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3.6 The RomMaker Menu
Having specified a Rom content script file, you have defined the basic
ingredients required to make a CD-ROM, namely its title and its con-
tents. We are now ready to move into the validation phase of the making
a CD-ROM.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.8 - The RomMaker Menu
The RomMaker Menu scheme allows you to pick from one of six basic
options:
* File. This option allows you to save, retrieve, delete, print,
and create new title sets.
* Edit. This is the standard Apple option that allows you to
edit items
* Make. This option allows you to output a pre-mastered CD-ROM
after you have defined the various parameters associated with
defining a title and its contents.
* Emulate. This option allows you to quality assure the premas-
tered image you have made before it is replicated.
* Examine. This option invokes the editor allowing you to
examine either your Rom Content file or other files such as
the pre-mastered output log file etc. produced by the Rom-
Maker.
* Utilities. This option invokes a variety of utilities that can
copy and verify pre-mastered images resident on different
media. A format option here allows you to prepare your WCD-ROM
hard disk system should the need arise.
3.7 Pre-mastering the CD-ROM for Testing
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.9 - Making a Premastered Image
You are now ready to make your first pre-mastered image for producing a
CD-ROM. Select the Make option in the menu and you will see five
choices related to premastering a CD-ROM image:
* DATA/DAT Image. This writes a CD-ROM pre-mastered image onto a
DAT cartridge for shipment to a mastering plant. This is the
first and only step you take if you have a DATA-DAT only sys-
tem to make a pre-mastered image.
* RomMaker Hard Disk. This creates a pre-mastered image onto the
WCD-ROM subsystem disk. This is the first step if you wish to
replicate small quantities of CD-ROMs using the WCD-ROM drive.
* Write Once CD. This option replicates the pre-mastered image
stored on the subsystem disk to a blank CD-ROM in the WCD-ROM
drive.
* Icon Only Image. This creates a view of CD-ROM folder struc-
ture. You use this option to rearrange the views of each
folder or file before you premaster. Creating this folder/file
view of your CD-ROM requires minimal disk space and time,
allowing you to restructure the user view of the CD-ROM before
pre-mastering.
* Icon Database. This selection takes a snapshot view of the
icon window size, position and view of the folder structure
and stores this data in a database for future reference. You
can subsequently use this database when you are pre-mastering
to re-position any file/folder icon to the position specified
in this database. We will cover the use of both the Icon Only
Image and the Icon Database in the next section where we make
more complex CD-ROMs.
RomMaker will not allow you to make either an Icon View or a pre-
mastered image on DAT or WCD-ROM disk unless you have filled in both the
volume identifier and the Rom Content Script file name. For our
demonstration, select the Make WCD-ROM Hard Disk Image option and Rom-
Maker will begin to produce a pre-mastered image.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.10 - Premastering a CD-ROM
The screen shown in Figure 3.10 will replace the Volume Information
Folder when you start making a WCD-ROM image. You will see this status
window while each file/folder you specified in the script file is ana-
lyzed prior to premastering. All errors in the script file are caught at
this stage of the process. For example, if you had specified a folder on
the network and that volume was not mounted, the RomMaker will abort the
process and flag this error so that you can mount the volume before you
run it.
If you have misspecified your Rom content script, simply select the
Examine button next to the Rom Content File specification and you will
be placed back in the editor to make changes to your specification
files. You can iterate around this process until there are no errors in
your specification.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.11 - Outputting the files to the CD-ROM Image
If your content file has no errors, RomMaker will immediately begin to
build the pre-mastered output on the WCD-ROM hard disk. The status win-
dow shows the current production stage. This window will be refreshed
for each file/folder you have specified in your Rom Content file. It
also tells you how much data has been written to the image, as well as
the estimated completion time based on an extrapolation of past perform-
ance. This is by far the most time-consuming part of the process since
each byte of every file you wish to put on the CD-ROM has to be read and
written to the RomMaker hard disk. When pre-mastering is complete, Rom-
Maker will return you to your title section.
