Autonomous Finish Date set?

[hawk_11]

Okay, stupid rookie question time. Is there a specific date for when the autonomous mode has to be done?

[Goobergunch]

The autonomous mode only has to be done by the match in question. And yes, you probably will end up reworking your autonomous mode several times during the course of the competition.

[Anthony Kesich]

Well, the autonomous code does have to be working by regionals, but when you work on it is another question. Due to the new "Fix-it" window rules, all program development has to stop come 48 hours after ship (i.e. 5:00 pm PST thursday). By the general consensus, this means any code you bring directly to regionals must be left alone between the end of the window and regionals. There's no way to prove when you last worked on it, but it's obeying the rules when no one can check that entails gracious professionalism.

-Tony K

[AIBob]

Originally Posted by Anthony Kesich

Well, the autonomous code does have to be working by regionals, but when you work on it is another question. Due to the new "Fix-it" window rules, all program development has to stop come 48 hours after ship (i.e. 5:00 pm PST thursday). By the general consensus, this means any code you bring directly to regionals must be left alone between the end of the window and regionals. There's no way to prove when you last worked on it, but it's obeying the rules when no one can check that entails gracious professionalism.

-Tony K

Not Quite...

Originally Posted by FIRST Q&A

1525 Section: 5.2 Status: Answered Date Answered: 2/8/2005
Q: If we find changes we want to make to our software after the fix-it window, what kind of info for changes to be made at competition may we bring? notes about the change? flowcharts? pseudo-code? a printout of actual code (to be retyped)?

A: Everything you listed.

So you can work on autonomous mode as long as you retype it at the competition.

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by AIBob

So you can work on autonomous mode as long as you retype it at the competition.

That's where having written a powerful automode intepreter comes in handy. A complete autonomous mode routine for the TechnoKats Skyhook is defined by a single line of text. Typing it into the robot program will be a matter of a minute or two. With the support for script variables I put into the interpreter last night, it could be as easy as typing a few values into Excel and having a spreadsheet formula generate the code.

Of course, without a robot available to try it on, there's no way to tell whether it will work until we get to competition.

[EricS-Team180]

Originally Posted by hawk_11

Okay, stupid rookie question time. Is there a specific date for when the autonomous mode has to be done?

...not stupid at all!

Personally, I have consulted my magic 8-ball and it appears that SPAM will be re-working it's autonomous code until it's last match at Nats

I expect my software and controls team will be bringing:
"notes about the change? flowcharts? pseudo-code? a printout of actual code (to be retyped)? " - all of the above...
to each competition (UCF, Palmetto and Atlanta).
Our 'bot always "evolves" at each competition - given that we try new things and fix what brakes or gen up work-arounds. So, the code is always in flux.

Eric