FOF Extractor (Updated to Version 4.3.0, 6/18/2006: Draft History Screen)

[gstelmack]

FOF Extractor Suite is a suite of utilities for writing reports from FOF that the base game does not do. It consists of the following utilities:

FOFExtractor: The original. FOF Extractor process player report windows to dump a CSV file listing details about a group of players, and can also dump scouts and coaches. The key thing about this utility is that it uses an OCR algorithm to grab data straight from the screens, which means it can be a bit flaky to run (activating ClearType in Windows gives it fits, for example) but also means it can grab data not available in any other way. Notably it gives you scout-adjusted ratings for the player.

DraftAnalyzer: Extractor's sibling, this tool runs against an Extractor dump of a draft class to allow easy analysis of the draftees. It tells you who has good combine scores, who has poor combine scores, and allows you to adjust various weights to set your own rankings.

LogFileProcessor: A recent addition, this converts game log files to CSV for help in analyzing how your gameplan is working. Can also generate an HTML table of gameplan data from a given team's point-of-view.

FOFInterrogator: Another recent addition, this utility reads the binary game data directly to dump CSV files of pretty much every internal game table. It does not dump anything that the game UI doesn't give you access to (so no actual player ratings for cheating), but its key purpose is to dump all this data in one place for easier sifting in Excel or to use in creating databases for league web sites.

FOFGameViewer: An off-line viewer for the game log files.

FOFExtender: Provides some spreadsheet views of your saved games / multiplayer leagues that aren't available in the base game. For example, it includes tables of scouts and coaches that include all of their attributes for easier browsing when trying to decide who to hire.

For those that don't know, CSV files are comma-delimited text files that are easy to open in a spreadsheet. This allows you to use Excel to sort and analyze lists of data from the game in your own customized way.

[sabotai]

Sweetness. This is one cool util.

[sjshaw]

You are a freakin' genius

[VPI97]

:eek: Damn, Skippy....

How did I miss this the first time around?

[Fritz]

someone say Skippy?

[Franklinnoble]

someone say Skippy?

I dunno, but who's "ANN"?

[fantastic flying froggies]

I am sad to say that the known issue (i.e. me !) is still not resolved in ver 1.1. I know you said you didn't fix it, but I'm just confirming it...

[Ben E Lou]

Archived.

[gstelmack]

I am sad to say that the known issue (i.e. me !) is still not resolved in ver 1.1. I know you said you didn't fix it, but I'm just confirming it...
Making this thing support ClearType is not going to be easy. My plan for a nice, simple, elegant approach to grabbing the data from the screen completely falls apart when the fonts get blurred. Anyone know of a good open-source OCR library?

[fantastic flying froggies]

Greg, I've playing around with differents windows setting to try and fix things on my end, and I'm not so sure anymore the issue is with ClearType.

When removing the ClearType option, the extractor still crashes. Do you know of other windaws settings that would have similar conflicts with your app ?

[gstelmack]

The only other reported crash was caused by having the Extractor window on top of the player report. Making sure that the Extractor was not covering up the player report window fixed that issue.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Tried that too... still not working... :(

[Fritz]

I dunno, but who's "ANN"?

Funny thing. Right before I haed this for the first time I had just sent a personal and somewhat flirty e-mail to woman named Ann. I read this post and thought "WTF?? Did I post my email to the FOFC?" So I started looking around so I could delete it, but with no luck. Man did I feel sick until I realized what Franklin was talking about.

[fantastic flying froggies]

what would FOF stand for then ? Fritz 's Old F*ck ??? :D

[sabotai]

bump

[RPI-Fan]

Great utility!

Is there a way to use this to easily track changes in player ratings?

[sabotai]

RPI, what you could do is run the utility, rename the outputted file (to something like "Season 2004" and the run it again later in the seaosn or the next year. Open up both spreadsheets and find the guy(s) and then copy them to a thrid spreadsheet and there you go.

[sabotai]

Bump again (because people keep asking for a utility to do things that this does in another thread...)

[gstelmack]

Just a small note: there are currently two known bugs that I am looking into fixing:

- Combine numbers with a zero after the decimal point (i.e. 5.09) appear to be dropping the zero (appearing as 5.9). Should be an easy fix to some stupid math problem.

- There is at least one user with a non-standard font that throws the utility off. Since I only care about around a dozen characters, I hope to be able to detect and support this font.

[fantastic flying froggies]

- There is at least one user with a non-standard font that throws the utility off. Since I only care about around a dozen characters, I hope to be able to detect and support this font.
I'm still there, Greg, and still hoping...

[gstelmack]

Just a small note: there are currently two known bugs that I am looking into fixing:

- Combine numbers with a zero after the decimal point (i.e. 5.09) appear to be dropping the zero (appearing as 5.9). Should be an easy fix to some stupid math problem.

- There is at least one user with a non-standard font that throws the utility off. Since I only care about around a dozen characters, I hope to be able to detect and support this font.
Both are fixed. Update at http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/fofextractor.htm. It still does not support ClearType, but it will now handle large fonts / 120-dpi desktop settings and fixed the stupid (on my part) decimal point error.

[gstelmack]

I have a new update available. This is strictly a trouble-shooting build. For those that are having problems, this will now tell me what field it stops on when it has trouble. I also caught one case where it was hanging up, but it will simply report an error in this case. It will also now abort when it hits an error rather than trying to continue processing (and potentially opening a bunch more error dialogs).

[3ric]

Thanks, Greg. I ran it again and it stopped at Volatility, showing the message "Could not extract detailed int".

[gstelmack]

1.1.3 is now up. It fixes my stupid bug where it would ALWAYS report "Could not extract detailed int" for a draft list. One of these days I'll stop putting stupid bugs in ;)

[Rizon]

1.1.3 is now up. It fixes my stupid bug where it would ALWAYS report "Could not extract detailed int" for a draft list. One of these days I'll stop putting stupid bugs in ;)

Greg,

The 113 extractor works perfect for me when I use it on team rosters, but when I try it on the Free Agents, it stops on volatility and gives the error "Could not extract detailed int".

Also, when I try it on the Draft Preview, it works ... sort of. It gets about to the OLmen, then completely freezes. I was curious if it was system resources, so I kept the Resource Meter open, and watched it get munched. After about a minute in a half, the resources went from 90% to 0%, then froze the computer. I'm not sure what's up with that. I have 768mb RAM, and I think I might be getting punished for being too lazy to take WinME off this computer. :(

[gstelmack]

Greg,

The 113 extractor works perfect for me when I use it on team rosters, but when I try it on the Free Agents, it stops on volatility and gives the error "Could not extract detailed int".
Free Agent lists mess things up because there is a mix of player types (undrafted and veterans). 1.2 will be much better able to deal with this. 1.1 works best on team rosters and draft lists.

Also, when I try it on the Draft Preview, it works ... sort of. It gets about to the OLmen, then completely freezes. I was curious if it was system resources, so I kept the Resource Meter open, and watched it get munched. After about a minute in a half, the resources went from 90% to 0%, then froze the computer. I'm not sure what's up with that. I have 768mb RAM, and I think I might be getting punished for being too lazy to take WinME off this computer. :(
You might. Win9x is really bad about resources. I'll double-check to make sure I'm freeing everything (I'm using bitmaps to get screenshots, and that is likely what's leaking on you), but at first glance this may be a problem with ME not releasing freed resources in a timely manner.

[Rizon]

... may be a problem with ME not releasing freed resources in a timely manner.

After going through all the possible ID-10-t user errors, I kind of figured that's what it might be. I could really build a time machine to go back and kick myself.

[gstelmack]

Version 1.2 is now available at http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/fofextractor.htm. See details on the site and in the readme, but the big thing is that 1.2 has an improved OCR initialization structure that handles big fonts automatically (tested with 96 DPI and 120 DPI), lets me pull in more data, and makes it easier to handle mixed lists of veteran players and rookies that have not been through a training camp. It is also generally more robust: you are now far more likely to see a "0" in the data than have the program freeze on a player.

Because of the under-the-covers changes, and because dealing with a font like Arial means it's hard to programmatically determine how wide a space is, or if the letter is a capital-eye or lowercase-el, this should be treated like a beta release. Let me know of any problems, and I welcome feedback on the layout of the new columns, especially in lists of mixed players. I'm considering options to eliminate columns (for example, tell extractor not to dump combine numbers even if the free agent list has draft players), and I'm also willing to re-arrange columns, add flag columns to indicate the existance of other columns, write out column headers, etc. I am also reading in all the data for all players, then spitting it out to a file, so I can calculate column values or add summary data as desired (if better to have here than in a spreadsheet). So feel free to make suggestions that would make the data file more useful and more user-friendly.

[3ric]

Thanks, Greg! I'll make sure to check it out and get back to you if I find anything.

[gstelmack]

1.2.1 available, primarily with some new debugging aids. There is now a "Debug First Player" checkbox that will write the screen captures to PlayerInfo1.bmp, PlayerInfo2.bmp, and ScoutingReport.bmp, plus a FontData.txt file with some sizing information on the font being used. These can be sent to me in cases where the screenshot does not make it clear what's going on.

I've also put code in to place the dialog in the upper-left corner to help reduce the chance that Extractor is blocking the PlayerReport window.

[gstelmack]

1.2.2 available. Fixed a bug that caused the "Current Impression" field of the draft list to extract as 0. Capital-eye and lowercase-el got confused on me.

[3ric]

Thanks... I did a draft list before that was affected by that bug, now I can fix it...

[3ric]

Greg, any chance of making it possible to export a list of the available coaches and scouts?

[gstelmack]

Greg, any chance of making it possible to export a list of the available coaches and scouts?
Oooo, good idea. Yes, it's certainly feasible. I have one other project I'm working on (probably won't release it unless I can figure out how to move my draftee-ranking-formula to an editable text file so I don't give away any trade secreats ;) ), and then I may just have to look into this...

