C.A.P.S. - RELEASE TIME (A Christmas prezzie to all)

So one doesn't really have to keep the 10 meg thing. They can rip the Ipf out and just use that.

Not very practical for people who have a few ten thousand disk images

[fiath]

Originally posted by RCK
@Toni & Caps-Team: what about one kind of ipz format (ipf zipped) supported by winuae + CAPSimg.dll ?

Just to clarify: This is planned, but is not an immediately high priority. It requires us to add support in the CAPS library to read image data from memory before Toni can put it in WinUAE...

[Fjrb]

Originally posted by Burseg
Not very practical for people who have a few ten thousand disk images

That's funny because i only know people who have 5

Anyway, if you happen to find anyone who's got tens of thousands of CAPS disk images, tip them this:

->Shove all images into a folder
->Open Winzip - www.winzip.com
->Go to folder, select all, extract to ...
->On extracted to folder, click "type" to sort them
->Select all minus .ipf's (holding shift and ctrl)
->Delete

Granted. It's not the "most" practical, but it'd be something one only has to do in it's life and it'd take what ? Five mins tops ?

I assumed you were going to try to re-release any original amiga titles out there and I assumed you will succeed and then there will be people with lots of ips in the end.

That's funny because you don't seem to believe in it as much as I do. Being smart is to be able to implement a feature, or just explain that it is not planned, being smart-ass is anyway...I edited my post

[MethodGit]

I'll also be happy if CAPS-image-examining tools (like ADFOpus or ADFView) are made, or at least the aforementioned apps add support for IPFs soon.

Thing is, ADFOpus has never really worked properly for me when it comes to double-clicking on associated ADFs... so maybe it would be best if a new tool was made - but this isn't necessarily important anyhoo.

[MethodGit]

BTW, forgot to ask earlier - so it's possible to finally install games like Commando, Cybernoid II and Virus with WHDLoad in WinUAE thanks to the IPFs?

[Twistin'Ghost]

Originally posted by MethodGit
BTW, forgot to ask earlier - so it's possible to finally install games like Commando, Cybernoid II and Virus with WHDLoad in WinUAE thanks to the IPFs?

No, not yet. As discussed in a different thread (?), this support is forthcoming.

Originally posted by MethodGit
BTW, forgot to ask earlier - so it's possible to finally install games like Commando, Cybernoid II and Virus with WHDLoad in WinUAE thanks to the IPFs?

Try to install them and you'll see...

[Codetapper]

I'm not sure about what other people think but I reckon the whole project is centered far too much on emulator use at the moment.

When CAPS started it was hailed as "being able to reproduce your old disks" - the current state is that only people using emulators can use a few IPF files which have been released. The IPF's cannot be written back to disks and there is no source on the Amiga side for incorporating into tools like RawDIC.

I examined the IPF files and from what I can guess (since the developer archive documentation is practically non existant) if I have a lump of the IPF file from one "DATA" tag to the next "DATA" tag, I only need one CAPS function to convert that data back to MFM data and then at least real Amiga users would be able to image the games using RawDIC in WHDLoad installs.

It would be good if the Amiga source for this could be done ASAP. I personally can't see much use in converting the current entire CAPS support dll to the Amiga when in actual fact you only need a function equivalent to an XPK/XFD depacker to convert a lump of CAPS data for use by real Amigas. Then at least those of you like myself who use a real Amiga over an emulator can get some value out of the disks we have been dumping over the last year.

[fiath]

Originally posted by MethodGit
I'll also be happy if CAPS-image-examining tools (like ADFOpus or ADFView) are made, or at least the aforementioned apps add support for IPFs soon.

Thing is, ADFOpus has never really worked properly for me when it comes to double-clicking on associated ADFs... so maybe it would be best if a new tool was made - but this isn't necessarily important anyhoo.

No, nothing like this is planned. I don't really see the point? Could you could explain why you would want such a feature?

Original games probably have mostly custom file systems (and many have custom disk formats anyway) so you probably nearly always wouldn't see any files...

ADF's are such that this is naturally supported, but working with IPF's is a whole different ball game.

[fiath]

Originally posted by Codetapper
I'm not sure about what other people think but I reckon the whole project is centered far too much on emulator use at the moment.

I disagree. Amiga is the main priority. It always will be. However, the decision was made not to make people wait any longer, as the PC side was finished.

It also means we have got a slew of new contributors.

When CAPS started it was hailed as "being able to reproduce your old disks" - the current state is that only people using emulators can use a few IPF files which have been released. The IPF's cannot be written back to disks and there is no source on the Amiga side for incorporating into tools like RawDIC.

Library will be ported to Amiga in January hopefully.

Remastering tools are coming as soon as we can. They are being worked on - and with everything we do, we don't want it to be a "quick hack". I have no idea when they will be complete, and I don't want to ask, because I know what the answer will be...

I agree though that releasing stuff now may make people more impatient when they see files they cannot use...

