atomant Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 (edited) I am currently producing a spreadsheet/database system using MS Excel which simplifies the task of entering the scores and producing nicely presentable data for the entrants/website. The system uses the LOOKUP suite of functions in MS Excel which scans a list of names which you can call up using a drop down menu and adds them to your master list putting in, class/machine & club automatically. No manual entry is required. After this is done, at the end of the trial, the only thing needed to enter is the results from each section and when thats done, This Sheet is automatically generated. No manual sorting or anything is needed. There are times when peeps either retire or ride out of class (ROOC) and im currently working on fine tuning my excel model to cope with this. Also, im looking at taking this data and producing Championship Standings automatically also. With this system. I believe it is possible for me to produce the results for say 70 entrants and publish them on our website in less than 15 minutes after the event has finished. I have a few questions for any club organisers who may be reading this: Firstly, Can you advise me on ways that you do it and if there better than this, please let me know. Secondly, Is this something you may be interested in using yourselves.? If there is enough interest, I will produce a copy of it for other clubs to use ( for a small fee to help our club of course ) Kindest regards Ian Edited June 14, 2005 by Webmonkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 System already exists. Richmond and ourselves use a system running on Acer Laptops with Mega batteries as not to drain car systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 9, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 Great. is this system freely available? I would like to know what features it has? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikespace Posted May 9, 2005 Report Share Posted May 9, 2005 I tried something similar (without half the knowledge admittedly), but one of the practical problems I came across was people moving up a class during the year. If you haven't already it may be worth incorporating it. If a person changes bike during the year, and you update the database, can you still open the original document or will it automatically update the bike etc. (probably an easy one to overcome with the knowledge). As far as my methods, I stumped for the much simpler one. Just created excel spreadsheet, one workbook for data entry and one which creates a printable format. The names are in a drop down format, but so are the classes, there's no database to reference to. Mind you, often Gasserboy ends up doing the results, the poor bugger, and I'm not sure he's got his head round my complicated poorly done spreadsheet Your idea seems to be the dogs danglies. Good to hear how it goes. P.S. You have too much time on your hands Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Thanks for that constructive input Gaz ! the problems you encountered will help me fine tune my scoring model and hopefully make it better any further features you would like to see in it please let me know Writing the spreadsheet is my first step as its quite straightforward to get the basic functions working but using excel has its limitations If it works out ok, i will probally go to the next step of writing a seperate database and making it web based so peeps can edit the data themselves. ( address/email/etc ) i can already do this on my site anyway so i may want to use this feature thanks again P.S. You have too much time on your hands No, im just a computer junkie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 If u are still interested I'll check out where it came from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
its a kinda magic Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 I start from scratch with every set of results that i produce, with only 50-80 regular entry i dont find it takes too long. i first of all write the list of names, their riding number and class then in the next colllum a write a,b, or c. a=hard course, b= mixture h&e and c=easy course.once this is complte, usually takes me about 15-20 mins i input each section total score section at a time. once all 12 sections are input (this takes 10mins max) a total collum is produced at the end. the whole data is then sorted by a,b or c followed by the total collum and class if desired. add a header and its job done, well apart from getting them on net, but thats only a 2 min job. i can have a trial of say 70 entries wrapped up in under an hour easy. its the bl**dy envelopin and photo copy that takes the time!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 (edited) If u are still interested I'll check out where it came from. Yes please Telecat. its a kinda magic ( Queen fan I guess ? saw them last friday at the NEC ) Yes, thats the way most peeps i have spoken to so far do it. I would suggest that if you have some data that is going to be used again then its best to put it in once and once only!. It must be annoying entering the same riders names and details each time I would guess? Thanks for letting me know how you do it and fortunately, i dont have to do the results by mail thing, thats someone else's job thank goodness Edited May 10, 2005 by Webmonkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabie Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 luckily we have mains electric so have had PC's at out trials for over 15 years now, and we work out the main resutls there and then (sorted by class online by that night) originally our club president wrote a programme in QBASIC that IIRC did it all for you (ie as you say just enter the results) but the programme couldn't cope when his beautiful oaki LaserJet died (after about 10 years of industrial use) - since then we've gone to a simple excel spreadsheet and hard work if you can make on work as above I Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 (edited) I mean there must be hundreds of trials clubs around the world, surely some code monkey has come up with a system by now ..... I have to agree . Im only just back into the sport after a spell away of 21 years and cant believe peeps are still doing it the same way as then Yes, I can make one work, most of the basic function coding is done.. just playing with the layouts now.. thats the bit that takes the longest as I like it to look good Edited May 10, 2005 by Webmonkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 I am a Queen fan but the Quote is from "Life in the Air Age" By Be-Bop Deluxe from Sunburst Finish(1976). Mainly into 80's electronic music. The info I have is for the Full system(Laptop etc) and includes the system. Have to admit I have only seen Sue operate it once but the same system is used by Richmond, and usually Sue has results on the Website that evening. I'll email you the guy's company off-line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 10, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Yeh, thanks for that Telecat got the info and will ring them tomorrow.. I am intrigued to know how much it will cost??? My system I was thinking of selling for a fiver to help boost the club funds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telecat Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Oh it's lots more than that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted May 10, 2005 Report Share Posted May 10, 2005 Webmonkey I and most other people I think perfer to see lap by lap per section rather than total section scores. If you know what I mean? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atomant Posted May 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 (edited) thats no problem to do, just means if you have say 70 entrants doing 10 sections 4 times each.. someone has to input 2800 bits of data into a spreadsheet. If you enter just the total scores for each section its obviously only 700 . The data all fits on the one page as well . I done a dummy run on the spreadsheet im working on last night. I entered 70 riders ( from the database I made ) and produced a sheet like this one i posted earlier Score Sheet It took me from start to finish 22 minutes it took me 4 hours the first time Still got some work to do though till im totally happy with it! Edited May 11, 2005 by Webmonkey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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