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Text File | 1992-09-08 | 29KB | 548 lines

1 Inside RomMaker Welcome to The Personal RomMaker, the easy-to-use CD-ROM preparation system that runs on the Macintosh. RomMaker is a complete solution to all of your CD-ROM manufacturing needs. It enables you to produce a CD-ROM as well as fully test its contents and structure before incurring the expense of mastering and replication. All you need to publish a CD-ROM are the files that you want to put on the CD-ROM - RomMaker does everything else. This demonstration diskette allows you to fully evaluate the essential functionality of the RomMaker. It will allow you to fully test and pro- duce a pre-mastered image of a CD-ROM subject to the following limita- tions: * The CD-ROM made by you should contain no more than 100 files. * The CD-ROM image should not be greater than 5 Megabytes. The RomMaker typically produces the final CD-ROM image (called premas- tered output) onto a Write Once Drive or a DATA-DAT tape. Since this hardware is not available to you, the demonstration diskette simulates these hardware options by outputing the image to your local hard disk. As such, you must have as much data space free on one of your Macintosh volumes as required for the CD-ROM you will manufacture. Furthermore, in order for the demonstration to operate correctly, the free space on your hard disk must also be contiguous. i.e RomMaker creates a 5MB file when the demonstration software is installed and requires that this file be contiguously located on a volume. The demonstration install utility will automatically determine if this space is available. If it is not, it will inform you of the lack of contiguous space and ask that you defrag- ment your hard disk using a commercially available utility such as the Norton utilities for the Macintosh. Before we attempt to install and execute the demonstration program, it is useful to better understand the fundamental process behind CD-ROM production. 1.1 What's in a CD-ROM? The best analogy to producing a CD-ROM is over 600 years old - that of printing a book. As we will see, making a CD-ROM conceptually requires the same steps: Concept Content Creation Content Organization Proof Production Proof Verification Title Definition Phototypeset Production Typeset Output Validation Book Printing and Binding Archive Proofs and Typeset Output Figure 1.1 - Book Production Cycle Typically, a book starts out as a concept in an author's mind. The author creates the content and then structures it with help from one or more editors. Together, they create a table of contents, which serves as both an outline of the book and a guide to readers. Once the book's structure is defined, creating the book is an iterative process. With each proof, editors and authors refine the book's content and structure. Changes are incorporated into successive proofs until both the author and editor are satisfied. Editors also define key criteria to uniquely identify (or 'label') the book: * Book name * Author * Date printed * Abstract * Copyright notice * ISBN number for cataloging at the Library of Congress * Publisher * Editor(s) * Cover design Finally, the book is phototypeset in preparation for mass reproduction at the printer. This typeset version is carefully verified as a final quality check. Due to the significant costs associated with reproduc- tion, it is extremely expensive to change a book once it has been printed. Thus, the book should be as free of errors (or 'bugs') as possible before printing. Thus, the final printed version of book consists of three main compo- nents: * Contents * Index (or table of contents) * Identification criteria (or title) 1.2 CD-ROM standards. [PICTURE] Figure 1.2 - What's in a CD-ROM? Preparing a CD-ROM for production (often referred to as pre-mastering) is analogous to producing a book. Software developers (the 'authors') conceptualize the product and create the content in electronic format. The content of a CD-ROM is often database files that have been either machine read or typed in by data entry personnel. Since the CD-ROM is an electronic delivery media, it also requires retrieval software in order to read the information. For the purposes of CD-ROM production, think of this software as an indistinguishable part of the contents. As for a book, there must be a clear way of distinguishing what a CD-ROM contains (i.e. a 'table of contents'). The table of contents for a CD-ROM is its folder structure, which identifies each file (or 'chap- ter') on the CD-ROM. Furthermore, CD-ROMs must conform to some file system standard to allow computers to read CD-ROMs. These standards will define the structure of the table of contents (or folder structure) and contents of files allowing computers to locate any data on any CD-ROM. Such