Loading Turns

After you've loaded the starting turn, you'll probably want to add more, which is where the "tracker" part of WitPTracker AE comes from.

There are two methods to read in new turns:

1. Single turn read
2. Multi-Turn read

Single Turn Reading

Just like with the start up, put the save file in the right place (depending on the SaveMode setting in the witptracker.properties file -- see Set up for more information) and then choose the Read Turn item from the Turn menu.

Multi-Turn Reading

In order to read a bunch of turns in one shot (like to get WitPTracker AE up-to-date with a game in progress), you can use the Multi-Turn reading function. This function will let you load turns from anywhere on your hard drive, so you could also use this method to always load your turns.

From the Turn menu, choose Multi-turn read. Then you will be presented with a dialog window used to specify which folder should be checked for save files.

Select the folder and then the Select Directory button. The program will then examine all of the files in that folder and present you with a list of unloaded turns with same scenario from files with the same basic naming pattern as the SaveFile setting in the witptracker.properties file. If you choose the "All .pws" checkbox in the dialog window, all files ending in pws will be shown. The screen looks like this:

The list contains all of the unloaded turns, showing the turn number, the game date and the save file name.

Select the turns you want to load by setting the Selected check box for the turn to a check mark.

The Toggle All button will change the Selected from checked to un-checked for all of the turns. This is a quick way to select just a few turns from a long list, since the window starts out with all turns selected.

The Load button will start the loading of all of the selected turns. The turns will load in order of the turn number.

The Cancel button will quit this window and not load any turns.

General Information

The turn reading has multiple phases. First it reads the information from the save file and then it compares it with the current WitPTracker AE database. Anything that changed will be updated in the database and in the WitPTracker AE screens. The footer area in the bottom right of the screen will show the progress.

You can still use the WitPTracker AE while a turn is loading, but any of the screens that rely on data that will be updated from reading the save file (almost everything) will not show proper data. To avoid getting error messages or seeing strange display of data, show the Ship Classes, Aircraft, or Aircraft Comparison Data set before you start the turn loading. Also, the program will stop you from quitting or loading more turns while turns are in the process of being loaded.

Pointers and Tips

Some pointers to keep in mind:

• Try to load the save games at the same point in their progress each time. We recommend that you load the turn into WitPTracker AE before you enter any orders.
• Information in the save file will not be reflected in WitPTracker AE until you load it. Changing information in the save file will not be reflected in WitPTracker AE after it has been loaded.
• You cannot unload a turn. Once it's loaded, that's it.
• Once you load a turn, you cannot load turns earlier than that one.
• You can skip turns, but as above, you won't be able to "fill in the blanks" later.
• To keep a large number of turns, a good idea would be to take the save games and name them with a turn number. For example, if your slot is 22, the save file name is wpae022.pws. So you can keep turn one as wpae022.pws.001 and turn two as wpae022.pws.002, etc. This works nicely for the Multi-Turn reading function.
• The more turns you load, the larger the database files will get and the longer it will take for the program to start up (we're working on the start up time).