Range Exported to Image Comes Up Blank

[Bdra]

The code below (1) locates the Temp folder on the user's system, and (2) exports the print range of a worksheet to a JPG image, then saves the image to the Temp folder.

The code works exactly as intended on my own system. On the user's system a JPG image is generated and saved, but the image comes up blank. Somehow it fails to capture anything from the worksheet.

My system runs Excel 2010, the user runs Excel 2016, but I have no idea whether the version difference matters. Has anyone encountered this issue before?

Sub ExportImage()
   
    Dim FSO As Object, TmpFolder As Object
    Set FSO = CreateObject("scripting.filesystemobject")
    
    Set TmpFolder = FSO.GetSpecialFolder(2)
    SavePath = TmpFolder & "\Some Filename.jpg"
    
    'Export print area as correctly scaled jpg image
    With ThisWorkbook.Sheets("Some Worksheet")
        zoom_coef = 100 / .Parent.Windows(1).Zoom
        Set area = .Range(.PageSetup.PrintArea)
        area.CopyPicture xlPrinter
        Set chartobj = .ChartObjects.Add(0, 0, area.Width * zoom_coef, area.Height * zoom_coef)
        chartobj.Chart.Paste
        chartobj.Chart.Export SavePath, "jpg"
        chartobj.Delete
    End With

End Sub

 

[John_w]

I have seen this problem and the simple solution is to activate the chart object after the ChartObjects.Add line:

chartobj.Activate

 

[Bdra]

Thank you! That sounds like an excellent candidate for a solution. Since I don't see the issue on my own system I can't test your suggestion right away, but I will try it when the user is back at work on Monday and report back here.

 

[Bdra]

Following up on the exchange above, I implemented your suggestion, and it did indeed resolve the issue.

However, subsequently the user asked me to change the background color of the graphics that are being converted to a JPG image, and that simple change caused the application to revert back to generating blank images, even with the chartobj.Activate line included.

So some additional factor must be at work here. The graphic I am working with is a map of the U.S., composed of shape objects. The background is simply the worksheet itself. My best guess is that activating the worksheet range in order to colorize it, thus removing focus from the shapes in the foreground, is what made the difference. In that case the bottom line is that you need to carefully manage which elements have active focus in order for the VBA routine to work.

However, the user gave up on having the background color changed, so in the end there was no cause to keep troubleshooting the issue. As a practical matter your suggestion did resolve the issue and help me finalize the project, so once again -- Thank you!