SONIC3D / gdi-utils

Utilities for manipulating Dreamcast GDI image file

GDI-Utils

A converter for converting GDI image in redump.org format to General GDI image format.

Changelog

• 2017.Jul.23: Finished general gdi image format writer.

Introduction

This converter convert Sega Dreamcast GDI image released in redump.org format to General GDI format.

Technical Detail

Terminology

• General GDI format represents gdi image set dumped with httpd-ack and used in Tosec and Trurip dumps. Pause data is striped.
• Redump.org GDI represent GDI image set dumped and released by redump.org. Pause and PreGap data are embedded in track file. That's 150 sectors(2 seconds) for audio track, 225 sectors(3 seconds) for the last split data track.

Detail

Redump.org GDI and General GDI share with the same file extention name ".gdi". That's a file similiar but simpler than ".cue" file widely used in CD-ROM image to identify track filenames and track location in a whole disc layout.

But redump.org gdi image has several difference compare to the general gdi format.

• Indentation white space in ".gdi" file.
• Pause data is embedded in audio track file.
• For games with split data track(more than 4 tracks and last data track is after another audio track), the last data track contains 75 sectors(1 second) of PreGap Data which is stored in the tail of its previous audio track in general gdi format, and 150 sectors(2 seconds) of Pause Data just like audio tracks.
• Different track start LBA values caused by the above 2 differences.

Manual conversion guide

• For game with only 3 tracks(The Pattern I type in official document):

  Remove the heading 150 sectors from track 2 in low density area and add 150 to its track LBA value in ".gdi" file.

• For game with more than 3 tracks and the last track is an audio track(The Pattern II type in official document):

  Remove the heading 150 sectors from all audio track and add 150 of its track LBA value in ".gdi" file.

• For game with more than 3 tracks and the last track is a data track(The Pattern III type in official document):

  • Remove the heading 150 sectors from all audio track and add 150 to its track LBA value in ".gdi" file.
  • Copy the heading 75 sectors from the last data track and append them to the last audio track.
  • Remove the heading 225 sectors from the last data track.
  • Add 225 to the LBA value of last data track in ".gdi" file.

Tools based conversion guide

• Check the Usage section in this ReadMe file.

Usage

1. Install Node.js runtime environment for your OS(https://nodejs.org, 6.x LTS version is enough).
2. Open terminal or console with node.js envrionment initialized and do the following steps.
3. Update NPM(sudo npm update -g npm).
4. Install Typescript compiler in your OS(npm install -g typescript).
5. Open terminal and git clone this project(git clone https://github.com/SONIC3D/gdi-utils.git).
6. Change working directory to project root(cd gdi-utils).
7. Run npm install to install all required components for compiling.
8. Run npm run build to build this project.
9. Run node bin/bin-nodejs/index.js to see the help
10. Run node bin/bin-nodejs/index.js <your_gdiimage_dir>/input.gdi 0 <output_dir> to do conversion.

Testing target

I have tested this tool with games list below. After the conversion, games can be boot with ODE like GDEmu.

• Fushigi no Dungeon - Furai no Shiren Gaiden - Jokenji Asuka Kenzan! (Japan)
• King of Fighters, The - Dream Match 1999 (Japan) (En,Ja,Es,Pt)