standards can also define the key criteria (or 'labels') that uniquely identify the CD-ROM to both users and computers. A manufac- tured CD-ROM must thus have both of the following types of labels: * Physical label. This label, which is the equivalent of a book's cover page, is printed on the CD-ROM to allow users to identify it visually. You can use a desktop publishing system to design and produce the contents of this label, which the mastering plant will in turn print on the CD-ROM. * Volume Identifier. This electronic label is stored on the CD-ROM to allow computers to recognize and distinguish it. The Apple HFS volume and International standards such as ISO 9660 allow for information such as abstracts and copyright notices to be defined electronically. You can use RomMaker to create and store this electronic label on the CD-ROM. To make a CD-ROM, you will have to decide on three fundamental levels of standards. * Data File Format. Computers store information as files on storage media such as hard disks, CD-ROMs, floppies etc. The file format you store the information in determines whether you can exchange this information with others wanting to access the data. To improve interchangibility between differ- ent programs running on different computers, a variety of file formats have evolved dependent on the application needs. For example, TIFF files for bit mapped graphics, AIFF for sound etc. Before you decide to make a CD-ROM, you must make a determina- tion on the files and the formats you will want to put on your CD-ROM. The Personal RomMaker is not concerned with which data file format you use - it will faithfully duplicate any file in any format you choose onto the CD-ROM. * File System Format. The organization of large number of files into some logical structure is the responsibility of the file system. This file system allows users to logically organize their data into folders and files so that users can locate information quickly. The file system you choose for a CD-ROM is defined during a step called pre-mastering. At this stage, the data to be put on a CD-ROM is organized into the specific file system format required by you just before a CD-ROM is produced. With the Personal RomMaker, you will have 4 options to choose from: * Apple HFS * ISO 9660 * Hi-Sierra * Dual Mode Hybrid ISO 9660/Apple HFS In the next section, we cover the advantages and disadvantages of each file system standard in detail as this is an important aspect of CD-ROM production. * Physical format. A compact disc can be formatted at the lowest level in several ways. In fact the earliest use of compact discs was not for storing data but as a vehicle for high fidelity audio. There are two primary output choices typically used with the Macintosh. * Data Only CD-ROM. In this mode, only data files are stored on the CD-ROM. The basic version of the Rom- Maker allows you to produce this type of CD-ROM. The Data only version of RomMaker permits you to make this class of CD-ROM. * Mixed Mode CD-ROM. In this type of CD-ROM, one of the tracks is used to store data files while the remaining tracks store high fidelity audio similar to that used by the music industry when producing an audio CD-ROM. A Mixed Mode variant of the RomMaker will allow you to produce this type of a CD-ROM. Such CD-ROMs are typically used in multimedia appli- cations since the CD-ROM player can be instructed to play and audio sequence while the computer is displaying data files stored on the data portion of the mixed mode CD-ROM. The Mixed Mode RomMaker for Macintosh allows you to make both a Data only CD-ROM and a Mixed Mode CD-ROM. This demonstration software does not cover the operation of the Mixed Mode RomMaker although its operation is very similar to that described below. Please see your dealer for a demonstration of that product. There are other less prevalent CD-ROM standards such as CD-I and CD-ROM XA which are currently not playable on the Macin- tosh CD-ROMs but on specialized players built to understand these standards. This demonstration does not cover the operation of the RomMaker to produce discs conforming to these less prevalent standards. 1.3 File System Standards When making a CD-ROM on the RomMaker, you can select one of four file system standards to use on the CD-ROM. Let us examine the benefits and disadvantages of each type of file system. 