Team 2230 Windows Scouting Application - Beta testing needed

[Bomberofdoom]

I'm proud to announce the beta testing of Team 2230 Scouting Application.

The application is a Windows API written in C#. I started writing it in C++, but thanks to a friend (Or) that presuaded me to do this in C#, the application seems much better than it was in C++.
I recon I've spent 120 hours on this program, and there's still more that can be done.

The purpose of the application is to give a compact, minimalist, summerized scouting database for teams, which will provide most of the core information needed in this year's game scouting.

The application contains:

-A tab for team information and a tab for match information.
- The Team Information tab includes general and specific information about the team's robot, payload specialist(PS) and the team itself. Information can be viewed and edited freely in this tab by choosing a team from the list and editing the information in the controls.
- The Match Information tab includes General information about each alliance in the match and specific information for each team in each alliance.
- In the Team Information tab there's a Mini-Match information where you can view team specific information from a match a team has played in.
- Teams can add up to 10 pictures for each team for robot pictures and team pictures.

There are many cool tricks (courtsy of Or) that you can do in this application, which will be explained in the readme file that will come with the final release.


I currently have two versions of this application: One for the Israeli teams in hebrew, and another in English.

In the future:

- I'd like to provide this application for teams from other countries who might have difficulties with the English version (say, Brazil and Mexico) by having someone help me translate the text in the application to thier language.
- I'm willing to recieve requests to add other featuers teams might want.
- I will attempt to release an open-source code of this application, once it is cleaned from the messy work i've done.
(I don't know if others can view the code with what I'll give them, but I'll do my best to release it all as clean as possible)

But before all that, I need to make sure the application is fool-proof as much as it can.

I'd like Beta-Testers to send me PMs with their emails so I can personally send them the application.
C# programmers that can beta-test will help a lot in solving final issues.

After it seems ok, I'll publish the application in the CD White Papers.

Thanks again to Or for the great help in developing this! Wouldn't have done it with out you.

Good luck, and hope to see you in the competitions with the application.

[keehun]

You know what, this is very awesome.


I have an idea. There are ALL THESE GREAT scouting apps... but NONE of them are "synced" with one another. It is time someone develops a Web API that becomes this "centralized" store of all the scouting data... If no one develops this by summer, I will do it, but just a thought...

By the way the above said rant has nothing to do with your app. I think yours is very good!

[feliks_rosenber]

Hello,

Just a few suggestions from someone who has checked the attached screenshots and for more than once.
I'll try to be as constructive as possible even though at times you might get the wrong impression and consider my words wrongly since my style of writing is somewhat too critical and my suggestions always turn out to be mixed with criticism. Not that I do it intentionally...


So here is my personal reconnaissance concerning the software:
First of all, there are several fields I personally find redundant. Let's take penalty in points for instance. Is there any way you can monitor penalties assigned to each and every team? You get the penalties assigned to every alliance as a whole at least as far as I remember the scoreboard. That said, there is no way you can efficiently monitor penalties per team. Therefore, I don't really see how one can use this option regardless of the evident importance of spotting and monitoring teams which don't really play fairly.


Next you have the balls in own trailer field which is an important aspect of the game since you have to know whether a robot dodges massive super cells bombardments with ease or not. Given the nature of the matches though, I don't see how this type of data can be collected. It would be more than extremely difficult to count the number of cells left in every trailer following each and every match. From the stands, unless you employ some wise methods which I cannot think of, you simply cannot count the cells efficiently, correct me if I'm wrong. Besides, you have to count as many as 6 trailers! Looks to me like science fiction.
Moreover, if you take the number of cells entered by a robot plus the number of cells entered by a payload specialist to the same bot and do that for every opposing bot, you get the total number of cells in the trailer. It requires coordination with a group of fellow team members and in that way it might be feasible.


Having said that, I do like the interface of your scouting software and I do think that this could be a great idea and a great tool for teams competing in the FRC. Personally, it has given me some inspiration and some valuable strategy related ideas I could have never even attempted to think of without your software.


The best of luck and see you at the regional! Oh and don't forget to amaze us with another guitar like console.