[gottimd]

I am using this Mod, and adding onto it and I hope to be done within a week or two. As of now, I just have it working on the current rosters, which I am trying to complete and once I do that I will begin working on the Draft Extract.

What it will do is, once you extract the data using the FOF Extract Mod, you copy and paste the data into the spreadsheet that I will provide in excel. Press a button (A macro) that will parse the data and put all qualities and characteristics in the appropriate columns with a column that I added named "Potential Reached". You can sort the data by position. It will make this more readable and give you the percentages and statistics (current and potential ratings) by position in a more clear format, which will be very easy to read. This will make it easier to compare your players on your team by each category in excel format.

I am hoping to build on this at a later time (Salaries,Analysis on whether to re-sign/negotiate/release a player), and since I am working in excel, I can pass this off as actual "workload" at my job. Of course my job has some work in it as well, so the development may take longer than I expect.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Excellent news guys, keep 'em coming !

[gottimd]

Wanted someone to test out and let me know any bugs for this first edition Mod. Follow the instructions, and make sure all FOF 2004 files were saved in the default directory.

Press Here for "Gottimd Extractor Plus Beta Version" (http://gottimd0.tripod.com/FOF2004.xls)

[gottimd]

Right click on the link and save as if the link doesnt work.....

Dont change the file name, there are macros running off of it....

Any suggestions would help, so feel free to let me know if I am wasting my time or if there are any features that should be added.....

[sovereignstar]

Anyone else having problems with this?

[fantastic flying froggies]

gottimd, you may want to include a readme file giving detailed instructions.

OK, I have my extractor text file. I select all, copy and paste in the FOF2004 worksheet of your spreadsheet.

What do I do next ? I've tried running a macro, but excel doesn't find any.
Any suggestions ?

[sovereignstar]

gottimd, you may want to include a readme file giving detailed instructions.

OK, I have my extractor text file. I select all, copy and paste in the FOF2004 worksheet of your spreadsheet.

What do I do next ? I've tried running a macro, but excel doesn't find any.
Any suggestions ?
Exactly what he said. :)

[gottimd]

On the first sheet, I think it is called "Main", there are instructions and buttons. Sorry I would have responded earlier, I was out of the state with no access. The macro's should work, I have tested a few times. I am still working on it though. THe only reason I can see that it wouldnt work is due to O/S differences. I use XP.

Try it again....

[fantastic flying froggies]

On the first sheet, I think it is called "Main", there are instructions and buttons. Sorry I would have responded earlier, I was out of the state with no access. The macro's should work, I have tested a few times. I am still working on it though. THe only reason I can see that it wouldnt work is due to O/S differences. I use XP.

Try it again....
OK, 1st problem : there is only one sheet, called FOF2004 and it's completely blank.
Maybe try reposting your excel file ?

[gottimd]

Maybe something is wrong with how it is hosted. When I download from the site, everything works. Anyways, would someone be able to Host it on their site, or at least check it out to see if it works? Let me know, and I will email you the file.

[fantastic flying froggies]

I can't host your file as i don't have any webspace, but if you want, you can email the file and I'll tell you if it works.
Then we'll know for sure if it's your file or the web host.

I'll PM you my email adress right now.

[gottimd]

Got it! Just sent you the Excel file.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Got it! Just sent you the Excel file.Got it, it works fine ! And it's a beauty...

You've just saved me hours of painful importing and formatting !

Some comments :
- works great for roster dumps, not so much for draft preview dumps
- add in the possibilty to change filepath and/or filename

Obviously, your liink is broken as the file you emailed works fine.

That's it for now. Again, great work and thanks for sharing...

[gottimd]

After I complete this one, I want to start working on a Draft File. I have updated what you have to version B. This adds in the ability to compare 3 players of any position on the main page. Also, at the bottom, as of now, it gives you the averages of each position (Characteristics such as age, volatility, Intelligence, etc) and the amount of players you have at that position. I will email it to you shortly.

I am not sure how to make the paths static based upon user, so I made it set to the default as noted in the directions.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Great.

You've got an error in version b. It gives an out of range error.

It's easy to fix, with the debugger. I did it myself. You have a reference to FOF2004.xls where your new file is FOF2004vb.xls.

[gottimd]

Oops, I renamed the file without changing the VBA, good catch.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Playing around further, found another error.

Starting at RG and further down the list, the stats are not imported.

Can't figure out why.

[fantastic flying froggies]

One other suggestion : do positionnal groupings if possible, eg group tackles, ILB, etc...
Do-able ?

Hey, you did ask for suggestions and comments !

[gottimd]

Do you mean on the RG, there are all Zero's? I noticed if you use extractor and use another window or program, the extractor gives you all zeros when the FOF screen is not active. So when you extract, stay on the extract screen and FOF screen until it is complete.

As for the groupings, that may take some time.

I want to start working on the draft file, but I am at work, and only have access to the Demo version here. At home, the fiance is not too happy about me ignoring her to work on the excel file, so I have limited time at home.

[fantastic flying froggies]

OK, you're right. The '0' problem is with the extractor file proper, not with your excel file.

As I am at work too, I probably did what you 're saying and jumped to another window.

Re upgrades or other versions, don't sweat it. Right now, it 's a great add-on as is. Anything extra will be a bonus. And don't lose a girlfriend over it !

[gottimd]

If you could send me, or anyone else who happens to be viewing this conversation between us, can send me the Draft File export, I can start working on that when I get a chance. It would also help to have the column headers in there because I am not sure what they are.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Draft file sent.

[gstelmack]

If you could send me, or anyone else who happens to be viewing this conversation between us, can send me the Draft File export, I can start working on that when I get a chance. It would also help to have the column headers in there because I am not sure what they are.
If you need sample files at any time, just let me know. I've got test cases ready to run.

The columns are documented in the readme that comes with Extractor, and as of 1.2 can vary depending on the type of export done (although all draft exports should have the same columns). The biggest issue with differing columns are reports run on rosters/free agents after the draft and before training camp, or with unsigned draft picks on them after training camp.

[gottimd]

Thanks, I am going to use Froggies for now, I'll see what I can come up with, and post updates when I have them. Meanwhile, can anyone host a file? It looks like others can't access my file when I host it on my own site (see previous notes within thread), so to get this utility out there, it needs to be hosted. Right now, it is just the Roster Utility, and I am working on the draft utility now.

[sovereignstar]

Yeah. Sent the file to this address:

sovstar AT juno.com

[gottimd]

Just sent it to you.

[gottimd]

Thanks Sovereign.

File is now hosted here (http://colossal-cm.com/ExtractMod.zip)

[fantastic flying froggies]

Thanks Sovereign.

File is now hosted here (http://colossal-cm.com/ExtractMod.zip)

Just to confirm that new link is now working fine.

[Sweed]

Just d'loaded these two mods and they are great. Thanks guys for making my game experience better. Thought I'd also add for the computer challenged like myself that this was all very easy to do. And for those that don't have excel like me the xl sheet worked fine in open office. I did have to manually move the roster data into it though.

[gottimd]

Can someone send me a draft export (.txt) file. I have started working on the Draft Export Mod and need to test it out. Thanks.

[gottimd]

Anyone, draft file export? Anyone......Bueller......Bueller.............

[fantastic flying froggies]

Testing draft extractor mod.

Starting the file up, I get the main screen, with the comment 'cells calculating' at the bottom then I get a RTE 1004 - select method of range class failed

[gottimd]

I fixed that. I will send you the new file. I had a Worksheet Calculate event which the range/sheet was not activated. I removed that and replaced with a button on the "Main" sheet.

[fantastic flying froggies]

When debugging, the following line is highlighted :
Rows("36:111").Select

[fantastic flying froggies]

Strangely enough, the file seems to be working fine anyway, even with the RTE.

[gottimd]

I fixed it and sent you another version. Do you have a Draft Text file? I would like to test it out myself.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Hold on a sec, I need to fire my laptop up, I'm sure I've got a draft file on that one.
Didn't I send it to you already yesterday ?

[gottimd]

You did, but I can't find it. Actually, I think that is what I am working with now.

[fantastic flying froggies]

bug - on main screen, filtering by 'all positions' results in nobody shown at all.

[gottimd]

I need to get rid of the "All". It was just too complex to do on that page.

[fantastic flying froggies]

New draft file just emailed.

[fantastic flying froggies]

When importing new draft text file, RTE 1004 - application defined or object defined error.

Methinks one needs to delete the previous data, otherwise your macro cannot parse.
Lemme try it.

[gottimd]

Already on it.....I am adding more VBA codes to do that, and fixing some formula's.

[fantastic flying froggies]

OK, I'll let you handle it then as you obviously are much more qualified for the task than I am... ;)

[gottimd]

Okay Froggies and Sovereign, check your emails!!! New version of the mod.

[fantastic flying froggies]

And at the same time, I was sending you another draft text file that I just ran...

[sovereignstar]

***Updated links for both of gottimd's Mods***

Extractor Mod (http://colossal-cm.com/gottimd/ExtractMod.zip)

Draft Mod (http://colossal-cm.com/gottimd/DraftMod.zip)

[fantastic flying froggies]

I get an RTE 1004 when pressing the sort button of the main page. :(

[gottimd]

Sovereign, I am sending the most recent version, just a few touch ups, you should probably host the one I am going to send to you.

Any problems/suggestions?

[sovereignstar]

Go ahead and create the account I made for you. I've got to jet!

[gottimd]

What does it say or debug at? I am not getting it, I wonder if it is a version problem, I am using XP.

[fantastic flying froggies]

What does it say or debug at? I am not getting it, I wonder if it is a version problem, I am using XP.
I am running Me on my desktop, i'll try it on the laptop where I have XP and see if that causes the problem.