1. Apple HFS. A CD-ROM can be premastered in the HFS (Apple hier- archical file system) structure. Such a CD-ROM will behave like a slower hard disk to any Macintosh computer and support all the features of the Macintosh interface. A CD-ROM made in HFS format has the following key advantages: * Full 31 character file names and custom icons. * Aliasing under System 7. * Comments and labels allowing each file to be tagged to allow a convenient way to quickly organize files. * No limit on depth of folder structure. Although HFS discs benefit from the tremendous advantages of the features of the Macintosh interface, their main weakness is that they can only be used on Macintosh computers. i.e these discs are unusable on DOS or Unix machines. Furthermore, since the Apple HFS structure is more complex, a CD-ROM using this file system will have slower performance than that of an equivalent CD-ROM made to the ISO 9660 standard. 2. ISO 9660. The ISO 9660 specification is an international stan- dard adopted by most manufacturers including Apple that defines a folder and file level standard that arrives at a lowest level common denominator in the area of file system standard. Files premastered to the ISO 9660 format can be read on any computer. All Macintosh computers for example recognize both this and the Apple HFS format. Premastering in this format allows users to make file contents accessible to any computer on most operating system. The same ISO 9660 CD-ROM can be played on a Sun Sparc station, an Apple Quadra, or an IBM PC 486 running Windows. This interchangibility is unique to the ISO 9660 standard. However, ISO 9660 CD-ROM discs forfeit some important advan- tages of the Macintosh interface: * Directory depth on an ISO 9660 CD-ROM is limited to 8 directory levels - there can be only 8 levels of folders within folders. * Another disadvantage is the strict filenaming con- vention adopted by the standard to maintain inter- changibilty between operating systems and hardware. Only upper case characters A-Z, 0-9 and the _ (0x5F) are legitimate filename characters under the ISO 9660 standard. Note the lack of the Space (0x20) character makes most long Apple filenames invalid. * If the ISO standard is used to provide file system compatibility with MS DOS machines, then a further restriction to the length of the filename must be imposed. MS-DOS permits only the eight-dot-three format allowing a maximum of eight characters followed by a period (.) followed by three charac- ters. e.g FILECONV.TXT Although ISO 9660 is a restrictive environment, Apple has defined some ISO 9660 extensions that allow basic FINDER information such as file and creator types to be passed through while maintaining ISO 9660 compatibility. The Personal RomMaker automatically creates the most compatible premastered image using these extensions if you choose this file system standard for your CD-ROM. 3. Hi-Sierra. This standard, the precursor to the ISO 9660 stan- dard has the same limitations and strengths. It is rarely used nowadays with over 99.99% of CD-ROMs being ISO 9660 if interchangibility is a key requirement. For those users with older hardware bases particularly in the DOS world, this stan- dard is sometimes used. Unless absolutely mandated, it is recommended that you never use this pre-mastering option for your data. 4. Dual Mode ISO 9600/Apple HFS. The Personal RomMaker has a truly unique option that combines the best of all worlds. You can premaster a data set to run under Apple HFS while still providing ISO 9660 compatibility for other hardware and oper- ating systems. On a Macintosh computer, these files appear as full filenames and custom icons while for other computers such as MS-DOS, the CD-ROM appears to be an ISO 9600 CD-ROM with say the eight-dot-three filenames in the limited ISO 9660 character set. Hybrid discs offer the best of both file structures while providing a cost effective alternative to producing one disc for multiple platforms. For example, if you were putting MacroMind sequences on a CD-ROM, you might wish to use the same sequences in a MS-DOS environment as well as the Macin- tosh. The MS-DOS Macromind uses the same data file format as the Macintosh Macromind allowing a single CD-ROM made to this hybrid format to be used for both PC and Macintosh applica- tions. In the past, producing a hybrid HFS/ISO 9660 CD-ROM required users to basically partition the CD-ROM into two physical parts, each containing its own data set. This meant that for hybrid discs, each file system had only half as much space available - a problem if your data requirements exceeded 340MB. The Personal RomMaker is the first premastering system that allows you to produce a hybrid CD-ROM where both ISO and HFS partitions can use the full capacity of the CD-ROM. Hence in this unique system, the data files are only copied once with the appropriate file system pointing to the same physical location occupied by the common file. 1.4 Producing a CD-ROM Produce Software and Content (Concept and Creation) Define Folder Structure for CD-ROM (Content Organization) Define Volume Identifier for CD-ROM (Title Definition) Make Icon View for Validation (Proof Production) Quality Assure Icon only CD-ROM (Proof Verification) Produce Pre-mastered