IAgent::Load

HRESULT Load(
   VARIANT vLoadKey,  // data provider
   long * pdwCharID,  // address of a variable for character ID
   long * pdwReqID    // address of a variable for request ID
);

Loads a character into the Characters collection.

• Returns S_OK to indicate the operation was successful.

vLoadKey

A variant datatype that must be one of the following:

filespec	The local file location of the specified character's definition file.
URL	The HTTP address for the character's definition file.

pdwCharID

Address of a variable that receives the character's ID.

pdwReqID

Address of a variable that receives the Load request ID.

You can load characters from the Microsoft Agent subdirectory by specifying a relative path (one that does not include a colon or leading slash character). This prefixes the path with Agent's characters directory (located in the localized %windows%\msagent directory). You can also use a relative address to specify your own directory in Agent's Chars directory.

You cannot load the same character (a character having the same GUID) more than once from a single connection. Similarly, you cannot load the default character and other characters at the same time from a single connection, because the default character could be the same as the other character. However, you can create another connection (using CoCreateInstance) and load the same character.

Microsoft Agent's data provider supports loading character data stored as a single structured file (.ACS) with character data and animation data together, or as separate character data (.ACF) and animation (.ACA) files. Generally, use the single structured .ACS file to load a character that is stored on a local disk drive or network and accessed using conventional file protocol (such as UNC pathnames). Use the separate .ACF and .ACA files when you want to load the animation files individually from a remote site where they are accessed using HTTP protocol.

For .ACS files, using the Load method provides access a character's animations; once loaded, you can use the Play method to animate the character. For .ACF files, you also use the Prepare method to load animation data. The Load method does not support downloading .ACS files from an HTTP site.

Loading a character does not automatically display the character. Use the Show method first to make the character visible.