The Party P4 CD-ROM_Trythisathome.rar - Corrupt..?

[twcustom]

I've been trying to get this working, but once I've extracted them the .CUE+.BIN doesn't seem to want to mount, in whatever way I try. Is it possible this disc is using some clever non-standard format that I need to do something special for...?

Many thanks for any help!

[s2325]

Maybe try to open .cue file with notepad.

[twcustom]

Okay, here's what it says:

FILE "TheParty4CD_TRYTHISATHOME.BIN" BINARY
REM SESSION 01
   TRACK 01 MODE1/2352
      INDEX 01 00:00:00
   TRACK 02 AUDIO
      INDEX 01 41:38:39
   TRACK 03 AUDIO
      INDEX 01 45:39:30
   TRACK 04 AUDIO
      INDEX 01 50:08:59

So, there's 3 audio tracks, and the data part is "MODE1/2352", which is pretty normal as I understand it (I'm no expert though). I can even get those audio tracks to play, they seem alright, so it's not a truncation issue. But the data part just seems to not want to be read as a normal CD volume.

[s2325]

Try to rename to *.iso and open with 7-zip.

[twcustom]

No luck, 7-zip just says: 'Can not open file D:\TheParty4CD_TRYTHISATHOME.iso as archive'

[Supamax]

Where can we find the iso? On Magix server?

[s2325]

Yes, it's on /Commodore_Amiga/CD/AmigaCD/Compilation/The Party P4 CD-ROM_Trythisathome.rar

[davideo]

I've just tried that from the server and it comes up with uninitialized CD but the music plays!!

I used imgburn

[twcustom]

Originally Posted by davideo

I've just tried that from the server and it comes up with uninitialized CD but the music plays!!

I used imgburn

Yeah, I was able to play the music tracks too! So that's something.

It's a real shame if the data is lost though. The original uploader seems to have otherwise put a lot of care into this, adding disc scans and the manual text and everything.

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by twcustom

It's a real shame if the data is lost though.

Could it be that the data format is not ISO-compliant but in some way Amiga-only related?
Perhaps it can be read only on real Amiga+CD drive or WinUAE... ?

[s2325]

This is PC DOS stuff. I remember same problem with some very old CD images from archive.org

[Supamax]

This is strange because the three audio tracks are perfectly extractable (.wav format) using Nero Express.
Only the first (data) track is unreadable...

[s2325]

Maybe it's possible to rip music modules with PC DOS util MultiRipper or something similar.

[twcustom]

Originally Posted by Supamax

Could it be that the data format is not ISO-compliant but in some way Amiga-only related?
Perhaps it can be read only on real Amiga+CD drive or WinUAE... ?

I didn't have much luck getting WinUAE to read it either, I did try that... also, the scan of the CD itself shows that it was "für PC und Amiga" so it seems likely that the CD would have to have been in broadly compatible format.

[s2325]

Info what is on CD:

     ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ
     ÛÛ                                                                ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                  ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÜÛÛÛÛÛÛ                   ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                    ÞÛÝ     ÛÛÜÜÜÛÛ   ÛÛÜÜÜÜ                    ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                    ÞÛÝ     ÛÛßßßÛÛ   ÛÛßßßß                    ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                    ÞÛÝ     ÛÛ   ÛÛ   ßÛÛÛÛÛÛ                   ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                                                                ÛÛ
     ÛÛ         ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ   ÜÛÛÛÛÛÜ   ÛÛÛÛÛÛÜ   ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÛÛ        ÛÛ
     ÛÛ         ÛÛÜÜÜÛÛ   ÛÛÜÜÜÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÛÛ     ÞÛÝ     ÛÛÜ ÜÛÛ        ÛÛ
     ÛÛ         ÛÛßßßß    ÛÛßßßÛÛ   ÛÛÛÛÛÛ      ÞÛÝ      ßÛÛÛß         ÛÛ
     ÛÛ         ÛÛ        ÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÛÛ  ßÛÛ     ÞÛÝ       ÞÛÝ          ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                                                                ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                                                                ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                      ßßßÛÛÛÛßßÛÛßßßÛÛßßß                       ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                          ÛÛ   ÛÛ   ÛÛ                          ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                          ÛÛ    ÛÜ ÜÛ                           ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                      ÜÜÜÛÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÛÛÛÜÜÜÜÜ                       ÛÛ
     ÛÛ                                                                ÛÛ
     ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ

           ÖÄÒÄ¿ Ò  Â ÒÄÄ¿   ÖÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄ¿ ÄÒÄ ÖÄÄ¿ ÄÒÄ ÖÄÄ¿ Ò
             º   ÇÄÄ´ ÇÄ     º  ³ ÇÄ   ÇÄ    º  º     º  ÇÄÄ´ º
             Ð   Ð  Á ÐÄÄÙ   ÓÄÄÙ Ð    Ð    ÄÐÄ ÓÄÄÙ ÄÐÄ Ð  Á ÐÄÄÙ

                         ÖÄÄ¿ ÒÄÄ¿     ÒÄÄ¿ ÖÄÄ¿ ÖÄÒÄ¿
                         º    º  ³ ÄÄÄ ÇÄÂÙ º  ³ º º ³
                         ÓÄÄÙ ÐÄÄÙ     Ð Á  ÓÄÄÙ Ð Ð Á


     Copyright 1994,1995 by Assembly Organizing. All rights reserved.




