FTC Bonfire: Scouting How-To Guide

Welcome to the FTC Bonfire Scouting Guide! This guide will walk you through the complete scouting workflow, from setting up your robot profile to tracking match scores and analyzing team performance.

Before the tournament day: Pre-Scouting Steps

Step 1: Create Robot Profile

A Robot Profile is a reusable configuration that describes your robot's capabilities, mechanisms, and performance characteristics for a specific season. You can create multiple profiles per season (e.g., "Competition Bot", "Backup Robot") and assign them to different events.

Note: You only need to create a Robot Profile once per season - unless your team decides to build multiple robots in the same season.

How to Create a Robot Profile:

1. Navigate to Robot Profiles

   • Go to Scouting → Robot Profiles in the navigation menu

   • Select your team and the current season

2. Click "Create New Profile"

   • Give your profile a name (e.g., "Competition Bot 2025", "Main Robot")

3. Fill in Robot Details

   • Robot Information: Drivetrain type, weight, dimensions

   • Photos: Upload photos of your robot (optional but recommended)

   • Notes: Add any additional details or notes

4. Save Your Profile

   • Click "Create Profile" to save

   • Your profile is now ready to be assigned to events

💡 Tip: Create profiles early in the season so you can quickly assign them to events as they come up.

Step 2: Pin Your Upcoming Event(s) 

Pinning an event keeps it at the top of your scouting dashboard, making it easy to access even if it's outside your default date range or distance filter.

How to Find and Pin Your Event:

1. Navigate to Scouting Page

   • Go to Scouting in the navigation menu

   • The page shows upcoming events near your team's location

2. Search for Your Event

   • Use the search bar to find events by name or location

   • Adjust the “Radius” slider to expand your search area

   • Change the "Days Ahead" filter to see events further in the future

3. Pin Your Event

   • Click the pin icon (📌) next to your upcoming event

   • Pinned events appear at the top of the list with a pin indicator

   • Pinned events always show up, regardless of date or distance filters

💡 Tip: Pin your event as soon as you register - this makes it easy to access throughout the tournament weekend!

Step 3: Assign Robot Profile to an Event

Assigning a robot profile to an event links your robot's capabilities to that specific tournament. This allows other teams to see your robot's information when scouting, and helps you quickly set up your virtual pit.

How to Assign a Profile:

1. Go to Robot Profiles Page

   • Navigate to Scouting → Robot Profiles

   • Find the profile you want to assign

2. Click "Assign to Event"

   • Click the "Assign to Event" button (or similar action) on your profile

   • You'll see a list of events for the current season

3. Select Your Event

   • Find your upcoming event from the list

   • Click "Assign" next to the event

   • The profile is now linked to that event

💡 Tip: You can assign the same profile to multiple events, or create event-specific profiles if your robot changes between tournaments.

Step 4: Update Your Virtual Pit

Your Virtual Pit is your team's public-facing scouting page for an event. It displays your robot profile information, team details, and allows other teams to scout you efficiently.

How to Update Your Virtual Pit:

1. Navigate to Virtual Pit

   • Go to Scouting → Virtual Pit (or find it from your pinned event)

   • Select the event you want to update

2. Verify Your Robot Profile

   • Ensure your assigned robot profile is correct

   • If you need to change it, go back to Robot Profiles and reassign

3. Review Your Information

   • Check that all robot details are accurate

   • Verify photos are uploaded and displaying correctly

   • Update any information that has changed

4. Add Additional Details (Optional)

   • Add team notes or special considerations

   • Update performance ratings if your robot has improved

   • Add new photos if you've made modifications

💡 Tip: Update your virtual pit before the event starts - teams will scout you during practice matches and pit visits!

Step 5: Start Scouting Other Teams

Scouting helps you understand opponent capabilities, identify potential alliance partners, and make data-driven decisions during alliance selection.

How to Scout Teams:

1. Navigate to Event Scouting

   • Go to your pinned event (or find it in the Scouting page)

   • Click on the event to open the Event Scouting page

2. Browse Teams

   • You'll see a list of all teams at the event

   • Teams with virtual pits configured will show a special indicator

3. Scout a Team

   • Click on any team to view their details

   • If they have a virtual pit configured:

     • Their robot profile information will be pre-filled

     • You can quickly review their capabilities

     • Add your own observations and notes

   • If they don't have a virtual pit:

     • You can still scout them manually

     • Fill in all the information yourself

4. Add Pit Observations

   • Record robot details (drivetrain, mechanisms, etc.)

   • Note performance characteristics

   • Add photos if you take them during pit visits

   • Rate reliability and other factors

5. Add Match Observations

   • As matches are played, add match-specific observations

   • Note how teams perform in different scenarios

   • Track consistency and reliability

💡 Tip: Teams with virtual pits configured make scouting much faster - encourage other teams to set theirs up too!

Step 6: Record Match Scores (Take Picture of Scoreboard)

Accurate match scores are essential for calculating team statistics, OPR/DPR, and alliance compatibility. Anyone at the tournament can upload scoreboard photos - it helps everyone!

How to Record Match Scores:

1. Find the Match

2. Take or Upload Scoreboard Photo

   • Option A: Use Camera

   • Option B: Upload Photo

3. Review Parsed Scores

   • AI automatically extracts scores from the image

   • Review the parsed scores:

4. Edit if Needed

   • If any scores are incorrect, click to edit them manually

   • Adjust individual score components as needed

   • Verify match number and level are correct

5. Save Scores

   • Click "Save" to submit the scores

   • Scores are immediately available to all teams at the event

   • Statistics will update automatically

💡 Tip: Anyone can upload scores - coordinate with your team to cover all matches

Step 7: Real-Time Statistics & Alliance Compatibility

As match scores are recorded throughout the day, all statistics and compatibility scores update automatically. No manual refresh needed!

What Gets Updated:

1. Team Statistics

   • OPR (Offensive Power Rating)

   • DPR (Defensive Power Rating)

   • NP OPR

   • Phase-Specific Stats

   • Win-Loss-Tie Record

   • Average Scores

2. Alliance Compatibility Scores

   • Compatibility Rating: How well teams complement each other (0-100 scale)

   • OPR/DPR Balance: Teams with complementary strengths score higher

   • Phase Coverage: Teams that excel in different phases complement each other

3. Rankings

   • Team rankings update based on match results

   • Ranking points calculated automatically

   • Advancement points tracked throughout the season

Download FTC Bonfire Mobile Apps

Download Mobile Apps (Apple App Store, Google Play Store) or access FTC Bonfire directly on web at https://ftc.ignitepathways.org