Adding Picture to Userform from Sheet on initialize - excel

Question

I'm trying to write a script that will allow me to load pictures contained in my workbook into my userform dynamically in an attempt to make the workbook completely portable. I've come up with the following that seems to work but there is one line which I don't understand why it doesn't work without. If I remove the line .ChartArea.Select the image won't load. However, If I leave it in it works fine. Ideally I'd like to remove it so I can avoid using a pointless Select. Can anyone explain?
Option Explicit
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
Me.Picture = LoadPicture(Filename:=ExportMyPicture(Sheet1.Pictures(1)))
Me.PictureSizeMode = fmPictureSizeModeZoom
End Sub
Private Function ExportMyPicture(pic As Picture) As String
Dim fName As String
fName = Environ("Temp") & "/" & pic.Name & ".bmp"
With pic.Parent.ChartObjects.Add(50, 40, pic.ShapeRange.Width, pic.ShapeRange.Height)
.Border.LineStyle = 0
pic.Copy
With .Chart
' Removing the following line stops the picture from loading
.ChartArea.Select
.Paste
If .Export(Filename:=fName, filtername:="bmp") Then
ExportMyPicture = fName
End If
End With
.Delete
End With
End Function
Demo:
Using this png:
url: SO converts it to a jpg
http://pngimg.com/uploads/cat/cat_PNG50497.png
Picture by Mikku

Answer 1

It has all looks of a timing issue, which could be a bug in how the OLE object is implementing its .Copy method; the .Select call gives it the kick it needs to get back on track.
Comments are there to say why we do things. This is one of these cases where commenting is simply the best possible thing to do... your comment isn't bad at all - it explains why, not what - and that is exactly what we want comments to say.
' Removing the following line stops the picture from loading
.ChartArea.Select
Some alternatives:
.ChartArea.Select ' Picture.Copy timing issue; this prevents subsequent .Paste from being no-op.
.ChartArea.Select ' HERE BE DRAGONS! Remove this instruction and you'll break the .Paste!

Answer 2

It looks like it may be a timing issue. If you pause the macro for a few seconds after copying the picture to the clipboard, it creates a file with the image and loads it successfully. However, .ChartArea.Select seems to be a good workaround. In any case, if you want to try pausing the macro, here's an example...
Option Explicit
Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
Me.Picture = LoadPicture(Filename:=ExportMyPicture(Sheet1.Pictures(1)))
Me.PictureSizeMode = fmPictureSizeModeZoom
End Sub
Private Function ExportMyPicture(pic As Picture) As String
Dim fName As String
fName = Environ("Temp") & "/" & pic.Name & ".bmp"
With pic.Parent.ChartObjects.Add(50, 40, pic.ShapeRange.Width, pic.ShapeRange.Height)
.Border.LineStyle = 0
pic.Copy
PauseMacro
With .Chart
.Paste
If .Export(Filename:=fName, filtername:="bmp") Then
ExportMyPicture = fName
End If
End With
.Delete
End With
End Function
Private Sub PauseMacro()
Dim StartTime As Single
StartTime = Timer
Do Until Timer > StartTime + 3 'seconds delay
DoEvents
Loop
End Sub
Note that a 1 second delay seems to work as well, but maybe best to keep it at a 3 second delay just in case.