External Images Referencing in ACCDB - image

Question

I have a database application making use of VBA code that has reached its 2GB size limitation with image attachments on a per-record basis. We're wanting to have all forms in the application move away from "uploading" images as attachments for records, and instead upload them to a directory on a network server and reference the image files in the forms.
At this point, I'm trying to figure out the best way to approach this. Is it feasible to have the user somehow pull up an "Upload" dialog through an Access form? I've tried a couple cobbled-together solutions for Open File dialogs in VBA, but they've never quite worked properly.
Summary: File type is ".ACCDB", I need to allow users to upload images in a New Record creation form, have the images stored in a Network directory, and accessed on-the-fly throughout the application.
Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

From a general database point of view, you should not store images directly in a database, unless they are very small (less than 1 MB approximately), and you actually have the space to store them. The most common practice is to store the image path in the database, and then load those images directly from your the file directory where the images are stored when needed. It will add another level of complexity, but will reduce your DBs size radically.
Update:
This code allows the user to click some element frame in the form, store the path in the DB (with path as the username.jpg), and display the picture to the user afterwards in the clicked frame:
Private Sub SignatureFrame_Click()
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
' Get path for the new picture from a dialog box
Dim Path As String
Dim fd As FileDialog
Dim ffs As FileDialogFilters
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogOpen)
With fd
Set ffs = .Filters
With ffs
.Clear
.Add "Pictures", "*.jpg"
End With
.AllowMultiSelect = False
If .Show = False Then Exit Sub
Path = .SelectedItems(1)
End With
' Update the picture in the user interface
Me![SignatureFrame_Click].Picture = Path
' Copy the signature into the local Signature folder of the DB
Dim fs As Object
Dim oldPath As String, newPath As String, file As String
oldPath = Path 'Full path the file is located in
newPath = CurrentProject.Path & "\Signatures\Users\" & Screen.ActiveForm.UserName & ".jpg" 'Folder and path to copy file to
Set fs = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
fs.CopyFile oldPath, newPath 'This file was an .jpg file
Set fs = Nothing
' Set the new picture path for the form
Screen.ActiveForm.SignaturePath = newPath
Exit Sub
ErrorHandler:
MsgBox "Could not upload the image. Please check that the file format is of type jpg."
Resume Next
End Sub
Then at some later point in some other form you can retrieve the image like this:
Me!SignatureFrame.Picture = CurrentProject.Path & "\Signatures\username.jpg"
PS: The code has been translated in the SO editor, so I cannot guarantee that there are no mistakes.
Hope that helps!