Getting files from 8" format to 5.25"

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lowrybt1
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Getting files from 8" format to 5.25"

Post by lowrybt1 »

I have a BASIC program coded and saved on 8" floppies (and on a 8" HFE virtual floppy), along with two screen saves I stored on 8" floppy tracks. I'd like to get all 3 move to a 5.25 format. Is there some way that I can use WinOSI and HFE file formats to transfer the files from 8" format to 5.25 HFE format?

Many thanks to all with recommendations.
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Mark
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Re: Getting files from 8" format to 5.25"

Post by Mark »

I'm working on an OSI filemanager type application. Right now it can extract data from most OSI disk formats, but does not have the ability to write them. However I can do this manually. If you're comfortable with sending the 8" disk image I can probably convert them without too much effort.
Otherwise you could load them into WinOSI, use the built-in BASIC decoder, cut/save the data then paste the contents via simulated keypresses in a prepared OSI destination file. The saved screenshots (binary data) may be more difficult.

Otherwise manipulation of the .65D disk format may be easier with a binary editor -> 12 sector/$f00 byte track to 8 sector/$900 byte track.
.... ?
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bxdanny
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Re: Getting files from 8" format to 5.25"

Post by bxdanny »

I'd like to add a few comments, if I may.

With regard to the binary screen images: they can be loaded into memory and then saved from the WinOSI Debugger's File menu. To load them back, you will need to use the "Attach Serial Input File..." option and then a short program such as the following:

10 FOR I=0 TO 2047
20 D=PEEK(64513)
30 POKE 32768+I,D
40 NEXT

The above statements could even be entered in immediate mode, as a single line with no line numbers and statements separated by colons. (It is apparently not necessary to check the ACIA status port to see when there is a character ready.)

Another possible way would be to use a really old version of WinOSI (1.3), which didn't clear the emulated system's RAM when doing a "hard reset". You could just load the sectors with the screen images into RAM from the 8" configuration, then switch to a 5.25" configuration and save the data, still in RAM, to sectors on the 5.25" disk image. (To use this method, you would first need to convert the .HFE file to .65D format, using current software, since the 1.3 software doesn't understand HFE images.)

In case you aren't sure about what Mark meant by using "simulated keypresses" to copy the BASIC program, that is activated by pressing the right mouse button in the (current version) WinOSI window, after copying the BASIC program to the clipboard from the 8" configuration. The process is slow, but it is reliable. Depending on the length of the BASIC program, it might or might not be faster to paste the program text into a PC text file, then import it into the 5.25" configuration by using "Attach Serial Input File..." followed by POKE 8993,1 or DISK!"IO 01". If you use that method, be sure to add a line containing just "OK" or "STOP" at the end of the file, to switch input back to the keyboard. Using this method might also be needed if there are any lines in the program listing longer than 71 characters. If so, you can edit them on the PC by changing any occurrences of the keyword PRINT to ?, and possibly deleting the space after a line number.
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lowrybt1
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Re: Getting files from 5.25" to 8" format 65D

Post by lowrybt1 »

Circling back to this topic. Now I'm interested in moving Ardvaark's 32K Colossal Cave from its 5.25" OS65D format to a 8" OS65D format. I think the process may be fairly straightforward. The core game code of the 5.25 version is stored on tracks 31-39. (Aside: I hadn't realized that you can launch a BASIC program with the syntax RUN"[Track#])

It looks as if tracks 13-30 are used as serial datafiles accessed with DISKOPEN, 6 and DISKCLOSE, 6 commands to load descriptions of the cave at different locations and to store the explorer's status. So, I've copy the core BASIC code into a txt file which I can load back into WINOSI and save in 8" format. Here's where the limits of my understanding get in the way:

1) Since DISKOPEN and DISKCLOSE are being used, there needs to be a buffer saved with the BASIC file (right?). How is that buffer added before/as the BASIC program is saved to the 8" format .65D?
2) What is the right way to copy and capture the contents of each of the datafile tracks from the 5.25 format and save them to the 8" format? I figure this may be an iterative process, track by track.

Thanks for any and all guidance.
Tom
C8PDF w. 48K, 2x 520 24K RAM boards and Glitchworks 64K board
OSI 567 Telephony board
Spare 8" drives
Klyball D-13
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