The selection of the following range of options does not need to occur in the order noted below.
For simplicity's sake, the explanations described here follow the options as listed from the top of System Developer's options pane to the bottom. You can for example, select the date range of data before you select the group to run - it makes no difference. Click the 'Run' button last, of course.

Please note: It must be stated here that the Group function was not designed to run over historical data, but as a convenient way to group together a user’s proven systems to run over today’s meetings to isolate today’s selections in one sweep. This obviates the need to run each system separately over today’s meetings.

However, some users have reported that they have successfully used the Group function over historical data. So for this reason only we supply the notes below. It would be essential, however, to make sure that all systems in a group being used for historical data have been saved with a common ‘Analyze by...’ parameter selected.

More detailed notes will follow, but basically, to run a saved group you need to...

(a) Select your saved group

To run one of your saved groups of systems... (1) Make sure the radio button is beside 'group', (2) Click on the green arrow to open the Group Name drop down list, (3) Click on the required group name to select it. (4) With your group now selected and highlighted, click on the same green arrow again to close the list.

For your information... (a) Your selected group name doesn't need to be showing in the group name text box; your group is still selected.

(b) With a saved group, the title bar of the System Developer window displays the name of the first system (alphabetically) in the currently selected group. With an unsaved group, the name of the last selected system will appear in the title bar.

Unsaved Group. It is also possible to run a number of systems together as a group although they have not been saved as a group. Open the System Name drop down list and add a checkmark beside each system that you would like to include, then make sure that the radio button is beside 'group', choose your other options and click the 'Run' button. Those systems will be run together as a group, but of course they will be deselected automatically as soon as you select another group, as they have not been saved. What's in this group? To check which systems are included in a particular group, click the group's name in the Group Name list, then open the System Name list. The included systems will be checkmarked.

Now, on to section (b) of 'Run a Group'...

(b) Select the data

You also need to select the range of data that you want the group of systems to analyse. You have three options... Using...Loaded Races If this option is selected, System Developer analyses only those meetings that are currently loaded into GTX; that is, only those meetings you can see in the Field View. The main purpose of this option is for running your proven systems over today's races to isolate the winning chances as defined by the rules of that system. Using...This month This option instructs System Developer to analyse only the meetings that have taken place within the current month. Please remember therefore, that only meetings that you have downloaded during the current month are available to be analysed. Using...Selected dates from... This option allows you to analyse all the meetings within a period defined by a start date and an end date, both of which can be specified using the two drop-down calendars, which are activated using the down arrows. The option would be used mainly for developing and refining systems. Please note that when using this 'selected dates' option, to protect the integrity of the results, it would be necessary to have imported meetings from either the monthly CD, or a purchased CD of historical data. Although downloaded meeting files are updated during race day with jockey changes, track condition changes, TAB prices, finishing positions and scratchings that are available at the time of update, historical data from the CD has much post race data added to the files, such as final jockey information, final track conditions, TAB prices, finishing positions, scratchings, plus Starting Prices, margins, and TAB exotics dividends.

(c) Other options

This track only

If you enter the three-letter code for a particular track in this text box, for example 'FLE' for Flemington, then only Flemington meetings within the specified date range will be analysed by the Current System or Group. Leave the box blank if you want all tracks to be considered.

This option requires the three-letter track code as contained in the filename of the race. The complete list of track codes can be found on the Track Codes page.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'Loaded races only' for Systems and Groups.

Use RPD

The RPD (Race Profile Database) is a feature of the System Developer that allows faster operation of a System Analysis where a system contains rules that define the types of races to be analysed; that is, there are rules in the Race parameters section of the system. The more defining, or limiting, the Race parameters are, the quicker the analysis will be, as only those races described in the Race parameters section of the system will be analysed, rather than the whole database of races.

As an example, consider a system that contains the following rules:

Race Rules:
Include if Distance between 0 and 1350
Include if Weight Rest = WFA

There may be only 40 such races in the entire Race Profile database, so the System Developer will analyse only those 40 races, taking only a matter of seconds as opposed to a much longer time an analysis of the whole database could take, depending upon the amount of races contained in it, and the speed of your computer.

If the 'Use RPD' option is used, the System Developer can analyse only the races that have been loaded to the Race Profile database, therefore it is imperative to keep the RPD up-to-date. Basically what this entails is that when you first import historical data into GTX, you create the database. Each time you add further historical data (e.g. from a monthly CD) you need to update the RPD. To keep this database updated and current, please refer to 'Update Race Profiles'.

This option is disabled when you have specified 'Loaded races only' for Systems and Groups.

Only races with dividends

To ensure the integrity of the profitability analysis in results, make sure that 'only races with dividends' is checked. This option instructs the Current System or Current Group to ignore any races that do not have dividends attached. This is just an extra safeguard as generally, all races do have dividends, especially if you selected the 'meetings with dividends only' option when you imported the historical data from the CD.

SP's and TAB

As a punter backing a horse for the win, you can bet with a bookie, you can bet on a tote, you can even compare various totes as you will obviously want to get the best price that's available.

This option is a simple comparison function which allows you to see how much better off you would have been if you had made a comparison of prices before the start of the race and made the best decision. It's meant only to be an indicator of possibilities, as it's obviously impossible for GTX to be aware of all prices offered by all services. Maybe one day.

It works like this: When you run a system with this option unchecked, the profitability analysis in the results gives you a profit figure (WPOT) based on NSWTAB prices. Now run the system again with the 'SP's and TAB' option checked. During the analysis, rather than just recording the TAB prices, GTX will compare the TAB prices with the Starting Prices and use the better of the two in the profit calculations. You will notice that the WPOT will now display a more agreeable figure.

This will indicate to you that comparing prices from as many sources as you can make available to yourself, will lead to greater profits.

Notify me when finished

When a checkmark is placed beside this option, and provided that you have a sound card and speakers installed on your computer, GTX gives you an audible indication when a system or group has finished its analysis. This can be quite handy when a large amount of data is being analysed, as depending on the options you have selected, that analysis could take many minutes, and you may have nodded off while waiting.

The default notification sound is created by the file 'alarm.wav' which resides in the <\GTX\Data> folder. If you would prefer a different sound, you can replace this file with another .wav file of your choice. Place your new file in the <\GTX\Data> folder and rename it to 'alarm.wav' (without the quotes), however you will first need to rename the original 'alarm.wav' to something else, eg 'alarm orig.wav'.

Order selections by...

Following a system analysis, the results appear in the centre panes of the System Developer window; the analysis at the bottom and the list of selections in the centre-top pane. The selections can be sorted in either of two ways using the 'order selections by...' option.

This option can be selected before or after the system or group has run. For example, when you have the selections showing, change from Post Time to Track and you will see the selections automatically re-sort.

Date - Post Time.
This option will sort selections by date and then order of post time.

Date - Track.
This option will sort by date and then track, meaning within each date, all selections at Track A will be listed, then selections at Track B and so on

(d) Click the 'Run' button

(e) Print Selections and/or Analysis

The selections, or the financial analysis produced by a system system can be printed (or saved to a file) at any time. Right-clicking inside the System Developer window - anywhere over the Selections pane, the Analysis pane or the system rules text box - will invoke the following context menu. Clicking on 'Print Selections' or 'Print Analysis' will send the corresponding data to Windows® Notepad®, from where it can be printed or saved.

As you can see on the menu, a system's rules can also be printed via the same method.

Quite often, some of the more advanced users of Windows® replace the rather basic Notepad® with other freely available similar programs containing more fully-featured formatting and page setup features that allow much more flexibility in printing and/or saving files.