I am programming with visual studio express using the Dark GDK libraries, and If I wanted to conceal my hard artwork such as pictures and artwork I developed so that no one could take it from my project directory to play my game how can I compile all of the files into one .exe?
I understand that this will slow down the load time for the game and require more resources but I need to know how to do this for windows applications as well. **Hopefully it's a simple compiler linker option -Crossing fingers**.

Thank you,

Heh .. I hope this isnt advanced I am hoping for a simple compiler setting to do this in form of a few clicks.
Using : Visual Studio C++ Express 2008

My project folder for example contains these four files.

MyProgram.cpp
MyProgram.exe //Made in c++
HideMyProgram.exe // Made in VB, by different dev company
SomePicture.bmp

MyProgram.exe copies HideMyProgram.exe to startup folder for example. But I dont want to give a folder to my users without them seeing all four of these files. Instead I want one single executable. How do I do this?
How can all four of these files be encapsulated into my program to still achieve the same outcome, but being a single stand alone .exe?

I have found file binders that do this, but they are tagged by antivirus companies we use. This is no good!

>How to do compile all of your files into one .exe

Resource files.

>How to do compile all of your files into one .exe

Resource files.

Could you give an example ? I will look into this I remember doing some windows api programming tutorials loading resources, but I am not sure how to go about doing this to load a .exe as a resource into my main program.

Could you give an example ? I will look into this I remember doing some windows api programming tutorials loading resources, but I am not sure how to go about doing this to load a .exe as a resource into my main program.

// Bitmap resources
//
LANGUAGE 0, SUBLANG_NEUTRAL
IDB_MAIN           BITMAP         ".\\bkrng.bmp"

Also, if somebody wants to steal your artwork, they will.

All they have to do is open your program in a resource editor and save your art resource.

Your best bet is encrypting your files, then decrypting them at runtime.

Believe me when I say that if somebody wants to steal your artwork, you cannot stop them, bot you can make it harder for them to do.

Thanks allot you have taught me something new :) as this I did not know.
Another thing I found out is my version of visual studio 2008 express does not provide a resource editor. I know theres a program called resedit for this so maybe I will try that instead.
The main thing I am honestly after here is being able to compile a seperate .exe in with my .exe. For example the other .exe I have is made in visual basic, but it does some processing I need, and I need them all combined into one .exe.
I have a program called hot fusion which can do this, but I being like all of you .. want to know how to do it the harder way lol.. the programmers way!

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