Player stats files

[Bob Yordan]

Hi

In NBA Live 2000 it is possible to export game stats (text files) save000.txt etc
Do the later versions also have this feature and is the layout of the data i the text file the
same as in NBA Live 2000?

The reason I am asking is because I am developing a simple program in VB 6 that makes it possible
to import these files and save the stats in separate files for each player and that also can also emulate new
stats for each player and thereby a game result (from players ratings or previous stats).

So I can make leagues just using the exhibition game mode and not having to play all games.

The plan is to make this program as flexible as possible and making it possible to define leagues outside
the game and the program can handle transfers, create game schedules, keeps tracks of results, emulate games
from user configuration setups etc etc.

And it would be cool if it was possible to use it for other generations of the program and perhaps also
for other sport games that can produce simular stats files.

Right now it is restricted to my fantasy NBA live 2000 database (with over 950 teams), but there might be a more
generic version in the future.

[xpoing]

hi Bob,

ask Hentzman about it, he is the Roster-guy

really good idea.

[Andrew]

Yes, this feature is included in the more recent PC releases too.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi

Cool, thanks.

Been down with a bad cold the last week, but I have now resumed the coding again.

In the middle of the transfer function coding.

The stats & game scheduler code is only depending on the stats files from the game, but the
transfer code needs to have a connection to the data base via an MS Access file that the NBA
Toolkit editor that some guys made (that probably still can be downloaded). It needs that to do the
actual transfer in the database + info on the teams & free agent is fetched from
the database.

[Andrew]

Sounds good, best of luck with it! Speaking of the Toolkit though, is there any chance you'd be interested in updating them for use with later games? We've got a bunch of DBF resources on hand.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi

What is the latest game version the Toolkit is adapted to?

Do you know if the data base format has changed much in the later versions?

Depends on how much work it is and how complex the updating is.

I developed my own editor to the 98 version that I will probably upgrade to 2000
after I finished coding the other programs. Now that editor is smeared with dependencies to
Excel (game scheduling & player stats etc) that I want to remove. But the basic code for
editing player data and team data is there via SQL calls.

[Andrew]

The most recent game to have a Toolkit was NBA Live 2003.

The games are still using the same database format, though new fields have been added, some taken out and a few have been renamed (CAREERPKG became DESTINY, SALARYTEAM became CASH_TEAM, stuff like that). The other major change is that beginning with NBA Live 2005, player data was split into two databases: the traditional players.dbf file and appearance.dbf. Same format though and pretty much the same fields, just divided across a couple of databases.

If there is any way your editors could be adapted for the later games that would be fantastic, we've been pretty light on tools for NBA Live since Tim, Lutz and Brien retired from the community. I've got info on DBF files here and I'd be glad to lend a hand with testing and further info on the databases if need be.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

The editor can probably be adapted, but we should decide what data that
is most important to be able to update.

I dont think I want to make it to be able to handle every single field in the database.

Cause that might take ages to code with fault handeling etc etc.

I will see if I can make the editor generic in some way so that it is possible to
configure it from files, so that it can handle differences in different versions of the games.

[Andrew]

Sure, appreciate anything you can do in that regard. We could probably leave out fields such as the FSS columns (it's better to have the game calculate and assign them based on ratings in-game anyway) which cuts out a fair few new columns. A lot of the fields are still the same and some are basically the same function, just renamed. As I said, I can definitely lend a hand there as far as fields, values and importance and help out with any testing too.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

I have been coding on the simple editor during the weekend.

And so far it has turned out to be really flexible.

A lot of stuff can be configured from files.

Just a short teaser :

The main window has the possibility to fetch/update Player & Team data from
configuration files (both field names & values that the field can have (see help list below).

Eg in a file called PLAYERS.txt the fields you want from the PLAYER table are defined
eg NUMBER. When you click on a players name in a list the specified data is fetched.
In the same file you can also add eg CAREER table and fields etc and if there is any
CAREER data for the player it is also fetched and can be updated.
The data is displayed in a list with Field name and value. If you click on the row
in the list the data is fetched into a update section.

The update section has a help list with information of what values the data field
can have. Each database field can have it's own help list configuration (fetched from
a help text file) with the same name as the field name. In this file you can defined the values
the database field can have. Eg it could look something like this

This parameter is used
for the players mouth shape
1:Big mouth
2:Small mouth
3:Tiny mouth
4:No mouth

etc

When you click on any line with a : the value before the : is copied into the update section.
Or you can manually fill in the new value for the update.

And there is also a simple SQL editor that reads text files with
SQL question and what fields to display (that you want to update).

The main thing is the the user can self select what database fields he wants to access
and be able to update by making simple textfiles.

