Multi-Disk Compressed ADF?

Hi there!

I've just recently ran into WinUAE and have started gathering ye olden games and creating disk images. As my collection incorporates games like Robinson's Requiem (7 Disks), the Elvira games (5 and 7 Disks), Ambermoon (7 Disks) and a few other multi-disk games, my WinUAE\Disks folder is severely lacking clarity at the moment.
So, I started to delve into the whole ADZ/DMS creating business. I found that those would help me save hard disk space, but not improve the state of my Disks folder, as gzip (used for .adz) archives can only contain single files.
Then, I stumbled into the fact that WinUAE can also directly run PKZipped .adf images. My question now is, is it in any way possible to have .zip archives with several ADF files in them, sequentially numbered, and running those directly with WinUAE (ie. Elvira.zip containing elvira1.adf through elvira5.adf or just plainly 1.adf through 5.adf, and so on)?


Thanks in Advance and Bye,

Florian

[mtb]

Originally posted by TheOutrider
My question now is, is it in any way possible to have .zip archives with several ADF files in them, sequentially numbered, and running those directly with WinUAE (ie. Elvira.zip containing elvira1.adf through elvira5.adf or just plainly 1.adf through 5.adf, and so on)?


Thanks in Advance and Bye,

Florian

For what i know it isn't possible. Install them with an installer to a virtual hd to solve the problem and to avoid loading times.

[Magix]

Originally posted by TheOutrider
My question now is, is it in any way possible to have .zip archives with several ADF files in them, sequentially numbered, and running those directly with WinUAE (ie. Elvira.zip containing elvira1.adf through elvira5.adf or just plainly 1.adf through 5.adf, and so on)?

Yes. There is ugly workaround:

"<path>\Elvira.zip\Elvira_Disk2.adf"
selects second disk.

or

"<path>\Elvira.zip\#2" selects second supported image.

WinUAE's GUI will support files inside archives someday..

"...from Toni Wilen"

Originally posted by Magix
Yes. There is ugly workaround: (...)

Thanks a lot, that is pretty much exactly what I was hoping for

[Magix]

No problem,

... and welcome to EAB

Thanks
This is, actually, pretty much my first stronger contact with Amiga... we've been an Atari family back in the 80s and early 90s, but I'm starting to generally get into oldskool computing now

[mtb]

Originally posted by Magix
Yes. There is ugly workaround:

"<path>\Elvira.zip\Elvira_Disk2.adf"
selects second disk.

or

"<path>\Elvira.zip\#2" selects second supported image.

WinUAE's GUI will support files inside archives someday..

"...from Toni Wilen"

Sounds new to me!

Works fine though, at least with games that can handle their disks being write protected \o/
Small idea for Toni concerning the implementation of this: maybe add two (configurable) keys or key combinations to WinUAE that will cycle forwards/backwards through all .adf, .dms or .adz files inside a directory or archive and insert them into DF0:, even from within the emulator.
Would be a great thing to have

[andreas]

Originally posted by TheOutrider
Works fine though, at least with games that can handle their disks being write protected \o/

Well, for games that do force you to remove the write-protect tab, you can also do this by unchecking the box in the floppy options. Note that writes will NOT be permanent with zipped disks, it's just a simulation: so disk will be in original state afterwards after "ejecting".

Ayuh... 'twas just that I read somewhere (even on the WinUAE page, I believe) that zipped disks were considered write protected, so I guessed the checkbox was activated in the vein of "we'll do this at some point, but it doesn't do anything right now". Thanks for clearing that up

[andreas]

np
well again: if the box IS checked, the write-protect WILL be effective and the emulator will NOT be able to write to the zipped images.
if it's NOT checked, you can write to the image, but the modifications you do will only be temporary and not affect the image included in the zip on your HD.