Building a Method
Method - Definition - A combination of up to 8 "Columns" (built using the Build_Column feature) which together form one Method of Handicapping. Each Method can then be Super-Handicapped, Supertuned, or Backtested.
For purposes of this discussion we are using a Gulf Greyhound Park race program. The user should then select the "Custom_Method_Builder" Menu Bar item, and then the "Build_Method" menu item.
Figure 0 - Custom Menu Bar Selection of Build Method
Click on this to display the "Method" Builder Menu as it appears below in Fig. 1.
Figure 1 - Method Builder 1st Menu
After selecting the Custom Method Builder feature, note that the QuickDog Menu Bar now reads simply "Method Builder Mode: Press the Right Mouse Button to Exit this Mode". To exit this feature, you simply click the Right Mouse Button at this time, rather than selecting a popup menu item and you will return to and have access to the QuickDog Menu Bar.
However, we wish to build a Method from scratch using this online help, so select the button labeled "CREATE A NEW METHOD FROM SCRATCH" on the popup which has now appeared in Figure 1. Figure 2 then appears as shown below.
Figure 2 - Identifying your New Method
The first step in creating a new METHOD is to identify it using two items of information. The "shortname" (up to 10 character name) using no SPACES, and a description. The shortname will be used to create a filename which will store all the information you provide while building this METHOD. For this reason it is important that you DO NOT USE ANY SPACES in the shortname. You may use a dash (-) or underscore (_) character if you wish.
The shortname will be used to create a filename for this METHOD in the \JAIDOGS\METHODS folder of your C Disk Drive. The description will be used to create a menu of all your methods so that you can tell what this method does. Also, the description is displayed as part of your handicapping screen and printed out when you finally print your tipsheet. Therefore, make sure your description describes your METHOD so that you will recognize it later.
For this tutorial exercise, type in "MYM01" as the shortname, make sure you press ENTER after you type in this shortname. Then, for a description, type in "My First Quickdog Method". Once again, type ENTER to enter this information. Look over the information and if you need to, retype it to make any corrections. Once you are finished, click on the OK button beneath the entered information. If you've followed these simple directions, you will see Figure 3, shown below.
Figure 3 - Building a Method, Adding a Column to the Method
Notice the description you entered appears to the right of and just below the SELECT RACE Button at the top of the page, and the shortname appears in the "Select Another Method" button - to the right about 2/3s of the way down the screen) to let you know which Method you are working on. Also, notice that there is no Column data shown on this display yet. That's your next "mission", to add a COLUMN to your brand new Method. You are directed to "ADD A COLUMN TO THE METHOD". That's pretty easy to follow, so go ahead and click on that prompt. You are about to create COLUMN 1 of your Method.
Figure 4 - Adding a Column to your Method - Selecting the Column
Note that a list of pre-existing column names and descriptions now appear in a list. You can page forward and backward through this list to find a column you wish to add to your new method. You can also click the Right Mouse Button to move past adding a Column to your Method. When you click the Right Mouse Button a list of previously created Methods will appear. You may select a pre-existing Method to be used as a Column. If you simply continue by pressing the Right Mouse Button again, you cancel the add column feature. For now, let's just focus on adding a Column to our new Method using the menu displayed in Figure 4.
You will find Method Building pretty quick and easy to do as LONG AS YOU'VE ALREADY CREATED COLUMNS or want to use those that are already available. Because QuickReckoning has provided some sample Methods for you to use with QuickDog, there are also sample Columns which make up those Methods. For this tutorial, we will use these Columns to build a Method from scratch. This Method is for demonstration purposes only and isn't intended to be handicapped with.
To continue, click on the "1ST SPEED FIND THE 1ST BEST SPEED". Keep in mind, that you would know exactly what this Column is if you had created it, so its NOT important to understand what this Column does. We are only taking you through the steps that you need in order to build a Method.
Figure 5 - "1STSPEED" has been selected
The Column Selected is displayed and all you have to do is VERIFY that this is the one you wish to select. Simply click the "OK" button. Note also, that the E1 Column has been installed and evaluated on the display and you can see the values that it calculated for each dog in the race. Looks like "GABLE RHODEY" has run the fastest race compared to the other dogs.
A final note on this display - you may change the description of this Column if you wish. To do so, press the ENTER key to "tab to" the DESCRIPTION field. Then type over the existing description and press ENTER again. Make sure you always press ENTER when you type information into QuickDog. Click OK to accept this column.
Figure 6 - Displaying Your First Handicapping Method
After selecting the OK button in Figure 5, QuickDog displays your Method completely up to this point.
If you see values which look like ????? this indicates that there is either no data available or that the data has been filtered by your Method Filters (See SET METHOD FILTERS button in Figure 6). Red lettering indicates a improperly created COLUMN, so if you have created a column and it's calculations appear in a red color, you will need to re-evaluate your column before continuing.
While selecting a column you may remember there was a value there but now there is not. Why? When selecting a column to add to your method there are NO FILTERS applied to data, but when displaying a Method QuickDog does apply the filters defined for that method. For a new method, the filters are simply taken from the last displayed Method prior to when you started building a new method. Therefore those filters have been copied and are LIVE now. After building your method, you can edit these filters as you handicap in order to change them. Now back to building our method...
We've added our first Column and now we can add others very quickly. Notice the 7 EMPTY buttons to the right of our "1STSPEED" Button. You may add columns to this method simply by clicking on each one in order from LEFT to RIGHT across the display. Keep in mind that for a method, you only need ONE COLUMN but you can have as many as 8 COLUMNS.
Now, go ahead and click on the first empty column to the right of but next to the "1.0" (1STSPEED) Column Button.
Figure 7 - Using the CHANGE IT button to ADD another Column
While creating a Method, you can also TUNE (SUPERTUNE or SINGLE TUNE or Manually TUNE the method), and you can swap in Columns (or Methods) for other Columns ("CHANGE IT" or "RUN METHOD IN THIS COLUMN"), or if a column doesn't exist, the "CHANGE IT" button allows you to ADD a column to your Method. So, simply click on the "CHANGE IT" button to continue.
Figure 8 - Looks familiar? You now select another Column
At this point, adding Columns to your Method is a repetitive process. So, go ahead and ADD another Column. This time, choose the "BMBREAK - BM BREAK CALCULATION". Then, click OK to accept the selected Column. When you are finished with these two quick steps, you should be looking at something which looks like Figure 9.
Figure 9 - Back to the Method Display
If you notice ???? in your values, then remember, this can be either because the data to use in the Column doesn't exist OR data has been filtered out.
Each time you add a column (or method as a column), your method is automatically stored so you don't have to worry about saving your method. As stated previously, you may now click on an empty Column, or click on a previously created Column so that you can change it, delete it, or tune it. At this point you should continue to experiment with these features.
An important note about using METHODS as a COLUMN - Do not create a Method that uses itself as a Method. For instance, if you create a Method called "METHOD1", do not add that method "METHOD1" as a column of METHOD1. Doing so will cause QuickDog to fail (disappear).
There is one more help item you should now look at once you've created your Handicapping Method. That is the "Select_Custom_Method" help Tutorial which is part of the "Handicapping_Tools" Menu Bar Item. This tutorial shows you how to select among all your Handicapping Methods you've recreated or which we've provided.
To exit the Method Builder, press the Right Mouse Button until the QuickDog Menu Bar reappears.