Image
The Image () form object makes it possible to add an image inside of a form. You can also add an image form object by pasting an image that you have copied to the clipboard (from an image program or from another form, for example) into a form using Ctrl+V.
Specify a name for the image in the Name field. The name must be unique among the form objects in the form. Specify an image file to use from the Image list, which includes all images in the Images library, or click the Add Image to Library and Use Here button () to locate an image to use on the file system. The image then becomes a part of the Images library and selected as the image in this Image object. If you do not want to display an image, select None from the Image list. Click the Export button () to export the image to the file system (for use in another application, for example).
The file reference points to a file resource on the local system that may not be present when running the application. When saving, all file references are embedded into the MPH-file, so you do not have to distribute them along with the application. A running application always looks for embedded resources first.
In addition, the Settings window contains the following sections.
Position and Size
This section contains all layout settings for an image in the grid of the parent form.
In the grid mode, you can control the horizontal and vertical alignment of the image using the following lists:
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From the Horizontal alignment list, choose Left, Center, Right, or Fill, which automatically expands the form object to fill the cell in the horizontal or vertical direction (where applicable).
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From the Vertical alignment list, choose Middle, Top, Bottom, or Fill, which automatically expands the form object to fill the cell in the horizontal or vertical direction (where applicable).
The need to specify the alignment is most obvious when working in the grid mode, as it controls how the form object is aligned in its grid cell. Aligning the form object can be useful in the sketch mode too, and you can then use the alignment tools on the Arrange menu in the Form toolbar’s Sketch section. When running the application in any client other than the Windows client, the form objects may not be positioned exactly as seen in the form windows. This is because the form objects may have a different size in other clients, giving them a slightly different positioning. Specifying the alignment ensures that the form objects are aligned as you want them to be in all clients.
The Width and Height fields are unavailable because the dimensions of the image are determined by the software.
Additionally, in the sketch mode, you can specify the absolute position of the image using the Position x and Position y fields. In the grid mode, you can position the object in the grid and see the grid position as the Row, Column, Row span, and Column span values.
The form windows update these size and positioning settings through the draw operations performed there, such as resizing and moving the object.
Cell Margin
Under Cell margin (in grid mode only), you can control the margins around the form object. By default, the margins are taken from the parent form. From the Cell margin list, choose:
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None, for no margin around the form object
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From parent form (the default), to use the margins set for the parent form
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Custom, to specify the margins for the form object in the Horizontal and Vertical text fields
Appearance
Under Appearance, you can control the initial state of the image when users run the application. By default, the image is visible and enabled. Clear the Visible or Enabled check box if you want to make the initial state so that the image is hidden or unavailable. You can then make it visible or enable it using a method. In the Form Editor, the state of the form object is indicated by a change in its appearance. Objects that are hidden become visible when selected in the Form Editor.