XML DataSource, Text Dataset And Image From Database Using Visual Studio 2K5 And SSRS 2K5

"Short" Story Version:

I have a VS 2005 Web Appplication solution that uses SQL Server Reporting Services 2005. One of the projects is a Report Server Project. In this project I have an RDL file that has:
1.)a non-shared XML DataSource (no credentials),
2.)a DataSet with a Command Type of Text and a Query String that is as follows:
<Query>
<XmlData>
<Root>
<LOAD LOAD_ID_PREFIX="" LOAD_ID="" TRUCK="" DIAGRAM=""/>
</Root>
</XmlData>
</Query>


3.)a field that comes from the Database that is of VarBinary(Max) that is a JPEG Image

What happens is, is that by doing #2 above, at design time I can create tables and hook into my datasets and get the report all designed out the way I want. Then at runtime, I have a Stored Procedure that uses the "FOR XML AUTO" option so that I can represent my results from the database in an XML fashion which will allow me to replace the XML Schema in between the Root tags above (in #2) with my actual data (which still has the same schema). I then save the modified RDL to a database table field and move on to happily ever after......in this case, not. In this case, since an VarBinary is involved, unless I want to get a pointer back for the Diagram Column, I have to use the "FOR XML AUTO, BINARY BASE64" option. This returns an Encoded string to represent the Binary value that was in the Database....and this is the partial source of my angst....read on.

My approach that I described above worked flawlessly in all cases where an image wasn't involved. This report is the only report in the whole system I am working on that will have an image and it is the last one being done, so that's why I didn't run into this earlier.

I have tried all kinds of things at different levels, but the thing that I have tried that seemed to me to have the most potential was to use Embedded Code to take the Encoded ASCII Value and convert into something binary that the SSRS Reporting Engine likes (so my image will show), but I have been unsuccessful thus far. The error message I keep getting now from my Embedded Function is: "Invalid length for a Base-64 char array", which I have not been able to resolve thus far....and I do know that the Binary value in the database is good becuase I can see it in pages in my application otherwise.

This aside, is there anyone out there that knows how to take the value of a VarBinary(Max) field and insert it into the Text (XML) DataSet in the markup of an RDL file....and have it appear correctly when the report is rendered in something like the standard Report Viewer Control (or even when being previewed at design time inside of Visual Studio for that matter)?

Just to be clear, the root of my problem, as I see and understand it, is that I have a VarBinary value in a database that is being converted to a string (ASCII...I am presuming) due to how I am writing my stored procedure and then needs to go back to something else binary that the SSRS Engine will accept so that I can see my Image in the report when I render it.

I am wishful that someone out there understands my problem and has run into this and has a solution......but I am wishful of winning the lottery, too, and that hasn't happened yet...............

Thanks.