Otherwise, the error is application-defined or object defined. Debug stops at
Selection.Sort Key1:=Range("J3"), Order1:=xlAscending, Header:=xlNo, _
OrderCustom:=1, MatchCase:=False, Orientation:=xlTopToBottom, _
DataOption1:=xlSortNormal

Lemme run on my laptop first.

[gottimd]

It can be manually sorted as well. I just threw the button in there to automate the process. Sort by position range I3 to AZ1500.

[fantastic flying froggies]

dola - getting the same error on my laptop.

It's be good if somebody else could try it, see if I'm in the only one with the problem.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Grrr, you ruined my dola. :)
Will do the hand sorting...

[gottimd]

My bad, I'll let you reply a few times to my post before I post again.....HAHAHA!

[fantastic flying froggies]

OK, works fine with the hand sorting. I'll try and sort the macro out myself.
In the meantime, I'm happy with you delivered !
Good job !

You know the next step now is to be able to do the position groupings... I might have a go at it myself...

[fantastic flying froggies]

dola - you can reply now... ;)

[fantastic flying froggies]

In your latest version, the one with the minor fixes, the clear data macro now clears in the main page instead of the draft date export sheet.

[gottimd]

Okay, but it works though, right? I don't think anybody knows of these Mods besides you, sovereign and I.

The groupings would take a bit of work, do you mean group all Offense together and Defense Together, and/or RT and LT all together as Tackles? The problem with making the Offense and Defense grouped into one is that some positions have different Characteristics, so it would be hard to compare.

[gottimd]

Well thats not good, minor fix, I will patch and send to you two again.

[fantastic flying froggies]

The groupings would take a bit of work, do you mean group all Offense together and Defense Together, and/or RT and LT all together as Tackles? The problem with making the Offense and Defense grouped into one is that some positions have different Characteristics, so it would be hard to compare.
I am indeed only talking about the 'simpler' groupings, e.g.
LT and RT -> OT
SLB & WLB -> OLB
I think that is how they are shown on the main draft screen in the game itself. It's just each draftee's individual screen where the position is differenciated.

Re the fact that only sov and I know about those, I disagree with you. You'd be surprised at the amount of people reading those threads and downloading stuff without necessaraly replying. I should know, I was like that before...
Now, I'm a FOFC addict...

[Sweed]

Well, I think I'm the only one that responded in the thread after d'loading. I hope you'll post a link to the final draft mod. The roster one is great as I said above. Thanks again for your efforts.

[gottimd]

***Updated links for both of gottimd's Mods***


Roster Extractor Mod (http://colossal-cm.com/gottimd/ExtractMod.zip)

Draft Extractor Mod (http://colossal-cm.com/gottimd/DraftMod.zip)


Sovereign is hosting, not sure if he caught my last update, but I will FTP up there in a second so you can have the most recent version.

[gottimd]

Dola-

If the Sort Button doesn't work for some reason (maybe an excel version issue), go to the "Draft Data Export Page", highlight I3 to AZ1500, and sort by column J (position) with no header row in ascending order.

[gstelmack]

Unfortunately, I'm getting ready to go on vacation for a week, so it's going to be a bit longer than I intended before Extractor 2.0 will be released. But meantime here are a couple of teasers.

Sample Scout Data (http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/FOFScout.txt)

Completely new feature:

http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/DraftAnalyzer.png

[gottimd]

Nice! Is there a way to include salary in there as well? Is this going to be a txt export? Sorry to ask so many questions just curious. Are you working on the scout file too?

If you need help in excel let me know, be glad to be of assistance.

[gstelmack]

I am exporting salary for coaches and scouts, and those files will be comma-delimited text just like the rosters. I can add pretty much any field that's on the player report window to the player output, just ask ;)

I'm planning on adding text output to the draft list as well. It just gives you some different sorting options. I'm hoping to add the "mock draft" feature to that utility at some point after its initial release.

[3ric]

Nice upgrade Greg, looking forward to try it out.

[gottimd]

The news just get better and better with this thread, me likey likey.

[gstelmack]

Version 2.0 is now available, same place (link in my sig). Key new features include scout/coach export, the draft analyzer program, and an installer (now that there are two programs and some HTML documentation).

As with version x.0 of anything, consider this beta and feel free to flood me with bug reports or suggestions to make them more useful.

[3ric]

Thanks, Greg!

[fantastic flying froggies]

Bump, and thank you Greg !

[Fritz]

I wish we could retitle this thread

[fantastic flying froggies]

Suggestions : being able to filter by position, being able to sort by all colums (right now, it's only possible to sort by the 4 different rankings)

Going back to play around with it some more...

[gottimd]

Gstelmack-

Can you post any screenies or examples of the new and improved upgrades to the export? Wanted to see them but unfortunately I am at work and they frown upon playing games when they are paying me to do other things, go figure.

[gstelmack]

The export now spits out coaches and scouts, with almost every field visible on the scout/staff report windows. Nothing changed with the players, although I expect it to for 2.1 (at the very least I want to get college in there for the draft list).

Thanks for the suggestions, froggie.

[gstelmack]

v2.0.1 now available, link in sig. Mostly some minor bug fixes, can sort on any column, etc. This is also the first test of doing an in-place upgrade with Windows Installer, so let me know of any installation issues.

Barring major bugs, I expect the next release to v2.1, where Draft Analyzer becomes a full-blown draft manager, with the ability to set and modify a draft order (separate from any other column sorting), providing a pastable draft string suitable for forum/chat posting to make a pick in a multiplayer league, and allow you to mark drafter players or paste the game's output string for a draft pick and have it find the player for you. As part of this, Extractor is likely to get some new fields, with "College" topping the list.

[Taco]

I just upgraded from v1.2.1 and it looks great! Thanks, and great work!!!

[Senator]

Thank you for all the efforts on making this game even more enjoyable. It is very appreciated.

[gstelmack]

Thank you for all the efforts on making this game even more enjoyable. It is very appreciated.
You guys are all welcome. I'm having a lot of fun just working on the utilities, but it's always nice to hear that other people are enjoying using them.

[gstelmack]

One key feature the suite is missing: icons! Any of the artistically inclined out there want to provide an icon for Extractor, Analyzer, and/or the suite? In return you'll get my thanks and a credit on the web page and in the About boxes.

[KWhit]

I just downloaded the extractor and I am getting an error when I first try to run the application - Unable to locate DLL for gdiplus.dll

Have you seen this before?

I'm running Win 2K professional.

[gstelmack]

Nope, that's a first I've seen it, but it may well be my use of CImage for debugging code that causes it. I'll have to do some digging tonight to see how to redistribute it: it's part of XP and 2003, but I'll need to see if it can be made available for 2000 or other OSes.

[KWhit]

Okay, thanks.

[gstelmack]

GDIPlus is available here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=BFC0B436-9015-43E2-81A3-54938B6F4614. That's a self-extracting zip that will extract gdiplus.dll plus some other files. You should be able to copy that gdiplus.dll into the FOFExtractor directory and have it work.

Since the only call that I can think of that might be using this is the debug bitmap save code, and because we seem to be past that stage of development, I'll look into yanking that from the next build to remove the GDI+ dependency. I don't want to have to distribute gdiplus.dll as it's like 1.6MB and I don't know that RoadRunner will be happy with that many downloads...

[KWhit]

Great. Thanks a bunch. I'll try it tomorrow when I'm at the computer that has FOF on it.

[gstelmack]

Version 2.1.0 is now available! This is a minor update to Extractor and a HUGE update to Draft Analyzer. Biggest change is that Draft Analyzer is set up to help manage drafts, with support for manually ordering the list, setting the current sort as a draft order, importing and exporting your sorted data, marking players as drafted (including support for pasting a line from FOF2k4's real-time draft list), and importing/exporting the list of draftees so other players in a league can update their own personal draft lists. This is designed to help with multiplayer draft management, so comments on usability are very welcome.

As part of this, Extractor dumps a player's college to the file. Note that the OCR does not always work perfectly (notably replacing capital-I with lowercase-l), so I have code to manually correct some colleges, but if you see mis-reported colleges or have problems with Analyzer not finding a drafted player, let me know so I can add that college to the manual list.

Once we stabilize this version, I'll look into the hypothetical draft feature. It looks like the team cap / needs list can be printed from within FOF2k4, so likely implementation is "print team cap/needs list to file, bring that in to Analyzer, manually edit draft order (with the ability to copy/paste each round), and then hit go."

[Ben E Lou]

Will the 2.1.0 Analyzer work with an extracted draft from the previous version?

[gstelmack]

Will the 2.1.0 Analyzer work with an extracted draft from the previous version?

No, it's expecting the "college" to be there. Although I could probably make it handle a missing college column on import if this is important to people (it's the only quoted column so would be easy to detect if it's missing).

[Ben E Lou]

No biggie. It is just that I extracted a draft with the old version before I remembered that the new was available. Was trying to save a little time.

On a related note, I've been operating on the assumption that the Extractor needs for the FOF2K4 and Extractor screens to remain on top for it to work. Is that assumption correct, or can I do other stuff while it is running?

[gstelmack]

On a related note, I've been operating on the assumption that the Extractor needs for the FOF2K4 and Extractor screens to remain on top for it to work. Is that assumption correct, or can I do other stuff while it is running?

The only thing is that the FOF2k4 Player Report (or Coach or Scout) window needs to be uncovered. If something is blocking one of those windows, the screenshots I take of the data will have whatever is on top in it and mess it up.

But if you can run other stuff off to one side and not cover that window up (here's where a multi-monitor setup comes in handy), you can continue to work. Be careful of CPU intensive stuff that might delay the advancement to the next window: I don't have an easy way to tell when the window has redrawn, which is what the .25 second delay is for. If any of the other C++/Windows types out there know how to tell when a window repaint is completed, I might be able to speed the process up.

