Introducing PractiScore

[waktasz]

So what's the best way to get everyone registered and imported into the devices? I downloaded the Practiscore exporter which will be awesome for pulling the match data from the devices but is there a faster way to get everything imported?

Thanks

Edited April 16, 2012 by waktasz

[Skydiver]

Ken has recommended to me that shooters should register at their first stage with their squad. It's how the program was originally designed as I understand things. There is a little bit of disconnect if you read the "For club matches" section on: http://practiscore.com/how-to-use-practiscore-with-multiple-squads

Any which way, you'll WANT to export your EzWinScore master database into a Registration.txt and import those into the individual devices. This makes registration so much easier with autocomplete in case you have somebody arrive late or shooting thru.

Ken is currently helping us investigate a problem we ran into this weekend: we registered most of the shooters on EzWinScore, pushed the reg.txt to the master, and then from the master to the squads. The rest of the shooters were registered on the squad devices. Everything worked well within the devices and results were done by the time machines synced back to the master as each squad finished at the end of the day. The problem I ran into was getting results back into EzWinScore to generate results that could be uploaded to USPSA, as well as the classifier scores, and paper activity reports that our treasurer needs. The late registrants would often have no shooter number (e.g. shooter number is "-1") and the Palm import does not like this.

For now, I would recommend:

Option A: Do ALL the registrations on the master device and push out to squads as per the Support page;

Option B: Do ALL the registrations in EzWinScore, push to the master, and then to the squads; or

Option C: Do per squad registration, and let those bubble back up to the master

[waktasz]

I would think option B is best. How are you pushing the registration file to the devices from EZ Win score? Copy via SD card or via the network or?

[Skydiver]

Via the network using Airdroid: http://airdroid.com/

We did Option B last month without any major problems. This past weekend, I think the issue was due to trying to treat the "late" shooters as walkins as noted in the "For club matches" section. I should have simulated that scenario fully end to end before implementing it yesterday. (I had only simulated EWS -> Master <-> Squad. I should have simulated EWS <-> Master <-> Squad.)

[Mark R]

Easiest way is to just move your masternames.db to your devices, then register on your devices.

If new shooters don't exist, then add them...and use your devices as the new masternames.db (No reason to use EZWinScore except to compile and send scores to USPSA). Biggest issue is adding a new shooter that doesn't have a USPSA number...you need to use email or phone number to make the shooter unique...(I think)...Haven't got the actual minimum for uniqueness. Maybe Ken can chime in on this.

Note that when adding new shooters, you should capitalize the last and first name on your devices else they come across as all lower case. Not sure of the impact, but that's was our biggest issue during this past weekend's match.

For our first level I match we had a slight learning curve for scorekeepers, but match went smoothly. One thing the scorekeepers learned was to not press the raised tabs on the left and right side of the Nooks...they scroll pages...oops!

[Mark R]

I would think option B is best. How are you pushing the registration file to the devices from EZ Win score? Copy via SD card or via the network or?

Register on Nooks, then export registration and use the App Importer to get the files onto the PC. Then open EZWinScore and go to registration area of EZWin...right most tab is import registration...select the Reg.txt file in your transfer folder.

[waktasz]

I meant going the other way. I was trying to avoid having to type in 75 shooters on the tablets themselves. I'd like to set up the match, stages, shooters, etc on a laptop then transfer the data over and only use the tablets to click "two alpha" for each target. Typing all that stuff in feels like a mess at registration if done directly onto the little units.

[Skydiver]

I meant going the other way. I was trying to avoid having to type in 75 shooters on the tablets themselves. I'd like to set up the match, stages, shooters, etc on a laptop then transfer the data over and only use the tablets to click "two alpha" for each target. Typing all that stuff in feels like a mess at registration if done directly onto the little units.

Unfortunately that won't quite work as you can't export stage definitions from EzWinScore to devices. It's a side effect of using the PALM interface.

So basically my workflow with EzWinScore has been:

Day before the match:

1) Create match in EzWinScore:

- Remember to set the Handheld directory.

2) Create match on Master device.

3) Create stages on Master device.

4) Run Practiscore Exporter for EzWinScore, and pull data from the Master.

5) In EzWinScore, import the stage definitions.

6) In EzWinScore, tweak the classifier stage because despite marking the stage as classifier on the Master, it still doesn't come in as a classifier.

Day of the match:

7) Input shooters into EzWinScore.

8) Export reg.txt to Master.

9) Sync Slaves to Master.

