What sort of pool/billiards software do you wish existed (or was better)?

juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
Please post the sorts of pool/billiards software products you wished existed, but don't... Or, perhaps they exist, but you are not fully satisfied with the features, pricing, or otherwise. I'm talking about absolutely any kind of pool software concept, including league management, games, simulators, stats-tracking, practice-logging, gambling journaling, or anything you can dream up!

I'm in the business of making software, and I very much enjoy working on authoring programs at home that are related to hobbies I enjoy. I spent the summer of 2005 developing SnookerBase, and I'm hoping to start a new project this summer. I have a few ideas of my own, but I'm wondering other pool software ceoncepts there is demand for. Please post your thoughts!
 
Gregg

Gregg

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
juanbond said:
Please post the sorts of pool/billiards software products you wished existed, but don't... Or, perhaps they exist, but you are not fully satisfied with the features, pricing, or otherwise. I'm talking about absolutely any kind of pool software concept, including league management, games, simulators, stats-tracking, practice-logging, gambling journaling, or anything you can dream up!

I'm in the business of making software, and I very much enjoy working on authoring programs at home that are related to hobbies I enjoy. I spent the summer of 2005 developing SnookerBase, and I'm hoping to start a new project this summer. I have a few ideas of my own, but I'm wondering other pool software ceoncepts there is demand for. Please post your thoughts!
Click to expand...

VP3 seems to be the "players" choice from what I can see. WCP2004 blows, just so that you know.
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
Gregg said:
VP3 seems to be the "players" choice from what I can see. WCP2004 blows, just so that you know.
Click to expand...

Yeah VP3 is not bad...

I'm more looking for input as to what kinds of software people need or want, in regards to pool. Not necessarily games...
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
One of my current ideas is to write a program that could be used as a sort of pool gambling log and statistics reporting tool. I'm hoping to get feedback from you all to see if this is a good idea or not. I'm not sure how many people would even be interested in using such software...

Basically, every time you would get home after a long night of playing sets against the chaps at the pool hall, you could start up the software and enter in all the details (opponent, locaiton, table type, type of game, race type and length, spot details, money wagered/won/lost, race results). Over time, it would track your stats for all opponents, game types, race types, spots, etc. It could graph all kinds of things for easy historical analysis. For instance, you could use it to find out what spots given/taken seem to win/lose the most money for you against a certain player, or overall. You could graph the waxing and waning of your bankroll over a period of time. You could even see which tables or locations you make the most money at.

Anyways, its just an idea at this point. I'll post my other software ideas when I get a chance. Please reply with any comments or suggestions!
 
cueandcushion

cueandcushion

Cue & Cushion_STL_MO
Silver Member
I have no software

We still use calculagraphs at our billiard parlor. I think they were made in the 1930's. Still work well and no crashes when the power goes out. No virus updates and it takes all of 5 minutes to train a new employee on it. So far every computer system for billiard parlors in my opinion has been severely lacking. They always have parameters in what is allowed that conflicts with the way we charge, or give discounts etc. So I will have to change every pricing policy I have just to put in a computer system. I just wish they still made Calculagraphs. No..I am serious.
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
cueandcushion said:
We still use calculagraphs at our billiard parlor. I think they were made in the 1930's. Still work well and no crashes when the power goes out. No virus updates and it takes all of 5 minutes to train a new employee on it. So far every computer system for billiard parlors in my opinion has been severely lacking. They always have parameters in what is allowed that conflicts with the way we charge, or give discounts etc. So I will have to change every pricing policy I have just to put in a computer system. I just wish they still made Calculagraphs. No..I am serious.
Click to expand...

Hm, interesting. I have never heard of Calculagraphs.

Yes, software systems are never without fault... Except for mine, of course! :cool:

Anyone have any other billiards software suggestions? I've got four more weeks until I'm back in the states, and I'm really looking forward to crafting a new piece of software at home...I'm just not sure what it will be, yet...
 
Colin Colenso

Colin Colenso

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
juanbond said:
Please post the sorts of pool/billiards software products you wished existed, but don't... Or, perhaps they exist, but you are not fully satisfied with the features, pricing, or otherwise. I'm talking about absolutely any kind of pool software concept, including league management, games, simulators, stats-tracking, practice-logging, gambling journaling, or anything you can dream up!

I'm in the business of making software, and I very much enjoy working on authoring programs at home that are related to hobbies I enjoy. I spent the summer of 2005 developing SnookerBase, and I'm hoping to start a new project this summer. I have a few ideas of my own, but I'm wondering other pool software ceoncepts there is demand for. Please post your thoughts!
Click to expand...
Hi Juan,
I'd like to see a program to analyze 8-ball play. IPT might even be interested in using it.

