How to make a CD-Extra with IMGBurn!

[Tsaukpaetra]

@mods if someone can verify my method, can this get janked into the Guides thread?

 

I'm using Version 2.5.8.0, but the important thing is that you have a version that can specify the beginning LBA address for built images.

Other than that, knowledge on how to make cue files correctly is a must!

 

The steps:

1. First you need to start with your cue file.
   1. Add your media files like normal, ensure the files you want are all there.
   2. Order isn't really important, neither is the text values.
   3. Once you have the music in place, add a second session, and add a track to this session (I believe any valid file can work, but a binary-mode file is preferred just in case).
   4. Save the cue file and have it added to the write cue.
2. Next we're going to find the LBA offset
   1. Switch to Write mode, insert a writable disk (preferably of the same type you're intending to actually make, i.e. a CD)
   2. Ensure Test Mode is checked (Or you'll end up with a broken disk that most computers will be very angry about) and execute the test burn.
   3. Once it's finished, find the log lines that look like this:
      

      I 21:02:58 Writing Session 2 of 2... (1 Track, LBA: 333350 - 358559)
      I 21:02:58 Writing Track 1 of 1... (MODE1/2048, LBA: 333350 - 358559)
      

      The first number is what we're after. Typically the session and track number will be the same for both session and track (in this case it's 333350).

   4. Write this number down! It's important!

3. Then we do spooky advanced things!

   1. Head into Tools -> Settings -> Build -> Page 1.

   2. Find the setting "Image Start LBA". It should be 0 by default.

   3. Replace that zero with the number we found above and hit OK

4. Build the ISO like normal

   1. Do the needful and make an ISO file. I haven't tried anything much more complicated than a typical image with no extra features, but in theory anything should be fine, maybe not bootable images though.

   2. Do note that of course you can't exceed the available sectors on the disk. I'm not entirely sure how to calculate that precisely, but I assume it should be somewhat less than the ending sector minus the starting sector we got above (and leave some room for LEAD OUT)

5. Go back to the cue file we made and update it

   1. You'll want to ensure that our session 2 track 1 file is correct, you can either edit the cue file by hand, or just recreate the cue file from scratch, but this time selecting your built ISO.

   2. BE SURE THE OTHER TRACKS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME AS BEFORE. If the files are different in any way the starting sector for session 2 will probably be different, and that will break the disk!

6. Load up the cue file again, and burn it!

   1. If you don't reload the cue file (either by re-building it in the editor, or re-selecting it in the Write mode image file picker, the calculated image size will be wrong, and you may not be told if the resultant image is too big for the target disk. Obviously, trying to burn an image that's too large is not usually a good idea.

   2. Assuming you've got this far, and the image is small enough to fit the disk, IMGBurn should burn the cue file just dandy.

   3. However, if the LBA offset we built the ISO from is wrong, the Verification phase will fail at the start while reading the TOC, usually while parsing the file system of the disk (It will say as much too). After that verification should go off without a hitch insomuch as reading the sectors and verifying the burn itself is concerned, but rest assured, the burn is bad!

   4. If the burn is good, once verification is done Windows will read the disk and everything is dandy, in My Computer the disk icon will be a CD with a green Plus sign. Double-clicking should launch your media player, and if you right-click -> Open you should see the files you put into the ISO!

   5. If the burn is bad most likely the LBA we set in step 3 is wrong, double-check what it's supposed to be from that last burn, and rebuild the ISO if necessary.

7. If all went as planned, congratulations! You made a CD-Plus disk!

[Tsaukpaetra]

Anyways, bump. I think it's a nifty guide, even if there's a low use-case for it.

[Tsaukpaetra]

Updating because I was being dumb when creating the ISO, apparently you MUST ONLY use an ISO9770 + Joliet filesystem. No UDF, otherwise ImgBurn gets extremely confused for reasons.

 

Also, you can avoid the Test Mode burn by using the "View Image Information" function after selecting the Cue file for write for Step 2. The magic number we need is under Session 2, Index 1. In the example given, the line would read "Index 1     333350 - 358559"

Be cognizant that you don't choose the PreGap info!

[SpudDK]

I am glad you made this.  I just spent a good chunk of time trying to sort all this out.  Was at the point of wanting to find a disc and see what magic was used to make it.

And then I read this!

I will report back after my first try.  

Oh, use case.  Well, I want to supply a couple audio files with a children's book.  The book is one of those play the record and follow along kinds many of us had as kids. There is something about the classic styles that continues to appeal.

Few people have record players, so I thought I would make an audio CD and include files for portable media players.  This mode of disc building should work just fine.

We will see .... [ greets from Oregon, USA ]

[SpudDK]

I got it the first time!  Because I am new to some of this, I was seriously confused about what to put in the second session!  I put a .jpg in there and ImgBurn rightfully complained about not being able to find a combination of filters for the file

So, this is a sort of chicken and egg thing.  You need the LBA offset in order to correctly build the .iso, and you need the .cue file made with the iso to get the LBA offset.

A dummy .iso will probably work and now that I think I have a handle on all this, I am going to step through this again with a dummy iso.

Edit:  Yep.

I use a small .iso file I copy to my project directory.  Use that to build the right .cue file the first time.

Copy-and-overwrite.iso

Get that offset, then build the intended .iso and overwrite the "copy-and-overwrite.iso" file.

Switch to write mode, pick that .cue file and you are off to the races with a good disc!