editing string to recognize .hDC

I have a BUNCH of pictureboxes with pictures in them, each with just a little different name.. for instance.

paperred
paperblue
papergreen
paperorange

Now what im tryin to do it BitBlt then into a larger picture box as I need them. I tried to do it this way.. paraphrased

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
dim colorn as string
if color=1 then colorn="red"
firstdc= "paper" & colorn & ".hDC"
bitblt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 50, 50, firstdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, I know everything works, cause I replaced firstdc with just paperred.hDC and it worked fine. How do I go about combining the string so the VB can recognize it as the actual paperred picture box and paperred.hDC im really confused and have been trying to get this to work for days.

Also I did this
firstdc= paperred.hDC
Please dont give me different ways to do this like making it one big picture box, I need to do it this way.. Thanks in advance

If you are tring to create a variable name from two strings, you can't.

how can I have the string content to be recognized as the actual picture box.. there has to be a way to do this.. hmmmm

Set up a Case statement something like

VB Code:

Select Case colorn
    Case "red"
        bitblt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 50, 50, paperred.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOP       
    Case "blue"
        bitblt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 50, 50, paperblue.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOP       
    Case "green"
        bitblt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 50, 50, papergreen.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOP       
End Select

VB Code:

Private Function GetObjectByName(ByVal Name As String) As Object
    Dim Obj As Object
    
    For Each Obj In Me.Controls
        If LCase(Obj.Name) Like LCase(Name) Then
            Set GetObjectByName = Obj
            Exit For
        End If
    Next Obj
End Function
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
    GetObjectByName("text1").Text = "hello there"
End Sub

in your case you could do something like:

VB Code:

bitblt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 50, 50, GetObjectByName("paper" & colorn).hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOP

This might work:

firstdc= Me.Controls("paper" & colorn).hDC

Hehe, there's always a better way :D

Cool im gonna go give it a try now, yea, I have literally hundreds of different pics like paper, can.. blah blah blah all with 6 or 7 colors each.. Ill tell ya what works.

hmm still not working, I tried to use the me.controls and that didnt work... i dont understand what that is really, how does me.controls work? I mean, what does it recognize as me? i guess that applies to CVMichaels post as well cause he uses a similar statement.. when using me.controls its still not recognizing it when I try to pass the variable to the final variable that gets bitblt.. I dont know.. I probobly have 1 to many variable passes that I dont need first of all... confusing, here im putting up my code so maybe someone can help. just replace paper with fiftyfivecrownvicback and youll see what im talking about, and you could see how im doing it now, similar to the way MartinLiss would have me do it, way too much typing when your gonna have hundreds of different objects with 6 colors for each object ya know?

VB Code:

Dim backpiece As Integer
Dim middlepiece As Integer
Dim frontpiece As Integer
Dim bbtype As Integer
Dim backpiecedc As String
Dim middlepiecedc As String
Dim frontpiecedc As String
Dim backdc As String
Dim middledc As String
Dim frontdc As String
Dim backdcwidth As Integer
Dim backdcheight As Integer
Dim middledcwidth As Integer
Dim middledcheight As Integer
Dim frontdcwidth As Integer
Dim frontdcheight As Integer
Dim offset As Integer
Dim backdcground As Integer
Dim middledcground As Integer
Dim frontdcground As Integer
Dim color As Integer
 
Dim front As String
Dim colorn As String
--------------------------------------------------------------
Private Sub backarrowdown_Click()
    backpiece = backpiece - 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub backarrowup_Click()
    backpiece = backpiece + 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub colorblue_Click()
    color = 1
    bbtype = 1
    colorn = "blue"
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub colorred_Click()
    color = 2
    bbtype = 1
    colorn = "red"
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub Form_Load()
    backpiece = 1
    middlepiece = 1
    frontpiece = 1
    bbtype = 1
    color = 2
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub frontarrowdown_Click()
    frontpiece = frontpiece - 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub frontarrowup_Click()
    frontpiece = frontpiece + 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub midarrowdown_Click()
    middlepiece = middlepiece - 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub midarrowup_Click()
    middlepiece = middlepiece + 1
    bbtype = 1
    refreshimage
End Sub
 
