Battle.net Banner Ad Information

[nYko]

Does anyone know how to display the banner ad downloaded from Battle.net?

The .smk file is a Smaker image file that can be viewed using a program called RAD Video Tools.
However, I want to be able to open and display the .smk file on a Visual Basic form just like the Blizzard clients display the .smk file on their clients.

Is there some control or something I can use to display the Smaker banner ad files?

[Yoni]

1. "Smacker" not "Smaker".
2. The Smacker DLL (SmackW32.dll) provides all the API needed for processing the smk format. Look at their website (dunno what it is, google?) for documentation on this. I don't know of anything special for VB, you'll probably have to stick with the regular DLL unless someone else made something.
3. (Maddox) Why? Not for a bot feature hopefully, but for programming experience. That's always fun. (At least I'm guessing that's the author's intention.)

Edit:
I was interested so checked RAD's site.
The "Smacker Tools" is free, but the SDK requires a license that costs $3500. You'll get over it.

[MyndFyre]

1. "Smacker" not "Smaker".
2. The Smacker DLL (SmackW32.dll) provides all the API needed for processing the smk format. Look at their website (dunno what it is, google?) for documentation on this. I don't know of anything special for VB, you'll probably have to stick with the regular DLL unless someone else made something.
3. (Maddox) Why? Not for a bot feature hopefully, but for programming experience. That's always fun. (At least I'm guessing that's the author's intention.)

Edit:
I was interested so checked RAD's site.
The "Smacker Tools" is free, but the SDK requires a license that costs $3500. You'll get over it.

Heh, yup.  I was interested in the same thing.  Then I saw it's expensive to license -- too much, even for a project that violates some terms of service

[Arta]

Could always reverse the api calls from bsnp

[Skywing]

Note that new games use png / mng for banners.

[UserLoser.]

Can't forget about .pcx

[Yoni]

Never seen .pcx used for banners (maybe it is though, give example?)
I know it's used for screenshots.

Even if new games don't use smacker, bink seems to be still in use for videos.

[Spht]

Never seen .pcx used for banners (maybe it is though, give example?)
I know it's used for screenshots.

Diablo/Starcraft/Warcraft2 use them for banner I believe.

I don't think the smacker/bink API support PNG/MNG files. MNG is GIF's successor which requires no licensing to use, and allows a higher palette of colors to be used. PNG (non-animated) and MNG (animated) will be probably be used more often in the future instead of GIF because of this.

This and this page should be helpful.

[Yoni]

Eww yeah, forgot all about ad######.pcx. +1i

PNG is already done kicking GIF's ass in still images (IMO) but MNG has not been picked up at all (which sucks). IE's support for PNG is highly lacking, and for MNG nonexistent (IIRC). Since IE is not going to be updated anymore, and it's the dominant browser, GIF will continue being used for animations for a while.