| Return Home Go to Next Topic (Getting Started) |
Existing Users |
BadgeManager Plus |
If you are already using TroopManager Plus version 1.0 or 1.1 then you need to know a few things about getting the most out of BadgeManager Plus.
Update to 1.2
First, be sure to update to TroopManager Plus version 1.2. It's FREE and we guarantee you'll love the new features that have been added. See also: downloading TroopManager Plus 1.2, and a new feature summary.
Existing Troop Badges
Many users have already gone through the trouble of entering badges and activities for their troops using TroopManager Plus's built-in badge-related tools. You have a big decision to make about existing badges and related activities. Here is some background to help you make your decision.
 | BadgeManager Plus is 100% compatible with your existing badges, activities and scout
progress records. |
| BadgeManager Plus adds additional information to your existing badges. Only
BadgeManager Plus can see this information, so you'll need to use BadgeManager Plus data
entry screens to change it. |
| Some BadgeManager Plus features will not be immediately available to you when working
with existing badges. You can use the BadgeManager Plus data entry tools to rectify this.
The features are optional. |
| The badge and activity-related data entry screens in TroopManager Plus continue to work as they did before, and all are compatible with BadgeManager Plus. |
Your decision:
- Do you keep your existing badge and activity entries, or
- Do you delete them and start over with BadgeManager Plus's version of the badges?
Keep 'em
If you have invested hundreds of hours doing data entry and record keeping with TroopManager Plus then you have an easy decision -- keep your existing badges! BadgeManager Plus will work fine with these badges, although you should get in the habit of using BadgeManager Plus when doing badge/activity-related work.
The downside: some optional but still handy features will not be available to you when using your existing badges. You can use the badge/activity editor in BadgeManager Plus to add this missing information if you desire. Here are the features that will be missing unless and until you edit the badge and activities.
| Badge category filter--your badges are lumped into the "All" category. |
| Badge activity groups--all your activities are in the main group. |
| Requirements--no requirement text will be displayed. |
| Automated detection of completed badges--will not work for your badges. |
| Better activity descriptions--BadgeManager Plus increases the maximum length of activity descriptions, making the text in the master database generally better and more descriptive than you were able to do with TroopManager Plus. |
Delete 'em
If you have only a small or moderate investment in data entry, we recommend that you delete them and start over again using badges and activities from BadgeManager Plus's master database. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much more efficient BadgeManager Plus is when recording scout and troop progress, and it will not take as long to re-enter the progress information.
See also: Recording Troop Progress and Recording Scout Progress
