diff --git a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.I b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.I
index 30a0222917..6c8b3e28ba 100644
--- a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.I
+++ b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.I
@@ -900,6 +900,82 @@ apply_exponent(double red_exponent, double green_exponent, double blue_exponent)
 }
 
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::get_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Directly access the underlying PNMImage array.  Know
+//               what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE xel *PNMImage::
+get_array() {
+  return _array;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::get_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Directly access the underlying PNMImage array.  Know
+//               what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE const xel *PNMImage::
+get_array() const {
+  return _array;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::get_alpha_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Directly access the underlying PNMImage array of
+//               alpha values.  Know what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE xelval *PNMImage::
+get_alpha_array() {
+  return _alpha;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::get_alpha_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Directly access the underlying PNMImage array of
+//               alpha values.  Know what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE const xelval *PNMImage::
+get_alpha_array() const {
+  return _alpha;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::take_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Returns the underlying PNMImage array and removes it
+//               from the PNMImage.  You become the owner of this
+//               array and must eventually free it with
+//               PANDA_FREE_ARRAY() (or pass it to another PNMImage
+//               with set_array()).  Know what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE xel *PNMImage::
+take_array() {
+  xel *array = _array;
+  _array = NULL;
+  return array;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::take_alpha_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Returns the underlying PNMImage array and removes it
+//               from the PNMImage.  You become the owner of this
+//               array and must eventually free it with
+//               PANDA_FREE_ARRAY() (or pass it to another PNMImage
+//               with set_alpha_array()).  Know what you are doing!
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+INLINE xelval *PNMImage::
+take_alpha_array() {
+  xelval *alpha = _alpha;
+  _alpha = NULL;
+  return alpha;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: PNMImage::allocate_array
 //       Access: Private
diff --git a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
index 453ed13b02..465e11dc83 100644
--- a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
+++ b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.cxx
@@ -716,6 +716,46 @@ blend(int x, int y, double r, double g, double b, double alpha) {
   }
 }
 
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::set_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Replaces the underlying PNMImage array with the
+//               indicated pointer.  Know what you are doing!  The new
+//               array must be the correct size and must have been
+//               allocated via PANDA_MALLOC_ARRAY().  The PNMImage
+//               object becomes the owner of this pointer and will
+//               eventually free it with PANDA_FREE_ARRAY().  The
+//               previous array, if any, will be freed with
+//               PANDA_FREE_ARRAY() when this call is made.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void PNMImage::
+set_array(xel *array) {
+  if (_array != (xel *)NULL) {
+    PANDA_FREE_ARRAY(_array);
+  }
+  _array = array;
+}
+
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+//     Function: PNMImage::set_alpha_array
+//       Access: Public
+//  Description: Replaces the underlying PNMImage alpha array with the
+//               indicated pointer.  Know what you are doing!  The new
+//               array must be the correct size and must have been
+//               allocated via PANDA_MALLOC_ARRAY().  The PNMImage
+//               object becomes the owner of this pointer and will
+//               eventually free it with PANDA_FREE_ARRAY().  The
+//               previous array, if any, will be freed with
+//               PANDA_FREE_ARRAY() when this call is made.
+////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
+void PNMImage::
+set_alpha_array(xelval *alpha) {
+  if (_alpha != (xelval *)NULL) {
+    PANDA_FREE_ARRAY(_alpha);
+  }
+  _alpha = alpha;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 //     Function: PNMImage::copy_sub_image
 //       Access: Published
diff --git a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.h b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.h
index ea57f86263..33822a7261 100644
--- a/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.h
+++ b/panda/src/pnmimage/pnmImage.h
@@ -252,6 +252,19 @@ PUBLISHED:
   LColord get_average_xel_a() const;
   double get_average_gray() const;
 
+public:
+  // Know what you are doing if you access the underlying data arrays
+  // directly.
+  INLINE xel *get_array();
+  INLINE const xel *get_array() const;
+  INLINE xelval *get_alpha_array();
+  INLINE const xelval *get_alpha_array() const;
+
+  INLINE xel *take_array();
+  INLINE xelval *take_alpha_array();
+  void set_array(xel *array);
+  void set_alpha_array(xelval *alpha);
+
 private:
   INLINE void allocate_array();
   INLINE void allocate_alpha();