                        === ABOUT THIS MANUAL ===

			
  You are now reading an on-line manual for the The Party 94 CD-ROM's GUI 
(short for Graphical User Interface). This manual is divided into two sub-
sections, the manual on how to operate the GUI and information about the 
productions on this CD-ROM.


  
  
                       === 1. OPERATIONAL GUIDE ===


			
 1.1 Overview of the GUI
 -----------------------
 
   The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is designed for maximum ease of use 
and versality. The GUI is completely operatable with your mouse and / or 
with your keyboard. For optimal use we suggest the use of mouse as it is 
faster and more flexible than the use of keyboard. 

   The CD-ROM has been organized into menus, one for each competition, so 
there is a menu for the PC demo competition, the graphics competition and 
so forth. All PC demos, PC intros, pictures and modules (4 channel and 32 
channel) are executable from within the GUI, all you need to do is to click 
on them with your mouse!   




 1.2 Operation manual
 --------------------

 1.2.1 Abbrevations
 ------------------
 
   In the following chapters the following abbrevations will be used:
   
   GUI          Graphical User Interface
   ESC          Escape key
   ALT-C        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing C
   ALT-H        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing H  
   ALT-L        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing L
   ALT-R        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing R
   ALT-S        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing S
   ALT-T        Press and hold the ALT key while pressing T
   
   If not noted otherwise the following keys will substitute for mouse
buttons if you are using a keyboard:
   
   Right mouse button       Space bar -key
   Left mouse button        Enter key  
   

 1.2.1 Parts of the screen
 -----------------------

   If you look around your screen right now, you can see a title bar
(The Party 94 CD) on the top of the screen, then this block of text and 
then below a menu bar (Demos, Intros, etc) and in the bottom of the screen 
you can find the option bar.

   This part of the screen that you are reading right now where most of the
interaction and information to the you, the user, will take place. This part
of the screen is used both for displaying information and help texts (like
this one you are reading right now) and for presenting you with the menus
from which to choose the production to be executed, installed or viewed. 
For more information, refer to the section 1.4.

   The menu bar below contains icons on which you click (or alternatively 
press the appropriate function key displayed near the name of the menu) 
with your left mouse button and by so doing move between the menus. For 
more information, refer to the section 1.3.1.
       	   			
   The option bar in the bottom of the screen provides you with many ways 
to configure the functions of the GUI. For more information, refer to the 
section 1.5.

   To the right of this part of the screen you can see a white scroll bar. 
With it you can scroll the information on this paragraph up and down.   
   
   

 1.3 Using the GUI
 -----------------
 
   The GUI is so easy to use that you only need to master a few things: 
1) moving between the menus 2) executing productions and 3) using the option
bar. 

 1.3.1 Moving between menus
 --------------------------

   Moving between menus is easy, just click on the menu bar on the 
appropriate icon. To do this move the mouse cursor over the icon you wish 
to activate and then press your left mouse button. No matter where you are 
or what you are doing (assuming you are still within the GUI, and not 
executing a demo or a intro) you can always click on the menu bar to switch 
between menus. 

   If you are using a keyboard you can move between the menus by pressing 
your function keys. If you look on the menu bar you will see that next to 
the name of the menu a function key is displayed. For example if you look 
at the "DEMOS" icon, you will see that "F1" is displayed near the text 
"DEMOS". This key is the function key you need to press if you wish to 
switch to the "DEMOS" menu. Below you can see a list of the function keys
available:
 
        Function key    Menu
        ------------    ----------------- 
	F1              Demos 	          
     	F2		Intros
	F3		Graphics
	F4		4 channel modules
	F5		32 channel modules
	F6		Sources			
	F7		Information
	

 1.3.2 Moving inside menus
 -------------------------
 
   Wherever you are in the GUI you can always see a scroll bar just off the
right end of the screen. The area white is the actual scroll bar. By
dragging (click-and-hold and while holding moving the mouse) scroll bar you 
can scroll the text on this part of the screen up and down. You can also 
accomplish a similar feature by clicking on scroll bar outside the white bar.

