Using Markets Loaded to Create own Spreadsheets

Hi All

Excel Integration with MF Pro at page 210 of the manual states that you can't use sheet1!A1 format in Excel "Settings" custom tab to address "market or selection variables in formulas addressed in this way, because MF Pro can't
determine what market or selection you are referring to. So only general and bet history variables are allowed."

I found this frustrating as I needed a way to monitor market/selection variables without having to launch an Excel sheet for each race and monitor a lot of data that I didn't want to manipulate. I've found a way of doing this now.

(1) Open Excel.
(2) Launch MF Pro. Make sure that a market sheet won't be launched in Excel for each market being monitored ( i.e. untick the relevant boxes). Make sure that at the conclusion of each race the market in play is deleted immediately and either set this to happen automatically or manual delete each race before the next one starts.
(3) Customise any cells for your triggers. As a very simple example, let's say that you want in cell A1 of Sheet 1 a calculation of the change in the first listed horse's back price since the market turned in play: write "Sheet1!A1" in the Cell Address column and - THIS IS THE KEY - g_ticks(mr_1_s_1_last_last_traded,mr_1_s_1_back_price)
(3) Select markets you want to monitor - say all Horse Racing Win Markets. Markets then load.
(4) As soon as market starts to refresh go to your Sheet1 spreadsheet and you'll find that the data is in A1 and refreshes automatically.

I am now doing some pretty sophisticated screens of data analysis using this method. Of course, without more one is always concentrating on the next race in the market list, but you could do some fancy looping through the list of races. The really powerful thing about it is that you get to choose how to manipulate the race data and can then refer to the specific cell in your triggers. Hope this is helpful with your betting strategies.

Can I suggest we all share some tips and tricks with each other. I'm not suggesting that we reveal our best triggers, but just share techniques. It's MF Pro v the Rest of the Betfair World as far as I'm concerned! I'll post a few more tips, MF Pro glitches workarounds etc. that I've discovered.

Oh, Oxa, if you read this post can you please tell me the file in which the Excel Custom Cells are stored as I keep having to retype my custom cells if the program becomes corrupted and needs to be reinstalled.

Regards
Ed.

Hi Ed, I've just found this post.

Custom cells are stored in a file called "customcells.xml" right in the folder where MF Pro is installed. You can back it up and add to the newly installed MF Pro.

I've read your advice regarding Excel and custom cells with great interest.
The way you address the variable works well because you specify explicitly which market and selection you are referring to: m_1_ for the first market in the list and s_1_ for the first selection in that market.

I thought it was lying on the surface, but obviously I'm often wrong as to the level of user-friendliness of such stuff, so I'm glad you shared your experience.

What I couldn't understand though is why you need to use exactly "Sheet1" to read that value, instead of addressing the corresponding market sheet? Or is it something similar to "I want to always monitor only the currently refreshed market"?

Hi Oxa

When you say "the corresponding market sheet" do you mean the querymarket_id spreadsheet that MF Pro can create? If so, then I didn't explain my post well, as my central idea is to completely bypass the creation of MF Pro market spreadsheets for each race, as the querymarket_id spreadsheet contains the same data as is displayed in the main MF Pro window. I create my own instead! I include a simple example, but have edited out the formulas and certain information on the right hand side of the spreadsheet as trade secrets! Essentially, the spreadsheet calculates true place odds in play based on the actual wins when the race is down to the last 5 on the assumption that any longshot bias that existed before the race went in play should no longer exist. I emphasise: there are no MF Pro spreadsheets running at all, hence the need for Sheet1! Or have I misunderstood your point or MF Pro?


Regards

Ed.

Hi,
even if I untick the relevant boxes in MFP Excel options, MFP writes data to sheet1 only if it writes also to querysheets.
I loaded Excel first, select markets and I click on "Launch Excel" button where it writes data also to querysheets.
If I don't click on "Launch Excel" button Excel doesn't refresh with sheet1 data.

Am I doing something wrong?

Hi tpanos

That's very strange. I untick every box under "Settings": that is, I untick "Add Layout to Spreadsheets", "Create a Sheet for each Market", "Display Current Bets in Excel" and "Don't Create a Market until its x minutes before the Off". Obviously, having unticked those boxes then you have to first define your custom cells on the same page that you unticked the boxes. So, if you wanted the favourites price in cell A1 you would write mr_1_r_1_back_price etc.. Having created your own spreadsheet then. for the first time only, you close down MF Pro, launch Excel, reopen MFPro and load your races into MF Pro and ......Bingo!

Regards

Ed.

Hi Ed, I now see your point.

I think it might be a good idea to introduce an option to have just one spreadsheet for the current market, that is for the market that is on the screen at every moment.

Tpanos, if you don't press "Launch Excel", MF Pro will not be connected to Excel and thus will not be able to send data there.

Hi all,

Ed, thanks for sharing that technique.

I would like to use Excel to store a list of selections from multiple events in the day and have a back price for each selection at which I should enter a bet if that price is on offer. However, like you, I do not want a sheet for each market as I find this completely bogs down my machine with the number I monitor.

Is it possible to do this with the method you suggest above (or some other method)?

Ideally I would update my single spreadsheet each night with the selections and prices for the following day.  (Oh yes, and I also want all other selections in the event available for betting with other triggers so the "Import Selections for Auto Traing is no good to me - I have watched that video.)

Alfaman

Really nice. I was able to successfully do it on my end using the instruction. Well done.