[Ben E Lou]

Mark Drafted: This allows you to copy-and-paste a draft line from the FOF2k4 draft dialog into the text box, then mark that player as drafted. Or a commissioner may send this line out to players in either a chat channel or web forum, and players can copy from there to update their lists. These lines look like:

1. New Orleans - Benton, Tyrone, DE, Illinois

If you can figure out a way to copy-and-paste multiple lines (like say, the last 31 or so draftees ;)), I'll have your baby.

[gstelmack]

If you can figure out a way to copy-and-paste multiple lines (like say, the last 31 or so draftees ;)), I'll have your baby.

I'll work on it. Just need to handle text with newlines and process them one at a time.

And thanks for the offer, but my wife and I really love our 16-month old and aren't about to give her up ;)

[Ben E Lou]

I'll work on it. Just need to handle text with newlines and process them one at a time.

And thanks for the offer, but my wife and I really love our 16-month old and aren't about to give her up ;):D

[gstelmack]

Version 2.1.1 is out. Can handle multi-line pastes from FOF2k4 so you can take the last 31 or so draftees and mark them all at once. I even pre-select everything in the text box when you click in it so you don't have to do that manually before pasting.

[Ben E Lou]

Version 2.1.1 is out. Can handle multi-line pastes from FOF2k4 so you can take the last 31 or so draftees and mark them all at once. I even pre-select everything in the text box when you click in it so you don't have to do that manually before pasting.My hero!!!

[gstelmack]

My hero!!!

I won't ruin the moment by saying it took about a half-hour, a CString::Tokenize call, a CString::TrimRight call (because Tokenize won't get rid of the stupid DOS carriage return / linefeed pair in one go), and a loop ;)

[Ben E Lou]

This latest update *really* put this utility over the top for me. I ran the fastest draft I've probably ever done in FOF2K4 earlier this morning. Thanks a TON, Greg.

--Ben

[gstelmack]

Minor additional update: 2.1.2 available with a few more weights you can edit. It lets you set the weights used in the "Sct Rk" column for future potential, percent developed, and combine rank. In my single-player test draft I found that I'd want to change these weights as the draft progressed, notably reducing the reliance on future potential as the draftees converged on similar potentials.

Barring any bug reports, the next version will be a while. There's a bit of work to do to get the mock draft going (mostly in pulling in the draft order / team needs lists, plus deciding how best to output it).

[gstelmack]

Version 2.2.0 now available. The Mock Draft is finally here! Instructions included in the docs, but mainly it asks you for a "Team Needs/Cap List" (use the FOF2k4 Print button to dump to a file), then has you set up the draft order (with a "Copy First Round" button so you don't have to do all rounds manually). It then asks for the name of an HTML page to dump the results to.

HTML is a simple table; I have some offers for help to spruce it up a bit.

The Mock Draft so output is as inaccurate as any other Mock Draft. Biggest issue it suffers from is that the "Team Needs" list likes to recommend a "Starting RB" even if you have a 25/85 RB on the roster, which means the Mock Draft may well pick up another RB early on. But it should still be generally useful for how early a player is likely to go.

Also note that it uses the overall "Bureau Rating" rather than future potential since it's based on a mix of scouting services, while individual teams will often have players ranked a bit differently. But that's what makes this a "Mock Draft" and not a real one.

There will likely be 2.2.1 out in a few days to a week with bug fixes and likely spruced up HTML output (and maybe an icon!). Suggestions to make the UI easier to use are also welcome.

[fantastic flying froggies]

Man, you put new versions out faster than I can download and install them !

Keep going Greg, great work as always !

[gstelmack]

Man, you put new versions out faster than I can download and install them !

The Mock Draft went quicker than I thought. For some reason it just all came together over the weekend. I guess I was planning for it better than I thought I was ;)

I also got a good boost for the 2.1/2.2 versions of DraftAnalyzer by using CXListCtrl from CodeProject. It's a fantastic public domain extension of CListCtrl that adds features that really ought to be in CListCtrl, like easy setting of background/foreground colors, adding drop-down combo boxes in cells, etc.

[chinaski]

The Mock Draft went quicker than I thought. For some reason it just all came together over the weekend. I guess I was planning for it better than I thought I was ;)

I also got a good boost for the 2.1/2.2 versions of DraftAnalyzer by using CXListCtrl from CodeProject. It's a fantastic public domain extension of CListCtrl that adds features that really ought to be in CListCtrl, like easy setting of background/foreground colors, adding drop-down combo boxes in cells, etc.

gstelmack you are amazing. does this mean extractor will be able to cycle thru all the team screens sometime soon?? :)

[gstelmack]

Just to add more fuel to the "Greg can't leave well enough alone" fire, v2.2.1 is up! I fixed a minor bug in the Extractor where "Bowl Wins" for coaches were not extracted correctly. I also added a new Analyzer feature: HTML Export. Basically, I ripped off the HTML table Wig used for the first WigFL draft to keep the GMs up-to-date with the draft data (I don't know if he's still using it or not) and have Analyzer writing it. This is just another way for commissioners to keep GMs up-to-date with the draft, especially those not running Analyzer (or those that are but are away from their main computer, like I was for a weekend during the WigFL draft). In honor of its origins, I've christened this feature "WigOut".

[Ben E Lou]

I'm getting an error when I try to download 2.2.1. Anyone else had problems?

[gstelmack]

I just tested the download from work and it went through fine. Try again? Maybe Road Runner was having fits (wouldn't surprise me, periodically it takes FOREVER for my FTP program to connect and upload the new files to their home page area, and sometimes I have to try more than once).

[Ben E Lou]

Tried again and it worked fine. Thanks!

[nero]

Does this utility have a feature to compare players' skills and talents from one dump to another?

Would be a great way to keep tabs on their development

[sovereignstar]

Does this utility have a feature to compare players' skills and talents from one dump to another?

Would be a great way to keep tabs on their development
Check this thread out.

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/showthread.php?t=21697

While the program isn't very user-friendly (since it's w/o a GUI), it gets the job done.

[gstelmack]

Does this utility have a feature to compare players' skills and talents from one dump to another?

Would be a great way to keep tabs on their development
Sovereignstar pointed out the utility Primelord is working on to do this. Most of Extractor's features are geared towards getting the data into Excel so you can tweak it. And it's been targeted heavily at the draft pool, hence the Analyzer utility. Most of the regular roster bits just fall out as more side effects than targeted features.

[Subby]

Greg -

I just wanted to pop in and give you my most sincere thanks for taking the time to create this utlity. We are in our second off-season in FOFL and the spreadsheet I have been able to make using data from both the extractor and the analyzer has made my draft preparation a lot of fun (yes, I'm a dork).

Being able to take all the available raw information and mess around with it really adds to MP.

Thanks again and great work!

[gstelmack]

Thanks again and great work!
You're welcome!

[gstelmack]

For the curious, here's a screenshot of some Analyzer updates I'm working on:

http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/Analyzer.jpg

[sovereignstar]

Oh my!

[Flasch186]

i see it. I used it. I just dont think Im taking advantage of it properly. I know you mentioned an online draft utility that could very well save my life. Will that be the thing or is this the thing, you were talking about. I also only used the above to do a roster, so perhaps come draft time the draft dump, and mock especially will be helpful....butthose damn other leagues have run through their drafts so easily and mine almost killed me...so im waiting with anticipation for that thing-a-ma-bob.

Howard

[gstelmack]

Beta v2.3 of DraftAnalyzer released. Get it here (http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/FOFDraftAnalyzer.zip). This is a link to a zip file that contains a new Draft Analyzer executable. Extract to your installation directory and go. There is no installer, and only Analyzer has changed.

This is beta for a couple of reasons:

1) I'm using the VS.NET 2005 Beta. Use beta tools and anything you produce is beta ;)

2) I've had issues where when run on machines without VS.NET 2005 (but mostly the MFC8.0 DLLs), if run through the shortcut it asks for the MFC 8 DLLs, even though it's statically linked. I think this requires the installer which is one reason I'm not providing an installer and instead just the one .exe, but if you have an issue try running straight from the folder instead of through the installed shortcut.

3) Algorithm to determine position switches incomplete. If Analyzer says a guy can be switched to a position that FOF won't let you, let me know. Same if you see a guy that can be switched to a position in FOF that Analyzer says he can't.

4) Several new features and some fixes, so let me know how they work.

What's New


Highlights good and bad combine scores. Guys with a high combine score get green backgrounds, low combine scores are blue. Dark = 1-2 std devs, light = 2+. Also a button to replace combine scores with std devs.
This exposed a bug where the agility std dev calculation was completely wrong, leading to incorrect combine scores in earlier versions. Recheck your weights ;)
Player details box. Shows college, height/weight, attribute ratings (center of the bar shown), and a certainty score (scores close to 100 are narrow bars, lower scores are wider bars). Also shows possible positions players can be switched to.
Much more robust player name comparison. If you mark a guy drafted and Analyzer doesn't find him and mark him red, let me know. I was being stupid before and converting Extractor's "First Last" format to FOFs "Last, First" format, but because some first names AND some last names have spaces this was not a perfect algorithm. Now I convert FOFs "Last, First" to "First Last" and it all works (still use poor "Last, First" algorithm for display).

[sabotai]

Cool, just in time for eNFL's draft this weekend.

[gstelmack]

Beta 2 of of DraftAnalyzer v2.3 released. Get it here (http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/FOFDraftAnalyzer.zip). This is a link to a zip file that contains a new Draft Analyzer executable. Extract to your installation directory and go. There is no installer, and only Analyzer has changed.

It's still a beta for all the reasons listed 2 posts up. Plus, one potentially really cool new feature.

If anyone is using the TCY HTML Export Utility (http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=19230), this version of Draft Analyzer can import the statistics that the Export utility writes, if it's run on a TCY draft class that is being used for the FOF draft class.