   If you are using keyboard, you can move up and down on by using your 
cursor keys (up and down arrow and PgUp and PgDown keys).   
    

   	
 1.4 Executing productions 				
 -------------------------
 
   When you have moved to a menu (see section 1.3.1) you will be presented
with a display with two paragraphs. The paragraph on the left displays the
names and the authors of the productions and their placement in the Party 94
competitions. The paragraph on the right displays the names of the 
information files for the corresponding (i.e. the production on the same 
line) productions. If a line is blank on this paragraph it means that there
is no information file for this particular work. Just off the right end of
the screen you can see the scroll bar (see section 1.3.2 for more details).

   This screen is where you can choose which production(s) to execute, read
information about them and if you wish also to install them on your own hard
disk.


 1.4.1 Running a production
 --------------------------

   By clicking with your left mouse button (or the enter key) on a 
production (the currently selected one is the one embossed in a white bar 
and under the mouse cursor) you will activate the production. Depending on 
the type of the production different actions will take place. If you are 
clicking on a demo or a intro the GUI will exit to DOS and run the selected 
production and after the production finishes you will be returned to GUI 
(for more information, refer to section 2.2.1). If you are clicking on a 
picture the selected picture will be displayed on your screen (for more 
information, refer to section 2.2.2). If you are clicking on a 4 or 32 
channel tune the music player will be activated to play the selected tune 
(for more information, refer to section 2.2.3). 



 1.4.2 "Tagging" productions
 ---------------------------

   By clicking with your right mouse button (or the space bar -key) on a 
production (the currently selected on is the one embossed in a white bar 
and under the mouse cursot) you will "tag" (i.e. select) the production. 
You can tag as many production as you wish from as many different menus 
as you wish. Once you press your left mouse button (or the enter key) on 
any production all of the "tagged" (i.e. selected) productions will be 
run. The number on the left from the name of the production indicates the
position of this particular production. So, if a production has the number
42 to the left of it this production will be the 42th production executed.

   If you have selected multiple production for execution (by tagging them)
you can exit before reaching the last of the productions by pressing ESC.
If you are watching demos, intros or listening to music you will be 
presented with a three second pause between these productions and if you
press ESC during this pause you will return to the GUI. If you are watching
graphics you can press the ESC (in order to return to the GUI) any time
you wish.


 1.4.3 Viewing an information file
 ---------------------------------
 
   The paragraph on the right displays the names of information files for
productions. Some lines usually are blank on this paragraph because not
all of the production come with information files. 

   You can view a information file by clicking with your left mouse button
on the name of the information file. This opens up a view which is similar
to this one you are reading right now. Similarly, you can scroll up and down
on this paragraph (see section 1.3.2 for details) and once you wish to 
return from the information file you can either press your right mouse 
button or if you are using a keyboard, you can press ESC. You can also exit
from the information file by moving to a menu (see section 1.3.1).
  
  

 1.5 Using the option bar
 ------------------------

   The option bar allows you to modify the way the regular operations of 
the GUI work and look. It controls for example how the list of the 
productions are sorted, looping etc.

   There are two kinds of icons on the option bar. The first kind is a
basic on/off switch (for example the "loop" switch) and the other kind is
the multivalue switch (for example the sorting switch). You can tell the
multivalue switch from a basic switch by two or more little circles near
the name of the icon. One of these circles is always lit at a time and it
denotes the setting that is at the moment active.  

   The multivalue switches have two or three different possible states.
They are linked so that if you click on a multivalue switch when it is
in its "last" state the switch will move to the "first" state. So if you
press a multivalue switch (that has 2 states) twice you will get back to
the state you were when you first clicked on it.   

   All of the switches have a hot key which performs the same function as
pressing the left mouse button on the switch. For example, the "loop"
switch's hot key is ALT-L. So, to turn the "loop" switch ON you would 
first press and hold the ALT key and then while holding press L and
then release the both of the keys.

   If the basic switch is active it will appear as it would be deeper in
the option bar, like it would have been actually pushed. To turn the
switch off you can either click on it with your mouse left mouse button
or press again the hot key for the appropriate switch.

   If the basic switch invokes a new screen (like the help screen) or a 
mode (like the "tree" mode) you can return from that mode or screen by
pressing again the right mouse button or the ESC key.

 1.5.1 Run / Copy switch
 -----------------------
 
   This switch controls the action which takes place when you press the 
left mouse button on a production. The possible values are "Run" (default
setting) and "Copy". If the switch is in the "Copy" mode the production
on which you clicked is going to be installed or if you have "tagged"       
multiple files those are going to be installed. The hot key for the "Run
/ Copy" switch is ALT-R. This is a multivalue switch.

