[AccessD] Pasting pictures

Dear Group,

We've been called in to finish an already-started Access 2000 application.
It's a database of ergonomic information pertaining to industrial jobs;
i.e., how much lifting needs to be done, how much walking, standing,
stretching, etc. The database contains pictures of the typical functions
performed for the job.

When we got the database in its unfinished state there were some picture
records already stored in a table ( tblPictures ) with an OLE Object field.
When I look at the datasheet I see the "Picture" column filled with the
"Bitmap Image" placeholder.

We entered some new data into the application and added some new records in
the tblPictures table. The pictures were already stored in a Microsoft Word
document. After I figured out how to copy the picture and paste it into the
Picture field, I went and looked at the field in the datasheet. All of the
new images from the Word document have the "Picture" placeholder. The
database has also ballooned by about 1 MB for each picture added to the
tblPictures table.

Each of these images is 322 x 256 pixels, 24-bit color. If I save one of the
pictures as a BMP it'll be about 240-245KB in size. If I convert to a JPG
it's down to 26KB.

If I view the tblPictures table and right-click on the Picture column and
choose Insert Object, I can Browse for either a BMP or a JPG to insert into
the field. But when I'm finished the field's placeholder reads "Package."

My questions: 1) Is there a way to keep the database from ballooning in size
so much. 1 MB per image seems excessive to me, especially since I can embed
a JPG at 26 KB each; 2) What's the deal with "Package" vs. "Picture" vs.
"Bitmap Image"?; and 3) Is there a way to disable the OLE linking feature;
that is, prevent the user from double-clicking the image and opening up
Microsoft Paint or whatever?

Thanks a lot.

Steve Erbach
Scientific Marketing
Neenah, WI

"Eventually, socialists run out of other people's money."
-- Lady Margaret Thatcher