At the end of your TCY season, before ending the season and exporting the draft file, run the TCY HTML Export utility on each pane of the "Individual Statistics" screen. Make sure you use the Replaces functionality to remove any "**" entries from the front of your player names. In addition, save out the "Power Ratings and Polls" screen (again, make sure there is no decoration on the team names). Then end the season and export the TCY draft class.

Then, when importing a draft class into Analyzer, you'll get a dialog that allows you to specify what files have the TCY stats in them. There will also be a box for specifying the file that your city names are in. The defaults are in teams.fdt in the main TCY directory, or they are in frfoot.fni in the universe directory.

If you click "Cancel" on this dialog, Analyzer will run like it always has. But if you click "OK", Analyzer will grab all of this TCY data and apply it to the players. You'll see any exported TCY stats, and their college name will show the final ranking and record for the school.

One big caveat: the statistics output by the HTML utility only show qualifiers. This means that players may show no stats in Analyzer, while FOF will show them with a handful of tackles, etc. If you see a player with games started/played shown but no other stats, this usually means they showed up in the "Misc" table with no actual stats other than total offense. I've had one weird case of a receiver with 27 catches and 512 yards not show up in the receiving stats (despite more catches and yards than a fair number of players that qualified for the list) but he did show up in "Misc" thanks to his total offense numbers (which seems to show more data). I may consider adding "Total Offense" as a stat category to help catch these guys.

Or maybe I'll spend the time to figure out the TCY data file format so I can pull in more complete stats. Or maybe I'll wait to see what Jim's next project is. But either way, this should help add more data to Analyzer and reduce trips back over to FOF to decide between two guys.

[Anthony]

i still don't know what the hell this utility does in basic terms.

[gstelmack]

i still don't know what the hell this utility does in basic terms.

FOF Extractor will export scout-adjusted data (so no cheating by grabbing raw numbers straight from the game data) from the Player Report window and dump it to a comma-delimited file for your analyzing pleasure. The most common use is to run it against a draft preview to get a nice spreadsheet of all the players available in a draft pool and then comb through it for guys with high combine numbers, etc. Some people use it to comb for free agents, and I'm sure there are other uses. It works by taking screenshots and checking pixels to get the data, so it's a bit touchy and takes a few minutes to process a draft.

Draft Analyzer reads comma-delimited text files exported by Extractor, displays the draftees in a table, and runs a couple of formulas on the players to generate some possible draft rankings. These include the standard adjusted bureau ranking seen in the game, a volatility rating (high future guys with high volatility are dinged, while low future guys with high volatility get a bump), a combine rating (how far off the average combine number at the player's position is he), and a scout rating (future potential modified by combine rating). The last is the most interesting, and the weights used for it are adjustable. This makes it easier to comb through the draft class and find diamonds in the rough, or highly-rated guys whose combine numbers don't back them up.

In other words, Draft Analyzer is for those people who aren't any good at Excel (like me). The base feature set could as easily be done in a spreadsheet using the Extractor data if you know what you're doing (and some people have put out spreadsheets that do similar things).

Some of the recent features added to Analyzer (mentioned above) include color-highlighting of players based on how high or low their combine numbers are off the average, and a player details window that shows height, weight, detailed scout scores, and the like to help make decisions between two guys that look very similar with just the basic numbers. As I've been using the Analyzer utility in my office league drafts, these are bits of data I've found myself going back to FOF for, so I'd rather have them right in front of me. The recent TCY bits are a mix of giving you more data to make a decision, and adding some color to the draft process.

Oh, and Analyzer has a pretty cheesy mock draft utility (it's just as wrong as every mock draft for the NFL, so I think the feature is right on the mark) for those that miss this feature in the real game.

[Runtheball]

All I get is a list with 38 fields, the top two being the name of my QB, his position, and then a bunch of fields each with a zero in it.

I'm running the utility on the View Rosters screen, with Scout Overview selected. I open the top item on the list (my starting QB), then click the Extract button on the utility. Seems to work, but the output is as I described above. I've run it 3 times with the same results.

Help!

[gstelmack]

All I get is a list with 38 fields, the top two being the name of my QB, his position, and then a bunch of fields each with a zero in it.

I'm running the utility on the View Rosters screen, with Scout Overview selected. I open the top item on the list (my starting QB), then click the Extract button on the utility. Seems to work, but the output is as I described above. I've run it 3 times with the same results.

Help!

There have been two reported causes of this:

1) You are covering up the FOF Player report window, so the screenshots I take show something else. Make sure you aren't switching to other programs and putting something on top of the window that shows player details.

2) You've got a weird color depth setting. Some people have reported issues with their desktop set to 16-bit, and switching to 32-bit fixes the problem. I've tested 16-bit on my local box and it works fine, so I'm not sure what the problem is.

[gstelmack]

Beta 3 of Draft Analyzer Released Get it here. (http://www.gstelmack.com/FOFDraftAnalyzer.zip) This is just a bug fix release to beta 2. Given the number of crashes I fixed and that the "Mark Drafted" button did not work if you loaded a list of draftees, and the fact that no one reported any of these, I'm not sure who all is checking out the betas ;) But regardless, here's an update that fixes a bunch of crashes related to the progress dialog, and the "Mark Drafted" button now works when loading a saved list (rather than loading an FOF Extractor export).

[gstelmack]

Dola (double-dola?)

Yes, this is also an attempt to generate a news post from Jim by releasing a fix to my utility in the hopes that he'll announce a new product that will make it obsolete (like washing your car to make it rain).

[SegRat]

Was wondering if everyone can still get this thing to work? I have used it before with no problems. Now I try to use it for the IFL draft and I keep getting a microsoft error when trying to use the draft analyzer which forces me to shut the program down.

HELP!!!!

[gstelmack]

Was wondering if everyone can still get this thing to work? I have used it before with no problems. Now I try to use it for the IFL draft and I keep getting a microsoft error when trying to use the draft analyzer which forces me to shut the program down.

HELP!!!!
What Microsoft error do you get? Are you using the latest Beta 3 version listed above or the last shipping version?

[SegRat]

Yeah I am using the latest version, if you want pm me you email address and I will send you the file and see what you get.

[SegRat]

Basically it says that it has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. I tried a old file and that works fine.

[SegRat]

I have now tried it on 2 computers and it wont work on either. I have also tried both my multiplayer league and single player league, still getting that it has encountered a problem and needs to shut down.

[gstelmack]

Basically it says that it has encountered a problem and needs to shut down. I tried a old file and that works fine.
So it's related to the actual draft file you're using? That might not be hard to figure out.

My e-mail address is on the web page: gstelmack AT nc.rr.com

[gstelmack]

Two quick things:

1) I've got actual web space with bandwidth and everthin' now, so all the files have moved to www.gstelmack.com. I've caught most of the big links, but if anything fails try the same file name but under that domain (replaces home.rr.com/gstelmack).

2) SegRat's problem above turned out to be use of a Windows Theme that had Tahoma as its default font. Tahoma has some fun properties that make it impossible to determine certain text. "ff" in particular caused a lot of fun. I think fonts besides the default Arial will work IF they don't try to mash characters up close with funky kerning, but I have not tested others and Tahoma is known to fail.

[wade moore]

gstelmack:

I keep getting this error:

"The application has failed to start because the applicatin configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the applicatin may fix the problem."

This is on Windows XP.

[gstelmack]

gstelmack:

I keep getting this error:

"The application has failed to start because the applicatin configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the applicatin may fix the problem."

This is on Windows XP.
Using one of the betas, or the last full installer? If using one of the betas, try running from the folder you installed to instead of via a shortcut.

[wade moore]

Using the one linked straight in your sig...

Same thing if I run straight from the folder.

[gstelmack]

Then I am at a loss. It's been a long time since anyone had problems with the installer version. Just to be clear:

- You downloaded the zip file from the link in my .sig.
- You extracted it.
- You double-clicked the msi file it extracts, and it installed the extractor.
- You select the link in the Start Menu, and you get the error.

Correct?

[wade moore]

Correct.

And also on the last step - went to c:\Program Files\gstelmack\extractor in Windows Explorer, ran from there - got that error.

I'll actually show a little more detail.

- Opened the zip file from the link in your sig
- Ran the msi straight from within winzip
- Selected the link in the Start menu, got the error
- Uninstalled the FOF Extractor
- Opened the zip file, extracted the msi to my desktop
- Double clicked the msi and installed the extractor
- Ran from the start menu, got error
- Ran from Explorer, got error

[gstelmack]

Then I am very confused. I will have to think on this and so some research.

[gstelmack]

I can offer another suggestion: try getting it from my old page and see if it works from there (maybe I moved the wrong file over). Should be at http://home.nc.rr.com/gstelmack/fofextractor.htm

[wade moore]

WOOHOO!!!!

It opens.. don't know yet if it works, but it opens at least :)

[wade moore]

Dola:

Extracted just fine! Thanks for your help, might want to take a look at what's up there ;)...

[gstelmack]

Bah. It probably means I had one of my attempts at an updated installer in my home page directory, but since it was messing up (see posts above) I never actually put it on my other home page, but I had it in the folder ready to go.

I'll have to fix the file tonight.

[gottimd]

Anyone got a mod that parses the box scores? Trying to compile stats for players versus certain teams and in different situations, but I can't seem to get the text in the box scores in a format to do so. I have seen the Quarterback Situational Mod that was being developed and also Fido's mod that was halted in production. Anybody have any macros/codes/mods to do this for the box scores?

[gstelmack]

V2.3.0 is no longer beta!

Well, that's not 100% accurate. I'm using Visual Studio .NET 2005, so it's built on beta software, so it's technically still a beta, and with the Go-Live license I have to warn you to use it at your own risk.

But I've updated the installer version, and 2.3.0 is now my current release. If you're willing to deal with the VS.NET 2005 warnings, it's ready for download.

New since the last beta are two item:

* Instead of calculating average / stddev within a draft class, it's now using the data collected by Tium last year for averages / stddevs across classes. So it's a bit more accurate. I may adjust these numbers again if I can get even more data.
* Threshold for highlighted players dropped to 1.5X stddev.

