Streaming bitmaps in ruby dynamically (can it be done?)

[Ricciardo]

I wonder if its possible to dynamically stream bitmaps into a ruby module without the memory being saved inside it...

This is my problem:

- while ruby is more efficient than old SM primitives to make knobs per example, using way less components...
there is still a memory problem related to ruby...

every time you use a button or a knob made in ruby, that uses a bitmap as display... the ruby code will retain in memory the size of the module and its information...

and is the direct result of this? if you have a plugin with many knobs... even if they are using the same source or the same bitmap, ruby still utilizes the memory for each inside its code... resulting the plugin to waste unnecessary memory in load outs... per example... assuming a simple PNG file would use 600-800kb, that multiplied per hundreeds of dozens or hundreeds of buttons will cause the following:

- Your plugin will load slower... and will use 60 times more memory than it should for the use of the bitmaps...

So what i want... is to find a way to only utilzie the memory of a button once... and then replicate it for each instance dynamically, being each knob only focus in rotation and saving states and presets...
Streaming the images dynamically inside the project....

This way i think overall plugins would become way less demanding in terms of memory and way more light to load, copy etc etc...

meanwhile i didnt found the solution for bitmaps, and i hope someone can guide me or help me with this...

i managed to work out a fully vector knob made in ruby... which by comparison with bitmap knobs, are incredibly lighter on memory...100x times more light... plugin load faster using large amounts of buttons...