference to give an idea of whoever is working with the item references a basic idea of what the item looks like. I can resize the image to fit the cell but if I enlarge the cell the spreadhseet the rest of the information is oversized, but if I reduce the cell size the image becomes useless.

What I was hoping for is something very similar to how comments work with images but to allow the reference to change and therefore the image it produces in any given cell (the template spreadsheet could have any items on it and the respective images need to appear for them.

I am now wondering if what might be a good idea is to have a vlookup that can take a reference, look it up in another file where the same reference is stored with a comment and its corresponding image. Is there a way to vlookup and return a cell with its comment? Maybe a routine can be programmed to copy and paste the cell it looks up as I know comments can be copied and pasted.

However my ideal would have been to just import the image and then rezise it only when the mouse hovers over it to give a clear view of it and then it return to its original size when the mouse is moved off it (I would be happy if it was just amatter of clicking on it, although not sure how you would then return it back to its original size).

Gboy.

[GBoy]

Just re-reading you message are you suggesting I can set up a routine that can create a comment and import an image in to that comment depending on, say, a reference number to the left of it?

That would be great!

[Leith Ross]

Hello GBoy,

Your idea about VLookup to get a reference number to select the picture that will be loaded into the comment is a good one. Now you have an easy way to update and maintain the pictures. Can you post your workbook or what you have so far? Let me know.

Sincerely,
Leith Ross

[GBoy]

Hi Leith,

Sorry for the delay in replying, the site seemed to go down this weekend.

Anyway I have started taking a different approach on this which is what you have suggested, Comments.

I did not realise there was so much functionality within VB for Comments and I have already improved upon my previous program by simply replacing the importing of the image in to a cell area to it importing in to a comment on that cell.

This gives me everything I need in terms of a pop up image when the mouse hovers over it and also I can get comments to be created down the list of item references via a loop.

Thanks for the inspiration!
Gboy.