yeaaaah ...thanks dude ,,, its done
really thanks for you and Joe Forster/STA
if i face any other problem i will inform u:D
(sorry for bad english ):D
thanks :)

mate sorry,,

but there are some points

i have compressed data to " .arc"
but how to compress it to (pcf-srep-cab)
also by rename them?

- i need too , to know how to attach direct x - c++ ?

i do'nt understand it well?

best regards,,thank you

I am facing the same problem as "NiTroViouSiX" is facing i.e; even after renaming *.zip -->*.cab there were no images showing during images(Zero images + No sound).So started compressing game files and renaming Data1.arc---->Data1.cab,then started setup after changing few things in Setup.ini and Installer.iss.
Then the game wasn't there but only uninstallation files were present and a shortcut was show on desktop.


So it would be good to hear from the experts for the solution for this


Compress all files in Data.arc
-> Compress Data.arc in Data.pcf
-> Compress Data.pcf in Data.srep
-> Compress Data.srep in Data.cab

I think just renaming isn't the thing so I am expecting someone to explaining the above process.I am a nOOb so don't say that "Can't you even do this simple process by yourself,you'r a noob".Please help out this poor person.

NiTroViouSiX, Born_inSANE you don't need to
This process is used to gain better compression ratio.

If you really need it, so, here you go:
1. compress files with freearc and zero compression (output file i.e. data321.arc)
2. compress data321.arc with precomp (output file: data321.pcf)
3. compress data321.pcf with srep (output file: data321.srep)
4. compress data321.srep with freearc and some strong compression (output file: data321.cab)

Remember to modify setup.ini
NiTroViouSiX it's easy:

Thanks got it,will work on it.

BAMsE what would be the best settings for precomp and srep for max compression.i created a bat fie for precomp eg : precomp -intense -oData1 Data1.arc and for srep eg:srep -m2 Data1.pcf Data1.srep ant other tips would be much appreciated.

Getting some good compression ratios by this way,thanks for helping out.

mikey26 use
-c- means zero compression for output file (better srep results)
-v means debug mode (if something goes wrong you can see problematic position and start precomping once again but with -i######### parameter; ######### means problematic position)

Can u give the complete command for running max compression using .bat file,include everything,I tried echo Command didn't work,so that it help me out.

thx BAMsE's info was great understand it much better now.very easy now.

@ Born_inSANE

Make a precomp.bat inside the bat file paste : precomp -intense -v -c- -oData1 Data1.arc (replace data1 with what eva your arc file is called)

Srep : make bat file again paste inside bat file srep -m2 Data1.pcf Data1.srep (u can switch m2 for m3 for more compression.

also read futher up what Bamse wrote about problematic areas using precomp to use the switch -i

You can use drag'n'drop function :D
precomp042.bat
srep30.bat
Now drag'n'drop any file on these bats in explorer :D
Remember to change extension of output files (blablabla.pcf.srep ---> blablabla.srep)

Problem Event Name: APPCRASH
Application Name: precomp042.exe
Application Version: 0.0.0.0
Application Timestamp: 4e7f8c91
Fault Module Name: ntdll.dll
Fault Module Version: 6.1.7600.16385
Fault Module Timestamp: 4a5bdb3b
Exception Code: c0000005
Exception Offset: 0002e23e
OS Version: 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
Locale ID: 7177
Additional Information 1: 0a9e
Additional Information 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Additional Information 3: 0a9e
Additional Information 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789


any idea why this happens: i did u this command in my bat as u said : precomp -intense -v -c- -oData1 Data1.arc

mikey26 don't bother with windows error window. You need to have pause command after precomp -intense -v -c- -oData1 Data1.arc to avoid cmd window disappearance and to see position of faked header. So find last "found at position" text and use this sequence of numbers with -i parameter
Attachment 3590

cool stuff mate....very painful getting almost to end and error and have to restart again thank god for my spare converting pc goes fairly quick..

Running those commands off bat files made 35MB file to 36MB after running both precomp and srep.
After that I just used drag'n'drop on precomp.exe and srep.exe,then those files went from 35MB to 15.8MB after running precomp and it stayed the same after srep using both .exe.
Was everything right there ?And what next if everything is right ?

After using bat method I got a file close to 11Mb but is this right ?
http://imagebay.us/images/4o0rxnq0smu4cfsezyu_thumb.png

And the version made using .exe is this http://imagebay.us/images/8uqkxcjl8aifri9g0xi5_thumb.png and I believe that its right,So which one is right ?


Sorry for so many posts though.

Born_inSANE if you're running process with -c- parameter, the output file will be bigger and better srepped due to using no compression.
If you're running process via drag'n'drop on exe it uses default -cb compression on output file so it'll be smaller but worse srepped
the right choice is -c- and bigger output

BTW: when I told about drag'n'drop few posts above I mean drag'n'drop to bat file, not exe :)

Thanks BAMse.Now I compressed the Data1.srep using freearc,and after compression the Data1.arc had few files that are meant to be compressed and the Data1.srep in it ,so should I delete Data1.srep or not ?

Born_inSANE data1.srep must be compressed to data1.cab not data1.arc.
Your directory probably contains both data1.arc and data1.srep while compressing srep file, so it was added to existed data1.arc.

