Create UserFactor - Translate Behavior - ImpactValues Table Wizard

Create UserFactor - Translate Behavior - ImpactValues Table Wizard
April, 2012

Create UserFactor - Translate Behavior - ImpactValues Table Wizard
In this article, I'm going to illustrate how to create a UserFactor using a 3 Translate Behavior in the ImpactValues Table Wizard.

Suppose for the sake of argument that you are interested in working with WeightAssigned. Maybe you want to know at a glance (without having to waste valuable time working to get that info during Live Play) which horse has been assigned to carry high weight. Or maybe you are interested in adding WeightAssigned to your UDMs so that you can perform R&D in the Data Window to investigate the impact (if any) that factor has on horses selected by your UDMs.

WeightAssigned is one of those Misc factors that isn't displayed on the default HTML Report. It doesn't appear in the Factors Drop Down of the UDM Wizard. You've looked and there are no preset or dynamic filter codes designed to handle it. Based on that, you've (correctly) determined that WeightAssigned isn't a factor that is (directly) available for use in UDMs.

But you also believe (based on years of pencil and paper handicapping) that WeightAssigned holds a rightful place in your preferred way of doing things.

What to do?

UserFactors and the 3 Translate behavior were designed explicity for handling situations exactly like the one I've just described above.

The 3 Translate Behavior
The 3 Translate Behavior enables you to "translate" (or produce an exact replication of) a single factor that has been selected by name from the Factors Drop Down of the ImpactValues Table Wizard.

Use 3 Translate in the Behavior field any time you want the UserFactor (or UPR) you are creating to behave as an EXACT REPLICATION (or translation) of the single factor you have selected in the Factors Drop Down.

Instructions for Creating a UserFactor that behaves as an exact translation/replication of a single named factor:

Launch the ImpactValues Table Wizard: To launch the ImpactValues Table Wizard interface, click the System Settings button on the face of the JCapper Main Module. Then click the Impactvalues Table Wizard button on the System Settings Interface.

Click the NEW button to initiate a Create New Record Sequence. After the new button is clicked, the interface will display the words "Create New Record Sequence Engaged" on the title bar located at the very top of the module's screen.

Key a GroupName into the GroupName field: You get just 5 UserFactors. Their GroupNames are: USERFACTOR1, USERFACTOR2, USERFACTOR3, USERFACTOR4, and USERFACTOR5.

Let's say for the sake of argument that you want to create USERFACTOR1. Key the characters "USERFACTOR1" (without the quotes) into the GroupName field.

Note: The instructions found in this article are based on the assumption that you don't have an existing set of table entries having USERFACTOR1 as the GroupName. If you do have an existing set of USERFACTOR1 table entries that you wish to replace, I recommend deleting them first.

Select WEIGHTASSIGNED from the Factors Drop Down: Click the Factors Drop Down to open it. Once opened, the drop down responds to keystrokes. With the drop down open, keying the characters "WEIGHTA" (without the quotes) will cause focus inside of the drop down to "jump" to the nearest factor in the drop down that matches the characters keyed (in this case WIGHTASSIGNED.) Alternately, you can just scroll through the factor names displayed in the drop down until WEIGHTASSIGNED becomes visible.

Once you see the desired factor name, select it by giving it a single mouse click.

Check the Active Box to make the set of table entries being defined by the interface active after they are persisted to the table. Failure to check the Active box will make the set of entries being defined by the interface inactive once they are persisted to the table. (Of course you can later use the interface to pull up a set of inactive entries and make them active by checking the Active box followed by hitting the save button.)

Key a numeric 3 into the Behavior field and use the Tab key to navigate away from the behavior field. As soon as you navigate away from the Behavior field, the interface will "resolve" whatever numeric characters you left sitting there. If you left a numeric "3" (without the quotes) in the Behavior field, the interface will resolve the "3" as "3 Translate" (again without the quotes.)

Select a surface-distance category from the Surf-Dist Drop Down: Select "ALL*" (without the quotes) if you want your UserFactor to handle races on all surfaces and at all distances. Or, alternately, select a specific surface-distance category (such as DR if you want your UserFactor to handle dirt routes only.)

This screesnhot shows the ImpactValues Table Interface on my desktop after performing the above steps. After launching the module I clicked the NEW button to tell the interface that I wanted to create a new GroupName. Because I am creating UserFactor1 I have keyed USERFACTOR1 into the GroupName field. Because I want USERFACTOR1 to be an exact translation/replication of AssignedWeight I have selected ASSIGNEDWEIGHT from the Factors Drop Down and keyed 3 into the Behavior field. As soon as I navigated away from the Behavior field by hitting the TAB key the interface resolved the "3" character that I left in the Behavior field into "3 Translate." I then selected ALL* from the Surf-Dist drop down because I want UserFactor1 to handle races on all surfaces at all distances. The characters "Create New Record Sequence Engaged" are still displayed on the module's title bar because I have not yet saved my work by hitting the Save button.

Note that each of the items described in the above paragraph is highlighted on the screenshot in yellow. (Take a moment to reread the above paragraph and actually locate each of the talked about highlighted items on the screenshot.)

Save Your Work!: Click the SAVE button to Save your work.

Or, alternately, abandon your work by not clicking the Save button.

Closing the ImpactValues Table Wizard by clicking the red square with the white X in it located in the upper right hand corner of the module's screen (x-ing out of the module) without clicking the Save button will get you completely out of the ImpactValues Table Wizard module without saving your work.

-jp

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