Private Sub refreshimage()
    BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 800 * 15, 350 * 15, refreshbox.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    If backpiece = 1 Then
        If color = 2 Then
            backdc = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.hDC
            backdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Width
            backdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Height
            backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Height / 15)
        End If
        If color = 1 Then
            backdc = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.hDC
            backdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Width
            backdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Height
            backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    End If
    If backpiece = 2 Then
        backdc = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If backpiece = 3 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivedevillebackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivedevillebackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivedevillebackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivedevillebackred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If backpiece = 4 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If backpiece = 5 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If middlepiece = 1 Then
        If color = 2 Then
            middledc = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.hDC
            middledcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Width
            middledcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Height
            middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Height / 15)
        End If
        If color = 1 Then
            middledc = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.hDC
            middledcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Width
            middledcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Height
            middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    End If
    If middlepiece = 2 Then
        middledc = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.hDC
        middledcwidth = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Width
        middledcheight = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Height
        middledcground = 350 - (fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Height / 15)
    End If
    If middlepiece = 3 Then
        middledc = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.hDC
        middledcwidth = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Width
        middledcheight = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Height
        middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Height / 15)
    End If
    If frontpiece = 1 Then
        If color = 2 Then
            frontdc = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.hDC
            frontdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Width
            frontdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Height
            frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Height / 15)
        End If
        If color = 1 Then
            frontdc = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.hDC
            frontdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Width
            frontdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Height
            frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    End If
    If frontpiece = 2 Then
        frontdc = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.hDC
        frontdcwidth = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Width
        frontdcheight = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Height
        frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If frontpiece = 3 Then
        frontdc = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.hDC
        frontdcwidth = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Width
        frontdcheight = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Height
        frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Height / 15)
    End If
    If bbtype = 1 Then
                BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, backdcground, backdcwidth, backdcheight, backdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
                BitBlt carscreen.hDC, backdcwidth / 15, middledcground, middledcwidth, middledcheight, middledc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
                BitBlt carscreen.hDC, (backdcwidth / 15 + middledcwidth / 15), frontdcground, frontdcwidth, frontdcheight, frontdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    End If
    bbtype = 0
    carscreen.Refresh
End Sub

-----------------------------------------------------------
please HELP, I gotta make it so you can take any one of these fiftyfivecrownvicback, fiftyfivefeetwoodfront, fiftysixcrownvicmid and so on and add "red", "blue", "green" ect.. onto it and then get it down to the BitBlt and have BitBlt recognize it as the picturebox and not just a string...

Edit your post and put [ vbcode ] [ /vbcode ] tags (without spaces) for the code you pasted...

I see several things that you should do in your code...

You don't declare ANY variables...
You have no idea how to use the If ... Then ... ElseIf ... End If
And why do you have to get the objects by a string ??

Anyways... here's how your code SHOULD look like

VB Code:

Private Sub refreshimage()
    BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 800 * 15, 350 * 15, refreshbox.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    
    If backpiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            backdc = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.hDC
            backdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Width
            backdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Height
            backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicbackred.Height / 15)
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            backdc = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.hDC
            backdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Width
            backdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Height
            backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    ElseIf backpiece = 2 Then
        backdc = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfiveimperialbackred.Height / 15)
    ElseIf backpiece = 3 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivedevillebackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivedevillebackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivedevillebackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivedevillebackred.Height / 15)
    ElseIf backpiece = 4 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred.Height / 15)
    ElseIf backpiece = 5 Then
        backdc = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.hDC
        backdcwidth = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Width
        backdcheight = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Height
        backdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred.Height / 15)
    End If
    
    If middlepiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            middledc = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.hDC
            middledcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Width
            middledcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Height
            middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered.Height / 15)
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            middledc = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.hDC
            middledcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Width
            middledcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Height
            middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    ElseIf middlepiece = 2 Then
        middledc = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.hDC
        middledcwidth = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Width
        middledcheight = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Height
        middledcground = 350 - (fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered.Height / 15)
    ElseIf middlepiece = 3 Then
        middledc = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.hDC
        middledcwidth = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Width
        middledcheight = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Height
        middledcground = 350 - (fiftyfivespecialmiddlered.Height / 15)
    End If
        
