Creating Schedules

[mtaydus007]

I have NBA Live 08 on PC and I'm wondering if there is a way I can create a schedule, example 2013/2014 season, using online websites for schedule creators and export the file into a .dbf file? I'm creating a schedule for the 2013/2014 season but its taking a long time to enter each location, time, and home/away teams one by one. Is there a faster way to create one without taking forever to make?

[Andrew]

I'd say not. I'm guessing there aren't any sites that generate the exact values you need to use for the file to work with NBA Live.

[mtaydus007]

I finished making a schedule for the 2008-2009 season using Microsoft Excel and converted the file to seasonschedule.dbf . I then put the file into a new season and went to the load/save screen to load the season. Once I did that, the game froze and had errors saying that the file is not in the database and other error codes. Do I need to use the NBA Live 08 editor and change the numbers that are associated with each team? or are there other steps for me to do?

[Andrew]

If you edit the dbf files in Excel, you need to make sure that you save them in DBASE IV format. Otherwise, they'll be the wrong format for the game, leading to Codebase Errors like that.

It's much safer to use DB Commander for DBF files, for that very reason.

[mtaydus007]

Well I got the file working for the 2008/2009 season, but there seems to be a problem. None of the games are showing up. I edited the teams info and nothing showed up. How do I fix this?

I have windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit operating system

[mtaydus007]

Can someone help me with this issue?

[mtaydus007]

Does anyone know how to fix this?

[mtaydus007]

Is there a tutorial out there to create schedules? What program(s) do I use?

[Andrew]

DB Commander is probably the safest one to use.

Here are the values for the schedule DBF file:

DELETED: Standard column, all values set to True this time
TYPE: Seems like the standard value is 0 or blank
SPECIAL: Can be left at 0 as well
ID: Standard ID field, except they'd appear to be out of order
PERIOD: Can be left at 0
DATE: Date in YYYYMMDD format (eg November 13th, 2005 = 20051113)
TIME: Time of game in 24 hour format (eg 7:30 = 1930)
LOCATION: Seems to be all zeroes, I'm guessing that means it will just grab the home team's location as specified in location.dbf
PLAYED: Game has been played in season, True/False
OVERTIME: Game went into Overtime, True/False
TEAMHOME: The home team, refer to the Team IDs guide
TEAMAWAY: The away team, refer to the Team IDs guide
SCOREHOME: The home team's score. Leave at 0 for the default schedule file
SCOREAWAY: The away team's score. Leave at 0 for the default schedule file

[mtaydus007]

Can someone help me with creating a schedule and editing the dbf files?

[Andrew]

Open the DBF files with DB Commander. Change the values accordingly. That's pretty much all there is to it.

I posted an explanation of what the different fields and values are, above. You're probably going to have to leave the years as 2007 and 2008 for Year 1 of Dynasty Mode to work properly, but you should be able to change the actual dates without any issues.

[mtaydus007]

I'm only having this problem with season mode and I don't play dynasty mode as much. I've been editing the 2007-2008 schedule as my template and changing the date, location, time and teams. Should I start over with a new file? Also do I need to finish the 2007-2008 season first before using the next schedule or could I use it during the season?

[Andrew]

If you're experiencing crashes, then yes, probably best to start over with a new file.

You'd also have to edit the default schedule file and then start a new season, not edit a season in progress. I imagine that would cause issues.

[mtaydus007]

When I use the DB Commander to edit the default schedule, the teams section value is -1 but when I go to that value, change the value to the team number it will go directly back to -1. I'm frustrated with using DB Commander because it takes a long time to make a schedule and I tend to use Microsoft Excel 2007 because it makes the process go faster but the only problem with it is that you can't save native dbf files and doesn't have the option in the save as menu. I'm unfamiliar with editing dbf files and every time I edit the file it doesn't work. I don't know what my problem is and don't know a solution to fix it. I have a couple of questions:
1. Is there a step by step tutorial on how to edit dbf files that will make them work?
2. is there a better program to use?
3. Is there someone you know that can help me create or teach me how to make/edit and save a dbf file for NBA Live?
4. Will the schedule work in season mode?
5. I also found a roster for the 2008-2009 season and I copy it's files, created a new season folder, pasted them in and transfered the schedule into the folder. Should I not do that to update the team info?
6. Do I have to finish the 2007-2008 season first in order for the next schedule to work?

