VBA Word Shape location - top left corner - vba

Question

I have written a small function, based on example provided by producer of Stroke Scribe ActiveX object. This is an plugin which allows us to create in Microsoft Word by VBA Macro an QR Code object.
The problem is with setting up a shape location
shp.Left = 0 + LeftMargin
shp.Top = 0 + TopMargin
I would like to put this shape (QR Code) on specific page on the most left top corner. But sometimes shape jumps to previous page (on bottom) or other location (vertical center).
Can you help me recognize a problem and fix it to locate Shape Object every time top left corner?
Code:
Sub QRCodeGenerator(SOP, BookmarkID, Page, TopMargin, LeftMargin)
Dim doc As Document
Set doc = Application.ActiveDocument
For Each sh In doc.Shapes
If sh.Type = msoOLEControlObject Then
If sh.OLEFormat.ProgID = "STROKESCRIBE.StrokeScribeCtrl.1" Then
sh.Delete
End If
End If
Next
With doc.PageSetup
usable_w = .PageWidth
usable_h = .PageHeight
End With
Dim pg As Range
Set pg = doc.GoTo(wdGoToPage, wdGoToRelative, Page)
Dim shp As Shape
Set shp = doc.Shapes.AddOLEControl(ClassType:="STROKESCRIBE.StrokeScribeCtrl.1", Anchor:=pg)
Dim sMyString As String
sMyString = ActiveDocument.Bookmarks(BookmarkID).Range.Text
sMyString = Replace(sMyString, "FORMTEXT ", "")
shp.LockAspectRatio = msoFalse
shp.Height = InchesToPoints(0.6)
shp.Width = shp.Height
shp.Left = 0 + LeftMargin
shp.Top = 0 + TopMargin ' // usable_h - shp.Height * 3 + TopMargin
Dim ss As StrokeScribe
Set ss = shp.OLEFormat.Object
ss.Alphabet = QRCODE 'StrokeScribe will draw a QR code picture
ss.Text = SOP & ";" & sMyString 'Any text you want to encode in the barcode
ss.QrECL = H 'Changes the default error correction level. This can be omitted
ss.QrMinVersion = 3 'Specifies the minimum barcode size. This can be omitted
ss.FontColor = RGB(0, 0, 0)
' ss.UTF8 = True 'Enable this, if you want to encode national characters for smartphones
If ss.Error Then
MsgBox ss.ErrorDescription
End If
End Sub

Answer 1

Word SHAPE objects must be anchored to a Range. The page location of that Range determines on which page the Shape will display. There's nothing you can do to "lock" a Shape to a particular page.
That said, it is possible to dictate that a Shape always appears in the same location on whichever page the anchoring Range lies.
This is always tricky if you add such a Shape before document editing is finished, because editing can move the anchoring paragraph to a different page. It can help to choose a paragraph as the anchor that's unlikely to move, for example perhaps the first paragraph on the page.
Something I did once, long ago, was write a macro that checks the page locations of Shapes before printing or saving. When inserting and positioning the Shape, I give it a Name that includes the page number. Before printing/saving the macro checks the page number in the Shape name with the page on which the Shape is located. If the two don't match, CUT the Shape and PASTE it to a paragraph on the correct page (it remembers its position settings).
The code sample below demonstrates how to name the Shape, lock the anchor to a specific paragraph and position the Shape flush to the top, left corner of the page.
Sub ShapePosTopLeft()
Dim doc As word.Document
Dim shp As word.Shape
Dim rng As word.Range
Set doc = ActiveDocument
Set rng = doc.GoTo(wdGoToPage, wdGoToRelative, Page)
Set rng = rng.Paragraphs(1).Range
Set shp = doc.Shapes.AddOLEControl(ClassType:="STROKESCRIBE.StrokeScribeCtrl.1", Anchor:=rng)
With shp
.Name = "Shape_Page" & Page
.LockAnchor = True
.RelativeHorizontalPosition = wdRelativeHorizontalPositionPage
.RelativeVerticalPosition = wdRelativeVerticalPositionPage
.Left = 0
.Top = 0
End With
End Sub