Cannon Fodder Save Disk Backing Up

Rissy · 02 May 2021, 20:28

Hey all,

As the title suggests, I have a disk here which is formatted within Cannon Fodder for saving games to.

I've done a bit of reading and understand that the format of the disk which you format within the game becomes proprietary at that point and isn't compatible with .ADF (or .SCP or .HFE i'm finding through my own experiences playing)

I'm interested in taking a back up of this save disk on to my laptop using a Greazeweasle in a fashion that then allows me to then copy it back to disk again later on for use in the game again. So far i'm not having any joy.

I've taken a copy of the disk using GW and produced a .SCP image file. I've then tried putting that back directly on to a different disk and this then isn't recognised by the game (so it's useless). I've then gone on to try converting this .SCP to .HFE, .ADF, IMG etc. Nothing is working to get a successfully read save disk back in the Amiga again.

I've had to resort to formatting a new disk within the game, and then going through a process of loading up from the orginal, and immediately saving to the new through a "hot swapping" process per save file. This works of course, and then gives me a duplicated copy of each save file over two different floppy disks, but that's the point, they are still bound to magnetic media!

Has anyone ever been a clever bunny enough to work out how to save the files on their PC for successful port back over to floppy again?

The save files seem to load from the .SCP image created from the original floppy in the emulated running of Cannon Fodder just fine, but then what? Save within the emulation of the game? .....to what? and never run it in the Amiga again?

I'm sure others have discussed this in the past...

Thanks in advance.

solarmon · 02 May 2021, 20:36

The Cannon Fodder Save game disk uses and custom extended format.

On a Gotek it would be a HFE file - like the blank Cannon Fodder save game image you can download at:

https://github.com/keirf/FF_Images/b...ster/README.md

Please send me the SCP dump and I can take a look at it.

Rissy · 02 May 2021, 20:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by solarmon

The Cannon Fodder Save game disk uses and custom extended format.

On a Gotek it would be a HFE file - like the blank Cannon Fodder save game image you can download at:

https://github.com/keirf/FF_Images/b...ster/README.md

Please send me the SCP dump and I can take a look at it.

Ah thank you. I've actually put it on to my Drop Box folder which you have access to anyway. You'll find it easy enough.

solarmon · 02 May 2021, 21:19

I don't see the SCP file in the Dropbox location you previously sent me. Please send me a new link, if required.

Rissy · 02 May 2021, 21:20

Quote:

Originally Posted by solarmon

I don't see the SCP file in the Dropbox location you previously sent me. Please send me a new link, if required.

Ah sorry. Forgot to sync with my laptop. It should be there now. Sorry.

Signing off for the night (two straight days of 12hrs yesterday, and about 11hrs today sat in front of all this!) Back tomorrow.

solarmon · 02 May 2021, 21:44

OK, got the files.

Looking at your SCP dump, it doesn't look right. The gaps at the start/end of the disk, where the index line is, don't seem to be in the right place, or what I would expect.

Compare your image (top) this with the example Cannon Fodder Save Game HFE image (bottom):

I need compare it against one of mine, if I can find it.

dlfrsilver · 03 May 2021, 02:20

in fact his disk image seems fine to me. Cannon Fodder save disk requires to be stored in a HFE v3 file. It won't work with a standard HFE format file.

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 10:05

That line of red on mine, is that damage?

I rotated the disk, looking through the access hole until i could see something, and i did. A line, and a feinter line, just as the graphical representation suggests.

It's amazing software. Everything i've been using so far is amazing software!

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 10:12

There we go. By saving my file from .SCP to .HFE (Rev 3), it looks like the attached.

Something more like Solarmon's.

...Now to try burning this to disk!

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 10:16

...ah. No. Back to nothing being easy. GW wont burn .HFE Rev3. You get a fatal error!

Booo.

How to get around this hurdle now!?

dlfrsilver · 03 May 2021, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rissy

There we go. By saving my file from .SCP to .HFE (Rev 3), it looks like the attached.

Something more like Solarmon's.

...Now to try burning this to disk!

