FM Role Editor (Beta)

FM Role Editor (Beta)

The Tactics Creator introduced in FM10 was a massive step forward for many FM gamers - enabling them to interact with their players using footballing language rather than sliders.

I think the Tactics Creator is excellent, but I think it is currently flawed: there are not enough roles per position and there is no way of creating new roles.

Within the Classic Tactics settings there is a "Set To" button which allows you to set a number of different preset roles. Again, this is really limited but there is a way of editing a adding new roles. The "Set To" list is dictated by tactical_templates.xml file within the tactics folder inside the FM installation directory. Being XML, it is much easier to edit - although it has a bit of an eccentric format.

So, I have created the FM Role Editor:

In game this becomes:

With this, you can create one or more roles for each of your players, save the file and replace the tactical_templates.xml with the new version. In the game, you can set the roles of your players with just a couple of clicks.

Obviously, this comes at a price: you have to use classic tactics. For myself and some other players, this will not be a problem. But, for some players, this will be very annoying as you lose the touchline shouts, etc.

Personally, I think the ability to set up each player exactly how you want them and being able to quickly change a player's role outweighs these negatives.

What I'm really saying is, this will definitely not be for everyone. Also, it is worth noting this this software is in beta and will almost certainly have bugs in it (like all software). Use it at your own risk - if it breaks your computer or your FM installation, then I am not responsible and by using this software you agree to those terms. It is also Windows only, and depends on XP service pack 2 at a minimum, as well as Microsoft .NET Framework v4. If you get crashes on trying to start up the application, then you probably don't have these requirements.

Known Bugs

The tactical_templates.xml file has fallen out of maintenance by SI for some time now, which is a shame. The result is that:

• There is no Wide Play setting at all
  
• The sliders where changed to support 21 ticks at some point and the file was never updated to accommodate this. Tick 2 becomes tick 3 and tick 11 become tick 10 when loaded into the game.
  

I can't do anything about either of these problems, please lobby SI to support this file - or, better still, allow roles to be created in the tactic creator.

If you spot any other problems, bugs or would like any features adding, please reply to this thread.

Please back up your existing tactical_templates.xml file before using this application.

Download FM Role Editor (beta)

Fixes

• Inverted the meaning of the checkboxes - thought ticked meant "use team settings" but it doesn't, it means "use individual settings".
  
• Fixed problem with tackling slider causing exception
  

Coming Soon

• Validation warnings when saving roles with unsupported ticks
  
• Drag-and-drop reordering of roles
  
• Integration with running FM for the auto-generation of player roles (depends on progress of the scoutframeworkfm2009 library and its support for FM11)
  

Good Job

Was it hard to program?

You if need some sort of help i may try to...

I'll try the role editor

regards

Took about 12 hours over the past three days. Not a massive amount.

Come back and let me know what you think

I will probably release the source code for anyone to do what they fancy with it once I've fixed any bugs that people find or implemented a couple more features.

The main thing I need is to make it look a bit better, there's not even a nice icon in the task bar - I'm no artist!

would this be just for fm 2011 or can you use it for 2010?

I guess it's compatible with FM10, probably all the way back FM7 or possibly even earlier - SI haven't touched the tactical_templates.xml file in a long time (as far as I can tell).

So, while I haven't tried it in FM10, it should work just fine.

This is an excellent idea, I'd love to have a go with some player templates when my current tactic falls apart.

HHUK: Go for it

If you find any bugs or think of any missing features, let me know.

Just fixed a problem with the tackling slider. Link points to an updated version.

Inverted the meaning of the checkboxes - thought ticked meant "use team settings" but it doesn't, it means "use individual settings".

Sorry, but I'm gonna shamelessly bump this. Will hopefully have a couple more features implemented soon. And looking at a training schedule editor, too. I've got the .tsh file format sorted just a question of time now.

Nice. This looks really useful.

lets try this

Just a quick update on progress.

I'm working on a training schedule editor. Currently, the functionality is just basically replicating what is in the game:

...becomes...

...so it is quite a faithful representation - although certainly not perfect. I've basically solved a load of simultaneous equations to estimate the workload ratios per physical or general tick on the training sliders (for those interested, I arrived at 1 General Tick ~= 0.855 Workload ticks and 1 Physical Tick ~= 2.22; but I absolutely realize that these are wrong, just decent estimates).

The only thing left to do here is to replicate the in-game behaviour whereby changing the workload slider alters the individual training area sliders according to their current ratios.

Long term, both of these editors would be linked in with the FM Scout Framework library - which has recently added support for 11.1.1 - so that your team can be analysed and individual roles / schedules created from them with an algorithm.

I think this could be what ive been desperate for.I think!!!!!!!!

Does this mean i can set roles for every player in my 25 man squad and when i put them into my starting 11 those roles take place???

