Ive been trying to use a function from LaMothes tricks books to load a bitmap and whether I load one of mine or his I get a Debug Assertion Failed error heres my function call //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// int Game_Init(void *parms = NULL, int num_parms = 0) { DDraw_Init(SCREEN_WIDTH,SCREEN_HEIGHT,SCREEN_BPP); BITMAP_FILE bitmap; if(!Load_Bitmap_File(&bitmap,"animal.bmp")) return(0); return(1); } // end Game_Init ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// The function is below if anyone could use it to possibly help me. If anyone has any clue or a way for me to figure out whats wrong please reply, I would be very appreciative, thanks! ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// int Load_Bitmap_File(BITMAP_FILE_PTR bitmap, char *filename) { // this function opens a bitmap file and loads the data into bitmap int file_handle, // the file handle index; // looping index UCHAR *temp_buffer = NULL; // used to convert 24 bit images to 16 bit OFSTRUCT file_data; // the file data information // open the file if it exists if ((file_handle = OpenFile(filename,&file_data,OF_READ))==-1) return(1); // now load the bitmap file header _lread(file_handle, &bitmap->bitmapfileheader,sizeof(BITMAPFILEHEADER)); // test if this is a bitmap file if (bitmap->bitmapfileheader.bfType!=BITMAP_ID) { // close the file _lclose(file_handle); // return error return(0); } // end if // now we know this is a bitmap, so read in all the sections // first the bitmap infoheader // now load the bitmap file header _lread(file_handle, &bitmap->bitmapinfoheader,sizeof(BITMAPINFOHEADER)); // now load the color palette if there is one if (bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount == 8) { _lread(file_handle, &bitmap->palette,MAX_COLORS_PALETTE*sizeof(PALETTEENTRY)); // now set all the flags in the palette correctly and fix the reversed // BGR RGBQUAD data format for (index=0; index < MAX_COLORS_PALETTE; index++) { // reverse the red and green fields int temp_color = bitmap->palette[index].peRed; bitmap->palette[index].peRed = bitmap->palette[index].peBlue; bitmap->palette[index].peBlue = temp_color; // always set the flags word to this bitmap->palette[index].peFlags = PC_NOCOLLAPSE; } // end for index } // end if // finally the image data itself _lseek(file_handle,-(int)(bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biSizeImage),SEEK_END); // now read in the image, if the image is 8 or 16 bit then simply read it // but if its 24 bit then read it into a temporary area and then convert // it to a 16 bit image if (bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount==8 || bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount==16 || bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount==24) { // delete the last image if there was one if (bitmap->buffer) free(bitmap->buffer); // allocate the memory for the image if (!(bitmap->buffer = (UCHAR *)malloc(bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biSizeImage))) { // close the file _lclose(file_handle); // return error return(0); } // end if // now read it in _lread(file_handle,bitmap->buffer,bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biSizeImage); } // end if else { // serious problem return(0); } // end else #if 0 // write the file info out printf("\nfilename:%s \nsize=%d \nwidth=%d \nheight=%d \nbitsperpixel=%d \ncolors=%d \nimpcolors=%d", filename, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biSizeImage, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biWidth, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biHeight, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biClrUsed, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biClrImportant); #endif // close the file _lclose(file_handle); // flip the bitmap Flip_Bitmap(bitmap->buffer, bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biWidth*(bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biBitCount/8), bitmap->bitmapinfoheader.biHeight); // return success return(1); } // end Load_Bitmap_File ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

The only thing I can see is that UCHAR *temp_buffer is unreferenced...

comment out this section and try it
// delete the last image if there was one
if (bitmap->buffer)
free(bitmap->buffer);