    If frontpiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            frontdc = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.hDC
            frontdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Width
            frontdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Height
            frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred.Height / 15)
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            frontdc = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.hDC
            frontdcwidth = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Width
            frontdcheight = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Height
            frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue.Height / 15)
        End If
    ElseIf frontpiece = 2 Then
        frontdc = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.hDC
        frontdcwidth = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Width
        frontdcheight = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Height
        frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfiveimperialfrontred.Height / 15)
    ElseIf frontpiece = 3 Then
        frontdc = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.hDC
        frontdcwidth = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Width
        frontdcheight = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Height
        frontdcground = 350 - (fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred.Height / 15)
    End If
    
    If bbtype = 1 Then
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, backdcground, backdcwidth, backdcheight, backdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, backdcwidth / 15, middledcground, middledcwidth, middledcheight, middledc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, (backdcwidth / 15 + middledcwidth / 15), frontdcground, frontdcwidth, frontdcheight, frontdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    End If
    
    bbtype = 0
    carscreen.Refresh
End Sub

And the keyword "Me" referes to the currect form you are using...

I edited the code, put all the variables and stuff, this aint all of it by any means, this is working just fine, but im going to be adding dozens more of these if statements and then for each if statement like 6 of the color Ifs.. so its gonna be a whole lot of if statements, Id just like to have it easier to read and less typing and less work overall when I keep going and going with these. I still dont understand that me.controls if someone could explain that. Thanks

Edit: thats what I though CV thanks.

You and CVMichael may have crossed posts, but Me is just a shortcut way of saying the name of the current form, and Controls is a collection of all the controls on that form. So if for example if Text1 were the only control on Form1, then all the following do the same thing

Form1.Text1.Text = "blah"
Form1.Controls(0).Text = "blah"
Me.Controls(0).Text = "blah"

Same thing but shorter...

VB Code:

Private Sub refreshimage()
    Dim Back As Object, Middle As Object, Front As Object
    
    BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, 0, 800 * 15, 350 * 15, refreshbox.hDC, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    
    If backpiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            Set Back = fiftyfivecrownvicbackred
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            Set Back = fiftyfivecrownvicbackblue
        End If
    ElseIf backpiece = 2 Then
        Set Back = fiftyfiveimperialbackred
    ElseIf backpiece = 3 Then
        Set Back = fiftyfivedevillebackred
    ElseIf backpiece = 4 Then
        Set Back = fiftyfivedevillesedanbackred
    ElseIf backpiece = 5 Then
        Set Back = fiftyfivetwotensedanbackred
    End If
    
    If middlepiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            Set Middle = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddlered
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            Set Middle = fiftyfivecrownvicmiddleblue
        End If
    ElseIf middlepiece = 2 Then
        Set Middle = fiftysixcrownvicmiddlered
    ElseIf middlepiece = 3 Then
        Set Middle = fiftyfivespecialmiddlered
    End If
    
    If frontpiece = 1 Then
        If Color = 2 Then
            Set Front = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontred
        ElseIf Color = 1 Then
            Set Front = fiftyfivecrownvicfrontblue
        End If
    ElseIf frontpiece = 2 Then
        Set Front = fiftyfiveimperialfrontred
    ElseIf frontpiece = 3 Then
        Set Front = fiftyfivefleetwoodfrontred
    End If
    
    backdc = Back.hDC
    backdcwidth = Back.Width
    backdcheight = Back.Height
    backdcground = 350 - (Back.Height / 15)
    
    middledc = Middle.hDC
    middledcwidth = Middle.Width
    middledcheight = Middle.Height
    middledcground = 350 - (Middle.Height / 15)
    
    frontdc = Front.hDC
    frontdcwidth = Front.Width
    frontdcheight = Front.Height
    frontdcground = 350 - (Front.Height / 15)
    
    If bbtype = 1 Then
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, 0, backdcground, backdcwidth, backdcheight, backdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, backdcwidth / 15, middledcground, middledcwidth, middledcheight, middledc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
        BitBlt carscreen.hDC, (backdcwidth / 15 + middledcwidth / 15), frontdcground, frontdcwidth, frontdcheight, frontdc, 0, 0, SRCCOPY
    End If
    
    bbtype = 0
    carscreen.Refresh
End Sub

Thanks guys, im off to work now, but in 9 hours im gonna be back and see if this works. I owe ya

That works perfectly, pretty much exactly what I was looking for, I didnt know you can declare a variable as an object, thats cool as hell. I just didnt want to type out 5 or 6 lines for every object that the EU is going to be able to choose from. Thanks alot man.:cool: