Copyright: Copyright © 2000 by H+H ZfRk - GmbH
Citation: Copyright © 2000 by H+H ZfRk - GmbH


Introduction to Virtual CD 3
  Introduction to Virtual CD 3 for Networks

Virtual CD for Networks makes your CD-ROM applications faster, more portable, and more convenient to use. This is because it stores CDs on hard disks, using highly efficient data compression techniques.

Why use virtual CDs?

Because they...

•	make your CD-based application available for quick network access by multiple workstations.

•	function independent of the network protocols (IPX, TCP/IP, etc.)

•	significantly speed up your CD-based applications, as they are run from your hard disk rather than from the much slower CD drive.

•	let you use shared virtual CDs that are stored on network hard disks as well as local virtual CDs

•	save you the trouble of hunting for your CDs and constantly inserting and removing them from your computer.

•	let you use CDs on computers that don't even have physical CD drives.

•	let you use multiple CDs simultaneously. This saves you having to buy an expensive CD changer.

•	protect your valuable original CDs from getting lost or damaged.

•	conserve precious battery power in your notebook or laptop, because you don't need to use the energy-hogging CD drive.

•	make for a quieter workplace, because you rarely use the noisy CD-ROM drive.

Working with the Virtual CD program is easy, and mainly consists of two basic steps:

First you create virtual CDs from your original CDs. These are stored on your hard disk in container files, also called "images". Then you simply load a virtual CD in a virtual CD drive. You can add virtual CDs to your collection at any time, or delete them whenever you like, for example if you need to free up space on your hard disk.

Important note:

If you use VCD3 with CD-ROMs that are under license and you create multiple virtual images of such CDs, or if you use a physical CD and a virtual version of the same CD simultaneously on different computers, you may be in violation of the software licensing agreement that applies to a given CD. Make sure you read the licensing agreements supplied with your original CDs for detailed information.


  Functions

Once you have installed Virtual CD 3, the following features are available on your computer. Functions that are new in Version 3 are marked NEW!:

•	Up to 22 virtual CD-ROM drives and any number of virtual CDs (just depending on your available storage space)

•	NEW! Storage of virtual CDs on a central file server independent of network protocols.

•	Virtual CD Image Wizard for creating exact replicas of your CDs

•	NEW!  Virtual CD Editor for creating your own CD image files

•	NEW!  Improved compression for CD-ROMs

•	NEW!  Improved methods for reading CD data, based on special digital mastering technology

•	NEW!  Automatic retrieval of audio CD data (artist, album, track titles) from the CDDB server

•	NEW!  Easy and intuitive operation thanks to the completely re-designed user interface

•	Direct access to audio tracks by storing them in external files

•	NEW!  Quick Start Utility for inserting or ejecting images, and for direct access to the main programs in Virtual CD

•	Direct access to Virtual CD functions through integration in the Explorer

•	NEW!  Hotkey function for automatic insertion of an image in a virtual drive

•	NEW!  Assignment of a start program, started when an virtual CD image is inserted in a drive

•	NEW!  Start Wizard for direct access to the main functions in Virtual CD

•	NEW!  Drive Wizard to change the number of virtual drives quickly and easily


  Program Structure

Working with Virtual CD 3 is easy, thanks to a variety of Wizards that guide you through all the program functions. There are also a number of methods for accessing the main program modules: from your Explorer, through our Quick Start Utility, or from the Virtual CD Management program. This lets you tailor your use of Virtual CD to your own needs.

You now have direct access to the following Virtual CD 3 programs:

•	Management program: Central program for working with image files and virtual drives

•	Editor: Lets you create custom virtual CD image files

•	Image Wizard: Helps you create an image that is an exact replica of a CD-ROM

•	Start Wizard: Gives you direct access to all the main functions in Virtual CD 3

•	Drive Wizard: Makes it easy to change the number of virtual drives

•	Quick Start Utility: A Virtual CD 3 symbol is installed in your Windows System Tray for direct access to the main functions in Virtual CD


  System Requirements

The following system specifications are required for running Virtual CD 3:

•	Windows 95 with DirectX V.3 (or later) and at least 32 MB RAM or
Windows 98 with at least 32 MB RAM or
Windows NT4 Workstation with ServicePack 5 and at least 64 MB RAM or
Windows 2000 Professional with at least 64 MB RAM

•	Pentium 200 MHz processor or faster

•	Network servers for central storage of virtual CDs.

•	10 MB hard disk space for installation of the Virtual CD 3 software

•	Optional: sound card (for CDs with audio tracks)

•	Optional: Internet access (to retrieve audio CD data from the CDDB server)

	The amount of hard disk space required in addition to the 10 MB for the installation of the Virtual CD program depends on the number of virtual image files you wish to create and the amount of data on your CDs.


  Updating an Earlier Version

If you already have an earlier version of VCD, you need to de-install it before installing the Virtual CD 3 program. You can still use the image files that were created with the earlier version. Virtual CDs that were created using the improved compression techniques offered in VCD 3, however, will not work with earlier VCD versions.

Commands entered directly in the command line are now executed through a separate command line program (VCDCMD.EXE).

It is important observe the system requirements for optimal functioning of all Virtual CD 3 components.


  Creating an Image File

Before you can work with your virtual CD-ROM drives, you need to create an image file.

You can create virtual CD images using either

•	the Virtual CD 3 Image Wizard or

•	the Virtual CD 3 Editor.

The option you choose depends on whether you wish to create an exact replica of a CD, in which case you would use the Image Wizard, or a customized virtual CD image, in which case you would use the Editor.

The Image Wizard prompts you step by step to enter the information required to create the image file. The Editor lets you put together an image from any files you choose, using drag-and-drop or through dialog boxes.

Once all the required information has been entered, the Image Wizard or Editor starts the Image Writer to create the image file. This image file is automatically registered in your Virtual CD program and is inserted in a virtual drive when you are ready to use it.

	You can only create one virtual image file at a time. The Image Wizard and the Image Writer cannot run at the same time.


  Inserting and Ejecting Images

Inserting and ejecting images in virtual CD-ROM drives is the equivalent of physically placing CDs in your computer's CD-ROM drive and removing them from the drive. The Virtual CD program offers you a number of different mechanisms for these operations:

•	Through the Virtual CD Management program

•	Through the Virtual CD Explorer Extension

•	Through the Virtual CD Quick Start Utility

•	Through a user-defined hotkey

•	Through the Virtual CD command line program

Once you have inserted an image file in a virtual drive, you can begin working with the virtual drive.


  Working with a Virtual Drive

The virtual drives created by Virtual CD are shown in the Explorer as normal CD-ROM drives. Once you insert an image file in a virtual drive, you can access the virtual drive like any other drive. The main differences are that access is much quicker and the physical CD is no longer required.

You can change the number of virtual drives at any time using the Drive Wizard. We recommend setting up 3 to 5 virtual drives, as each virtual CD drive takes up 64 KB of internal buffer memory.

	Because Virtual CD enters its drives directly in your system, it may become necessary to change the drive letter  assigned to a given virtual drive.


  Changing the Drive Letter of a Virtual Drive

To change a drive letter, you need to change configurations in your system settings.

	The procedure for changing drive letters can differ from one operating system to the next. The following instructions are given as examples.  Make sure you read the documentation or on-line Help for your operating system before making any changes in the settings.

 Windows 98

Drive letters in Windows 98 are defined in the Control Panel. Activate the Start button and select Settings/Control Panel. Double-click on the System symbol and click on the Device Manager tab. Click on the plus sign next to CD-ROM to drill down to the desired CD-ROM drive and double-click on the Virtual CD-ROM Drive entry to open its Properties. On this dialog page, click on the Settings tab. Under Reserved drive letters, enter the new drive letter in the settings for Start and End drive letter. Make sure you enter the same drive letter for both settings.

 Windows NT 4 Workstation

Drive letters under Windows NT 4 Workstation are defined in the Disk Administrator. Activate the Start button and select Settings/Programs/(Common) Administrative Tools/Disk Manager. Click on the virtual drive in question to select it. Then right-click to open a popup menu and select Assign Drive Letter... from this menu. This opens a dialog in which you can change the drive letter.

	After a drive letter has been changed you must restart your computer to register the change in the Virtual CD program.
	You can change a drive letter only if you are logged in to your system under a user name that has the required rights for this procedure.

