a script to manage multiple rosters...

I know several GMs, including myself, are playing in both the BHL league and the Elite league. I will demonstrate how to create a script to easily switch between rosters for BHL and Elite Leagues:

• In the folder My Documents/NHL09, create two folders and name them something like "BHL" and "Elite"

• Then copy the rosters files (“exhibition.exh”, “exhibition.exha.tba”, & “db.viv”) for each league into each folder (BHL League rosters to BHL folder, Elite rosters to Elite.... felt I had to say it.. )

• Ok.. in BHL you also need the gameplay files, “aidate.viv” & “fmisc.viv”, so put those (from your BHL download) in the BHL folder

• You now need to copy the original “aidata.viv” & “fmisc.viv” to the Elite folder because those files need restored to play Elite games (these are the defaults installed by the game, copy them from a fresh install or from the CD. (aidata is in the folder named "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\gamedata\" & fmisc is in the folder named "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\preload\")


• ok so you should have 5 files in each folder


• If your game is installed to this path "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09" then all is well.

o (If it has another path like "C:\Programs\EA SPORTS\NHL 09" or "C:\Program Files (x86)\EA SPORTS\NHL 09", you will have to make changes to the following script for things to work right)

• Open notepad

• Copy and paste the following into Notepad and make sure that is does not wrap around (“copy” should be the first word on every line except the last):

copy aidata.viv "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\gamedata\"
copy fmisc.viv "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\preload\"
copy db.viv "C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\db\"
copy exhibition.exh ..
copy exhibition.exha.tdb ..
pause

• At the top select FILE

• Then SAVE AS

• Then on the save menu that comes up change the "Save As Type:” from Text Documents to “All Files”

• now navigate to the BHL folder you created and save this file as "roster.bat"

• also save it in the Elite folder as “roster.bat”
* - you can give it any name... but end it with .bat

• ok one last step: Make a shortcut in this folder from the program “BHimport09.bat” which is in your game directory (C:\Program Files\EA SPORTS\NHL 09\).
* - Vista users may want to make the shortcut to “BHimport09vista.bat”

• so now you should have 7 files in each folder:
o exhibition.exh
o exhibition.exha.tba
o aidata.viv
o fmisc.viv
o db.viv
o roster.bat
o Shortcut to BHimport09.bat

• make sure the game is not running

• go to one of the folders and click on the roster.bat file

• check to see that it says, "1 file copied" on each line, if it says "0 files copied" then we have an error

• after you run that, if it is successful... click the shortcut to BHimport to run that program * - always run those two programs together with the game off

That is all you have to do now to switch rosters!

Here is the process in a nutshell:

1. navigate to the folder of the roster you want to install
2. double click the “rosters.bat” file
3. double click the shortcut to “BHimport09”
4. boot the game

Here are the links to the official rosters these leagues use:
BHL League Roster –
http://www.hockeydownloads.com/forums/downloads.php?do=file&id=1424

BHL Gameplay Settings -
http://www.hockeydownloads.com/forums/showthread.php?p=52701

Elite League Roster -
http://www.hockeydownloads.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4581

PS... thanks to Phil at BHL for allowing me to post this message. Phil realizes that a cooperative attitude between leagues and league members can only benefit our online community!