Loading gauge bitmaps other than via resource handle

[darrenecm]

Is anyone out there using an alternative method of loading their gauge bitmaps other than storing them as resources attached to the .gau file and giving the MAKE_STATIC macros their resource handle? I'm not entirely experienced with .dll style coding and do not yet know how to proceed any differently.

Ideally, I'd like to have all my gauge artwork in a seperate, compressed file that I load and decompress at run-time and then provide a pointer to the image for the MAKE_STATIC to refer to.

Doing this has two benefits. The disk space 'footprint' of my gauge files is reduced for the user and the masterful artwork I painstakingly create for my gauges is better protected from extraction and misuse by others

Any tips will be most welcome.

Grassy arse Amigos

- Darren

[matsis]

Sorry, I have no other method in use than you describe first in your post. ...