The issue im having with FM at the moment is i create a tactic based on my best 11.

Say for instance i pick Rafael Van Der Vaart as an AMC and as he is very good at long shots i set his long shots to often

However if i then sub him and put in Modric whos long shots are not as good i then have to change it and every other option so i get the best out of him

Now if i make 3 subs in a game that could be alot of messing about.

I could have Lennon whos quick and want him to hug the touchline but if i bring on Bentley i may want him to cross more.

If you get what i mean

I think this could be what ive been desperate for.I think!!!!!!!!

Does this mean i can set roles for every player in my 25 man squad and when i put them into my starting 11 those roles take place???

The issue im having with FM at the moment is i create a tactic based on my best 11.

Say for instance i pick Rafael Van Der Vaart as an AMC and as he is very good at long shots i set his long shots to often

However if i then sub him and put in Modric whos long shots are not as good i then have to change it and every other option so i get the best out of him

Now if i make 3 subs in a game that could be alot of messing about.

I could have Lennon whos quick and want him to hug the touchline but if i bring on Bentley i may want him to cross more.

If you get what i mean

Basically, yes.

I also got sick of having to tweak all my subs and set up all my players individually between games. With the role editor, it's just a few clicks and each player has tailored instructions.

Excellent.

I think this is a major time consuming issue with FM.

I just dont see the point in just being able to set your starting 11 and then having to waste time when you bring your subs on

Can you explain exactly how i use it please.Ive downloaded and extracted it but not sure hwat to do now.

Massive thanks

1) Go to the installation directory of FM and navigate to the data\tactics folder. For me, on Steam, this is: C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\football manager 2011\data\tactics

2) Make a backup copy of the tactical_templates.xml file within this folder.

4) Run FMRoleEditor.exe

5) Click File -> Open

6) Select the tactical_templates.xml file you made a copy of (the original, not the copy)

7) Make changes to the existing roles or create brand new roles

8) Save the file over the tactical_templates.xml file

9) In FM, go to the tactics screen and ensure that you are in classic mode (there's an option that says "convert to classic")

10) Select a player and click the "Set To" button above their settings.

11) Select a role that you have created.

A handy hint is that the tactical_templates.xaml is refreshed when you go to the preferences menu. So, once you've made changes to the file with FM running, selected the preferences screen and then go back and the "Set To" menu should have refreshed.

Hope this is enough!

Excellent thanks for the info.

I was a bit concerned that the training editor didn't really add any value over and above creating a schedule in the game. So I decided to add the ability to set each area using SFraser's concept of a "balanced notch" - as dictated by the number of attributes trained within each area. So, a "balanced notch" for Strength training is 4 normal notches on the slider. For Tactics, this is 5 and for Attacking, it is 3.

It is now much quicker to create a schedule for a player. Hopefully, I should release this in the next day or so.

How's the role editor going down? No one seems to be giving feedback which I daren't take as a good sign...

1) Go to the installation directory of FM and navigate to the data\tactics folder. For me, on Steam, this is: C:\Program Files\Steam\steamapps\common\football manager 2011\data\tactics

2) Make a backup copy of the tactical_templates.xml file within this folder.

4) Run FMRoleEditor.exe

5) Click File -> Open

6) Select the tactical_templates.xml file you made a copy of (the original, not the copy)

7) Make changes to the existing roles or create brand new roles

8) Save the file over the tactical_templates.xml file

9) In FM, go to the tactics screen and ensure that you are in classic mode (there's an option that says "convert to classic")

10) Select a player and click the "Set To" button above their settings.

11) Select a role that you have created.

A handy hint is that the tactical_templates.xaml is refreshed when you go to the preferences menu. So, once you've made changes to the file with FM running, selected the preferences screen and then go back and the "Set To" menu should have refreshed.

Hope this is enough!

Can you then revert back to TC or do you have to stay in classical?

thanks

K

How's the role editor going down? No one seems to be giving feedback which I daren't take as a good sign...

No news is good news... excellent work ZdlR!

Can you then revert back to TC or do you have to stay in classical?

thanks

K

I'm not sure Kazza. I think you will probably lose the settings because to go back to the TC you have to create a new TC tactic, I think.

No news is good news... excellent work ZdlR!

Cheers, Zico10. That's spurred me on to get this training editor finished!

Really awesome work out there man, keep it going!

I was a bit concerned that the training editor didn't really add any value over and above creating a schedule in the game. So I decided to add the ability to set each area using SFraser's concept of a "balanced notch" - as dictated by the number of attributes trained within each area. So, a "balanced notch" for Strength training is 4 normal notches on the slider. For Tactics, this is 5 and for Attacking, it is 3.

It is now much quicker to create a schedule for a player. Hopefully, I should release this in the next day or so.

Wow, this would be awesome.