This is the continuation of a series of different 3D-Heading-Styles introduced for designing Microsoft Access Form/Report Headings. This design is a variant of the 3D-Heading Style presented under the Title Create 3D Headings on Forms. Both the Styles has its own beauty and once they are created you may copy the same Controls and customize them with different Fore-color, Font & Font Styles (Bold, Italics etc.) and use it on Form or Report Headings.

I have several of this type of designs and if this is the first one you came across on this site then you must prepare your MS-Access Project by adding few Library Files and Main Programs of this series (if you have not already done) before you are able to run the Code for this Heading Style and others presented on this Site. Follow the steps given below:

1. Link few Common Library Files (they are already there in your System, you only need to attach them) to your Project by following the steps described in my earlier post with the Title Command-Button Animation
2. You need to copy all the Main Program Codes given on the Article with the Title Create 3D Heading on Forms and paste them into a Global VBA Module in your Project and save it.
3. This Code implements the Main Functions of each Heading Styles presented so far including this one. Once you are ready with the above you may copy the Code for this Heading Style and try it out.
4. Copy the Code below into the same Global Module where you have copied the Main Programs, or any Global Module you prefer and save it.

Public Function Shadow3D(ByVal intStyle As Integer, ByVal intForeColor As Integer, Optional ByVal Label0Text1 As Integer) As String  
'---------------------------------------------------------- 
'Author : a.p.r. pillai 
'Date   : September 2006
'Rights : All Rights Reserved by www.msaccesstips.com
'---------------------------------------------------------- 
Dim intlbls As Integer, intFSize As Integer  
Dim j As Integer, mySection As Section  
Dim lblName() As String, lngForecolor As Long, X As Integer  
Dim l As Long, t As Long   

On Error Resume Next
   Shade3D = FormTxtLabels(Label0Text1)
   Set mySection = MyFrm.Section(acDetail)
  intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1
   On Error GoTo Shadow3D_Err
   X = Validate_Dup(MyFrm, 5) ' check type and duplicate
   If X = 1 Then
    Exit Function
  End If
  intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1
   X = intStyle
  intStyle = IIf(X < 0, 0, IIf(X > 3, 3, intStyle))
  X = intForeColor
  intForeColor = IIf(X < 0, 0, IIf(X > 15, 15, intForeColor))
   ReDim lblName(0 To intlbls) As String
   For j = 0 To intlbls
   lblName(j) = mySection.Controls(j).NAME
  Next
   For j = 0 To intlbls
    With mySection.Controls(lblName(j))
      .Height = lngheight
      .Width = lngWidth
      .FontName = "Times New Roman"
      intFSize = .FontSize
      If intFSize < intFontSize Then
        .FontSize = intFontSize
      End If
      .FontUnderline = False
      .TextAlign = intTextAlign
      .BackStyle = intBackStyle
     Select Case j
       Case 0
        lngForecolor = 8421504
       Case 1 To intlbls - 2
        lngForecolor = 8421504
       Case intlbls - 1
        lngForecolor = 0 '12632256
       Case intlbls
        lngForecolor = QBColor(intForeColor)
      End Select
        .ForeColor = lngForecolor
   End With
  Next
  l = intX: t = intY
   With mySection.Controls(lblName(1))
    .Left = l
    .Top = t
  End With
  For j = 0 To intlbls
  Select Case intStyle
         Case 0
            l = l + LngI
            t = t + LngI
         Case 1
            l = l + LngI
            t = t - LngI
         Case 2
          l = l - LngI
          t = t + LngI
         Case 3
            l = l - LngI
            t = t - LngI
  End Select
    With mySection.Controls(lblName(j))
       .Left = l
       .Top = t
    End With
  Next
  MsgLabel

Shadow3D_Exit:
Exit Function
Shadow3D_Err:
Msgbox Err.Description,, "Shadow3D"
Resume Shadow3D_Exit  
End Function  

To create the Shadow3D Heading Style:

1. Press Alt+F11 to Display the Visual Basic Editing Screen (you can toggle Database and VBA Window alternatively by pressing Alt+F11 Keyboard shortcut).  Press Ctrl+G (or View –> Immediate Window) to display the Debug Window.
2. Type the following in the Debug Window and press Enter Key:
3. Shadow3D 1, 4,0

You will see the Screen flashes briefly, as if it is refreshed. Minimize the Visual Basic Window and you will find the above Heading Style created on a new Form. Besides the 3D heading on the form you will find some help text with tips to customize the 3D heading with your own heading text, Font or Font Style you like.

Let us examine the Command Line Values.

Shadow3D is the Function Name.

The first Parameter Value 1 controls the Shadow position of the Heading Text.  First parameter value Range is 0 to 3

• 0 – Shadow is titled to the left top corner of the heading text.
• 1 – bottom left corner
• 2 – Right top corner
• 3 – Right bottom corner

Second parameter value 4 (Red Color) is the topmost label’s text color. The range of color values can be 0 to 15. The QBColor codes are given on the Page with the Title: Border2D Heading Text.

Third parameter value 0 creates 3D Text on Label controls. This is optional and can be omitted if you need only Label based 3D Text. When third parameter is omitted, do not use a coma after the second parameter. When this value is 1 it draws a Text Box based Design.  An expression, like =”Sample Text”, with default text is inserted into the Control Source Property of all the Text Box layers created for the heading.

You can change the constant value in the expression with your own text, in the control source property, or change it to show values from the underlying field of Table/Query attached to the Form. Or you can write a Dlookup() Function to pick the Value from a different Table/Query.

Example: =Dlookup("CountryName","CountryTable","CountryCode = ‘USA’")

The above example will show United States of America in 3D Style from the CountryTable based on the Values in CountryCode & CountryName Fields. If The criteria parameter of the Function needs the reference of a control on the Form then modify it to use the control name as criteria, as shown below:

=Dlookup("CountryName","CountryTable","CountryCode = ‘" & Me![CCode] & "’")

[CCode] is the Field Name where the country codes are stored in the Table/Query attached to the Form and the current value on the form is used for finding the country name. Note the single quote immediately after the equal sign followed by a double-quote and the closing single quote within double-quotes, before the closing parenthesis, indicates that [CCode] field value is character type data.

Tip: Search in MS-Access Help for more details on Dlookup() Function.

• Border 2D Heading Style
• Border 3D heading Style
• MsgBox with Office Assistant