The time it takes to produce a premastered image is dependent on the
number of files and the amount of data you are putting on the CD-ROM.
The throughput is dependent on four major factors:
* Source of data. If the source files are on a slow removable
hard disk or they are on a network, the transfer speed will be
low. On fast disks in cases where you are moving large number
of files to the CD-ROM, you can achieve transfer rates of upto
20MB per minute.
* Processor. If you are running this on a slow processor, this
will affect the performance. RomMaker running on an Apple IIfx
can easily transfer data at between 7 to 20MB per minute
depending on the speed of your local hard disk.
* Number of files. If you have specified a large number of
files, the RomMaker will be slower since there is significant
overhead in creating a file when the CD-ROM is being made.
* Amount of free memory. RomMaker will run on a 4MB machine.
However, if you are planning to put large number of files on
your CD-ROM, it is preferable that you increase this memory as
RomMaker defaults to the slower hard disk for temporary stor-
age if it runs out of physical memory.
You may terminate the pre-mastering process at any time by pressing the
Cancel button. RomMaker will ask you to confirm termination and you will
be returned to the main form. The WCD-ROM image you started to produce
is of course incomplete and useless, as the operation was aborted.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.12 - Post Processing the Premastered Image
After completing the copy to the CD-ROM image of each file, the RomMaker
will now commence building any associated files that are required on the
CD-ROM. For example, both the System 6 and System 7 desktop are created
at this stage.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.13 - Successful Premastering
If the process is successful, you will see a dialog box similar to the
one above. You have just finished making your first pre-mastered image
using RomMaker. In our book analogy, you have just finished 'phototyp-
esetting' the final proof of your book.
A log file named 'Volume Name' Log will be created in the LOG folder for
each volume you pre-master. This log file contains information on
source, destination and attributes for each file on the CD-ROM. To
examine, this file, invoke the Examine Log File menu choice and you will
be placed in the RomMaker editor.
3.8 Validating the WCD-ROM Image
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.14 - Invoking the Emulator
RomMaker provides a unique capability of verifying the pre-mastered
image (or 'phototypeset' output) before replicating the image on our
WCD-ROM drive. The emulation feature enables you to use the pre-mastered
image as a CD-ROM. Select the Emulate Menu option, followed by the "Ap-
ple HFS using WCD-ROM Disk Image" option (Fig 3.14).
The system will mount the pre-mastered WCD-ROM disk image as a CD-ROM
drive. The volume will appear on the desktop and you can now check the
contents of your CD-ROM pre-mastered image by using standard Apple
interface commands. You now have a pre-mastered image emulating a CD-ROM
drive. It will behave just like the CD-ROM, mimicking the CD-ROM drive
you have chosen. You can open any folder or application on the CD-ROM.
If you try to access a file, the disk drive will go to the appropriate
image location and access the image you created. This feature enables
you to verify that the pre-mastered image you are about to replicate
using the WCD-ROM drive is exactly correct.
If you find that the icon positions in your CD-ROM image are not where
you want them, you can change these positions by invoking the 'Allow
Desktop Changes' option under the Emulate menu. This option permits
write access to the CD-ROM image in so far as icon positions and views
are concerned. You can move icons and change folder views until you are
happy with its look. You cannot however update a file using this option.
Having repositioned the icons, simply unmount the volume and the CD-ROM
image is now ready to be replicated.
3.9 Replication.
In this demonstration software, we will of course not physically make a
CD-ROM - you clearly require the RomMaker hardware for that. However,
the software will go through all neccessary steps that you need in order
to make a CD-ROM.
With a WCD-ROM subsystem, you can in-house replicate small quantities of
CD-ROMs using your JVC WCD-ROM XR-100 drive. To do so, you must have
created a pre-mastered image on your WCD-ROM subsystem hard disk as
described in the previous section. Having done so, you simply need to
select Write-Once CD under the Make option in your command line menu.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.15 - Volume Identification before Replication
The screen above will be displayed asking for confirmation that you wish
to replicate this image. Move the mouse to cancel to return to RomMaker
or OK to proceed with the replication. Please note that once you start
the replicate operation, you cannot stop the replication process unless
you switch off your computer. Control is only returned to you when the
CD-ROM has been completely replicated.