In fact Cannon Fodder save the game in its own sensible mfm format, the same used for the game tracks.

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 10:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by dlfrsilver

In fact Cannon Fodder save the game in its own sensible mfm format, the same used for the game tracks.

HxCFloppyEmulator also converts .SCP to .MFM. But how to get an image of save disk back to disk then? GW doesn't support either of these two formats.

Retro1234 · 03 May 2021, 10:30

@dlfrsilver I assume you could easily do this with powercopy?

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 10:46

...The point is, I need to be able to do this going into the future. So i'm looking for a solution i can work with. Is there a way to get HxCFloppyEmulator to work with the GW?

Retro1234 · 03 May 2021, 11:08

ill wait for dlfrsilver's reply but should be fairly easy to image and write back to real floppy with powercopy.

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 12:02

I only have an IDE floppy drive here connected to a GW providing the USB support for my laptop. I'm presuming if it works, i'd need this software you mention, and an IDE to SATA converter and then caddy the floppy drive to give me the USB interface.....or something.

I have a cheapo chinese USB floppy drive, but it wasn't until after i received it, i realised it reads (barely) but it has no writing capability! Useless! I suppose i could buy myself another USB floppy drive but go for an old reputable branded second hand USB floppy drive...

Retro1234 · 03 May 2021, 12:21

you write it on real Amiga, sorry assumed that's what you wanted.

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Retro1234

you write it on real Amiga, sorry assumed that's what you wanted.

Ah right!

Yes of course, using my serial connection and Amiga Explorer!

Retro1234 · 03 May 2021, 12:48

O and you need a Hard drive

But I'm a bit confused your Save disk is a real physical disk?
you want to create a disk image for use in emulation? you also want to write that disk image back to real floppy disk.
either way powercopy should do that.

there are probably other tools that can create a extended ADF from the physical floppy as extended Adfs already exist of Cannon Fodder save disk in the tosec, maybe Rawread? but they won't help you write the image back to disk.

Rissy · 03 May 2021, 12:54

My save disk is a real disk, yes. After imaging it on to my laptop using GW, i have proven that this then even loads up in-game in emulation. But for instance, when i want to play the game and make more progress on an existing save on the Amiga, then I either have to keep a disk in the condition it's in now with the saves on it, or i have to have a way to write to a new disk with the old saves so that i can advance them on the Amiga and then back that one up again to the laptop. I possibly could of course also advance the saves within the emulator??? But i still want to have a real world solution which allow for the modern ethics of backing up ones data. You understand?

02 May 2021, 20:28	#1
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	Cannon Fodder Save Disk Backing Up Hey all, As the title suggests, I have a disk here which is formatted within Cannon Fodder for saving games to. I've done a bit of reading and understand that the format of the disk which you format within the game becomes proprietary at that point and isn't compatible with .ADF (or .SCP or .HFE i'm finding through my own experiences playing) I'm interested in taking a back up of this save disk on to my laptop using a Greazeweasle in a fashion that then allows me to then copy it back to disk again later on for use in the game again. So far i'm not having any joy. I've taken a copy of the disk using GW and produced a .SCP image file. I've then tried putting that back directly on to a different disk and this then isn't recognised by the game (so it's useless). I've then gone on to try converting this .SCP to .HFE, .ADF, IMG etc. Nothing is working to get a successfully read save disk back in the Amiga again. I've had to resort to formatting a new disk within the game, and then going through a process of loading up from the orginal, and immediately saving to the new through a "hot swapping" process per save file. This works of course, and then gives me a duplicated copy of each save file over two different floppy disks, but that's the point, they are still bound to magnetic media! Has anyone ever been a clever bunny enough to work out how to save the files on their PC for successful port back over to floppy again? The save files seem to load from the .SCP image created from the original floppy in the emulated running of Cannon Fodder just fine, but then what? Save within the emulation of the game? .....to what? and never run it in the Amiga again? I'm sure others have discussed this in the past... Thanks in advance. Last edited by Rissy; 02 May 2021 at 20:59.

