Problem with relative paths in MDS

[LIGHTNING UK!]

The old v1.03 header I have seems to suggest that relative paths are supported in the MDS file.

i.e.

With the files:

C:\my images\image.mds
C:\my images\data files\image.iso

I should be able to have the file name in the mds set to 'data files\image.iso'.

However, when I try to mount such an image it says:

---------------------------
DAEMON Tools Pro
---------------------------
Unable to mount image. File not accessible.
---------------------------
OK
---------------------------


This is with DT Pro 4.12.0223.0

[Jito463]

Why is the image an ISO instead of an MDF if it's attached to an MDS file?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Because the file extension of the data file isn't important here.

As a suggestion, might it not be a good idea to display the exact name of the file that it cannot access in with that 'file not accessible' error message?

At least then it'll be obvious to the user what it's looking for and where it's looking for it.

[Blazkowicz]

And what purpose do you have from modifying mds file?

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I'm not modifying it, I'm creating one from scratch.

Thanks for trying to help but this is best just left to venom or someone with access to the code that deals with reading in MDS files.

[Jiri Zita]

Hello,

I've already received DT support team response to my problem but for other people I want to write why the correct MDS behaviour is so important to me:

We want to mount MDS files which contain relative paths to separate tracks or DVD layer images stored in subfolders ...
e.g. base file is TESTDVD.MDS and then there are two image files with relative paths: Layer0\LAYER0.DAT and Layer1\LAYER1.DAT

Our software creates DDP files this way (needed by glassmastering), we want to add MDS file created by ImgBurn so then we will be able to mount and test DDP images directly and compare them bit2bit to pressed DVD.

When I try to mount the MDS file with mentioned relative paths into Daemon Tools, there is error message "Unable to mount file. File not accessible."

Or do you know any other way how to mount and test DDP files? (without CSS of course:-)

Your opinions are welcomed.

Jiri Zita
Premastering department
GZ Digital Media Lodenice
Czech Republic

[evlncrn8]

so you're mastering commercially using daemon tools / alcohol?

[Jiri Zita]

so you're mastering commercially using daemon tools / alcohol?

Hi,

Yes, we have 15 commercial licences of DT Lite version for
- mounting and checking of supplied disc images (mostly ISO(+MDS), NRG, CUE/BIN, CDI),
- creating of DDP files from them by our software
- and then, before glassmastering, also for testing of final mounted DDP files either on the local hardisc or on the network (on the mastering server or elsewhere)
- sometimes also to prove that the pressed disc is bit2bit same to the customer's image - we compare the virtual drive to the pressed disc)

We had to choose between the two best virtual device emulators available and we decided for DT because some of us had a good experience with it from home usage. And we cannot say to our customer that we are using Alcohol here:-)

So we need to improve our work with proper (better) CUE and MDS support in Daemon Tools.

After solving of this MDS issue with relative paths I will try to create and mount DDP files of multisession Enhanced CDs (through that CUE enhancement or more difficult - through creating of MDS). I hope it will be easier but how knows ...

Regards,

Jiri Zita

[evlncrn8]

you should get your customer tag sorted out...

as for the mds relative path, whats the problem with storing the mds and mdf in the same location ? (perhaps using different folder for each 'job' ?)

[Jiri Zita]

you should get your customer tag sorted out...

as for the mds relative path, whats the problem with storing the mds and mdf in the same location ? (perhaps using different folder for each 'job' ?)

No, it is not possible. The binary files are NOT mdf and they are NOT created by Daemon or Alcohol. Our premastering software creates them - according to DDP standard (Disk Description Protocol), the structure for OTP DVD9 is as follows:

123456 (folder name = ID number of master)
123456_L0\DDPID
123456_L0\CONTROL0 (Leadin)
123456_L0\MAIN0 (binary file for layer 0)
123456_L1\DDPID
123456_L1\MAIN1 (binary file for layer 1)

so what we need is to create the MDS file (ImgBurn is great for this) with relative paths so we have 123456\123456.MDS with links to subfolders and we can mount it and test it. After successful test the DDP files are processed in glassmastering.

Of course we have no problem with mounting of standard MDS+MDF images or other (CUE+BIN, ISO+MDS etc.).
All the *.MDF,*.ISO,*.BIN,"MAIN0","MAIN1" files are of the same binary format ... sometimes with different number of bytes per sector only, no leadins, no TOCs, so we are allowed to use them the same way as MDF. Am I right?

I think it should be explained now :-)

Jiri Zita

[LIGHTNING UK!]

Hopefully the DT team will improve their implementation of the MDS specs and deal with relative paths in the way the header file says they should work.

They already support appending the MDS's path to the image file if none is present, they just need to extend / tweak it so it does the same if the image file name includes a relative path.

I've not gone overboard with support for relative paths within ImgBurn's MDS code, it'll only store them in relative form if the image files are in a folder below (i.e. not above or to the side of) the MDS's folder.

[DevX]

Could you please make some small test MDS image with files located in relative folders and send us for test?
If this is bug we can check it then - normally relative paths should be supported, unless something was broken lately.

[DevX]

Our software creates DDP files this way (needed by glassmastering), we want to add MDS file created by ImgBurn so then we will be able to mount and test DDP images directly and compare them bit2bit to pressed DVD.

We already thought about mounting DDP files directly as industry standard used for mastering - simply had no much time to implement this feature and there was no big demand.
But future may change.

[LIGHTNING UK!]

I've just sent a sample MDS to the support email address.