 Windows 2000 Professional

Drive letters under Windows 2000 Professional are defined in the Computer Management folder. To open this folder, select the My Computer icon on the desktop and right-click on it. Select Manage from the popup menu. In the computer management dialog, select Disk Management. In the left-hand view, select the desired virtual drive and right-click on it. Select Change Drive Letter and Path and click on Change to open the dialog for assigning new drive letters.

	After a drive letter has been changed you must restart your computer to register the change in the Virtual CD program.
	You can change a drive letter only if you are logged on to your system under a user name that has the required rights for this procedure.


  Using the Hotkey Function

You can define a special key combination, or "hotkey", for automatic insertion of an image file in a virtual drive. This way you can run your virtual CDs without starting the Virtual CD Management program.

You can define the hotkey either while creating an image with the Image Wizard, on the Image settings page, or at a later point, by selecting Properties from the Edit menu in the Virtual CD 3 Management program and entering the desired key combination on the Properties page of this dialog.

Make sure you do not enter a hotkey that has already been assigned elsewhere. Hotkeys that are used by other applications are not overwritten.

	The hotkey function can be used only if the Quick Start Utility is active.


  Defining a Start Program

You can define a program to be opened automatically when an image is inserted in a virtual drive.

You can define this "start program" either while creating an image with the Image Wizard, on the Image settings page, or at a later point, by selecting Properties from the Edit menu in the Virtual CD 3 Management program and entering the desired program on the Properties page of this dialog.

This is useful for CDs that do not have an "Autostart" feature.

	If you define a start program for a CD that has an "Autostart" feature, then two programs are opened when the virtual CD image is inserted.


  The Quick Start Utility

The Virtual CD Quick Start Utility is added to your system's "Autostart" folder when you install the program. The Quick Start symbol is shown in your System Tray, as depicted here between the clock and volume control symbols, and offers direct access to the central functions in Virtual CD.

Use this symbol as follows:

•	Double-click on it to start the Virtual CD Management program.

•	Right-click on it to open a popup menu with the central program functions.

The popup menu of the Quick Start Utility looks like this:

The individual menu items have the following functions:

Virtual CD	Starts the Virtual CD 3 Management program
Create image file	Starts the Virtual CD 3 Image Wizard
Editor	Starts the Virtual CD 3 Editor
Start Wizard	Starts the Virtual CD 3 Start Wizard
Explorer	Opens an Explorer view of the selected virtual drive
Eject	Ejects the image from the selected virtual drive
Insert	Inserts an image in the virtual drive selected here
About...	Information about the Quick Start Utility
Exit	Closes the Quick Start Utility
	The Virtual CD 3 Quick Start Utility must be active in order to use the hotkey function. If you wish to keep the hotkey function available but do not want to use the Quick Start Utility, you can hide the symbol in your system tray. To do this, select View > Virtual CD settings... in the Virtual CD Management program deselect the option Show Quick Start Utility icon in system tray on the Global page.


  Integration in the Explorer

Virtual CD has an extension for integration in your Windows Explorer, so you can perform the following functions directly in the Explorer:

•	Insert an image: When you right-click on a virtual drive, the popup menu includes a new menu item to Load virtual image.

•	Create an image file: When you right-click on the drive letter for a physical CD-ROM drive, the popup menu includes a new menu item called Create a virtual image.

The following extension is installed for Virtual CD image files, which have the extension .FCD:

•	Insert an image: When you right-click on an image file, the popup menu contains a new menu item called Load image file for inserting an image in a virtual drive.

•	Show properties: When you right-click on an image file and select Properties from the popup menu, the dialog opened contains a new page called Virtual CD. This page shows details about the selected image file.

	Audio tracks are only shown in this window if the virtual CD image file contains audio tracks.


  The Command Line Program

Once you have installed Virtual CD 3, the command line program "VCDCMD.EXE" can be found in the Virtual CD 3 directory. You can use this program to insert or eject ) virtual CD image files directly from the command line. If you start the program without command line arguments, a window opens showing the command line options:


  What is CDDB?

When you create an image of a music CD, Virtual CD 3 gives you the option of using the Disc Recognition services (DRS) from CDDB, Inc to retrieve information about the CD, including artist name and album and track titles. This service is free of charge and runs automatically. The first time you use CDDB with your Virtual CD program, you need to log on to the CDDB server.