03 May 2021, 10:12	#9
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	There we go. By saving my file from .SCP to .HFE (Rev 3), it looks like the attached. Something more like Solarmon's. ...Now to try burning this to disk! Attached Thumbnails

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02 May 2021, 20:36	#2
solarmon Registered User Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: UK Posts: 1,715	The Cannon Fodder Save game disk uses and custom extended format. On a Gotek it would be a HFE file - like the blank Cannon Fodder save game image you can download at: https://github.com/keirf/FF_Images/b...ster/README.md Please send me the SCP dump and I can take a look at it.

02 May 2021, 21:19	#4
solarmon Registered User Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: UK Posts: 1,715	I don't see the SCP file in the Dropbox location you previously sent me. Please send me a new link, if required.

02 May 2021, 21:44	#6
solarmon Registered User Join Date: Dec 2018 Location: UK Posts: 1,715	OK, got the files. Looking at your SCP dump, it doesn't look right. The gaps at the start/end of the disk, where the index line is, don't seem to be in the right place, or what I would expect. Compare your image (top) this with the example Cannon Fodder Save Game HFE image (bottom): I need compare it against one of mine, if I can find it.

03 May 2021, 02:20	#7
dlfrsilver CaptainM68K-SPS France Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Melun nearby Paris/France Age: 46 Posts: 10,412	in fact his disk image seems fine to me. Cannon Fodder save disk requires to be stored in a HFE v3 file. It won't work with a standard HFE format file.

03 May 2021, 10:05	#8
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	That line of red on mine, is that damage? I rotated the disk, looking through the access hole until i could see something, and i did. A line, and a feinter line, just as the graphical representation suggests. It's amazing software. Everything i've been using so far is amazing software!

03 May 2021, 10:16	#10
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	...ah. No. Back to nothing being easy. GW wont burn .HFE Rev3. You get a fatal error! Booo. How to get around this hurdle now!?

03 May 2021, 10:30	#13
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773	@dlfrsilver I assume you could easily do this with powercopy?

03 May 2021, 10:46	#14
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	...The point is, I need to be able to do this going into the future. So i'm looking for a solution i can work with. Is there a way to get HxCFloppyEmulator to work with the GW?

03 May 2021, 11:08	#15
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773	ill wait for dlfrsilver's reply but should be fairly easy to image and write back to real floppy with powercopy.

03 May 2021, 12:02	#16
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	I only have an IDE floppy drive here connected to a GW providing the USB support for my laptop. I'm presuming if it works, i'd need this software you mention, and an IDE to SATA converter and then caddy the floppy drive to give me the USB interface.....or something. I have a cheapo chinese USB floppy drive, but it wasn't until after i received it, i realised it reads (barely) but it has no writing capability! Useless! I suppose i could buy myself another USB floppy drive but go for an old reputable branded second hand USB floppy drive...

03 May 2021, 12:21	#17
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773	you write it on real Amiga, sorry assumed that's what you wanted.

03 May 2021, 12:48	#19
Retro1234 Phone Homer Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: 5150 Posts: 5,773	O and you need a Hard drive But I'm a bit confused your Save disk is a real physical disk? you want to create a disk image for use in emulation? you also want to write that disk image back to real floppy disk. either way powercopy should do that. there are probably other tools that can create a extended ADF from the physical floppy as extended Adfs already exist of Cannon Fodder save disk in the tosec, maybe Rawread? but they won't help you write the image back to disk.

03 May 2021, 12:54	#20
Rissy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2021 Location: Rugby UK Posts: 254	My save disk is a real disk, yes. After imaging it on to my laptop using GW, i have proven that this then even loads up in-game in emulation. But for instance, when i want to play the game and make more progress on an existing save on the Amiga, then I either have to keep a disk in the condition it's in now with the saves on it, or i have to have a way to write to a new disk with the old saves so that i can advance them on the Amiga and then back that one up again to the laptop. I possibly could of course also advance the saves within the emulator??? But i still want to have a real world solution which allow for the modern ethics of backing up ones data. You understand?

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