LoadImageArea?

LoadAnimImage loads the whole image and then extracts the frames using TPixmap's Window and Copy method.

Here's the source code of LoadAnimImage:

	Function LoadAnim:TImage( url:Object,cell_width,cell_height,first,count,flags,mr,mg,mb )
		Local pixmap:TPixmap=TPixmap(url)
		If Not pixmap pixmap=LoadPixmap(url) 'this loads the <b>whole image</b>
		If Not pixmap Return

		Local x_cells=pixmap.width/cell_width
		Local y_cells=pixmap.height/cell_height
		If first+count>x_cells*y_cells Return
		
		Local t:TImage=Create( cell_width,cell_height,count,flags,mr,mg,mb )

		For Local cell=first To first+count-1
			Local x=cell Mod x_cells * cell_width
			Local y=cell / x_cells * cell_height
			Local window:TPixmap=pixmap.Window( x,y,cell_width,cell_height ) 'selects a specific part of the image into a new pixmap
			t.SetPixmap cell-first,window.Copy() 'copies the pixmap
		Next
		Return t
	End Function

So at execution time LoadAnimImage wouldn't be faster than manually loading the image and then copying a window. However, at the time of development LoadAnimImage will be faster, since it's only one single function you have to call, not a set of multiple functions and methods needed to do this task manually.