BMP Graphic issue

rbuser

Hi,

I am using HiComponents TImageEn graphic components. When I save a graphic
into the database I save it as a bmp as follows:

ImageIO.Params.BMP_Version:=ioBMP_BMOS2V2

When trying to display a graphic in a report using Windows 98, the 'Invalid
Image' error appears. However if I display the ReportBuilder report using
another PC that is not Windows 98 then the report and the graphic
shows/prints fine.

From this I assume the graphic gets saved into the database fine, but
Windows 98 in conjunction with ReportBuilder has troubles trying to decipher
it.

Anyone aware of this type of issue and how I might resolve it?

Regards

Alex

nicocizik

Hi Alex,

If this is occuring on one machine and not another, this could be a printer
driver issue. Are you able to load the image from the database to a normal
Delphi application without the use of ReportBuilder? If so, check to see
that you have the latest printer driver for the your default printer and see
if that helps. You may also want to try installing the HP LaserJet 4
printer driver and running your application with that to see if the results
change.

--

rbuser

Hi Nico,

It is not a printer driver issue, it is consistent on every Win98 PC we have
tried. This is the response I got from HiComponents:

'the extended BMP format (OS2 format) is not supported by Win98
(ReportBuilder and Delphi probably uses operating system calls to read bmp
format, instead ImageEn uses internal routines).
I'm sorry , but I don't know a solution for this problem (try another
format?)'

So I guess I'm stuck unless there's a way to tell ReportBuilder to use
internal routines to read bmp format. Might have to change the format I
save. Any suggestions on which is the best graphic format to use (that
won't lose quality, and stores details such as width, height and DPI) and is
supported by ReportBuilder.

Regards

Alex

nicocizik

Hi Alex,

ReportBuilder uses the same internal routines to read a bitmap than TImage
does in Delphi. It may be possible to get the same image quality out of a
JPEG image with compression turned off. Other than that a Window Meta File
(.wmf) would be your best bet.

--

rbuser

Hi Nico,

Thanks for your patience. I have also been advised that TIFF and PNG are
good formats to use. Are these supported by ReportBuilder?

Regards

Alex

nicocizik

Hi Alex,

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Article: ReportBuilder Image Support
---------------------------------------------------------------------

ReportBuilder natively supports .bmp, .jpeg, .wmf, .ico image formats.

ReportBuilder has an open architecture that supports any TGraphic
descendant.

For example, ReportBuilder ships with a freeware component called GIFImage
that can be used with ReportBuilder to print .gif images. (see the main
report demo app for an example.)

There is another freeware component called GraphicEx that
supports several additional formats - including tiff, targa, and autodesk.

It can be downloaded from:

http://www.lischke-online.de/Graphics.html


ReportBuilder can easily support TGraphic descendants
with a simple register call.

Below is the code to our ppGIF.pas unit which
'uses' and registers the freeware GIFImage component.


{********************************************************************}
{ }
{ ReportBuilder Report Component Library }
{ }
{ Copyright (c) 1996, 2000 Digital Metaphors Corporation }
{ }
{********************************************************************}

unit ppGIF;

interface

{$I ppIfDef.pas}

uses
ppCtrls, GIFImage;

implementation

{***************************************************************
*
** I N I T I A L I Z A T I O N / F I N A L I Z A T I O N
*
{****************************************************************}

initialization

ppRegisterGraphicClass('GIF', TGIFImage);

finalization

ppUnRegisterGraphicClass(TGIFImage);

end.


--