I examined the IPF files and from what I can guess (since the developer archive documentation is practically non existant) if I have a lump of the IPF file from one "DATA" tag to the next "DATA" tag, I only need one CAPS function to convert that data back to MFM data and then at least real Amiga users would be able to image the games using RawDIC in WHDLoad installs.

Actually it is more complicated that you think, any MFM data stream must be generated based on the stored track & block descriptors defining the disk format.

It would be good if the Amiga source for this could be done ASAP.

I agree. But it is already the number 1 priority. It always has been, but we are really busy!

I personally can't see much use in converting the current entire CAPS support dll to the Amiga when in actual fact you only need a function equivalent to an XPK/XFD depacker to convert a lump of CAPS data for use by real Amigas. Then at least those of you like myself who use a real Amiga over an emulator can get some value out of the disks we have been dumping over the last year.

As I said, it is more complicated than that, I guess you see why now. The library needs to be ported, and there are some issues (mainly manpower) keeping it back.

Anyway, I see your argument. But please be sure we are going as fast as we possibly can with all this.

Do you think we should have waited with releases until we did the Amiga support? If we did that, we would have to have completed the (software) remastering tool too, and... so it goes on.

[Codetapper]

Library will be ported to Amiga in January hopefully.

Hoorah!

Actually it is more complicated that you think, any MFM data stream must be generated based on the stored track & block descriptors defining the disk format.

Does that mean that when a new disk format is analysed by the CAPS guys you have to update the library to be able to convert that particular IPF data stream back to the MFM data?

[Fjrb]

Originally posted by Burseg
I assumed you were going to try to re-release any original amiga titles out there and I assumed you will succeed and then there will be people with lots of ips in the end.

That's funny because you don't seem to believe in it as much as I do. Being smart is to be able to implement a feature, or just explain that it is not planned, being smart-ass is anyway...I edited my post

Being smart-ass ... is fun

In all reality, reading this is fun, because this is pure human behaviour. How many games did MAME implement on it's first five iterations ? Was WinUAE supporting zips on Rel 0.8.8 ? Heck how many games did the first UAE run ?

Thus, what CAPS achieved is an astounding sucess. The incredible amount of copy protections solved, amazing. Heck, the mere fact something impossible a few months ago is happening now; groundbreaking.

Again, a remarkable sucess.

But why did UAE never run all that much games on it's first release, or MAME many, and WinUAE presented zip support until not so long ago ?

The reason is very simple. People, who are working for free, wasting a butload of time, talent, and work, still, nevertheless, aren't able to deconstruct and contruct back again the world in one day and one night, for free, at your sole command. Does this seem like a question too you :

Not very practical for people who have a few ten thousand disk images

It isn't is it ? If it was i'd probably would have answered it, as i do many. Now, if you can be a smart-ass, why can't i ? Is there some uncanny reason why you can make silly comments and have all the fun and we can't ?

Now, let us have some fun for gods sake

Zip support will be in when our people aren't staying awake till 4a.m. working for free anymore. That might be never btw

Codetapper wants remastering, now, you want zip support, now, let's make it a race: Whoever is able to provide the biggest money contribution will get his wish attended with full priority! Heck, we'll even throw in consultant services and advisory, for free.

Now, was that being smart-ass enough or what ?

[Fjrb]

Originally posted by Codetapper
Does that mean that when a new disk format is analysed by the CAPS guys you have to update the library to be able to convert that particular IPF data stream back to the MFM data?

Corrected reply :

No, the format used in ipfs are "self-describing", using generic
descriptions for the various data items, that are derived from and by CTA scripts describing the real format, when the release file is written.
In other words (how to put this simple?) CTA scripts describing a format are translated to generic data generator instructions. Like you write any program on a high level language, and it gets translated to an obviously much simpler and commonly usable assembly or p-code.

But this does not mean the library will not be updated with new features etc, when they are added and ready, that's one of the reasons we choose a product independently upgradeable library approach.

It wasn't a question but it was a statement. Since I am the user I'll be having all the fun bitching about anything Seriously, you'll face far more annoying criticisms than mine, I were being constructive.

I have a valid point and I expected a serious response and you were not saying anything directly while you could just say "no, I don't agree". I know the answer, and rather than asking a rheterical question, I ask nothing. I think absence of ipz is a major drawback and I don't often ask anyone what to think.

Anyway, since you're sure that there will ever be approximately 5 ipf files on this planet at the same time, I give up my claims.

[Fjrb]

Originally posted by Burseg
It wasn't a question but it was a statement. Since I am the user I'll be having all the fun bitching about anything Seriously, you'll face far more annoying criticisms than mine, I were being constructive.

I have a valid point and I expected a serious response and you were not saying anything directly"

I had already answered that question one post above ...

"by now the real 'zip' interest would be to access Ipf file within a zip archive directly - pretty much like MAME does. There's some technicalities involved that haven't allowed that."

Ok. So it's impossible? Possible?

[fiath]

Yes of course it is possible. I already answered this! Read my post (way) above.

Just other things are higher priority.

Ok and let this be a lesson to you on how unsatisfied users can bitch endlessly.

[fiath]

*LOL*