  Using CDDB

The CDDB function is available only if your computer has Internet access.

The first time you use a VCD program function that access CDDB (for example, when you create an audio CD), the login routine in the CDDB will start automatically. After the login prompt, select "New Registration" and enter a name and password.

	This login procedure runs only once. Every time you use the CDDB service after this, you are automatically logged in with the name and password entered the first time.

To change the name or password used for CDDB login, open the CDDB menu in the Virtual CD 3 Management program.

	If you do not have Internet access, you should disable the CDDB option. To do this, select Virtual CD Settings from the View menu of the Virtual CD 3 Management program and deselect the corresponding option.


  CDDB Proprietary Information

CD-related data through the Internet from the CDDB™ Music CD Database, Copyright 1999, 2000 CDDB, Inc.  CDDB Client Software, Copyright 1999, 2000 CDDB, Inc.

CDDB-Enabled, CDDB, CDDB2 and the CDDB logo are trademarks of CDDB, Inc.  Disc Recognition Service and DRS are service marks of CDDB, Inc.


  Structure of a CD-ROM

Unlike hard disks and floppy diskettes, the data you access on a CD-ROM is read-only. Nevertheless, CD-ROMs are gradually replacing diskettes as the medium of choice for external data transport. This is mainly due to the following developments:

•	The manufacture of CD-ROMs has become relatively inexpensive

•	CD-ROMs can contain far more data than diskettes (up to 700 MB)

•	Devices for writing data on CD-ROMs, called CD writers or CD burners, are becoming fairly widespread, even in the private sector

Data is stored on CD-ROMs in sectors and the sectors are divided into tracks. The number of tracks on a CD-ROM depends on the CD format. Data CDs usually use a "single data track" format, while the number of tracks on a music CD depends on the number of titles on the album in question. Every CD-ROM contains at least one track where information is stored.

Some CDs use another unit of organization, called a session. Multi-session CDs are created in a series of steps, and each session is again divided into tracks. This type of CD format is used for example to create CDs with both data and audio tracks. An example of this CD type is the "CD-Extra" format. Here, the first session contains data and the second contains audio tracks. When the CD is placed in a computer, the program contained in the data track is run—most often this is some type of animation. When the same CD is placed in a CD player, the data sector is ignored and the CD is treated as a normal music CD.

In addition to these common types of CD formats, a number of other format types have been developed for special functions, such as recording video or photo images on CD.


  CD Formats

In addition to standard types of CD format, there are a number of other formats for both data and music CD; some are more widely used than others. The table below gives an overview of the most commonly used CD formats and indicates their compatibility with the Virtual CD 3 program.

Format	Description	VCD3
Audio CD (CDDA)	CD digital audio; music CD
CD-EXTRA	Multi-session CD. One session contains data for the computer, the other contains music tracks.
CDI	Format for interactive content such as video
CD-Plus	Like mixed mode CDs, this CD type contains one data track and multiple music tracks. The difference is that on a CD-Plus, the data track is the last track on the CD.
DVD	Digital Versatile Disc. This new type of disk can hold considerably more data than CDs, it is also used for movies.
Mixed Mode CD (Data/Audio)	This type of CD contains data in the first track and music in all other tracks. This format is mainly used for games.
Photo CD	Format for storing digital pictures. The pictures from one "roll" of film are stored on the CD in a session, which makes it possible to use the CD for more than one film.
Single Data Track	Data CD


  Structure of a Virtual CD Image

The structure of the virtual CD image depends on the format of the source CD. A Virtual CD image can consist of the following files:

File	Description	Used for image...
<file>.fcd	This is the actual image, containing the CD structure and, if applicable, data tracks.	...always
<file>.ico	Symbol file for image file.	...if a symbol exists for the source CD. Usually applies only to data CDs.
<file>.wav	Audio file, containing an audio track as a music file. There is one audio file for each audio track.	...if music tracks are recorded in the image file.

When you delete an image in the Virtual CD 3 Management program, all files that form part of that image are deleted from the hard disk.

	Audio files (*.wav) are external to the Virtual CD 3 program and can be played with other programs as well.