   After pressing your left mouse button (or the enter key) you will be
presented with a similar view to the one which pops up when you press
the tree switch (for more information, refer to section 1.5.4). The 
difference is that on the paragraph on the right a list of the 
productions to be installed is presented (instead of the list of the files
in the directory selected (which is presented when in normal "Tree" mode)).
Please refer to section 1.5.4 for more details on how to move in this view.

   Once you have reached a satisfactory directory (where you would like the
production to be installed) press the space bar -key to begin the 
installation. The "tagged" productions (displayed on the right paragraph)
will be installed to the directory you currently are in.

   You can also use your keyboard: you can enter a path on your keyboard
(for example you can type "c:\fun\demos" (without the quotes)). After you
have entered the path you can either press the space bar -key or the enter
key. If you press the space bar -key, the productions will be installed to
the path you entered. If the path you entered does not exist the GUI will
ask you if you wish to create the directory so that the productions can be
installed. If you press the enter key after entering the path the GUI will
try to change to the directory you specified with the path. If it does not
exist an error message will appear.

   If you are unsure in which directory you currently are you can see it 
just above the borders of the installation paragraph.

   If you wish to exit from the install you can press the right mouse 
button (or the ESC key).
   
 
 1.5.2 Loop switch
 -----------------
 
   The loop switch controls the looping of the productions. The default
setting is off. The hot key for the loop switch is ALT-L (ref. 1.2.1).

   When you press the loop switch down (by clicking on it with your left
mouse button or by pressing ALT-L the button will look as it would have
actually been pushed down. When the button looks like this, i.e., the
loop mode is on the productions will loop.

   For example, if you have selected 10 pictures to be viewed and you have
the loop switch on the following will happen. The 10 pictures will be 
presented normally and after the last picture a pause of 3 seconds will
take place (for you to be able to exit from the loop by pressing ESC) and 
then the 10 pictures will be shown again in the same order and so on.

   To exit from the loop press the ESC -key. To turn the loop switch off
either press ALT-L again or click on the switch with your left mouse
button.           
   

 1.5.3 Sort switch
 -----------------
 
   The sort switch controls how the production list is sorted. The hot
key for the sort switch is ALT-S. This is a multivalue switch.

   There are three different kind of "sortings" available; by name of
the production, by name of the author or by the placement of the
production in the The Party 94 competitions. The productions are
sorted in ascending order. The default setting is by the placement
in the competitions.

   You can switch between different "sortings" by clicking with your
left mouse button (or by pressing ALT-S) on the switch.    
   
 
 1.5.4 Tree switch
 -----------------
    
   The tree switch allows you to switch to the tree mode where you can 
browse any directory on the CD-ROM or on your own hard disk. The hot
key for the "tree" switch is ALT-T.

   The screen is divided into two paragraphs, the directory paragraph and
the file paragraph. The directory paragraph contains the names of the
directories below this directory and the link to the parent directory
(denote by ".." similarly as in DOS). Also it contains the hard disk
drive symbols ("C:", "D:" etc). The file paragraph contains the filenames
of the files located in this directory. 

   Just above the top left corner of the installation paragraph you can
see the current path (for example "c:\fun\demos").

   The directory paragraph is where you can move between directories and
between hard disk drives and the CD-ROM drive. All you need to do is to
click with your left mouse button (or with the enter key) on the name of
the directory (or the drive) you which to change to. For example, if you 
wish to go upward on the directory tree (to the parent directory of the
current directory) click on the ".." symbol.

   The file paragraphs is where you can run executable programs, view 
pictures (of common graphics formats) and listen to modules (of common
formats). Once again, all you need to do is to click with your left mouse
button (or with you enter key) on the production you wish to activate.
For example if you have file called "PICTURE.LBM" (LBM is a common
graphics format) on the current directory you can click on it and the GUI
will display the picture immediately on the screen.        
     
   If you wish to exit from the "Tree" mode, you can press the right mouse
button (or the ESC key).   
    
     
 1.5.5 Help switch
 -----------------
 
    The help switch activates this online manual. The hot key for the help
switch is ALT-H.

    The online manual is a comprehensive manual on operating the GUI and
contains all necessary information for operating the The Party 94 CD. In
fact you are reading it right now.


 1.5.6 Exit switch
 -----------------
 
    The exit switch is a multivalue switch. By pressing twice on it you
can exit from the GUI back to DOS. The hot key for the exit switch is ESC
(but it is only accessible when you are using a normal menu).

[Supamax]

Originally Posted by twcustom

also, the scan of the CD itself shows that it was "für PC und Amiga" so it seems likely that the CD would have to have been in broadly compatible format.

Yes, you and s2325 are right...
Also, thinking more about it, I don't think there are Amiga CDs having a file structure not readable by Windows.