The Tournament Director Forums
Main => Suggestions => Topic started by: jhanna4112 on January 29, 2012, 11:14:57 AM
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Okay, I know I'm an idiot (just ask my wife), but I do this often. I run tournaments at different locations so I created templates for each location to save time adjusting the various settings for each. When I'm feeling creative I like to add new bust out sounds to the events or sometimes make adjustments to the layouts. Inevitably I end up overwriting the wrong layout or event, usually because I wasn't sure which template I was using to begin with. Would it be possible to include the filename of the currently loaded layout/event in their respective tabs in the settings screen? If this is an easy addition could it also be done for the other tabs (rounds, tables, chips, prizes)? It would be nice to know which template is currently in use for a particular tournament.
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Indeed this would be handy if doable.
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This could be done, but I've avoided it in the past because it gives a false sense of how the templates actually work. Instead of getting into the gory details, I'll try to explain with an example. If we assume templates work the same way as tournament files, it means that if you load a template (say a Rounds template), then make some changes, then attempt to either load a tournament (which would wipe out any changes to the Rounds schedule) or exit the program, then the program should prompt you to save the template first. (This is how it works when you load a tournament, and starting in version 3 this is how it works with Layouts.) Now let's assume you've loaded a Rounds template, and a Prizes template, and a Chips template, and a Rules template, and an Events template, and a Layout, and a Tables template. Let's also assume you're mucking around with everything, so you've made a bunch of changes, just to try different things out. Now, you're done messing around so you load a saved tournament file. At this point, the program is going to try to save you from yourself and prompt you to save your templates. First it will ask if you want to save the Rounds template. After you save it, or answer "no", it will ask if you want to save your Prizes template. Again, after you save it, or answer "no", it will ask if you want to save your Chips template. Then your Events template. Then your Rules template. Then your Layout. Then your Tables template. THEN it will allow you to load a tournament.
This might be a more extreme example, but it just isn't really practical for the program to work this way.
Opinions?
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I'm really just looking to see if the file name of the template I'm working on can be shown somewhere so I know which template I'm about to make changes in. I usually know which one I'm in but if I get interrupted (phone, door, nature calling) I might forget if I was in the original template or a sort of "test" template.
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I'm really just looking to see if the file name of the template I'm working on can be shown somewhere so I know which template I'm about to make changes in. I usually know which one I'm in but if I get interrupted (phone, door, nature calling) I might forget if I was in the original template or a sort of "test" template.
So, kinds like the loaded tournament file that's shown on the game tab, but specific for each tab, if I understand what you're looking for?
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You got it.
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Press the "Save Template" button. The filename in the "Save As..." dialog will be set with the template filename.
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When I press the "Save Template" button the file name field is blank, so I don't know which template I'm currently working on.
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I could be totally wrong on this, but if you're starting up TD, and you're modifying the layout w/o loading a layout, you're probably loading up a default layout (Preferences -> Config Files -> Default layout section) and working with that.
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Correct. If you press the "Save Template" button (or the "Save As..." button on the Layout tab) and there's no filename already entered in the Save dialog, then you're not working on a template. Once you actually load a template, you'll find that the filename will appear once you press "Save Template".
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So basically I have to remember which template is being used by a saved tournament. I guess I could put a note in the "Games" tab to remind myself.
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So basically I have to remember which template is being used by a saved tournament. I guess I could put a note in the "Games" tab to remind myself.
Would seem like a good idea... What I do is to label everything as "Mike Default...." so that if I see the blank screen, I know what I'm working on. Eg.: "Mike default layout" or "mike default rounds" etc...
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My main concern is the perception created by even displaying the filename of the last loaded template, and the subsequent expectations. Once the filename is displayed, it tends to make people think "OK, now I'm working with this template. If I make some changes, then do something that could potentially alter or destroy those changes, the software is going to warn me and allow me to save it first." This is how it works with tournaments. This is how version 3 works with layouts. But this is NOT how it works with templates, because they simply don't have the same paradigm. Putting the filename up tends to imply this type of paradigm. There are other expectations as well that will not be fulfilled.
I've been thinking about this since you posted your last reply (jhanna4112) and I think what I may end up doing is saving with the tournament the filename of the last template loaded for each item that uses templates. So, at present if you load a rounds template, for example, the next time you press "Save Template" on the Rounds tab the filename of the loaded template will be pre-entered. However, if you load a tournament, the rounds are replaced with the rounds saved with the tournament. Therefore you are no longer working with a template. (This is another reason why the filename was never displayed.) Pressing "Save Template" on the Rounds tab, what should the filename automatically be set to in the "Save" dialog? Nothing. Nothing is the correct answer because you are no longer working with a template. But if I save the filename with the tournament, then I could set the filename in the "Save" dialog to the name of the last template that was loaded when the tournament was saved. The template file may not exist (it could be renamed, deleted, or even on a different PC). But at least you could know what the filename was. (This is another concern: showing the filename implies a "link" between the tournament and the template file, when really there isn't one.)
Let me know what you think.
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Here's an idea, although it may be impractical. Why not have it somehow append something like "TTDTEMP" at the end of any file that is listed to be used as a template in the preference file? This way, should the dialogue be blank, we know it's a template, and we can look for the file that has that and see "ahh, this is the template I'm working with" ??? Just a thought
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I think I understand what you are saying. When I create a tournament (call it Tournament1) from scratch I load a template from the "TD2: Data: Saves: Templates" file on my computer (rounds, events, prizes, etc.) into Tournament1. When I save Tournament1 those templates are no longer templates but become part of Tournament1. If I were to make changes to say the rounds template in "TD2: Data: Saves: Templates" the rounds in Tournament1 will not be affected as it is no longer referencing the rounds template.
Is this correct?
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To a point, correct. With the layout, it saves separate from the tournament file - cuts down on space. If you have the right version or later (not sure if it was in 2.5.12 or just beta for 2.x, or if it started with 3.0), it will ask if you want to load the layout that came with the tournament file, or if you want to load the default one.
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Thanks for the feed back Magic. Someday I'll figure all this out.
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You're welcome. We've all been there before, so no need to feel bad. There's aspects that I still struggle with. But that's what I love about this forum - everyone helps out eachother in the areas that they can with next to no complaints or whatnot.