experimental hdl dual layer support

[shikamaru]

very curious, im very unfamiliar with this patching and used ELF files, is there anyone who can help me out and in a way sort of help me understand so i can patch my HDL and run dual layered dvds.

[jjmai]

I am just fascinated by all these hacking/programming skills on PS2/HDD.
I've always wondered what kind of training/courses do you guys have to go through to reach such level?
Anyway, looking forward to seeing a good easy version for noobs like me.
thanx!

[crazyc]

so this could have meant the actual raw sector address where the 2nd layer PVD lives. which could always be a different value. the only way i could make sense of it being flattened and it pointing to a ps2 dvd standard 1st layer PVD (which always reside at sector 16) is that it will always be a static value pointing back to the first layer PVD (since it's flattened there is no 2nd layer and therefore no 2nd layer PVD).

You've made it more confusing.

also i'm now certain that this change only needs to made in the master partition, as the sub-partitions do not contain any media information, just sector pointers and some other info.

Yes.

Attached a is a patch for and a binary of hdl_dump that will attempt to discover the second layer and write the value in the proper place in the header. Use the cdvd_info option and check if it says the disk is dual layer to test it. The binary has aspi enabled because with windows 2000 that was the only way, with the nero aspi wrapper, i could get it to read the second layer from real disks.

Edit: oops, stay tuned

[Zer0-X]

Gotta admit, even I'm a bit confused about the current info.

[ejx982]

OMG if Zero-X is confused I'm gonna have to wait until a Non-PS2-Tech.NFO comes out.

My hope was that I could apply the .ISP patch to my HDL Toxic v0.3 Patched HDL, but now i'm totally lost. If DVD9s must still be flattended, what does this do? Boost compatability? What effect would it have with normal "Flattened" games, such as GT4, MGS, XenoSaga.

I guess I'll just check in time to time and watch the experts do this.... I guess my 'vision' of a HDL+Toxic v0.3+DVD9(without flattening), may be in the works...

Kudos if this also would get GT4 LAN mode to work...

ejx982.

P.S. Thanks CrazyC / Zero-X for all the work you guys have contributed!!

[thereal_zap]

You've made it more confusing.

hehe, ok. will you then, make it less confusing?

i suppose i could just install a game and check out the header to see what exactly you're doing.

...hdl_dump that will attempt to discover the second layer and write the value in the proper place in the header.

write what value? PVD of the 2nd layer? and if this is so, then i'm still perplexed as to why you'd need this if you're flattening an image (since there really isn't a 2nd layer). i'm just trying to understand what's going on i can put out theories all day, but i'd rather here it from the horse's mouth.

[Cordy]

Ok for all of you who need some sort of clarification. I know as much as what I read, but to answer a general basis until crazy c responds. He already stated that when he said flatten he didn't mean to combine both layers but to rather make a 1:1 copy of the image onto the hdd and patch the partition headers so that it reads the layer breaks on the image properly. This would require a patched version of hdl_dump which he has already made for the binary version of hdl_dump.

[dlanor]

Some people have raised questions about the usefulness of the new patch, so I feel I should clarify that.

The new functions added by crazyc will allow dual layer games to perform dual layer checks and receive the same results from those checks that they'd get if running on an original retail DVD9 disc. This means that though the layers will need to be combined into a single file for the installation to HDL, it will NOT be necessary to patch out all of the dual layer checks (which is a big problem with some DVD9 games).

Best regards: dlanor

[shintong]

Does this patch make GT4 playable?. I suppose, God of war is the only one that had influenced on this patch now.

[strikeuk]

Does this patch make GT4 playable?. I suppose, God of war is the only one that had influenced on this patch now.

I think dlanor meant it has to be installed on the pc as one continuous flat image, at least that is what I meant. The image does not have to be rebuilt into one layer. Also, I doubt Gt4 will work, as it seems to have more checks then just the layer break.

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