If you are using MCK, it will be useful to know that when using graphic resources that are automatically added to the application, MCK will automatically reduce the number of colors used, if it finds it possible. When generating resources containing images, the number of different colors used is counted, and the lowest possible representation in bits per pixel is used, in order to save the resulting image. Note also that the 16 bits per pixel format will be used automatically only when it does not require discarding the least significant bits in the R, G, B channels (see the previous paragraph). The maximum format used for graphic resources of 24 bits per pixel is used only as a last resort, when all other formats do not fit.

 

In the first versions of MCK, to build resources and generate * .RES files, the MCK add-in called an external resource compiler, which was BRCC, a Borland resource compiler that comes with the Delphi compiler and development environment. But this compiler still does not know how to work with graphic resources containing more than 256 colors, so in the end I refused to use the BRCC compiler. / Perhaps the limitation is due to the fact that the VCL itself is not able to load such resources, so there is no point in remaking the resource compiler for use with the VCL. But this is my guess, not necessarily true /.

 

Now MCK generates the resource file on its own by simply adding the correct resource header to the graphic file. The result is much faster and less problematic. If you do not use MCK, then to build resources you can try using other resource compilers, for example MS VC ++, or Resource Workshop, by the same Borland company. Although written for Windows 3.1, it works great in XP as well, although its interface is long overdue to send to the museum of antiquities. Or you can watch how MCK performs this task and write your own bitmap-to-res converter.