I'm not sure that LOADPICTURE() function is a good choice. IIRC, it supports only limited # of image formats: bitmap (.bmp), cursor (.cur), icon (.ico), JPEG (.jpg) and GIF (.gif)

>Christof and Sergey,
>
>I repeat Bo, thanking you for the suggestions.
>The real reason for this search for the best performance is that we can create some new controls that can bypass some of the original behaviors, eg. gradient commandbuttons, using system icons, etc...
>
>For just one or 2 embedded images, I'm pretty sure that the suggestions that you both sent will do it really very fast.
>
>But thinking in a form that contain more than 20 objects... some mliseconds on each control may represent an important difference, that's why I'd like to try to find out the fastest method.
>
>
>>> what code would you recommend that would determine if the file is embedded vs. on disk?
>
>Please check the full code from this msg at Codeplex:
>http://www.codeplex.com/VFPX/WorkItem/View.aspx?WorkItemId=10185
>
>

LOCAL lnStatus
>lnStatus = xfcGdipLoadImageFromFile(STRCONV(m.tcFilename+0h00,5), @lhImage)
>IF m.lnStatus = StatusOutOfMemory
>   && File not found or Picture is embedded
>ENDIF

>
>
>
>
>So I think we have 3 options:
> 1 - Using FILETOSTR() and STRTOFILE(), with Temp files
>
> 2 - Using LOADPICTURE() function, that creates an OLE image object, and use an API call to send it to a stream, then use GdipLodImageFromStream to bring it to GDI+
>
> 3 - Create a Stream manually, with the size of the LENgth of the FILETOSTR, use SYS(2600) to send those binaries to memory stream, and finally use GdipLodImageFromStream to bring it to GDI+
>
>
>
>I've already tried #2, but I'm facing a DLL exception when using the function OLESAVETOSTREAM.
>Unfortunately, I've found really very few info about it on the web, NO SAMPLES AT ALL !!!
>
>I'm not sure if I have to pass the OLE object or the OLE handle, but it does not work in anyway.
>Maybe one of you can show me how to make it work ?
>
>Here's the code that I'm using to load the picture embedded in the EXE, without disk access:
>
>
>

LOCAL loImg
>m.loImg = LOADPICTURE(m.tcFilename)
>IF VARTYPE(loImg) = "O"
>   * Create a Stream object
>   LOCAL loStream as xfcMemoryStream
>   loStream = NEWOBJECT("xfcMemoryStream",XFCCLASS_SYSTEM)
>
>   DECLARE LONG OleSaveToStream IN OLE32.DLL OBJECT Obj, INTEGER Stream
>   * DECLARE LONG OleSaveToStream IN OLE32.DLL Integer @ImgHandle, INTEGER @Stream
>   OleSaveToStream(loImg, loStream.Handle)
>
>   *!* function OleSaveToStream(
>   *!* p1: access OLEOBJECT;
>   *!* p2: LPOLESTREAM)
>
>   *!* WINOLEAPI OleSaveToStream(
>   *!* IPersistStream * pPStm, //Pointer to the interface on the object
>   *!* // to be saved
>   *!* IStream * pStm //Pointer to the destination stream to
>   *!* // which the object is saved
>   *!* http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms678407.aspx
>
>   This.SetStatus(xfcGdipLoadImageFromStream(m.loStream.Handle, @lhImage))
>   loStream.Dispose()
>ENDIF

>
>I'm getting an error in the "OleSaveToStream" call.
>DO you have any ideas, or am I using the wrong function for that ?
>
>Thnaks very much for your suggestions
>
>TIA
>
>Cesar