Replication of a CD-ROM from its premastered image takes about an hour
and 10 minutes for a full 660MB CD-ROM. The time taken is exactly pro-
portional to the amount of data you wish to replicate. The process of
replicating a CD-ROM from its pre-mastered image is achieved in two
stages:
1) Copy the pre-mastered image to the CD-ROM at the appropriate
locations.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.16 - The Replication Process
The screen shown above will be displayed as the WCD-ROM disk
image is replicated to the blank disk. The system predicts the
completion time of this process from the size of the pre-
mastered image and the transfer rate of the data from the disk
image to the WCD-ROM drive.
2) Write header and table of contents information regarding the
location of the data on the CD-ROM.
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.17 - Writing Table of Contents
The screen above will be displayed as a table of contents and
other key information is written to the CD-ROM. This part of
process always takes about four and a half minutes and is
independent of the size of the pre-mastered image.
Once the table of contents have been written to the blank CD-ROM, you
can take this CD-ROM and play it on any CD-ROM player. You have just
finished producing your first in-house CD-ROM.
3.10 Premastering onto a DATA/DAT Tape
The next two sections cover the production of a pre-mastered image on a
JVC DATA-DAT drive for shipment to a mastering plant. In order to send
data to mastering plants, you will need to create a tape containing the
pre-mastered image.
The process for making a premastered tape is the same as for making a
WCD-ROM disk image. You will select the Data-Dat Image option under Make
in the command line menu. The screen shown in Fig 3.6 will replace the
first screen when you start to make a DAT tape. The status window (Fig
3.7) shows the current production stage. It also tells you how much data
has been written to the tape, as well as the estimated completion time.
The current window shows which file is being processed. When pre-
mastering is complete, RomMaker returns you to the first screen.
Typically, it takes about one and one-half hours to pre-master a 660Mb
image if your files are located on a local hard disk. Production times
may be somewhat slower if your files are located on a network or a
slower removable hard disk, as these devices can be slower to access.
You have just finished making your first pre-mastered tape using Rom-
Maker. In our book analogy, you have just finished 'phototypesetting'
the final proof of your book.
3.11 Validating the DAT Tape
RomMaker provides a unique capability of verifying the pre-mastered tape
(or 'phototypeset' output) before sending it to the mastering plant. The
JVC DATA/DAT tape drive is unique in that it is a random access tape
drive that can be used during emulation as a CD-ROM albeit a slow one.
To emulate, select the Emulate Apple HFS using Data/Dat option from the
menu. In the commercial product, the tape drive will begin operating as
the software begins to mount the premastered image you have made as an
HFS CD-ROM volume.
The HFS volume will mount on the desktop and behave just like a CD-ROM
with somewhat slower performance. You can open any folder or application
on this tape volume just as if you had a CD-ROM. When you try to access
a file, the DAT drive will go to the appropriate tape location and
access image you created. This feature enables you to verify that the
tape you are about to send for replication is correct. Once you are
satisfied with its content, you will simply put the DAT cartridge with
the necessary paperwork in a shipping envelope and send it to your mas-
tering plant along with your labeling requirements.
3.12 Summary
[PICTURE]
Figure 3.18 - RomMaker Processing
In this section, we have produced our first simple CD-ROM. Pre-mastering
a CD-ROM required us to gather data and software into a folder structure
as defined in the Rom Content file. We created a title form to define
the volume identifier for the CD-ROM. RomMaker used this information to
produce a premastered image on either the DATA/DAT or the RomMaker hard
disk. This premastered image was used to fully test the integrity of any
application software. If there were any soft errors, an error file was
optionally created. A log file defining the exact location, source of
data, and CD-ROM filename was created for your records.