Incomplete .lin files

[Erkson]

Vugraph is a great achievement, and I would like it even better.

 

I appreciate all the efforts made to improve .lin files quality -especially mrdct messages- but I don't see any result at the present time.

 

Very often we don't get the play of cards in closed room, and even results are missing for two first boards.

What a pity being so close to action !

 

Vugraph operators : some of you manage to gather all the information. I can imagine that conditions are far from being identical in all places, but fight hard for learning the software and being as good as the best of you ! You have a mission, you write for (bridge) History.

 

A warm thank-you to all of you from a vugraph and .lin files enthusiast.

 

Erkson

[mrdct]

Important bit first: operators please keep your presentations running until all results from both rooms have come in.

 

Capturing a complete LIN file with the full bidding and play from both tables requires an operator at both tables plus some careful work by the operators, but basically what you need is:

 

1. Start the open room as single table ("O") coverage.

2. Have the closed room operator login, click on the match in progress and say "yes" to the option of providing coverage of the other room.

3. At the end of the match do not close either presentations until every board has been played at both tables.

4. Terminate the closed room first, and then terminate the open room.

 

The LIN files should then be safely recorded.

 

When single table coverage only is being undertaken, the important thing to do is keep the vugraph presentation open until all results are recorded in "movie" for the other room (which needs to be done manually). The resultant LIN file will have the bidding and play for the open room, but only the contract and result for the closed room. To at least get the names of the closed room players into the LIN file, "redeal" to a closed room board (e.g. "c1") and enter the names of the players in the usual way and then "redeal" back to an open room board (e.g. "o1"). I always do that at the very start of the match before the players start (requiring the cooperation of the organisers to give you line-up sheets).

 

Keeping the vugraph presentation open until all results are recorded is what should be done anyway for the benefit of the spectators who may not have any other way of finding out what the match result was.

[DenisO]

This is all excellent advice from mrdct who has taken the Operator role seriously and produced excellent Vugraphs of the recent Victoria Championship. But I wonder how many operators are actually seeing this advice?

 

I have been very disappointed with the quality of the .lin files I am trying to save from the Nations Cup (Bonn) and the Norwegian matches over the last two days.

Areas of concern are:

(i) Incorrect number of boards eg allowing for 40 bds in a 10 bd match

(ii) no attempt to give player names in other room

(iii) other room scores missing completely

(iv) scores missing for first two boards

(v) terminating the broadcast before all scores are completed

(vi) match scores and board results from a previous match appearing in a later match

 

I realise that an Operator's job is very difficult but I think many of these problems could be overcome by better preparation.

 

With so many tournaments being broadcast now, there are obviously going to be inexperienced operators. Are they issued with a set of instructions to help overcome the sort of problems I have described. ?

 

I wonder if mrdct could share his expertise via a set of notes which would be sent to all new operators. I get the impression that many of them don't know about the benefits for bridge history which can be captured from a good broadcast .

 

Finally I think that Organisers who have the good fortune to have their events shown on BBO should be made fully aware of the importance of the Vugraph Operator(s) and provide the necessary back-up to ensure all the scores, player names etc are readily available.

 

Denis

[mrdct]

The issue with 40 boards being loaded for a 10 board match may have been beyond the control of the operator if the hand data file was only made available to the operator a few minutes before the match and had not been split-up into four separate files.

 

I encountered this problem during an "invisible" test run a couple of weeks before the Victorian Open Team Playoff, but luckily had obtained the file long enough before the match to use a text editor to split the file and then test the smaller files to make sure they had not become corrupt. The original hand data files where in sets of 32, whereas the match segments were 16 boards.

 

When there is reasonable advance notice of a vugraph event, it is a good idea to contact the person who is generating the hands and/or dealing the boards to make them aware of your requirements (being separate .dup files for each match or segment). Even better, ask that person to individually check those smaller .dup files against hand-records produced from the same master-file used by the dealing machine.

 

Having event organisers and chief tournament directors supportive of vugraph makes a big difference.

 

Fred issues a very good set of instructions to all new operators (complete with some test data to practice with) that are more than sufficient to run a successful vugraph. I have been speaking to Fred about incorporating some practical tips and advice into those instructions which I will be doing in the coming days for Fred's review. Stay tuned!