So we probably need to make the basic set with files.

[Andrew]

Sounds awesome! Let me know what I can do to help out.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

I think I have sorted it all out now. Now I just need the time to finish the coding
and you can start testing it (it is now approx 80% ready for testing).

Still need to design how to make it possible to switch between different generation
of games etc etc

You could start to make help files for different database fields if you have the time.
So you have stuff to test with.

Tip : You could copy the information text from the DB field decriptions on the web.

Syntax, all lines with : are parsed by the program all other lines
are free text that is just presented in the help list.

Eg

Information and understandible name of the db field
description of what it do
============================================
values
0: free text that describes value 0
1: free text that describes value 1
2: free text that describes value 2
3: free text that describes value 3
4: free text that describes value 4
5: free text that describes value 5
=============================================
Note to the user what impact is has.



The file should be named as the datafield + .txt

Eg

PRIMACY.txt

-----

Just to be clear:
Datafields like eg DRIBBLE just needs a free text decribing that min value is 1 and max value is 99
you dont need to specify every value in the help text file. And values can also be written manually
so the help text is just an extra option.

I will make some tool to create eg a dump of all SCHOOLS ID and names into a help file etc
So the user dont have to write that by hand.

[Andrew]

I've already mapped out the fields and data in these guides:
http://www.nba-live.com/nbalivewiki/ind ... DBF_Guides

I'm guessing we could adapt them into help files if need be.

[Bob Yordan]

Excellent, think it was from those I got the idea of the syntax from.

Player's primary position

0: Center
1: Power Forward
2: Small Forward
3: Shooting Guard
4: Point Guard

Perfect, most of the job is done, just need some copying & pasting into files with the field name.

[Andrew]

Great! That shouldn't take long to do when the time comes. Just say the word when you're ready for me to do some testing.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

I made the first saves in the database tonight.
Just run in to one strange problem, SQL does not seem to
like the field NUMBER in the UPDATE request.

Seems like NUMBER is a reserved word i MS Access.

Might have to make some special code for that?

Otherwise all fields I tried with so far has updated without
any problems.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

Do you know if NBA Live 2006 supports having many custom teams & players.
I think I bought that game many years ago (but have not used it much) and
I might make a small program that copies the data from my over 950 teams
over 10000 players fantasy Live 2000 database to the 2006 database and fills
in some default values on the extra fields in 2006 database.

[Andrew]

Good to hear, hopefully there's a workaround for the number field as I'm sure that'll be a field most folks want to change.

NBA Live 06 does support a fair few custom teams, I can't remember if there's a limit offhand (or what it might be) but it's definitely feasible to add extra teams to the database. There are additional files to worry about of course, including coaches.dbf (the coach entry) and teamgear.dbf (jersey entries).

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

I am thinking of making a reserved words text file, that triggers the non SQL update that the update function
can use to determine which path to take in the code.

---

I will definitly give the 2006 update a try.

Creating 920 fantasy coaches seem like great fun.

Will probably update the team database first and then fix the coaches before updating
the players. The NBA franchises has probably changed a bit between the 2000 & 2006,
teams has moved and some new teams has entered. Many of the players I have added
have other PLAYERID's. So It will be a major puzzle to sort out.

[Andrew]

Good stuff! Look forward to hearing how it goes, let me know if you've got any more DBF questions or need me to do any testing.

[Bob Yordan]

Yay, solved the number problem, no need to do some reserved word feature anymore.

Now I just need to code the switching between the different games, Already figured out the
strategy.

Hopefully you will get something to test this weekend.

Then we need to improve the look of the program to make it a bit more flashy looking.

Now it is super basic looking and kind of grey.

[Bob Yordan]

Hi Andrew

The editor can now switch between Live 98 database & Live 2000 database, takes less than a second to do it.

Have to adapt the extra SQL editor tomorrow night and write some instruction to you how to
do the basic configuration.



ps
It is black now instead of grey.
ds

[Andrew]

Excellent! Please keep me posted.

[shadowgrin]

This is good.

[Bob Yordan]

Cool.

I am thinking about adding some extra features later, like eg

- A small window that displays picture of the player, fetched from a directory
where the picture has the same name as the player. That could be good to have
when creating eg faces. (Would also be awesome if there was pictures of what
different setting modifying faces looks like inside the games). Already have most
of the code in my old more static editor for Live 98.

- Possibility to copy one players common data from one database to another.
This will imply adding the difference manually, but could be a cool feature.
Also perhaps being able to use scripts to make multiple copying of different
players.

- Also a color picker used when changing color for eg customer teams jerseys.

to name a few ideas.