Go Back   Pace and Cap - Sartin Methodology & The Match Up > RDSS > RDSS Info, Reference
Mark Forums Read
Google Site Search Get RDSS Sartin Library RDSS FAQs Conduct Register Site FAQ Members List Search Today's Posts

RDSS Info, Reference How to obtain RDSS2, get started and learn to use it. (Video and other tutorials)

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 04-25-2009, 03:24 PM   #1
Ted Craven
Grade 1
 
Ted Craven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 8,852
Release Notes - Version 0.98.7

New RDSS Update - Version 0.98.6 - Kentucky Derby - Bug Fixes!

Hi everyone! Here is another RDSS Update, this time an update to fix some really annoying problems. Registered RDSS users will find it in the usual place in the RDSS Download Forum: http://www.paceandcap.com/rdssdownload

When you install it, please take a moment to open the Registration window and click Submit, to update your information with the RDSS registration server.

Here’s what’s fixed:

1. The biggie - due to the large amount of memory used by the current version in use (V0.98.5), RDSS cannot open the 20 horse Kentucky Derby race without crashing. This new update fixes that! (See more details below).

2. The current version often crashed if you returned to a previously worked race in the same session (i.e. without first exiting then re-opening RDSS). This is fixed with this update. There are still memory problems, and you may still encounter a crash but it will take a lot longer for that to happen now. As before, no data is ever lost in a crash. And as before, a previous race’s Past Performances are still closed out when you open a new race’s PPs.

3. Somewhere in the last version or 2, all the embedded web links in RDSS stopped working on some versions of Windows, with some Windows security updates, regardless of your default browser. This has been fixed. The web links which are working again are: all the buttons on the RDSS Desktop (e.g. TrackMaster, Equibase, TwinSpires, Premier Turf Club, etc), the TrackMaster account and data links in the Registration and Data Centre windows, the links to each card’s Equibase Entries on the Data Centre (i.e. before you download a card), link to a card’s Equibase Quick Results on the Card Summary screen, links on the Help window.

4. Added many new minor tracks to the RDSS track List. Previously, some small tracks, perhaps with very short meets, could not be opened. Here is the list of small tracks added (many of these I don’t even know what or where they are): BCF, BRN, CMR, CPW, ELK, EMT, EUR, FAR, FTP, GCF, GIL, KAM, KDF, LBG, MC, MOF, MPM, ONE, POD, RUP, SAC, SAF, SDY, SPL, SUD, TIL, UN, WRD (Rogers Downs), WW, YB (Many of these will have Quarterhorse races at short distances RDSS does not attempt to handle).


How to Work the Kentucky Derby

As I have described and lamented (and apologized for) many times, RDSS consumes a LOT of Windows internal memory and crashes regularly because of that. There is precisely ONE 20-horse thoroughbred race in North America all year - the Kentucky Derby - and until I have rewritten RDSS to use much less memory, this race blows the current version (0.98.5) out of the water. Note: if you are still using Version 0.97.9, you should be able to load the Kentucky Derby race OK and don’t need this new update just for that. But I would encourage updating anyway, as I will soon withdraw that older version.

If you have previous years’ Derby cards in your RDSS database, I recommend practicing opening and handicapping it with this new version to get the hang of the few workarounds required (described below), before the last minute (TrackMaster says the 2009 Derby Day card should be available this coming Wednesday evening or early Thursday morning). If you do not have previous year’s Derby cards available and wish to practice with the 2008 card, it is included in the sample database which comes with this update. To make use of this small sample database follow these steps:

1. Before installing this update, rename your existing RDSS database file to something else (e.g. rename \rdss\data\data.db to data1.db). Then install this new update over top of your existing RDSS (no need to uninstall the previous version first). If the Installer finds no existing RDSS database (which it won’t if you renamed it) it will install the sample database with the 2008 Derby card (look under Past in Race Cards by Date, May 3, 2008).

2. When you are finished testing last year’s Derby card (if you choose to do that), simply close RDSS, delete the sample database (\rdss\data\data.db) then rename your previous RDSS database file from whatever you temporarily renamed it in step #1 above to its normal name (\rdss\data\data.db). Note: you must have a file named \rdss\data\data.db in order for RDSS to load properly. If you encounter any problems loading RDSS after tinkering with the database file name, just check to make sure that the database file actually exists before opening RDSS.

Now that you have a Kentucky Derby card to work with (either last year’s, or this year’s later this week), here are the few steps you need to be aware of:

1. You may or may not be able to load the Kentucky Derby race with all 20 horses. It depends on how much memory your version of Windows makes available to RDSS after whatever else is running.

2. First try loading all 20 horses. If RDSS crashes when you open the Past Performances, try again and this time 'scratch' one horse by checking the Scratched column on the Race Entries screen. Then load the PPs. If it still crashes, try again and scratch one more, etc, etc until the race loads normally. Testers of this version found themselves working with anywhere between 15 and all 20 horses at a time.