I think that Bill Noyes workflow is slicker where he does all the match creation and registration on the master because he has the larger iPad and an external keyboard. Trying to do match creation and registration on a Nook Simple Touch will try the patience of a saint.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Skydiver

[Ken N.]

For L1 matches I don't use ezWinScore until it's time to send in classifications and have final scores.

Night before:

The first step is to get your masternames.db into PractiScore (described in the manual). Basically, export it as TSV, open in PractiScore. You only need to do this once, preferably at home when you have lots of time. It's easy, but no reason to do it at the match.

On an iPad (or a larger screened Android) I create the match in PS, add stages, add any pre-registered shooters.

I synch this to ALL devices that I'm taking to the range (usually 3 iPads, 10 to 15 iPod touches). I admit it.. I've got a lot of stuff.

Match morning:

We use 2 or 3 iPads for concurrent registrations. Competitors sign waiver, sign our shooting park required head count sheet, while I or another person registers them. This is usually typing the first couple letters of their name and then selecting them, and verifying their Division.

New shooters, we add.

Then as the squads go off to do walk throughs, whoever is running stats synchs all the registration devices to the master and then the scoring devices from the master - getting all the new registrations, and then we drop them off with the squads. So, again, 3 iPads for registering, N iPod Touches for scoring.

If a shooter walks in, no worries, they add themselves with the squad they join. A sync later, brings them into the whole match.

At the end, synch all devices, laugh about the scores, hit the "Post" button to PractiScore.com. Then export to EZWS for classification/activity uploads.

Regards,

Ken N.

[waktasz]

Thanks for the detailed response. I asked a bunch of questions last night before I took time to RTFM. I'm really liking this app.

[Skydiver]

I'm really liking this app.

You should! It's an awesome application.

[wgnoyes]

...

I think that Bill Noyes workflow is slicker where he does all the match creation and registration on the master because he has the larger iPad and an external keyboard. Trying to do match creation and registration on a Nook Simple Touch will try the patience of a saint.

Actually the first time I did this, I registered people into an iPhone, and it wasn't bad, but only because it was pre-populated with my 3000 name masternames.db from ezws. The next time was with an iPad using the iOS on-screen keyboard, and that was okay, too. I've taken the wireless apple keyboard that came with my iMac and synched it to my iPad just to verify that it would work, and it did. We haven't done a full-up match at south river yet, as we don't have enough available iOS devices. We haven't bought a fleet of nooks yet, as I'm having concerns about the suitability of the hardware for the task. We already know they're moisture sensitive, and now it seems that they may be heat sensitive as well. One went down last weekend at a monthly match here in GA and I don't believe it was really all that warm out yet, so how are they going to perform when it really gets hot in the summer?

[Skydiver]

This past two months we've only managed to get electronic scoring working by my posting request on Facebook to shooters who will be coming if they could volunteer their iPhones, iPads, and Androids. Truly taking to heart that our sport is a volunteer run sport. It's heartening to see shooters rise to the occasion despite their initial misgivings. I've seen then come back as proponents the following month. I think that long term, the club should provide the devices, though.

[Mark R]

Bill, I ran a match this past Saturday and the temps were 70 to low 80's and no issues. We ran 3 Nooks. Batteries only expended about 25% and they ran for about 3 hours.

[Skydiver]

For now, I would recommend:

Option A: Do ALL the registrations on the master device and push out to squads as per the Support page;

Option B: Do ALL the registrations in EzWinScore, push to the master, and then to the squads; or

Option C: Do per squad registration, and let those bubble back up to the master

Let me urge people to use Option B with caution for now*. Going this route will have your Single Stack shooters tagged as L10 shooters on the devices. Normally, this not a problem if you get ALL the registrations done inside EzWinScore, because EzWinScore will remember that these are really Single Stack shooters.

The problem which will happen is if you attempt to register latecomers as walk-ins on the devices. When you try to bring those late shooters back into EzWinScore, and if you opt to clear your presently registered shooters inside EzWinScore, then obviously those Single Stack shooters will now be registered as L10 shooters.

There maybe a problem as well if somebody opts to post results directly to PractiScore.com from a device because those shooters obviously will also be lumped in with the real L-10 shooters.

*I said "for now" above because Rob and Roger have fix in the upcoming update to EzWinScore that should have the correct divisions if it knows it is exporting to the newer PractiScore (as opposed to the older Palm).

[DyNo!]

@ Bill

Over at Steel city, we used iPhones and iPod touches. As common as iPhones are these days, it should be easy to find one per squad to score.

