Gcopy Dim files

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:35 pm

some time ago i recived alot of Dim files made in Gcopy.
and first i did was just renaming those into .ST and seemd to look fine..
since about only 5th file worked at start i thought okay. maybe crappy disks.. but that ratio was still even after i have checked 2500 files!!

I did something wrong here.. how should i have dealed with the images? I know for sure there is another way..

since one image didnt work for me now, which i know i got to work before.. but i dont know how or which..

common errors i get is Desktops without icons, TOS 35 error, or just crash in the boot.. even also know error I get is Diskdrive not responding.. like it wasnt any disk in drive..

Any ideas ??

// Marcer

Post by **Brume** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 8:57 pm

Hiya Marcer

DIM and ST are pretty similar images of disks... just a few bytes are inserted into the header of DIM files. Renaming them isn't a good way to do

DIM files are Fastcopy backup disks, while ST files were created by PaCifiST author (and they can be compared to .IMG files created by WinImage). You can easily recognize a DIM file in your windows explorer: it always has a size like that: 721 kb, 801 kb, 821 kb, etc. It can be converted with MSAConverter into MSA or ST files.

That is for regular disks archived by FastCopy. Please note images may have been archived with FastCopy/Get Sector used option. In that case, you have to use FastCopy (on the atari or the PC) in order to recover the full disk. None software on PC is able atm to deal with that kind of disk.

Hope it can help,

Brume.

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 9:03 pm

No it is not Fastcopy Dim Files..

this is Gcopy Dim files.. STeeem dont run these disks unless i renamed them to .ST..

i think i need something else to convert those disks with..

Since i dont wanna use gcopy back to floppys and then msa them again.. that will be too much time.. and probly waste of time, since there is max 200 of those who can be intressting for me atm..

// Marcer

Post by **Brume** » Tue Apr 19, 2005 10:27 pm

oups sorry Marcer, I have read your message too fast and I didn't see you mentioned gcopy... sorry mate.

Post by **[ProToS]** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 1:29 am

I have the same problem (lots of dim archives) and no way to convert atm ...
I have found only this acc how can open *.dim as a virtual disk on the desktop
http://atarihr.atari.org/slike/datoteke ... imfile.zip

Post by **ggn** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:03 am

Can anyone explain the difference between DIM and ST files??

If there are just some bytes to trim from the file, I could write a quick-n-dirty program (PC? ST? Your choice) that converts DIM to ST files.

Any docs on the DIM format?

George

Showaddywaddy · Post by **Showaddywaddy** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:44 am

Firstly what is GCOPY ? Never heard of it

GGN: As Brume said DIM is similar to ST with just the header changed. I'm sure there are docs for the ALL SECTORS DIM format somewhere on the net. But currently no one knows the DIM USED SECTORS format. Perhaps a kind email to FCOPY's coder Martin Backschat may help .. http://www.blogger.com/profile/2058521

Shw

Post by **simonsunnyboy** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:21 am

ggn wrote:Can anyone explain the difference between DIM and ST files??

If there are just some bytes to trim from the file, I could write a quick-n-dirty program (PC? ST? Your choice) that converts DIM to ST files.

Any docs on the DIM format?

George

See the Hatari source code. Hatari has DIM support and afaik the DIM header is just 32 bytes or so but in any case check the Hatari CVS for docs.
http://hatari.sourceforge.net/

Post by **ggn** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:51 am

marcer (and whoever is interested):

Check your ftp at Uploads/ggn/msa2st.zip

Written in window$ and vi$ual ba$ic 5, so it's going to need its runtime files.

Yes, it's slow, but what do you expect for a 1 hour hack at work??

Just drop it some files and see what it does. DON'T WORRY, coz it doesn't overwrite the original file, it just uses the same filename with the extension '.ST' added, so 'test.dim' becomes 'test.dim.st' and 'test.st' becomes 'test.st.st' !!!

Hope it helps

George

PS If user demand is high, I'll add a setup.

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 12:44 pm

simonsunnyboy wrote:
ggn wrote:Can anyone explain the difference between DIM and ST files??

If there are just some bytes to trim from the file, I could write a quick-n-dirty program (PC? ST? Your choice) that converts DIM to ST files.

Any docs on the DIM format?

