View source for Load.pic

The '''load.pic''' command indirectly loads a [[picture]] resource onto the [[memory heap]].

== Syntax ==

load.pic([[variable|var]] vPICNUM);

== Remarks ==

This command loads [[picture]] '''B''', where '''B''' equals the value of '''vPICNUM''', onto the [[memory heap]]. Picture resources must be loaded before being used in any other commands, otherwise AGI will raise [[trappable error #18]]. [[Picture|Pictures]] should be unloaded using the '''[[discard.pic]]''' command once they are no longer needed.

Pictures are typically used to graphically represent '[[room|rooms]]' in an AGI game, but can also be used for any display that needs to take up the entire screen.

AGI adds a script entry to the [[script stack]] each time a [[picture]] resource is loaded.

Note that the '''load.pic''' command uses a [[variable]] argument and that there is no equivalent command to load a [[picture]] by number.

== Possible Errors ==

If you attempt to load a [[picture]] that does not exist, AGI will raise a [[runtime error]] and crash.

== Example ==

<div class="CodeBlockHeader">Code:</div>
<syntaxhighlight lang="agi">
[ load and display the current room's picture:
load.pic(currentRoom);    [ first load the picture resource
draw.pic(currentRoom);    [ then draw the picture to memory
discard.pic(currentRoom); [ resource no longer needed, so discard it
...
show.pic();               [ now display the picture on screen
</syntaxhighlight>

== Technical Information ==

{| border="1" cellpadding="2"
| style="background-color: #efefef" width="200" | '''Required Interpreter Version:'''
| width="175" | Available in all AGI versions.
|-
| style="background-color: #efefef" | '''Byte-Code Value:'''
| 24 (0x18 hex)
|}

== See Also ==

[[Picture Commands]]<br />
[[Memory Management]]<br />
[[AGI Scripts]]<br />
[[Category:Commands]]<br />