Special Effect is unavailable for Command buttons

[Ron Weaver]

For some reason I am not able to use "special effect" on command buttons. It
is set to flat. I would like them raised. It works on combo and text boxes.
Any ideas?

 

[Brian]

That's not a property of a command button. However, if you really need it, do
this:

Create a text box.
Format it as you like
Give it a default value
Give it a top margin & center the text so that the default value appears
centered
Lock it
Disable it

Create a button on top of the text box.
Make the button Transparent.
Put your event on the button's Click event.

Now it looks like you have a sunken or etched button (but why bother?)

 

[Ron Weaver]

Brian

Are command buttons supposed to flat? I just pulled up the Microsoft sample
database "Order Entry", and all of the command buttons are raised. In Excel
they are raised also.

 

[Brian]

Oh, sorry. I was so focused on the ability to change the special effect that
I missed your underlying question.

There is a way to change default format for each object type, but (at least
with Access 2003 that I am using), I do not see Special Effects as a
configurable option for buttons.

What happens if you copy the button from the sample database and paste it
into your database? Does it paste correctly, or does it assume the flat
effect? If it is correct, you might be able to change the default by doing
this:

Go to design view
Click the correctly-formatted button
Cick Format -> Set Control Defaults to get the default settings to match it.

 

[Ron Weaver]

I just Copied the raised control to my Access 2003 and it pasted flat. I
think that is really wild. If you hear anything on this, please let me know.
Thanks
Ron

 

[Brian]

I've never seen this, but perhaps one of the MVP's has. Try the reverse, just
for the sake of interest. Does your flat one paste raised into the sample DB?
Also, are new buttons raised if you create a new blank DB and then create a
form & button there?

If either of these is true, then it must be one of the DB-specific options,
and I have not explored these entirely. Tools -> Options has some formatting
options such as Forms/Reports -> Use Windows Themed Controls on Forms. I
don't see anything in there for

 

[Ron Weaver]

Brian
My flat command button came out raised in the other database form. A new
database in my access 2003 resulted in the same flat button. I can't find
anything in ->Tools>Options>Formatting. I have looked in Microsoft help and

 

[Brian]

Sorry I wasn't much help. One more thing I would try, just to see if it sheds
some light: copy an entire form from the sample db and see how the buttons
fare when the form is pasted into your DB in its entirety. No answer there,
I'm afraid, but if this works, it will at least tell us that the issue is at
the form level instead of the DB level.

 

[Ron Weaver]

I imported the form. The Buttons are still flat with no formatting available.
I have been all over Microsoft's site with no results??
Thanks for trying.

 

[Ron Weaver]

Hey Brian

If you are still watching this:
All of the buttons in my database were raised when I went into it this AM.
This afternoon they are back to FLAT?????

 

[Ron2005]

Since the problem is obviously beyond logic

Have you tried a compact and repair?

 

[Ron Weaver]

Yes, I even reinstalled Access 2003. It's strange how I can pull up the older
Access 97 programs converted to Access 2000 and they are just fine. There is
no formatting available, it's just the default.

 

[Ron2005]

And if opened from a different machine? (both AM and PM)

 

[Ron Weaver]

Yes, it may work if ran on another computer. I also had a "sunken" dialog
box that went back to "flat", but I finally got it back to "sunken" after
changing the format to "shadowed" then back to "sunken" a couple of times.
Crazy!

 

[Ron2005]

If that is true then it would seem to imply that it is your computer -
somewhere in the gigabytes of data in hidden control files and settings
somewhere.

On my home computer something happened to it and it would only allow me
to dial out once per boot. After the first dialout it would simply hang
in the dialout process. Dell and MS could never figure out what it was
- even after re-installing multiple things. Final answer was wipe the
drive and start over.

Everything so far as sort of indicated that it is your computer (if it
truely works properly on a different computer,) and I think you know
what that means.

I have no more ideas, myself. Good luck

Ron

 

[Ron Weaver]

Thanks for your input.

Ron

 

[Ron Weaver]

I FOUND THE ANSWER!!

Through Google in a Microsoft forum, someone asked the same question
concerning flat buttons and Access 2003. This was the answer:
Yes, this is normal, but you can change it if you want. Select 'Options'
from the 'Tools' menu, select the 'Forms/Reports' tab, and un-check the
option 'Use Windows Themed Controls on Forms'.
That did it.

 

[Seth Garrett]

I'm using Access 2010 and I am having the same problem...and unfortunately unchecking the setting 'Use Windows Themed Controls on Forms' doesn't help...any ideas?

 

[PopPop]

For some reason I am not able to use "special effect" on command buttons. It
is set to flat. I would like them raised. It works on combo and text boxes.
Any ideas?

Go to the Format Section on Tool Bar
Go to Control Formatting
There will be Shape Effects
This will give you some options