How To Use the Picture Field in Reports

You would like to include the image in the picture field on the Contact record in your report.

The Picture field allows you to add a field to the report template that will display the image from a picture field on a contact record. Picture fields are commonly added to the Detail section of an ACT! report. You must first define a Picture field in your database, and then add images to your Contact, Group or Company Layout before these images will be available through a picture field in an ACT! report. For information on adding picture fields to your database and layout, please refer to the following Knowledgebase articles:

Use the following steps to add a Picture field to your report:

1. Click the Reports menu, and then click Edit Template. An Open dialog box appears.
2. Click the report template (.rep file) that you wish to modify, and then click Open. The Report Designer appears with the template ready for editing:
   
   
   
   
3. Enable the Picture Field tool from the Toolbox.
4. Place your cursor near the left edge of the position that you wish to place the field, click your left mouse button, hold, and then drag to the right to create the new field.
5. When you release the left mouse button, the Select Field dialog box appears.
6. Ensure that the Select a record type field displays the appropriate record type.
7. Clear the Include a label check box (if desired), click the field you want to add to this report template, and then click Add. The field appears on the report template.
8. Once all Picture Fields have been added to the report template, click Close to exit the Select a Field dialog box.

Picture Field Properties:
Picture Fields draw data from each contact record in the database and provide a way of inserting multiple contact specific pictures in the report output. Picture Fields are commonly placed in the Detail section of a report template or within Subreports.

Right-click a Picture field, and then click Properties from the shortcut menu. The following Field Properties dialog box appears:




Under the Style tab, you are able to modify Background Color and Border Style. Border Style options include None, Solid, Dash, Dot, Dash/Dot or Dash/Dot-Dot.




Under the Data tab, there is a Detail or Summary field.

Note: The Picture Field must be configured as a Detail field to function properly.


If you click into a Picture Field, while viewing the Properties Window, the Picture Field Properties appear:



Picture Field Properties are divided into four sections: Appearance, Behavior, Layout and Misc. The left column of the Properties window reflects object descriptions while the right column displays the value assigned to these items. You can adjust the value of items by clicking into the assigned value (right) side, clicking on the drop-down arrow or browse button, and then clicking a different value. The panel at the bottom of the Properties window will reflect which of these sections is currently active.

Appearance
Within the Appearance section, you are able to modify the Background Color, Border Color, Border Style, Picture, PictureAlign, and/or Visible properties.

When you click the drop-down arrow to change the value for Background Color or Border Color, you are able to select from the Custom, Web or System color palettes: (as illustrated below)




When you click the drop-down arrow for Border Style, you can change your border style from Transparent to Solid, Dash, Dot, DashDot or DashDotDot. If you change the Visible property to False, your Picture Field will not appear on the report.

When you click the browse button to change the value for the Picture property, an Open dialog box appears, allowing you to select a different picture for display in this field.

When you click the drop-down arrow for the PictureAlign property, your options include LeftTop, CenterTop, RightTop, LeftBottom, CenterBottom, RightBottom, LeftMiddle, CenterMiddle, RightMiddle, Clip, Zoom, Stretch and Tile.Behavior
Within the Behavior section, you are able to modify Can Grow and Can Shrink properties.

The Can Grow or Can Shrink properties are enabled by default and may be important for the vertical spacing of the text in this field. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not disable these options.Layout
Within the Layout section, you are able to modify Alignment, Anchor, Height, Left, Margin Bottom, Margin Left, Margin Right, MarginTop, Top and Width.

If you click the value for Alignment, you can align the text within this field from General to LeftTop, CenterTop, RightTop, LeftBottom, CenterBottom, RightBottom, LeftMiddle, CenterMiddle, RightMiddle, JustTop, JustBottom or JustMiddle.

The Anchor property for the text in this field can be configured as Top, Bottom or TopAndBottom.

The Height, Width and Left properties reflect the height and width of the field and the position of the left edge of the field on the template. Modifying the Top value will change the distance of the field from the top of the section. These values can be modified by typing in a different value or by using your mouse to drag the field to a different size or position on the template.

The Margin Bottom, Margin Left, Margin Right, MarginTop properties allow you to modify the margins within your Picture Field.

Misc
Within the Misc section, you can modify the Name property.

Modifying the Name property will only change the name of this field in the initial Properties drop-down list. It is recommended that you do not modify this property.

For detailed information on adding the Picture field to your database and Layout, please refer to the following Knowledge Base documents: