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Old 11-12-2018, 11:29 AM
sunnyimran sunnyimran is offline How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Windows 10 How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Office 2013
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How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies
 
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Default How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies

Hello,

Here a long post follows. Discussed issue might be very small but to clarify my requirement I had to write in detail.

I have designed a Visio 2016 drawing which has eight A3 landscape pages. With centerfold stapled and double sided printing it will become a 32 paged A4 book.

I have to get more than thousand copies of my original visio file, with bar codes inserted as per the scheme I will explain below

I am trying to match concept similar to MS office mail merge. But mail merge directly would not work in Visio I think. Another idea is to generate barcodes and their text in Access and then somehow insert repeatedly in visio file and get it printed like mail merge.

There are numerous ready made (PAID) bar code Add-ins or other stuff. But I want to solve it in-house.

I have attached a sample Visio file. When printed and center stapled, it turns into an A4 portrait book having 32 pages printed front and back. In Visio file, each page is A3 landscape having center fold in the center which visually divides A3 Page into two A4 portrait pages. On each A3 page there are four specific locations where bar codes 39 has to be inserted. The bar codes placed in sample are generated outside of Visio just to create the sample.

I had to remove following pages from sample to overcome file upload size limit
P20 and P13 Deleted
P22 and P11 Deleted
P12 and P21 Deleted

Batch run
On a batch run, I need to open Visio file, insert bar codes as per given scheme, save (with a different name so original in intact) or print or both. Then open the main Visio file again insert new bar codes on set locations as per given scheme then again save/print. Similarly more than thousand copies of this 32 paged book are required.

Bar code 39 scheme explanation
Bar codes at the top of A4 pages and bottom of the page are same. Except that at bottom of page under barcode there is readable text at a given distance from bar code.

Each A4 page will have a new unique bar code according to the following scheme:
Bar Code Scheme:
SAMPLE BAR CODE TEXT( Code 39): * 01-MS0123456789-A1*
Start and end character asterisk '*' is required to be included in bar code but optional to display in readable text.

bar code examples Page wise:
----------- START of Book -----------
Page:1 01-MS0123456789-A1
Page:2 02-MS0123456789-A2
Page:3 03-MS0123456789-01
Page:4 04-MS0123456789-02
Page:5 05-MS0123456789-03
.
.
.
Page:30 30-MS0123456789-28
Page:31 31-MS0123456789-29
Page:32 32-MS0123456789-A3
----------- END of Book -----------

Format for one 32 paged book is as follows:

Bar Code text digits:

First two digits : numbers from 01 to 32
Third digit: hyphen sign '-'
Fourth and fifth digits: characters (in sample 'MS')
Sixth to fifteenth digits: numbers (select randomly from a given start number and end number set)
sixteenth digit: hyphen sign '-'
seventeen and eighteenth digits:
On first page: A1
On second page A2
On third page: 01
On fourth page: 02
.
.
.
On page 31: 29
On page: 32: A3

More than thousand books print out will follow above scheme


In all cases bar code remains unique everywhere.
User may ask to changes in bar codes static and random series parts in future.

Please guide my direction for an in-house solution.

Waiting for response
Attached Files
File Type: zip VISIO -Sample for barcode Forum -Main 32 pages .zip (469.5 KB, 9 views)
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Old 11-15-2018, 10:46 PM
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I've now taken a look at your file and am wondering how the barcode graphic is configured. Is this an embedded graphic which is generated elsewhere or can you just punch in a string of characters in Visio to change the barcode?

In setting the file up for automation, your goal should be to make as few changes as possible for each iteration.

For instance, I would create a document property and then use a field to that in the text string at the bottom of each page. If you open the Document Shapesheet, you can add a row in the User-defined cells and rename it DocID. Give it a value such as your example "MS0123456789". Then in each of the text boxes you add a field for this value by going to Insert > Field and putting in a custom formula to '=TheDoc!User.DocID'

Once that is in place, you just change the property to have the update flow onto every page.

The barcode itself is going to be the tricky bit and ideally would all be done in Visio with a smartshape and a macro to set each value. I assume such a beast exists but I don't have time to go looking for one. Have you done any research to find a barcode shape that configures to an input string?
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Old 11-15-2018, 11:00 PM
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I've just discovered that Word has a field that can generate a barcode. Perhaps the job can be done in Word
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Old 11-17-2018, 09:48 AM
sunnyimran sunnyimran is offline How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Windows 10 How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Office 2013
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Default How about using Access as bar code bank?

as the title says how about using MS Access 2016 as bar code database.
That will generate all bar code strings as required.

Is there a way to get Access fields connect with Visio Text box.

To clarify requirement:
I need to print more than thousand books. Each book will be 32 pages double sided print.

Bar code 128 B will be used now.


Bar Code sequenced portion

bar code string: 01-MS0123456789-A1
Shown in blue are the string parts that will go through same sequence in all books.
In future this sequence (as explained in my first post) may also be said to change. That's why I am thinking to create bar code string in a separate app like MS Access.

Bar Code random portion
Bar code string: 04-MS0123456789-02
the portion in red is fixed for random digits.

I will be given range of numbers to generate random codes between this range and complete the string then generate a bar code.
For example print 1500 copies of my 32 paged Book with barcodes randomness starting from 0123456789 -to- 123458289
The portion in green depicts the range for random numbers


I will try to create a UI in VBA for MS ACCESS. which will help in generating and storing bar code string.
can you give some pointers on how to connect MS ACCESS fields with visio text box? is it possible that visio text box get its text from ACCESS fields at automation?
Another thing is that how to store bar code in ACCESS. I found no datatype matching for that. so obvious for me is store as image. Then can we import this image in visio at specific fixed places at automation run time?

this all got messy. Take your time to understand and respond please
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Old 11-18-2018, 05:48 PM
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The string for the barcodes is likely to be easy - the hard part is getting a graphic that corresponds to that string. If Word can create the barcode graphic then it is an obvious way to go unless you have an alternative method to generate large numbers of barcodes - you said you didn't want to buy a Visio tool for that and I didn't seen any freebies in a quick web search.

It is relatively straight forward to get the strings of text from Access to Visio but it will require VBA coding unless you have Visio Professional instead of Visio Standard. Which version of Visio do you have?

If you can explain how you are automating the generation of the barcode GRAPHICS then it will give us a chance to devise a solution. Since Word can do this with a field code, it provides a non-coding option for a critical component of the task.
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Old 11-19-2018, 01:20 AM
sunnyimran sunnyimran is offline How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Windows 10 How to insert custom random bar code-39 in more than thousand Visio drawing file copies Office 2013
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Default My idea to import string and graphics to visio

Thanks for respomnging

my idea as I mentioned earlier is to use MS Access as my bar code bank.

String part
I will create a UI in Access VBA to set the string and generate the series with static and random portion, then store the final strings generated in an alphanumeric field.

bar code
I need to install Barcode 128-B font and use it in Access in a new field. Field contents (my string) will be converted into graphic image in png/jpg etc. format.

Then I can connnect this Access database two fields (string and barcode image) into visio objects like text box and inserted image at my specific locations.

Then automating to repeatedly run the visio and get new field contents on each run and save/print the visio drawing.

That's the idea

I am using Visio 2016 professional, but I agree on using VBA coding in both Ms Access and Visio wherever required.

Now give your opinion

Regards
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