Also remember that everything is now at my new web site, http://www.gstelmack.com

[sovereignstar]

Greg, am I missing something? What exactly is the purpose of importing the TCY stats into it? I've created the correct HTML reports and am selecting them to be used, but I'm not seeing anything different.

Love the util nonetheless!

Edit: And where are you getting this 'confidence' rating from?

[gstelmack]

Greg, am I missing something? What exactly is the purpose of importing the TCY stats into it? I've created the correct HTML reports and am selecting them to be used, but I'm not seeing anything different.

Love the util nonetheless!

Edit: And where are you getting this 'confidence' rating from?
The TCY stats should show up in the Player Details window when you select a player. You should see a final poll ranking for the player's college, and you should see stat lines for any players that show up in the TCY HTML exports (the exports only show qualifiers, so not everyone in the draft appears).

If you aren't seeing that, but are using TCY HTML Exporter to dump the end-of-year stats for each category, I might need to have you zip up for Extractor export of the draft class and your TCY HTML and I can try debugging it here.

The confidence rating is a measure of how wide the blue bars are for a draft pick. Confidence = 100 - (2 X Blue Bar Width). So the higher the number, the narrower the blue bars. Since the blue bar width is based on scout expertise at that position, it's redundant to show a range for each attribute and takes up more space.

[sovereignstar]

The TCY stats should show up in the Player Details window when you select a player. You should see a final poll ranking for the player's college, and you should see stat lines for any players that show up in the TCY HTML exports (the exports only show qualifiers, so not everyone in the draft appears).

If you aren't seeing that, but are using TCY HTML Exporter to dump the end-of-year stats for each category, I might need to have you zip up for Extractor export of the draft class and your TCY HTML and I can try debugging it here.

The confidence rating is a measure of how wide the blue bars are for a draft pick. Confidence = 100 - (2 X Blue Bar Width). So the higher the number, the narrower the blue bars. Since the blue bar width is based on scout expertise at that position, it's redundant to show a range for each attribute and takes up more space.


I'm cool with sending what I've got. Where should I send it?

[gstelmack]

I'm cool with sending what I've got. Where should I send it?
gstelmack AT nc.rr.com

[sovereignstar]

gstelmack AT nc.rr.com

Sending..

[JPhillips]

I've recently gotten back to FOF and started using this utility. It makes the draft much more interesting. I'm not sure I draft any better players, but I sure feel like I'm getting steals in the late rounds.

Thanks for the work.

[gstelmack]

2.3.1 is now up. Fixes a little itsy-bitsy bug in the call I was using to open the teams.fdt file if bringing in TCY stats. Haven't confirmed yet if it was a change between .NET 2005 Beta 1 -> Beta 2, or if Beta 1 was letting it slip by and working by accident while Beta 2 nicely catches it.

With this version I was able to open sov's TCY files and have them import just fine and see the stats, so if it doesn't work now it's all his fault ;-)

[sovereignstar]

Works like a charm.. thanks again!

[Flasch186]

greg:

how do you get the draft order out of the game and into your extractor? I dont see a print anywhere for the draft order.

[gstelmack]

greg:

how do you get the draft order out of the game and into your extractor? I dont see a print anywhere for the draft order.
By hand http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif It doesn't take all that long: the first round takes a few minutes, then you copy the first round to the other rounds, and then fix the handful of draft positions that are off thanks to trades or lost picks.

[fantastic flying froggies]

By hand http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif It doesn't take all that long: the first round takes a few minutes, then you copy the first round to the other rounds, and then fix the handful of draft positions that are off thanks to trades or lost picks.
Handful??? You've obviously never followed an IHOF draft, have you??? I don't think even one single team ever has all its originial draft picks!!! :eek:

[Flasch186]

By hand http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif It doesn't take all that long: the first round takes a few minutes, then you copy the first round to the other rounds, and then fix the handful of draft positions that are off thanks to trades or lost picks.

can you edit it from within your extractor draft order screen. Or do I make a .txt file? and if so in what sort of format? vertically listed, full city name, abbrev.?

[gstelmack]

can you edit it from within your extractor draft order screen. Or do I make a .txt file? and if so in what sort of format? vertically listed, full city name, abbrev.?
It is fully editable within the Draft Analyzer screen (click a cell and you'll get a drop-down). Or you can hand-edit the text file. The text file is just a team name per line in order of picking (so round 2 pick 1 is the 33rd line). Use "LOST PICK" for where no team gets to make a pick.

[gstelmack]

Version 2.4.0 Released!

List of changes from 2.3.1:



HTML Export of the draft class now colors in the combine numbers in the same way the Draft Analyzer UI does. This should help out online leagues by making it easier for players away from their Analyzer installations review the remaining players to determine who to take.
Extractor now puts a header line at the top of the output files to indicate what each column is. The only exceptions are for the position attributes at the end of a player report, which are position-dependent. Depending on how you use the CSV files, this may force a change on your end.
Extractor will now grab salary data if available.
Extractor will now note what position a player is a mentor to, if any.
Analyzer now has a button and drop-down that allows you to sort the players by a specific skill (Run Defense, Avoid Fumbles, etc).
Analyzer can read 2.3.0 and 2.4.0 Extractor files; it will skip the header line if it finds it.

This should be it for big changes for a little while, as our second child is due within the next month. So get those bug reports on 2.4.0 in quick! But I am still interested in hearing about feature requests. I'm thinking of some additional ways to weight and sort players (for example, letting you set a weight for the Current value for a player to decide between Current and/or Percent Developed) and would love to hear if anyone else has ideas for rating the players.

[chinaski]

i install the latest FOF extractor.

and i ran it.

then i open FOF 5.1c up

and pick my team roster and press extract button

and i get an error saying the following

"could not find any windows. Make sure you have FOF Open, and open either a player report, a scout or staff member"

thanks
let me interpret: jbmagic reads about neat util, downloads & installs, opens it and gets a message; assumes theres something wrong and makes a post about it.

READ THE DOCUMENTATION. Start->Programs->FOF Extractor Suite->Documentation

[JPhillips]

Greg: I know I've already said this, but thanks again for the best utility out there. Not only does it make running my team more enjoyable, but the draft analyzer makes FOF come close to my dream of a football sim draft. Great work and thanks a bunch the time you've put into it.

[sovereignstar]

and your an idiot. why the hell you giving me a hard time.

i read the documentation and i just posted because i need some help with it.

if you cant help me, then please dont reply.
Easy, dog. You're gonna give yourself a hernia.

[sovereignstar]

It sounds like you don't have a report window actually opened. You need to have the top player card/scout card (aka report window) open, then click the extract button.

[jbmagic]

It sounds like you don't have a report window actually opened. You need to have the top player card/scout card (aka report window) open, then click the extract button.


ahh thanks. that work.


i just had the roster screen open like the document said.

i didnt know i had to click on the player too.


this is a very nice program. thanks again for your help.

[chinaski]

and your an idiot. why the hell you giving me a hard time.

i read the documentation and i just posted because i need some help with it.

if you cant help me, then please dont reply.

Once you run the program, make sure FOF2k4 is also running, then bring up whatever list you would like to dump. This can be a team roster, a draft preview, the scout list, or the coach list. Sort the list in whatever manner you prefer, then double-click the top entry in the list to open the appropriate Report window . Switch back to FOFExtractor, making sure that the Report window is visible, then click the "Extract" button. The program takes about .25 seconds per entry, with the time delay mostly to ensure that FOF2k4 has a chance to repaint the next report window before pulling the data from it. Once finished, you will have one of three files in the program's working directory
...

[gstelmack]

Any suggestions on how to make the error message clearer?

could not find any windows. Make sure you have FOF Open, and open either a player report, a scout or staff member

I figured that would indicate that you had to actually have the Player Report Window open. If anyone has suggestions on better wording, I'm more than willing to tweak it.

[jbmagic]

Any suggestions on how to make the error message clearer?

could not find any windows. Make sure you have FOF Open, and open either a player report, a scout or staff member

I figured that would indicate that you had to actually have the Player Report Window open. If anyone has suggestions on better wording, I'm more than willing to tweak it.


great program.

dont need to tweak anything, it was my fault for not having the player card widnow open. that what i get for trying it late last night.
sorry for the confusion.

[chinaski]

Greg,

What are the chances of adding the ability to extract all teams to a single file?

Doing select team, select view, double click, extract, rename FOFRoster.txt.. repeat 32 times is wearing me out :) I thought about using a macro program to record my actions, but that seemed a little hokey.

thanks for listening! great program!

[gstelmack]

Greg,

What are the chances of adding the ability to extract all teams to a single file?

Doing select team, select view, double click, extract, rename FOFRoster.txt.. repeat 32 times is wearing me out :) I thought about using a macro program to record my actions, but that seemed a little hokey.

thanks for listening! great program!
This is definitely on the list. Probably would be the default behavior if the Roster window was open instead of one of the report windows.

Right now I'm a bit sidetracked as I'm considering picking up TPB and moving the FOFC-FBCB pro-league accompaniment over to it from FBB, and that means importing FBCB draft files into TPB. I'm about halfway through the FBCB draft file format (I've actually got all the player attributes, its filtering through the awards and year-by-year stats to get to the next player that's taking a bit more time).

