VMU CD Dream On Edition Released

[bucanero]

I´ve just released the VMU CD version that won the first place in the 2nd Annual Dream On Contest. :D

This new VMU CD includes my latest VMU Backup CD and VMZip in one single disc, with a nice menu interface to select between the two applications. :cool:

You're invited to visit my page for more info, screenshots & download links: ;)

http://www.bucanero.com.ar/2005/11/23/vmu-cd-dreamon-edition/

[RockinB]

Hey bucanero,
congratulations for getting the 1st place in this category!

About VMZip: you can increase the compression efficiency significantly by allowing to compress multiple files in one archive. Multiple files of similar type will be smaller when compressed together instead of seperately.

Additionally: you discovered that bigger blocksize settings have no effect on the compression, since the files are too small. This could change with multiple files per archive.

[bucanero]

thanks for your ideas RockinB! I agree with you, it will probably increase compression ratio if many saves are "packed" togheter, like in a RAR solid archive.

I also belive that maybe using a raw memory dump to load a whole VMU in memory and work with it on-the-fly might be a good improvement too. Something like the .DCM format, you make all the changes you want and if you confirm them, the changes are saved from memory to the real vmu.

[RockinB]

I also belive that maybe using a raw memory dump to load a whole VMU in memory and work with it on-the-fly might be a good improvement too.

Yeah, accessing the backup RAM takes ages for big files, not only because writing requires a data verification step.


Something like the .DCM format, you make all the changes you want and if you confirm them, the changes are saved from memory to the real vmu.
I don't load the whole content into RAM, because it would decrease free RAM. Instead, I offer (infinite) virtual drives which are in fact really usefull on Saturn. By the press of a button, you can save the whole virtual drive as a BZip2 compressed file to any other storage device.

(I made 3 storage device classes with equal interface: one for CD, one for backup RAM and one for virtual drives)