Output (Phototypeset Production) Quality Assure Pre-Mastered Output (Typeset Output Validation) Replicate Pre-mastered Output (Book Printing and Binding) Backup Data and Software Files (Archive Proofs and Typeset Output) Terms in brackets are the equivalent operations in the production process for a book. Figure 1.3 - CD-ROM Production Cycle Figure 1.3 compares the process of producing a CD-ROM to that of produc- ing a book. Before producing a CD-ROM, we must create a software retrieval system and the data. Next, we need to define the folder structure and the volume identifier for the CD-ROM. Finally, we can verify the proofs of our electronic 'book.' Verifying the contents of a CD-ROM is somewhat more complicated than editors reviewing book proof. CD-ROMs, due to their electronic format, require the integration of separate software and data components into an application which is then 'printed' onto the CD-ROM. Ensuring the integrity of this combination is often an arduous and lengthy task which involves the efforts of software developers, editors, and quality assur- ance personnel. It consists of ensuring that all necessary files are located in the appropriate place and have the correct contents, as well as verifying that the software and data operate in the intended manner. Considering that a CD-ROM can hold hundreds of files, just the file verification can be a cumbersome task. At the proofing stage, software developers define the folder structure which specifies the CD-ROM folder location and position for the data files and software. Data and software are often revised many times as problems are identified and resolved at this stage. The difficulty of validating electronic media is compounded by the fact that the computer is an unforgiving machine. Unlike a book, where an overlooked typo is not critical, just one bit in the wrong place on a CD-ROM can be fatal to the application's operation. Comprehensive testing prior to manufac- ture is thus critical to successful CD-ROM production. 1.5 Creating a view of your CD-ROM The Personal RomMaker allows you to view the complete structure of your CD-ROM folder and file structure with their icons, their positions and type of view before you make a complete pre-mastered image. This icon image viewer system allows you to quickly and easily create a 'fake CD-ROM' folder structure so that you can verify that each file and folder is exactly where you want it and looks the way you want it, when opened. RomMaker's icon viewer system constructs an HFS based folder structure and volume identifier similar to that of a physical CD-ROM. It requires little additional hard disk space and minimal time to generate a view- able image. For example, it would take a couple of minutes only to create a Viewer image of a 660Mb CD-ROM containing 300 files. When a viewer image is made, the data in the files is not copied. Only the Finder and desktop information is created by the RomMaker. This allows you to view and navigate the folder structure to ensure that the CD-ROM you are about to produce has the logical structure you desire well before you premaster the CD-ROM image. If you find that you have forgotten a file or wish to change its icon position on the CD-ROM, you can rapidly build another viewable image until you are satisfied with its contents and operation. You can then snapshot the position of these icons so that you are satisfied with its contents and operation. At this stage, you are ready to pre-master (or 'phototypeset') the CD-ROM in preparation for sending to a mastering plant for replication. 1.6 Pre-mastering the CD-ROM Pre-mastering consists of producing an exact electronic image containing the contents on the CD-ROM you want to produce. This media is then typically sent to a mastering facility where either a few 'check disks' or volume replicates are produced. Historically, the media of choice for mastering plants has been 9-track magnetic tapes. Typically, the process of producing these 9 track tapes involved creating between 5 and 20 tapes, along with a full set of backup copies in case of a read failure at the mastering plant. The hardware, space, and environmental requirements for these magnetic tape systems are substantial, while production times can range from many hours to a day depending on the system. Furthermore, shipping costs associated with sending two sets of 5-20 tapes can total hundreds of dollars. As a result, pre-mastering systems based on 9-track tapes can be cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive to operate. The RomMaker offers two distinct revolutionary choices for output depending upon your application needs: A. WCD-ROM or write once CD-ROM subsystem that can be used to replicate small quantities of CD-ROM in-house. This subsystem comes in the form of a tower unit that