[Icy]

Umm i have tried to find this error but haven't found a solution.
- I run the extractor at the draft preview(for the NAFL), all is ok and the file is created.
- I open it with the analyzer, i have a standard windows message error (this aplication had a error .....) and then all the players are loaded with all rattings equal to zero.
I have openend the .txt file and all seems ok there, i can see it formated this way:

Name,Position,College,Height,Weight,Experience,Volatility
Lorenzo McGee,RT,"",0,0,0,0,63,98,63,98,53,89,63,98
Teddy Rottinghaus,TE,"",0,0,0,0,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,58,97,60,98,60,98,57,96,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,13,52
Leon Venegas,P,"",0,0,0,0,65,95,61,91,43,73,21,49
Karl Schulz,K,"",0,0,0,0,59,89,64,94,69,98,59,89
Stan Finks,RB,"",0,0,0,0,71,96,58,83,76,98,29,54,76,98,37,62,72,97,37,62,76,98,76,98,76,98,2,24,3,28,72,97,76,98
Joe Dunn,LDT,"",0,0,0,0,70,98,70,98,55,84,70,98,29,58,68,97
Vinny Garrett,RCB,"",0,0,0,0,66,98,63,95,66,98,41,73,28,60,36,68,67,98,45,77,2,32,67,98,48,80
Damon Manning,RG,"",0,0,0,0,63,98,63,98,47,83,47,83
Ed Winslett,K,"",0,0,0,0,69,98,2,30,52,80,57,87
Mercury Vaughn,RG,"",0,0,0,0,22,58,63,98,63,98,63,98


Do you know why i get this error?
Thanks in advance.

[gstelmack]

Umm i have tried to find this error but haven't found a solution.
- I run the extractor at the draft preview(for the NAFL), all is ok and the file is created.
- I open it with the analyzer, i have a standard windows message error (this aplication had a error .....) and then all the players are loaded with all rattings equal to zero.
I have openend the .txt file and all seems ok there, i can see it formated this way:

Name,Position,College,Height,Weight,Experience,Volatility
Lorenzo McGee,RT,"",0,0,0,0,63,98,63,98,53,89,63,98
Teddy Rottinghaus,TE,"",0,0,0,0,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,58,97,60,98,60,98,57,96,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,60,98,13,52
Leon Venegas,P,"",0,0,0,0,65,95,61,91,43,73,21,49
Karl Schulz,K,"",0,0,0,0,59,89,64,94,69,98,59,89
Stan Finks,RB,"",0,0,0,0,71,96,58,83,76,98,29,54,76,98,37,62,72,97,37,62,76,98,76,98,76,98,2,24,3,28,72,97,76,98
Joe Dunn,LDT,"",0,0,0,0,70,98,70,98,55,84,70,98,29,58,68,97
Vinny Garrett,RCB,"",0,0,0,0,66,98,63,95,66,98,41,73,28,60,36,68,67,98,45,77,2,32,67,98,48,80
Damon Manning,RG,"",0,0,0,0,63,98,63,98,47,83,47,83
Ed Winslett,K,"",0,0,0,0,69,98,2,30,52,80,57,87
Mercury Vaughn,RG,"",0,0,0,0,22,58,63,98,63,98,63,98


Do you know why i get this error?
Thanks in advance.
gottimd was PM'ing me about the same error. This typically means either:

ClearType is turned ON (lots of people do this for laptops for clearer text)

or

You're using a Windows Theme that forces a font other than Arial for FOF

ClearType blurs the characters, completely breaking my OCR algorithm. Some fonts other than Arial (Tahoma seems popular) render the characters with kerning that breaks the OCR; for example, Tahoma has no blank space between the two letters in the sequence "ff".

Given that everything above is messed up, my guess is you have ClearType turned on. Turn it off before running Extractor. Maybe one of these days I'll figure out how to turn it off programmatically while Extractor is running...

[Icy]

You're right, it was that, thanks a lot.

[gstelmack]

This is definitely on the list. Probably would be the default behavior if the Roster window was open instead of one of the report windows.
So I'm actively working on this, but I've hit a snag. I can detect and then step through all the teams from the roster screen, but I'm having a hard time programmatically getting the list to open up a player report window. I think I've got the item selected, but I can't con the roster window into actually opening the player report. I've got a couple of SendMessage calls still to try, but if anyone else has figured this out, I'd love to hear suggestions.

[sovereignstar]

So I'm actively working on this, but I've hit a snag. I can detect and then step through all the teams from the roster screen, but I'm having a hard time programmatically getting the list to open up a player report window. I think I've got the item selected, but I can't con the roster window into actually opening the player report. I've got a couple of SendMessage calls still to try, but if anyone else has figured this out, I'd love to hear suggestions.
Perhaps badgerken (kenbadger?), the guy that wrote the roster scrape util, would have some sort of an idea. I believe that util can be found in the strategy forum. Could've sworn that you commented on it, but maybe I'm mistaken (or perhaps it's of no help to you).

[gstelmack]

Perhaps badgerken (kenbadger?), the guy that wrote the roster scrape util, would have some sort of an idea. I believe that util can be found in the strategy forum. Could've sworn that you commented on it, but maybe I'm mistaken (or perhaps it's of no help to you).
He just steps through the teams in the roster screen, clicking "Print to File". I've got that part working, it's the next step of trying to open a "Player Report" window that has me stumped. I really hate working with list controls, this kind of stuff is always annoying with them (dealing with selected items, that is).

[gstelmack]

Okay, figured it out. Use "SendInput()" to send a mouse message, and the coordinates are some screwy 0-65535 representing the whole screen.

Some details, and this baby can go out in a couple of days...

[gstelmack]

2.4.1 Released!

Extractor 2.4.1 has been released. Changes include:


Extractor can now extract all teams. Open a team roster window, then hit the extract button. Extractor will automatically step through the teams, open the first player in the list, run through that team, close the player, and move on to the next team. You do not need to open a Player Report window (and if you do, you will only get that team).
Extractor now pulls the birthdate and team for each player. Check your spreadsheets / utilities.
Analyzer updated to work with the new Extractor files as well as the old. However, it cannot load old Analyzer saves, so wait to upgrade if you are in the middle of a draft.
Analyzer will now display a player's birthdate, if it is available from the Extractor file.
Note that it can take quite some time to step through all the teams (including free agents), and it has to move the mouse to do it, so run this type of Extract when you can walk away from the computer for a while.

Also, if the baby isn't here in the next couple of days, the C-Section is planned for Friday, so get those bug reports in fast http://dynamic.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[gottimd]

Fantastic news!

[jbmagic]

gstelmack


thanks your program is great

[gstelmack]

Version 2.4.2 Released!

I fixed a bug where, when extracting rosters for all teams in one shot, the headings used were based on which fields were extracted for free agents, which may not include all fields used for other teams. For example, if there were no unsigned rookies in the free agent pool, but there was one on a team roster, that team would have all the draft data dumped, but none of the earlier teams would. This messed up the exported columns.

Now, when dumping all rosters in one shot, all columns will be exported whether they are found or not.

[gstelmack]

Version 3.0.0 Released!



New utility: FOFInterrogator. This will parse an FOF2k4 .FGA file and write out several comma-delimited files with user-visible data about that league. This is a work-in-progress, but writes just enough tables to be useful now. More tables will be added later. I will not write out any data that is not supposed to be viewed in the game (such as actual ratings for players), so don't ask. This is intened to help out other utility writers and league commissioners, not to be used as a cheating tool. If you think I wrote out a field I shouldn't have, please let me know. Also, at some point in the future I may write utilities that merge this with Extractor output; when I do, redundant Extractor fields will go away. For example, there's no need for Extractor to take extra time to pull salary information when it's already available here.
New utility: FOFLogFileProcessor. This will give you a list of game log files in a specified directory, and will convert any you select to CSV files that have a row for each play. Should be useful for finding out what play calls are working and which aren't.
NOTE: These two utilities mean that FOFExtractor REQUIRES the .NET Beta 2 runtime to be installed. You can get it at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=7ABD8C8F-287E-4C7E-9A4A-A4ECFF40FC8E&displaylang=en. This IS a Beta Windows component, so use at your own risk.

[gottimd]

Fantastic, thanks for the hard work!

[yabanci]

these sound great. Thanks.

[gstelmack]

Version 3.0.1 Released!

FOFInterrogator now dumps Staff.CSV and StaffHistory.CSV. Staff.CSV is a dump of all coaches in the game (including retirees) with their attributes in descriptive form (fair, excellent, etc). StaffHistory.CSV has an entry for each staff member for each year they were in the league, with what team they were on, their role on the team, and what the team's record was that year.

[gottimd]

You are on Fire, great job, thanks for all your hard work!

[gstelmack]

Version 3.0.2 Released!

Scouts.CSV now dumped by Interrogator with relevant scout information.

DraftAnalyzer now has a minimize button. And let me be the first to say "About $#@$ time!"

[maximus]

Cool! Thanks for the hard work. :cool:

[gottimd]

Version 3.0.2 Released!

Scouts.CSV now dumped by Interrogator with relevant scout information.

DraftAnalyzer now has a minimize button. And let me be the first to say "About $#@$ time!"
When I use the interrogator from the website, which I downloaded this morning to verify, it doesn't give me the scouts.csv file output.

[gstelmack]

Version 3.0.3 Released!



Interrogator now writes out:

GeneralManager.csv with year-by-year General Manager scores (most useful for single-player careers)
Franchise.csv with year-by-year franchise data
GameResult.csv with the results of every game ever played in the career
Schedule.csv with this season's schedule of games.
Cities.csv with current data on all cities capable of supporting an NFL franchise
PlayerGame*.csv (one for each season) with game-by-game stats for every player that played that season

Some minor cleanup / changes to some of the older tables. Notably, the PlayerRecs2.csv now dumps which years the player was an active participant in the league.
This means I'm now dumping pretty much every bit of information I can out of the FGA file without starting to dump internal bits that I would consider cheating (except possibly dumping the complete list of hometowns and the team nicknames, but those are static data for every league). There may be one or two fields, and I'll track them down as needed.

Next version (barring some nasty bug report from this one) should be 3.1.0 and should be a cleanup pass on all these files. I'd like to convert all salaries to dollars, convert all attendance figures to real numbers, fix the handful of places where the current season is written out as year "0", and decode some of the encoded fields (draft round/position, weather, etc) into separate fields for easier use.

