How Can I add dummy data properly?

[grifterb]

Me and a couple of friends have been converting some cds to dvd specifically for hardmodded ps2 users. So far, I have succesfully converted 5-6 games. The important thing about the conversion for hardmodded ps2s is that games are not esr patched and have 1.5gb of dummy data in order to run properly and in a healthier fashion. The problem is the injection of the dummy data.

Simply esr unpatching and burning these games to dvd is enough to make them work, but in order to run them in a healthier way, we need to use dummy data. I simnply created one, and name it Z_Z.Z for the following games and simply added it to the game file, they all worked properly:

Oni
X-Squad
Virtua Cop: Elite Edition
Gungriffon: Blaze
Ridge Racer V
Contra: Shattered Soldier

Appearently I don't understand the process very well. I was told that naming the dummy something like Z_Z.Z would be fine since they would be the last file that shows up in the LBA checks and stuff. However this is not the case with many other titles, such as ring of red, tekken tag tournament etc...

Does anyone have any ideas? What can I do to properly inject these dummy data, what should I name them?

Thanks.

[Zorlon]

Name them what ever you like it does not matter just use Sony CD DVD-ROM Generator to create the disc and set the dummy file to the end LBA manually also set the LBA of the other files to the original or as close to what it was on the CD

You know you don't even need a dummy file at all if you build the game correctly because you can set LBA values by hand and push all the data to either end of the disc

Also having a dummy file at the end of the disc to fill it up does not get better reading, the main data is still on the inter edge of disc with a dummy file at the end or without one at all, it would only change anything if it was at the first LBA pos pushing all the data to the outer edge, again you can do that with dummy file just by changing the lba value of the first file

dummy data comes in handy for other systems though that can't be build up as easy like Dreamcast self-booting aka Mil-CD's that can be build so easy, the file order can be set but the exact LBA structure can't so you can create a dummy file for the those to push the data to the outer edge if the data does not fill the CD

[grifterb]

Ugh, appearently dummy is not the only problem. See, I did the following:

1. I downloaded an esr patched dvd conversion for tekken tag tournament.
2. Unpatched it with esr and tested it on pcsx2. Worked just fine.
3. Opened it with isobuster, to see the file order.
4. Opened cdmage as well, and filled it with the same order, added the dummy as the last file.
5. Exported iml
6. Used iml to DVD and created an iso
7. Got a black screen from pcsx2

8. Then did it all over, without the dummy this time.
9. I simply tried to extract and combine the same iso as before.
10. Got another black screen.

Appearently dummy is not the issue, what may I be doing wrong? The order of the files, even the ones in the folders were exactly the same.

[Zorlon]

dummy at the end like I said does nothing (not a thing for anything) though that should not make it not boot
dummy at the front of the disc to push the data to the outer edge would help laser reading but some CD games need the LBA they originally had otherwise they do not work so adding a dummy to move the data is not the best idea there

what are you source files (original CD or from the pre made selfboot)

you may also need to match up the info data for the disc as well as the file layout (again depends on the game)

P.S. have you tested the game as is? without removing the ESR patch and just trying it

[grifterb]

I cannot test it with the esr patch, as is because I own a hardmodded ps2 with matrix infinity. However there are many people who have confirmed that the esr patched version works as well.

Normally I use cdmage to fill the disc information. I believe I got it all correctly, but I will take some screenshots and show it to you.

[Zorlon]

ESR patched games work with most mod chips it only changes 1 descriptor on the disc, plus if you really wanted you can install ESR as well as use your mod chip

[grifterb]

You are right. But I really would like to figure this out. Here is the little step by step thingy I made:

[Zorlon]

try attaching it, all I get is a ton of popups and no actual files.

plus some of the popups are adult rated something we do not allow.

or just type what exactly you are doing

[grifterb]

Sorry about that, here is the file:

[Zorlon]

Check Layout in Sony CD-DVD thing you can re-arage the files from there to match what the original is or in this case what the DVD convert is

Looks like the LBA layout is totally off, but that is a guess as you have no shots of the Layout section that lets you set exact LBA's

At the very least you need the same sort of the files that can be done in the Layout tab.

For dummy data to be of any use it needs to be at the first available LBA slot to push the data to the outer edge of the disc as there is less laser strain if the data is on the outer edge of the disc but if you have dummy data on the end of the disc the data does not move at all and the laser has the same strain as it would if no dummy data was added, but on a side note if x game has LBA protection then the data can't be moved, most games are fine with that though as long as the file order is the same.

EDIT:-


Hint in ISObuster you can hit LBA above the list of files to sort by LBA at the moment that is not sorted from the shots you gave me so you have not put the files in the correct order, but it makes it easy if you just use the Layout tab in Sony CD-DVD thing anyway so you can check that yourself,

The dummy will be set after the folder LBA's because of the way it works, that is fine though the files will still be after the dummy file, but test with no dummy first to rule out any issues with the dummy file pushing data first then make a second build with the dummy data before the other data

The LBA of folders always comes before any files, it's just the way it works

The example you gave for Tekken the correct order is

IRX folder (LBA 262)
TEKKEN.BIN (LBA 279)
SYSTEM.CNF (LBA 308128)
SLUS_200.01 (LBA 308129)
Then all the files that are in the IRX folder, the screen grab has those in order anyway

Test the above

Then if you want to add a dummy calculate how much space you need to fill to push the data to the end of the disc and make your dummy that size (Name it whatever you want to name the thing, dummy.dat works fine) then add the file to Sony CD-DVD and look at the Layout tab and move that to be above TEKKEN.BIN to push the data to the edge of your DVD build

Test again

I hope you understand how dummy data works to improve reading now .

[grifterb]

Thanks zorlon, I will try it as soon as possible and let you know .

EDIT: I got another black screen, but this time I followed the LBA order in both the root and the IRX folder as you have mentioned.

[Zorlon]

Maybe if I ever get a better machine I will make kits to convert games from CD to DVD, I say when I get a better machine just so I can test first via emulation before committing a Blank DVD as not all CD to DVD converts are that easy to do, I would include pushing the data in that.

For me personally there are just too many CD games that I have no interest in and wouldn't want to burn also so would save on DVD's by just testing via emulation alone.

[grifterb]

I don't think you really need a good machine. Mine doesn't run anything great, in fact non of the games are playable. As long as they don't gibe you a black screen in pcsx2, they usually work fine.

I would be very interested in cd to dvd conversion kits, and I know a couple of other people too (and then some, with hardmodded ps2s). I don't know, this would be huge for people like me, if you could make kits that place dummies as well.

[Zorlon]

Dummy files are not needed just the LBA shift is needed that can be done with no dummy files if you know how there would still be 00 data but it would be done via a better method, something I need to test more at some point, providing it will not cause burning issues I don't see the need for a dummy file at all if you can just set the LBA to start with.

Like I said before some console rips if you wanted to push the data has to be done via dummy data because of the way you build those more dreamcast than any others as you could use Sony CD-DVD to make any CD or DVD (Sony CD for PSX games though that is hard to run on newer OS versions) but Dreamcast discs are built totally differently so I have little choice but to use dummy data, though I set that as hidden.

[grifterb]

Well, you are the pro, if you say so. Anyway, like I said, I would be very interested in this project.