_LOADIMAGE

The _LOADIMAGE function loads an image into memory and returns valid LONG image handle values that are less than -1.

Syntax

handle& = _LOADIMAGE(filename$[, mode%])

Various common image file formats supported, like BMP, JPG, PNG, etc. A path can also be given.
The mode% can designate 32-bit color or 33 (version 1.000 and up). Omit to use the current graphic screen settings.
Mode 33 images are hardware accelerated and are created using _LOADIMAGE or _COPYIMAGE (version 1.000 and up).
Loaded images can be read invisibly using POINT. Image coordinates start at 0 up to the _WIDTH - 1 and _HEIGHT - 1.
Images can be made into a program SCREEN or page adopting the size and palette settings or placed using _PUTIMAGE.
Returns -1 as an invalid handle if it can't load the image. Valid LONG handle returns are less than -1 (handle& < -1).
Valid images only need to be loaded once. The handle can be used repeatedly until freed.
Images are not deallocated when the SUB or FUNCTION they are created in ends. Free them with _FREEIMAGE.

Some picture file images may not load when a mode% value is designated. Try loading it without a mode% designation.
It is important to free unused or discarded images with _FREEIMAGE to prevent CPU memory overflow errors.
In text-only SCREEN 0, mode% 32 must be specified. When loading an _ICON image use 32 for the mode% too.

Example 1: To display an image in 32-bit color using its resolution as a program screen:

i& = _LOADIMAGE("mypic.jpg", 32) SCREEN i&

Example 2: DRAWing and rotating an image 360 degrees using Turn Angle. POINT is used to read the invisible image source.

SCREEN _NEWIMAGE(800, 600, 32) img& = _LOADIMAGE("QB64.PNG") 'load the image file to be drawn wide% = _WIDTH(img&): deep% = _HEIGHT(img&) TLC$ = "BL" + STR$(wide% \ 2) + "BU" + STR$(deep% \ 2) 'start draw at top left corner RET$ = "BD BL" + STR$(wide%) 'return to left side of image _SOURCE img& _DEST 0 DO FOR angle% = 0 TO 360 STEP 15 CLS DRAW "BM400, 300" + "TA=" + VARPTR$(angle%) + TLC$ FOR y = 0 TO deep% - 1 FOR x = 0 TO wide% - 1 DRAW "C" + STR$(POINT(x, y)) + "R1" 'color and DRAW each pixel NEXT DRAW RET$ NEXT _DISPLAY 'NOTE: CPU usage will be HIGH! NEXT LOOP UNTIL INKEY$ > ""

Code by Ted Weissgerber

NOTE: The QB64.PNG file picturing the QB64 bee can saved from the top of the QB64 forum. Speed varies with image size.