L_CreateLeadDC() - whats it do

I'm chasing down a memory issue and see that L_CreateLeadDC() fails. So would it be possible to explain what this function does in terms of memory allocation. The image I create using L_CreateBitmap() is 16000x18000 pixels and is of TYPE_DISK. The application is 32 bit.

Many thanks
T

T,
L_CreateLeadDC() creates a device context using the specified bitmap as the display surface. This function will use memory even if the bitmap is of TYPE_DISK, so it is likely to always fail in a 32-bit application if the bitmap is huge like the one you created.

Why do you need to use the DC in this case? Are you going to draw some objects or text on the bitmap? If yes do you need to draw on the entire bitmap (huge objects) at the same time?

If you are going to draw on a small part of the image, create a small temporary bitmap, fill it with suitable color and draw on it, then combine it with the main bitmap.

Thanks for the quick reply - I need to draw on the entire surface. So with that I just report an "out of memory" to the user. Again thanks

Or consider upgrading your application to use our 64-bit libraries. This should drastically increase its ability to handle larger images.