connects directly to your personal computer. Again, the unit fits easily on your desktop with no special environmental requirements. This WCD- ROM unit is capable of producing single CD-ROMs on your desk- top. The process of creating CD-ROMs on this subsystem is achieved through the following two steps: * The first step involves pre-mastering the data onto the CD-ROM subsystem disk. The pre-mastering process takes approximately 45 minutes for 680MB of data if your files are local, and longer if they are on networks. * The next and final step involves replicating this exact pre-mastered bitstream image onto blank CD-ROM disks as many times as you like. Each replicate can take upto an hour and ten minutes if the CD-ROM you have pre- mastered is fully populated (680MB). Partially filled CD-ROMs are correspondingly faster to replicate. B. Digital Audio Tape (DAT) drive, which is used to produce compact pre-mastered output that fits in an overnight express shipping envelope. This drive connects directly to your per- sonal computer, and fits easily on your desktop with no special environmental requirements. RomMaker offers two DAT drive options, an external drive measuring 10" x 6" x 4" or an internal drive which fits in a floppy drive compartment. DAT drives use DAT tape cartridges, which measure only 2" by 2.5". They are inexpensive and easily available from major computer retailers. Each DAT tape is capable of storing an entire CD-ROM, so the data is not spread over many tapes as with 9 track tapes. Pre-mastering production times are also extremely short. For example, it would take about one and one-half hours to produce a DAT tape containing a full CD-ROM of 660MB if the files are located on the Macintosh. Production times may be somewhat longer if the files are stored on a network or on slower removable hard disks, as retrieval times are longer for these devices. RomMaker optionally offers you the ability to mount a DAT drive into the WCD-ROM tower so that you can purchase a compact system which can both produce small quantities of CD-ROMs using the CD-ROM drive and also output pre-mastered DAT tape for volume replication at mastering plants. As a customer, you can purchase the RomMaker system that comes in one of three flavors: * CD-ROM only system where in-house replication of small quanti- ties of CD-ROMs is possible. * DAT only system whose output is sent to replication plants. * DAT and CD-ROM system where both output options are available. 1.7 Verifying Pre-mastered output Recall that in the book production process, the phototypeset output (i.e., our pre-mastered output) is verified one last time before being sent to the printer. With 9-track tape or other media, it is impossible to check exactly what went on the tapes that are shipped to a mastering plant. RomMaker comes with an innovative emulation tools which enables you to verify data on the DAT tape or WCD-ROM subsystem, byte by byte if necessary. The JVC WCD-ROM subsystem contains a fast random access magnetic disk onto which the pre-mastered bitstream is stored before replication. The emulation system can mount this bitstream image as a CD-ROM drive, allowing you to examine any file or run software, just as if you were accessing a physical CD-ROM drive. Since the disk access is faster with average access times of between 15 to 20 ms compared to 500ms for a CD-ROM, the software emulation system can be instructed to delay the appropriate requests accordingly so that the behavior exhibited during tests of this image correspond accurately to that observed if you had actually replicated the CD-ROM. Because the JVC DATA-DAT drive, the other output device for the Rom- Maker, can act as a random access drive as well as a streaming tape device, the emulation tool can also use the DAT drive like a CD-ROM drive. It allows you to mount the drive and examine any file or run software, just as if you were using a physical CD-ROM drive. The DAT drive is slower, with average access times of 2 to 20 seconds compared to 500ms for a CD-ROM drive. However, it offers a final opportunity for verification before mastering. 1.8 Summary RomMaker combines an easy-to-use interface with a comprehensive set of tools to ensure that the CD-ROMs you finally produce are complete and error-free. Producing a CD-ROM cost-effectively requires an iterative cycle where you can quickly and easily produce successive 'proofs' for testing before mastering. RomMaker's Viewer system provides you with a rapid mechanism to verify your folder structure and store its icon posi- tions for future use before you pre-master the data. Once you are satis- fied with the integrity of your CD-ROM image, RomMaker's emulation system enable you to validate the tape or the WCD-ROM hard disk image before replication of the pre-mastered image is performed.