VMU Tool to backup VMU saves to PC

[milksheik]

I'm eagerly looking for a way to backup (and restore of course) my VMU saves to PC. I used to use Double Power (http://www.hkems.com/product/dc/dc-dp.htm) for this, but the software is crappy and refuses to work on my current PC setups. After a futile quest for alternative software (http://dreamcasthistory.com/dreamcasting2/viewtopic.php?t=1941), I'm now trying to utilize my newly acquired BBA for this.

I understand that VMUTool (0.7.0 by speud (http://bswirl.kitsunet.org/vmutool/index.php?lg=en) or 0.5.4 by bucanero (http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=99309&package_id=106493)) is up to the task. I also understand that to get the PC connection to work, you have to upload the tool via dc-tool from the PC instead of booting it from Dreamcast CD.

Got this all working so far. But when I select a save in VMU tool and start the transfer to PC, nothing ever appears on the PC end. With VMU Tool 0.5.4 I get an error like
Copying (/vmu/a1 -> /pc/vmutool) Name: OOGA___BOOGA ... Error! on the PC end. With 0.7.0 I get no error, still no files transferred.

What did I miss? Any help is much appreciated...

I'm using Linux with dc-tool-ip 1.0.3 on the PC, with a command line like
dc-tool-ip-1.0.3-linux -t 192.168.0.22 -x ~/Desktop/vmutool.elf

[SiZiOUS]

If you are usign Speud' VMU Tool, check your cygwin directory (if you have it installed). Saves files are copied here. Else, if you haven't cygwin installed saves files are copied at your system hd root.

[milksheik]

Thanks Sizious, that was it. This also means that with the Linux tool I'm using, I have to be root because VMU Tool wants to write in the root directory. I can also use your DC-Tool GUI via WINE, then it writes to the simulated drive C: root.

Well, all in all it's not as comfortable as I hoped it would be. What I'm missing the most is a feature to transfer all the files of a VMU at once, like bucanero's version 0.54 allowed (if it'd work). There's a "dump" function in 0.7.0, but I can't get anything out of it.

Also it's strange that the tool writes in a format that it cannot read by itself. Though it's not a big deal since I found a native Linux tool to generate the missing VMI (VMU data creator (http://virtuamunstaz.de/)), it would be great if VMU Tool did this in the first place.

For what it's worth, here's a short wishlist:

Option to save a complete VMU at once. I read somewhere that speud planned to support DCM saves once (Nexus format for a complete VMU dump). This would be great, but just an option to loop over all files would also be fine.
Option to specify the PC target directory.
Write saves in complete VMI/VMS form, or at least in a format that VMU Tool can load directly.
Small bug fixes and performance optimizations. It seems at the moment every file is checked for VMI information, even if it is no VMU save at all, causing garbage in the info bar and slowing down directory browsing.

So what I want to say is - this is a great tool, with quite some more potential :cool:

[milksheik]

Some more bugs and gripes:

Saved file names have artefacts; e.g., instead of "SAVEGAME.SYS" I get "SAVEGAME.SYS3 Ä".
Doesn't work on PAL Dreamcast with VGA. The menu displays shortly, then goes black. It works with VGA on an NTSC one though. Btw., bucanero's 0.5.4 is fine with PAL and VGA.
Crash when no VMU in Slot A1.
For saving several files from the same VMU, you have to go through about 3 levels of menus every time.

[fackue]

Incase you guys didn't already know, speud's working on a new version. In fact, it should be released within a week or so. I talked to him through the email, and he had a lot of new feature in it. I seen screenshots of it and it looked very impressive. If he manages to get the new version released, I may release my last build of my VMI reading/writing tool.

Thought you guys should know.

[milksheik]

That's great news indeed! Thanks for the info fackue.

[SiZiOUS]

Yeah the new version 0.8.0's in beta testing. Please be more patient. :)