Tool - SST Image Merge
Author: Copyright (C) 2014 by CiderPress authors

SST Image Merge

This tool is used to combine two disk images created by the "SST" utility into a single ".nib" disk image.

SST is "Saltine's Super Transcopy", a nibble copier modified to read raw nibble data from disks and write it to two floppy disks. The usual approach to creating .nib files is to run SST on a real Apple II, create images of the two disks, copy them to a PC, and then run SST in an emulator to copy the two sides onto a "blank.nib" file. The advantage of this approach over creating ShrinkIt or ".do" files is that in many cases the copy protection can be left more or less intact.

CiderPress can't make the first half of the process easier, but it can simplify the second. Instead of running an emulated SST to combine the images, just use the "SST Image Merge" function from the Tools menu. You will be asked to locate the first side, then the second side, then asked for the name of the output file. The pieces are merged immediately. You are given the option of opening the newly-created disk in CiderPress, but as with all disk images this will only work if the disk has a recognizable filesystem. The NIB format is generally used for disks without filesystems, so you may have to test the image by booting it in an Apple II emulator.

If CiderPress notices anything unusual about the images, you will be notified. A warning will be shown if they don't appear to be images of SST-created disks, or if they were specified in the wrong order.

You can transfer the SST disk images from your Apple II in any format that CiderPress supports. The most popular are unadorned DOS-order files (.DO) or ShrinkIt (.SHK/.SDK). Since the disks don't have a recognizable filesystem, CiderPress' automatic sector order determination algorithms may not work, so it is important to use the appropriate filename extension on unadorned formats. If CiderPress can't figure it out, or if you have "Confirm disk image format" enabled, you will be prompted to enter it. (The "filesystem format" will usually show "Generic DOS sectors"; this is normal, and can be left alone.)

SST has some fancy features (nibble counting, track synchronization) that CiderPress does not try to emulate. If you need special parameters in SST, you will need to use the original method.