images in field: pointers or copies?

[Richard Gaskin]

I have an image in a stack and a field that displays that image several 
times within its contents using imageSource.

I've noticed that when I resize the image the renderings of it in the 
field instantly resize as well - cool.

This lends me to believe that any images in fields aren't rendered as 
copies of the image data, but as pointers to the source image.

That would seem to imply a somewhat smaller RAM footprint than complete 
copies, but since they are rendered throughout the field I'm not exactly 
clear how much may be saved, so:

@LC Staff:

Any of you in a position to discuss the memory implications of images 
embedded in fields, and ways (if any) we might considering reducing 
memory load?

For example, any benefits or penalties in keeping the source image on 
disk rather that imported?

And if on disk, does it use one cache for all instances of an 
imageSource URL within a field, or would it be better to have the 
imageSource reference an image object that references the disk file?

-- 
  Richard Gaskin
  Fourth World Systems
  Software Design and Development for the Desktop, Mobile, and the Web
  ____________________________________________________________________
  Ambassador at FourthWorld.com                http://www.FourthWorld.com