3. When you have determined how many horses you can work with at a time, do your normal handicapping process. When you need to work with horses you have 'scratched', remove the check-mark from the Scratched column, 'scratch' a different horse or horses (so you still have the same maximum number of horses), THEN CLOSE THE CARD and re-open it to be able to work with the PPs for the newly 'un-scratched' horses. You may have to close RDSS and re-open it to get the 'un-scratched' horses PPs, but try closing then re-opening just the card first.
Note: unlike all other races, when you scratch horses like this in the 20 horse Derby, the selected pacelines for the ‘scratched’ horses are NOT automatically removed from the Analysis section. You have to remove pacelines yourself by removing the check-mark.
4. You will almost certainly not be able to work another race in the same RDSS session from the Derby card after having loaded the 20 horse Derby race - RDSS will run out of memory and crash. After working the Derby race, simply exit the software and reopen it to work the other races.

The above steps should enable you to work the 2009 Derby using the new update version 0.98.6. A compromise which must be made to enable this is that the RDSS Toteboard will not work at all with next Saturday May 2nd Churchill Downs card, any races that day. All other race cards from other tracks should work normally in the RDSS Toteboard.

That’s it! Except for the above noted issues related to the Derby, this new version 0.98.6 should be as stable (or better) than the older V0.97.9, and should become the version you use for the next while during the coming several months while I am finishing my rewrite of RDSS to change the internal memory foundation. That upcoming major version will be the one which should complete the software. If necessary, I’ll release another update if more serious bugs are found in this version. Otherwise, I’ll probably leave most of the already known small annoyances and would-be-nices until that next major round.

Please post any problems with this new release in the RDSS Bugs Forum, and the sooner the better. And best of luck and skill in next weekend’s Kentucky Derby!

Thanks!

Ted
__________________

R
DSS -
Racing Decision Support System™

Last edited by Ted Craven; 04-26-2009 at 12:17 PM.
Ted Craven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 04-26-2009, 12:22 PM   #2
Ted Craven
Grade 1
 
Ted Craven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 8,852
Version 0.98.7 Release Notes (July 17, 2009)

This is a minor update to fix a few bugs and also to make available the Pace of Race Velocity numbers on the Velocity Screens. Just toggle between Pace of Horse (PoH) and Pace of Race (PoR) using the toggle buttons shown below. All the other screens are unaffected.

The main bug fixed is that sometimes you cannot load RDSS because of a message stating the ZIP routines could not load. This should be fixed now, but I'd appreciate knowing if it persists for anyone. Here is a description from the Bugs Topic: http://www.paceandcap.com/forums/sho...1&postcount=17

Another obscure change is that if you ever need to uninstall RDSS (or re-install it), your RDSS database file (\rdss\data\data.db) is never removed (if you're uninstalling for good, you have to delete it yourself, along with anything else remaining in the RDSS folder and subs); also the database is never over-written during a re-install. Previously, the uninstall routine would ask if you want to remove your database file, but many people never read that warning!


The new PoR Velocity screen helps visualize the relative Pace of Race the horse has faced on a fraction by fraction basis (on the horse's PP panels) as well as the Pace of Race scenario of the horses matched against each other (in the Analysis panel). It extends the Pace of Race information currently shown on the Adjusted screen.

Name:  wo0716-5.jpg
Views: 2957
Size:  99.3 KB

Compare the new Pace of Race Velocity rankings to the Adjusted Call Times shown on the existing Adjusted Screen (below). While Velocity is sorted (currently) by 2nd Call and the Adjusted Screen is sorted by Program #, notice that the PoR Fraction 1, 2nd Call and True Speed velocity readouts are ranked and coloured identically to those same segments on the Adjusted Screen (simply: they're the same data, displayed differently - one in seconds per segment, the other in feet per second). On the PoR Velocity screen, you also now see the Fraction 2 and Fraction 3 Pace of Race velocities and ranks, not currently shown on the Adjusted Screen. Just a bit more information, and sorted in a more useful way (by 2nd Call)

Name:  wo0716-5a.jpg
Views: 3090
Size:  33.7 KB

These varieties of Velocity data info will appear in many different (and more interesting ways) in the next major RDSS release (think - PoR/PoH differential: the old 'Vector Graph'; the absent Long Shot Detector/Predictor from Spec and Val; 'Sheets' style trending graphic...)

In the meanwhile, hopefully this alternate layout of PoR data (i.e. sorted by 2nd call, adding F2 and F3) will bring your eye toward best PoR the horses have run and closed against, perhaps especially in the last race (FPLR - Fastest Pace Last Race).

Enjoy!

Ted
__________________

R
DSS -
Racing Decision Support System™

Last edited by Ted Craven; 07-17-2009 at 11:45 AM.
Ted Craven is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-17-2009, 11:09 AM   #3
Ted Craven
Grade 1
 
Ted Craven's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Posts: 8,852
...
__________________

R
DSS -
Racing Decision Support System™
Ted Craven is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Limitations of Result Chart data Plan in current version Ted Craven RDSS 0 03-07-2009 01:32 PM
Release Notes - Versions 0.97.9 and Previous Ted Craven RDSS Info, Reference 3 02-28-2009 02:21 PM
Release Notes - Version 0.98.5 Ted Craven RDSS Info, Reference 5 12-31-2008 10:56 AM


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 10:30 PM.