Would record:
Break (Wet {incl. no. of balls potted} or Dry) (Scracth / Foul / Ball Off Table) (Break Speed)
Innings (No. of balls potted, Safety shots, Scratches, Fouls)
Win / Loss

Would Calculate:
Break Performance
Break & Run Percentages
Clearance on first open visit percentages.
Innings per game Averages.
Win/ Loss Ratio
Games Lost Index
Automatic Table Generation such as shown here:
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/ipt_online_event/scoring_finalround.asp

Perhaps also, random draws for round robin.

Colin
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
Colin Colenso said:
Hi Juan,
I'd like to see a program to analyze 8-ball play. IPT might even be interested in using it.

Would record:
Break (Wet {incl. no. of balls potted} or Dry) (Scracth / Foul / Ball Off Table) (Break Speed)
Innings (No. of balls potted, Safety shots, Scratches, Fouls)
Win / Loss

Would Calculate:
Break Performance
Break & Run Percentages
Clearance on first open visit percentages.
Innings per game Averages.
Win/ Loss Ratio
Games Lost Index
Automatic Table Generation such as shown here:
http://www.internationalpooltour.com/ipt_content/ipt_online_event/scoring_finalround.asp

Perhaps also, random draws for round robin.

Colin
Click to expand...

Colin - hey, good idea... I could certainly whip up something like that in no time... I'd probably get to a point where I'd start dreaming up other kinds of statistical measures for 8-ball (useful or not).

Can you elaborate on "Clearance on first open visit percentages"? By this do you mean what percentage of the time a player runs out, out of all first visits to the table, excluding break shots? I'm assuming that's what you mean...
 
C

Cameron Smith

is kind of hungry...
Silver Member
Gregg said:
WCP2004 blows, just so that you know.
Click to expand...

I thought it was kinda fun. I play the snooker most of the time because it is the only game the computer seems to know how to play lol.

I don't think games like VP3 really do anything to help me considering that it forces me to aim in a manner that is entirely foriegn to me. I generally line up the shot with the right side of my body which makes everything look slightly different.

Regardless I can't be bothered spending $30 on a game where I play worse in the video game than I do in real life. Its not fun at all, I'm not interested in re-living my banger days.

But what I do wish they had is more like hardware. You know that thing in the Matrix where they download skills and such into their brain? That would be awsome! But I'm not so sure about the holes in the back of their heads, yuck.
 
Cardinal2B

Cardinal2B

Connecticut Panhandler
Silver Member
Virtual Calculagraph?

cueandcushion said:
We still use calculagraphs at our billiard parlor. I think they were made in the 1930's. Still work well and no crashes when the power goes out. No virus updates and it takes all of 5 minutes to train a new employee on it. So far every computer system for billiard parlors in my opinion has been severely lacking. They always have parameters in what is allowed that conflicts with the way we charge, or give discounts etc. So I will have to change every pricing policy I have just to put in a computer system. I just wish they still made Calculagraphs. No..I am serious.
Click to expand...

Juanbond,
I'd find out more about what Calculagraphs are, and maybe make a virtual version; obviously they are doing the job for CueandCushion, but something mechanical, made in the 30's, just isn't practical to source anymore...but the function and ease of training obviously appeal to CueandCushion.
Besides, he's a Cardinal fan, how wrong could he be? :)
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
Cardinal2B said:
Juanbond,
I'd find out more about what Calculagraphs are, and maybe make a virtual version; obviously they are doing the job for CueandCushion, but something mechanical, made in the 30's, just isn't practical to source anymore...but the function and ease of training obviously appeal to CueandCushion.
Besides, he's a Cardinal fan, how wrong could he be? :)
Click to expand...

I'll definitely do that... My interest is piqued!
 
nibrobus

nibrobus

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I'd like to see a detailed cue rendering program that lets you see what a cue looks like before it's built. I remember someone posted a link a while back that let you create a basic cue with some points but you couldn't do much with it. It'd be great if the program let you load your own samples of exotic hardwood pictures or change the color tint on existing ones (i.e. a more reddish cocobolo or a browner cocobolo).
 
juanbond

juanbond

Software Engineer
Silver Member
nibrobus said:
I'd like to see a detailed cue rendering program that lets you see what a cue looks like before it's built. I remember someone posted a link a while back that let you create a basic cue with some points but you couldn't do much with it. It'd be great if the program let you load your own samples of exotic hardwood pictures or change the color tint on existing ones (i.e. a more reddish cocobolo or a browner cocobolo).
Click to expand...

Definitely would be handy... However, this sort of software already exists, for rendering any kind of construction in extremely high detail. AutoCAD and related applications will do all of this and more...and there's also other less-complicated modeling/rendering ware out there, too.
 
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