And then if no one else has written a "convert all these CSVs to a more detailed report than what FOF2k4 gives you, kind of like FOFReporter used to" utility, I'll have to add an HTML export option to Interrogator.

Feel free to report bugs or issues with the output, or if you find individual pieces of data that you think are missing that I might be able to hunt down.

[jbmagic]

And then if no one else has written a "convert all these CSVs to a more detailed report than what FOF2k4 gives you, kind of like FOFReporter used to" utility, I'll have to add an HTML export option to Interrogator.

awesome. thanks so much

[Subby]

Greg - this program is a must-have for me.

Thanks a ton for continuing to develop it!

[gstelmack]

Version 3.1.0 Released!


Interrogator now writes out:

Agents.csv with a list of all player agents
LookupTables.csv with some int-to-string mappings for various fields

Cleaned up and split up various other fields to reduce/eliminate decoding
I now consider Interrogator's output to be "stable", meaning I'll do my best to minimize changes to the individual files, adding new fields at the end of the rose, for example. I'm not planning to add any fields or change the formats, but if anyone has a piece of data that FOF shows that Interrogator doesn't and they'd like to see in the reports, let me know and I may see what I can do. I'm also not complete on the injury or transaction lists in the lookup tables, so if anyone figures out some of the missing ones feel free to send them along.

A small note on the injury list: I'm missing something in the injury data as I have the following discrepancies between my list and what shows up in my test career:


I've seen two different injury descriptions show up in FOF for the same injury number in the data file.
I don't show healed guys as 100%
There are a couple of possibilities for me to work out for this, but I'm not sure, so I don't know if this'll get fixed.

A small note on future development: I basically consider this utility "complete" for the moment. I'd like to add HTML export, but I've also got another project or two in mind, so I'd like to give others a crack to see what sort of reports they can generate from this data. I hope that as people develop these, they'll share them with the FOF community at large as I've done with my utilities. If no one has done HTML by the time I finish my other projects, I may revisit this.

That's not to say I won't fix bugs or fill in missing data, just that I'll only be making minor tweaks to this for a bit.

[gstelmack]

(In my best Ahnold voice) I lied.

Sorry, I dug in and found a couple more fields needed for my next project (not the HTML dump), plus I found the nice complete list of injury names that Jim left available in the game (not like I wasted an hour or two matching up indices to injuries in-game before realising this or anything; hope Jim gets a nice chuckle). So, another minor update:


Interrogator now gets injury names directly from injuries.fdt (d'oh!)
TeamData.csv now includes team nickname and city index
I'm not positive yet if the city indices will be correct when a team moves. I haven't had a team move in any of my test careers, so if someone has and finds the city indices wrong, please feel free to contact me so I can arrange to get your saved career and see how the move is handled.

[Subby]

Hey Greg - every time I try and run Interrogator on XP sp 2, it crashes. I installed the beta version of .Net 2...anything I am doing wrong?

[gstelmack]

Hey Greg - every time I try and run Interrogator on XP sp 2, it crashes. I installed the beta version of .Net 2...anything I am doing wrong?
I don't know. My test system is XP SP2. Could be the data you are running against. Have any of the prior versions worked (meaning it's something I just introduced), or has this been happening all along? Have you tried against other game files? When does it crash, before showing the list of saved games or after clicking process on one?

[Subby]

It crashes when I try and open it...does FOF also need to be open?

[gottimd]

It crashes when I try and open it...does FOF also need to be open?
No, when I run it on mine, and start the interrogator, it finds the league, and all you have to do is press "process".

[gstelmack]

It crashes when I try and open it...does FOF also need to be open?
This is likely one of two things:

A) You don't have Beta 2 of the .NET v2 runtime installed. You may have downloaded a different version.

B) Interrogator can't find the FOF files / is having trouble scanning for saves. I REALLY need to start adding better error handling one of these days, I just have too much fun adding features instead. Does it give you any specific info when it crashes? A specific exception?

[Subby]

I am good on A)...


B) That's the error signature:

EventType : clr20r3 P1 : fofinterrogator.exe P2 : 3.1.1.0
P3 : 435e3af3 P4 : mscorlib P5 : 2.0.0.0 P6 : 425749d8 P7 : 331b
P8 : d8 P9 : system.io.filenotfoundexception

[gstelmack]

I am good on A)...


B) That's the error signature:

EventType : clr20r3 P1 : fofinterrogator.exe P2 : 3.1.1.0
P3 : 435e3af3 P4 : mscorlib P5 : 2.0.0.0 P6 : 425749d8 P7 : 331b
P8 : d8 P9 : system.io.filenotfoundexception
File not found means it can't find a file it's looking for. Do you have any single-player careers? I'm probably assuming there is a single-player career file in the universe directory and crashing if there isn't. I'll try and fix that tonight.

[gstelmack]

Okay, I replaced the archive with a new one that fixes the crash if there is no single player game. Try that one and see how it does. I didn't change version numbers or anything, so if you have trouble installing uninstall the old one and then reinstall with the new archive. This crash fix is the only change.

[gottimd]

thanks gstelmack for all your hard work and efforts in making this great tool.

[jbmagic]

will interrogator find the file if you install FOF not as default location?

any chance to make it where we can point where the file is installed at and where we want to dump the info to?

thanks so much

[gstelmack]

will interrogator find the file if you install FOF not as default location?
Yes. It looks in the registry to see where you installed the game.

any chance to make it where we can point where the file is installed at and where we want to dump the info to?
You tell it where to dump the info to. As for asking where to get the data from, that's not there now, and unless it affects a fair chunk of users (unlikely given that the registry key I check is a standard part of the installation) I'm more likely to concentrate on other features.

[jbmagic]

Yes. It looks in the registry to see where you installed the game.


You tell it where to dump the info to. As for asking where to get the data from, that's not there now, and unless it affects a fair chunk of users (unlikely given that the registry key I check is a standard part of the installation) I'm more likely to concentrate on other features.


thanks so much.

wow you did a great job. keep up the great work.

[daedalus]

Thanks, Greg. :)

[Subby]

Greg - that fix did the trick, thank so much.

Quick question on the extractor and analyzer. I want to sort data from both by last name so I can combine the talent rating data and combine data into one spreadsheet. Unfortunately, the extractor .csv name field is FIRST LAST format, while the draft analyzer .csv is LAST, FIRST - so its hard to combine all the data easily. Is there anyway to pu LASTNAME in its own field? Or is there a better solution that I am not thinking of?

Thanks again...I really love this program.

[Subby]

OMGWTFBBQ

Interrogator is the mack-daddy. It pulls everything. I am going to have learn PHP so I can make a data-driven web site for our league...

[Subby]

Greg - anyway you can pull MENTOR status for players? I didn't see that in the PlayerRec files...

Interrogator is the mack-daddy. It pulls everything. I am going to have learn PHP so I can make a data-driven web site for our league...

[gstelmack]

Quick question on the extractor and analyzer. I want to sort data from both by last name so I can combine the talent rating data and combine data into one spreadsheet. Unfortunately, the extractor .csv name field is FIRST LAST format, while the draft analyzer .csv is LAST, FIRST - so its hard to combine all the data easily. Is there anyway to pu LASTNAME in its own field? Or is there a better solution that I am not thinking of?
The only thing Analyzer saves out that Extractor doesn't are the final weighted values and the draft order you've set. Everything else comes from the Extractor data already. So I'm not sure why you are trying to combine them?

But yes, I probably can look into separating out the fields.

[gstelmack]

Greg - anyway you can pull MENTOR status for players? I didn't see that in the PlayerRec files...
I haven't found that field yet. If I do, I'll look into adding it, but until then you're stuck with Extractor output. I haven't found QB formations known yet, either.

[chinaski]

Anyone having problems with the Log Parser? I open it, select my Dir and it never finds any logs. My install dir for FOF isnt the default location, could that be the problem?

[gstelmack]

Anyone having problems with the Log Parser? I open it, select my Dir and it never finds any logs. My install dir for FOF isnt the default location, could that be the problem?
That one SHOULD be asking you for the actual directory of the log files, not the FOF installation directory. You can move the logs into some other folder and run it against them.

Now, when I change it to grab the list of log files from the saved game to get descriptions instead of scanning each file to load the description (which takes a while on multi-year leagues), it'll need to know where FOF is installed.

[chinaski]

That one SHOULD be asking you for the actual directory of the log files, not the FOF installation directory. You can move the logs into some other folder and run it against them.

Now, when I change it to grab the list of log files from the saved game to get descriptions instead of scanning each file to load the description (which takes a while on multi-year leagues), it'll need to know where FOF is installed.
I moved all the .flg's to a folder on my desktop and viola, it works. If i keep them in the leagues dir, nothing happens.

Thanks once again for this fantastic util, gstelmack!

[Subby]

Greg thanks - I think I was thrown off because the ANALYZER output doesn't include a header row - do you have one you could share?

Edit: And if there were a LAST, FIRST option for the EXTRACTOR, that would be hugely helpful for FA sorts.

[gstelmack]

Greg thanks - I think I was thrown off because the ANALYZER output doesn't include a header row - do you have one you could share?
I'll have to go home and check. I intended Analyzer output as a strictly internal thing for saving and loading. But if people find it useful, I can probably add a header row.

Edit: And if there were a LAST, FIRST option for the EXTRACTOR, that would be hugely helpful for FA sorts.
I'll investigate. I never did this originally simply because FOF gives this to me as FIRST LAST, as I'm grabbing it straight from the screen. Converting to LAST, FIRST isn't trivial (you can have multi-word first and last names) and took me a while to get it right in Analyzer, but I guess now that it's working I can transfer it.

[gstelmack]

I moved all the .flg's to a folder on my desktop and viola, it works. If i keep them in the leagues dir, nothing happens.
Even if you point LogFileProcessor to your leagues dir? That's strange...