George
See the Hatari source code. Hatari has DIM support and afaik the DIM header is just 32 bytes or so but in any case check the Hatari CVS for docs.
http://hatari.sourceforge.net/

Okay those Kind of Dim files are made in Fastcopy. They work pretty fine in STeem.. no need to convert after my experience with those.

But Dim files made in Gcopy is totaly different! they are more look a like as MSA files.. which means they can be totaly different sizes..

So, dont mix the dim files of fcopy and Gcopy.. A converter for PC would be really good, since i got the files on my Peezee..

I put gcopy online here and you can all take a look at it..
http://tracker.atarilegend.com/gcopy212.zip <- Gcopy 2.12
http://tracker.atarilegend.com/gcopy225.zip <- Gcopy 2.25

I dont really remeber which is the one.. but i bet it is 2.25..
but i put both online just in case

// Marcer

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 4:05 pm

lets see if it will work with this Dim converter..

// Marcer

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 5:35 pm

GGN, I tried your converter.. It didnt work on those files.

same error as i got when i just renamed the files..

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:39 pm

holy crap.. I have made a big miss here..

Its not Gcopy files.. it was Ecopy .Dim files i got!!

sorry.. bad misstake.. but i will try to find Ecopy and put it online..

i think it will be easier to make a converter if you guys know what program was used

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 6:57 pm

here you guys have ecopy 1.72

http://tracker.atarilegend.com/ecopy172.zip

// MArcer

Post by **ggn** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 6:08 am

Marcer,

Well of course my converter wouldn't work, as it was written for FCOPY dim files.

Make up your mind on what format the DIM files have, so I'll make a proper converter (if possible

)

George

Marcer · Post by **Marcer** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:21 pm

it is ECopy Dim files.. thats double checked now

Post by **Mug UK** » Wed Apr 27, 2005 2:43 pm

GGN should leave in the Fcopy option and add GCopy and ECopy .. that way we've got the ultimate DIM convertor?

GGN, you tried Pure BASIC instead of VB to code in? Had a play a while back and feels more like GFA than VB does. Plus it compiles into tiny .EXE format with no .DLLs hanging around ..

Post by **ggn** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:10 am

Mug,

Never tried pure basic tbh. The good thing about vb is that you can cut-paste examples and alter the code slightly and everything works (slowly

). Anyway, it was done in under 1 hour and it supports drag-n-drop

Marcer,

E-Copy it is. Now, to do some tests with E-Copy....

Post by **Mug UK** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 6:59 am

Defintely buying a legit PB soon as next pay cheque comes through .. played with the demo etc. and a *ahem* version of it. Nice language and really nice GUI Builder.

What matters to me even more is that there is a trainer-maker library available, so I can convert (and make XP compatible) all my old Win98 trainers for my site.

Post by **ggn** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 7:16 am

Marcer,

I think I figured out ECopy's DIM files format. Can you send me (via e-mail) a couple of images that don't work for you, so I can verify the behavior and fix my converter?

George

Post by **Mug UK** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 7:19 am

I'd also be interested in a peek at the source code .. VBScript I'm OK on, but not too hot on VB any more.

Post by **ggn** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 8:02 am

mug,

once I fix ECopy dim files I'll release binary+source.

Don't expect anything too fancy though

Post by **Mug UK** » Thu Apr 28, 2005 9:58 am

OK .. will look forward to it.

Might even have a crack at making it my first PB app .. once I've learned the lingo properly.

Post by **ggn** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:17 pm

Ok!

So here it is: v1 of Fcopy .dim -> .st files converter + source code

Coded in GFA BASIC, as VB pissed me off too much

Just load the proggie, select the base dir and let it rip! (it will recurse thru all subdirs and conver all *.dim files to *.st - does not delete original file or anything).

Marcer, please note that the 2nd batch of dim images you sent me were not done using FCopy. Probably ECopy. And while it IS possible (and easy) to add ECopy support, I wanted to release this asap. The prog recognises FCopy images from their header and ECopy doesn't have one. Please tell me if you DO want Ecopy support

That's all, have fun

George

Post by **ggn** » Sat May 07, 2005 6:18 pm

Oh - I forgot - a tip:

Load it in steem, put a 128 mhz cpu and watch it fly

Sorry, it's largely unoptimised, but it works and that's better than nothing!

v2 in asm coming up in about 10 years from now

George

Atari-Forum

Gcopy Dim files

Gcopy Dim files

Re: Gcopy Dim files