P.S. don't take any of my suggestions too seriously

[Tottanka]

Originally Posted by feliks_rosenber

So here is my personal reconnaissance concerning the software:
First of all, there are several fields I personally find redundant. Let's take penalty in points for instance. Is there any way you can monitor penalties assigned to each and every team? You get the penalties assigned to every alliance as a whole at least as far as I remember the scoreboard. That said, there is no way you can efficiently monitor penalties per team. Therefore, I don't really see how one can use this option regardless of the evident importance of spotting and monitoring teams which don't really play fairly.

This year, unlike other years, at the end of each match on which penalties have occured, the Game Announcers announce the exact number of the violating team and the desription of their viloation - this way following penalties will be easy to do.

Originally Posted by feliks_rosenber

Next you have the balls in own trailer field which is an important aspect of the game since you have to know whether a robot dodges massive super cells bombardments with ease or not. Given the nature of the matches though, I don't see how this type of data can be collected. It would be more than extremely difficult to count the number of cells left in every trailer following each and every match. From the stands, unless you employ some wise methods which I cannot think of, you simply cannot count the cells efficiently, correct me if I'm wrong. Besides, you have to count as many as 6 trailers! Looks to me like science fiction.
Moreover, if you take the number of cells entered by a robot plus the number of cells entered by a payload specialist to the same bot and do that for every opposing bot, you get the total number of cells in the trailer. It requires coordination with a group of fellow team members and in that way it might be feasible.

Is there anything wrong about having 6 people scouting any match? Many teams can afford it. (and you may also just have 4, couting 2 trailers for each alliance, and the remaining number will be what's left to fill up the total number of balls in all trailers, which is shown on the main screen of the event).
Counting Moon Rocks doesn't have to be that accurate for you, an estimation is good enough, and i also think that's what they are looking for, astimations of +/- 3 rocks isn't much of a difference and will eventually even up.



Can i get this software to test by myself, screenshots aren't really enough when your'e going on saying "beta testing needed"

[feliks_rosenber]

This year, unlike other years, at the end of each match on which penalties have occured, the Game Announcers announce the exact number of the violating team and the desription of their viloation - this way following penalties will be easy to do.

Which is great news since now I know that I may track rules violating teams.
I will add that to our excel based scouting stuff.

Thanks Tottanka!

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by feliks_rosenber

Hello,

Just a few suggestions from someone who has checked the attached screenshots and for more than once.
I'll try to be as constructive as possible even though at times you might get the wrong impression and consider my words wrongly since my style of writing is somewhat too critical and my suggestions always turn out to be mixed with criticism. Not that I do it intentionally...


So here is my personal reconnaissance concerning the software:
First of all, there are several fields I personally find redundant. Let's take penalty in points for instance. Is there any way you can monitor penalties assigned to each and every team? You get the penalties assigned to every alliance as a whole at least as far as I remember the scoreboard. That said, there is no way you can efficiently monitor penalties per team. Therefore, I don't really see how one can use this option regardless of the evident importance of spotting and monitoring teams which don't really play fairly.


Next you have the balls in own trailer field which is an important aspect of the game since you have to know whether a robot dodges massive super cells bombardments with ease or not. Given the nature of the matches though, I don't see how this type of data can be collected. It would be more than extremely difficult to count the number of cells left in every trailer following each and every match. From the stands, unless you employ some wise methods which I cannot think of, you simply cannot count the cells efficiently, correct me if I'm wrong. Besides, you have to count as many as 6 trailers! Looks to me like science fiction.
Moreover, if you take the number of cells entered by a robot plus the number of cells entered by a payload specialist to the same bot and do that for every opposing bot, you get the total number of cells in the trailer. It requires coordination with a group of fellow team members and in that way it might be feasible.


Having said that, I do like the interface of your scouting software and I do think that this could be a great idea and a great tool for teams competing in the FRC. Personally, it has given me some inspiration and some valuable strategy related ideas I could have never even attempted to think of without your software.


The best of luck and see you at the regional! Oh and don't forget to amaze us with another guitar like console.


P.S. don't take any of my suggestions too seriously

This kind of detail in scouting isn't really that uncommon, and can be very useful if the data is used well.

[feliks_rosenber]

This kind of detail in scouting isn't really that uncommon, and can be very useful if the data is used well.

I agree with that. The key word is used well. To ensure you can collect all the data you wish to have, you need a large team of scouters which not all the teams I know of can afford to have. Using the data well is another aspect and I agree that if you use everything correctly, you'll make the most of your scouting.