With a portable charger inserted at 50% battery life remaining, we had no trouble getting through the match:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=portable+iphone+charger&gbv=2&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=457770244895584748#

[Too_Slow]

OK guys I have a good question for you. I was trying to edit the targets and need to know 'how do you LOWER the number of hits' needed? We have a stage that we are planning on running this weekend and it has 24 targets and needs one hit per target but I can't get Practiscore to lower the hits only raise them. The stage has 24 paper and 8 steel for 32 rounds.

Brian

[Skydiver]

OK guys I have a good question for you. I was trying to edit the targets and need to know 'how do you LOWER the number of hits' needed? We have a stage that we are planning on running this weekend and it has 24 targets and needs one hit per target but I can't get Practiscore to lower the hits only raise them. The stage has 24 paper and 8 steel for 32 rounds.

Brian

Hold you finger on the hits box. The app should clear it and let you start at 0. Then tap once to bring it up to 1.

As to why holding your finger on the box clears it, I have no idea why such a convention exists. I've been told it's an iPhone convention.

Edited April 17, 2012 by Skydiver

[Too_Slow]

Now this is why I am glad I decided to do this today rather than wait until Saturday or Sunday morning before the match. Thanks for the info.

Brian

[jcwren]

Bill, I ran a match this past Saturday and the temps were 70 to low 80's and no issues. We ran 3 Nooks. Batteries only expended about 25% and they ran for about 3 hours.

We've definitely had a few issues. We did the Cherokee Gun Club match on the 2012-04-14, and had one Nook that had to be taken to the shade to cool off. It doesn't die, but the touch-screen calibration appears to get lost. Couldn't reliably score targets, and a few other things. 5 or 10 minutes in the shade, worked fine. We've also seen some odd behavior the month before, where the screen was less responsive to touches when it was in direct sunlight. Shade it with your body, it worked fine.

Out of the two Cherokee matches, we've only had one scoring fatality. On the last stage for one squad, about 4 shooters from the end, it just hard-locked. Try to go into PS, you'd get the splash screen, but it was off playing with itself. We forwarded the databases to Ken & Co (if you ever talk to Josh, call him 'Kodak' ), but I'm not sure there was enough to analyze.

The real solution is USE THE PAPER SLIPS, and try to back-up each unit after every stage (our units follow the squads).

--jc (TY64641)

[waktasz]

If your units follow the squad and one of them dies you loose the whole match for a squad. If you leave them at the stages and one dies then you only lose a stage and everyone still gets a score for the match. That's how we're going to do it.

[Jeanjacket]

Going to get a bowl of spasghetti and am about to read this entire thread for the betterment of future endeavors and of mankind in general.. Wish me luck.

[DrawandDuck]

If your units follow the squad and one of them dies you loose the whole match for a squad. If you leave them at the stages and one dies then you only lose a stage and everyone still gets a score for the match. That's how we're going to do it.

I synced my master unit with the other squads twice per stage JUST IN CASE there was a issue with one I would have updated information and worst case would only loose 3-4 shooters score on THAT particular stage....I opted for this instead of using the paper backup sheets. The iPod touches synced in seconds.....

[wgnoyes]

If your units follow the squad and one of them dies you loose the whole match for a squad. If you leave them at the stages and one dies then you only lose a stage and everyone still gets a score for the match. That's how we're going to do it.

Which is why the squad should synch with the master before going on to the next stage. First Law of Systems Programming: Back it up before you screw with it!

Edited April 19, 2012 by wgnoyes

[Mark K]

East Alabama Gun Club is moving this direction very soon. I have a couple of Simple Touch, an IPAD, an IPOD Touch, an Android Phone, and a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tablet to play with. All work fine. We are trending toward the IPOD Touch, But my problem with it compared to the Simple Touch, the the Size. If buying new equipment, there are several Android offerings in a larger form factor, at the same price point, for example this Samsung Galaxy 5.0

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+-+Galaxy+Player+5.0+with+8GB+Memory+-+White/3521682.p?id=1218407827059&skuId=3521682

I would be interested in hearing from anyone that is using some of these mid-sized devices. The IPAD and Samsung 10.1 are too expensive, and probably larger than necessary, but I find the Android phone and IPhone/IPOD Touch size devices a little small. I am thinking that the mid-sized devices might fill the void better. The Simple Touch size is good, the battery life is good, but the heating problem and the wet weather issues make me wonder about it as a good option. Especially interested in the systems that do not have to be rooted....

Mark K

Edited April 19, 2012 by Mark K