Finally data1.cab must contain data1.srep ONLY

Hi BAMse thanks again for all the help got it working perfect (precomp and srep). just one thing after precomp finishes running it giving a suggestion on commands to use in srep should they be used eg: -zl11,68 -d1.other than that i have yener's awesome script and precomp with srep working perfect for me.


Dont worry sorted it out stupid mistake

No no. These parameters are for precomp if you are precomping THIS file once again. Using them speeds up the process

How to compress Data.srep to Data.cab ?
And I tried putting few images(Resized and renamed) in setup.cab but they aren't showing up,is this because of wrong compression(I compressed them using freearc and renamed to*.cab)

the setup.cab is used by CI 8*, to display the images etc, NOT for your game archives.

you create a m0 ( no compression archive, for your game ) then you precomp that file, which will end up bigger then original archive, then srep the output file from precomp, finally re-archive the output srep file with whatever compression you want. ALL filenames must have same prefix, IE use data.arc then data. - - - for both precomp & srep. At the very end you can specify the final filename output as either *.arc/cab/bin whatever you want to call it, could even be mnbvhgoewe... the name + extension is up to you. Just make sure that the script knows what filename+extension its supposed to look for.

As for the images NOT showing up its because the setup.cab file MUST use either winrar or 7-zip to add / replace images in it. First lines on page 1 of this topic.

Here is a big tutorial for my CI (C Custom I Installer) 8:
Required files for the installation..... ( next line ) tells you what setup.cab is & how to edit it.

I have compiled the script and got mygame.exe , couple of setup.bin files at 2.01GB and at first run its asking for disc 1,did I make any mistake ?

@Born inSANE edit your setup.ini it should look something like this if your used precomp and srep.

[InstallOptions]
ApplicationName=Dirty Showdown
Publisher=Codemasters
MyExecutableName=showdown.exe
MyExecutablePath=
SaveGameFolder=
GameSize=9646
Lang=de,en,es,fr,it
LangUI=0
PrecompVer=0.42
Editor=yener90

[InstallSettings]
GDFBinary=game_gdf.dll

[ExtractSettings]
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data1.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data2.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1

Leave out PrecSrep:1 if your just used freearc

Got this error IsDone.dll.I compressed this way data.arc---->data.pcf------>data.srep,and at last compressed data.srep with winzip and renamed it asa data.cab and compiled it.

I just removed
[ExtractSettings]
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data1.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data2.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1

from the script and and ran .exe, it extracted the Data1.arc and Data2.arc which had srep files in them.

@Born_inSANE u need to compress the data.srep with freearc not winzip.use the setting
[ExtractSettings]
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data1.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1
FreeArcFile1 = {src} \ Data2.bin; DestDir: {app}; Disk: 1; PrecSrep:1

just replace data1.bin with what eva your cab file is called.

Now it installed but the o/p folder has Data.arc with Data.srep in it,what happened exactly ?

are u using yener's script post the iss and setup.ini let me have a look and what version of precomp and srep are u using?

I'll do it soon.

Born_inSANE you probably messed up with archives. Make some small archive for testing and try to do it correct way.
Remember 1: compress srep file directly to cab not arc (and changing its extension to cab)
Remember 2: cab containing game files (also srep) is freearc archive, cab containing setup files (backgrounds, music) is winrar/7-zip/winzip archive (zip compressed with deflate algorithm and renamed to cab)

Here is the link for .iss and .ini files I used.
Link:http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?4a26a3ddd7sz6ht.
Please check it.

Now I have got the difference,but can you help me out in compressing srep directly to cab.Because I got error while directly compressing srep to cab.

Damn Born_inSANE! Sorry man, but you're not nØØb, you're NØØB.

First. Use built-in attachement systen instead of mediafire.

Second. In your setup.ini
should be
What the hell for you changed DestDir to C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft? DestDir is a variable and {app} is its value! Moreover, {app} means the path defined during installation.
So if someone want to install your Far Cry 2 to E:\Any_folder\Another_folder and type it during installation, then {app} means E:\Any_folder\Another_folder and Data1.cab will be extracted to E:\Any_folder\Another_folder
If Data1.cab should be extracted to any subfolder of installation path, i.e. Movies, then
will extract content of Data1.cab to E:\Any_folder\Another_folder\Movies

Third.
:)
:D
<facepalm>

Here is solution for your... ekhem... error
Attachment 3596

I give up. Over and out.

Sorry for all the trouble BAMsE.

Is anyone have stable version of precomp ?

They got stuck after 48 percent..

Hi revo this is the version i am using and its working perfect so far for me i included the version of srep also hope this helps u out.

Thanks for upload, however it's also stucked on 45 percent and 13..

We're just dragging data.arc file over precomp.exe right ?

No additional steps

yeah i made a bat file for both srep and precomp thx to Bamse for the help on that.i just used that version of precomp and srep that i uploaded on mafia 2 to get it down to single dvd5 worked like a dream.the bat files are for max compression.drag the data.arc on the precomp.bat should work perfectly.

Just dragged 5.5GB of arc to PCF then SREP, in the end i have 49MB..

Can it compress that much or it's an error:eek:

wat u trying to precomp anf srep i will give it a go and see what happens if i have the game that is.but that does not sound right.