[Andrew]

1. Not really, because that's a very broad question. It's pretty much edit the data you need to, make sure the file is saved in the correct format.
2. Than DB Commander? Possibly the spreadsheet software in OpenOffice. I know Excel 2003 can save in the correct DBase IV format, I was under the impression Excel 2007 could as well, but perhaps not.
3. Check the DBF Guides in the Wiki. That's what they're there for.
4. I would assume so.
5. You shouldn't do that, because it's a roster save, not a season save. Start a new season with that roster, using a custom schedule file.
6. Again, you should start a new season using the roster of your choice, and a custom schedule file. Editing a season in progress is just inviting crashes and undesirable results.

[mtaydus007]

Do I need to put new schedule in the originaldb or currentdb folders?

[Andrew]

At least originaldb, but probably both.

[mtaydus007]

Ok and I found a converter for xlsx or xls files for Microsoft Excel to dbf files and using that instead of DB Commander. Excel 2007 doesn't allow me to save an active dbf as dbf4 but allows me to open and edit the files because the program got rid of that save file as option for dbf. You can still open, edit and dbf files in excel 2003 but not 2007.

[Andrew]

Good to know, thanks for the info!

[mtaydus007]

Do I need to place the schedule file into the new season folder?

[Andrew]

No. If you'be modified the default schedule file, then it will be used when you start a new season.

[mtaydus007]

So I started a new season to see if the file worked. It didn't work because the games didn't show up. Here are the steps I've been doing.
1. Loaded the NLC0809 Roster
2. Started a new season, named it 2008-2009.
3. Picked my teams
4. Saved the season
5. I went to my documents folder
6. Went to the saves folder
7. Opened the folder
8. Put the scheduleseason.dbf file into it and overwrited the current file and copied it.
9. Went to database
10. Went to original
11. Pasted the file in there
12. Closed the folder
13. Started NBA Live
14. Loaded NLC0809 Roster
15. Loaded the 2008-2009 season and none of the games showed up.
Questions:
1. Right now I'm playing the 2007-2008 season currently in progress, would that affect the games not showing up?

[Andrew]

So, multiple times now, I've said not to do that. Multiple times, you've asked whether you should do that, and I've said no. Yet, you're still doing the opposite of my advice. As I said, edit the default schedule file first, then start a new season with it.

If you can't be bothered taking note of my instructions, then I can't be bothered offering any more assistance. You're on your own. Good luck.

[mtaydus007]

Look I've been trying to listen to you. I always start a new season within the game. I think my problem is locating where to put the file and updating the dbfs for the new season. Maybe if there is a way you could do a remote connection to my computer and help me there. Also is there an internal calendar? Because every time I start a season it has the 2007-2008 calendar. Is there a way to add a 2008-2009 calendar into the game? And sorry I process information slowly and I'm a newbie for working with dbf files. I just really want this to work but its not.

Also I know how to edit the files but I need to know where to put them.

If you know how to create a schedule and get it working is there a way you could provide steps on where to put the file into which folders in the NBA Live 08 folder in my documents.

[Andrew]

You can't change the beginning year. It's always going to be the 2008 season. You can start a new season with 2008/2009 rosters, and with a modified schedule, but it's going to take place in the 2008 season, as far as the game is concerned.

You can add the 2009 season schedule, but you're going to have to leave the year on the dates as 2007 and 2008. Edit the default schedule file, place it in the originaldb and currentdb folders, start a new season.