ICA Training System (ICATS)

Intro

Congratulations on your purchase of the ICA Training System (ICATS)! With the included drills, availability of professionally developed content from ICA and notable 3rd party experts, and the ability to create your own drills, you will be able to hone the strong points of your game and step-up the weak points to the next level!

This document is for those users that want to create their own Drills. If you are looking for basic information on how to use the ICATS for loading and using Drills, this is not the right document and you should refer to the ICATS User's Guide. Or for initial Installation, Setup and Calibration, refer to the ICATS Setup Guide. This document, the Drill Author's Guide, focuses on using all the tools to add and manipulate the elements of a layout (including Balls, Lines, Targets, Aiming Balls and more) to create your own Drills.

ICATS Drawing Elements

The table below gives a brief introduction to the various layout drawing elements available to the Drill author. A complete description is provided in the following sections.

Category	Element	Expected Use
Pool Balls	CBall	Represents a Cue Ball (CBall) in a layout. Up to 15 CBalls (C1-C15) are available.
	OBall	Object Balls (OBalls), representing the 1 through 15, are available.
	Full Ball Spacer	A full size "Spacer Ball" is available. This can be used to ensure an exact 1-ball space exists between two other balls, or as a representation of a general "ball" on the table (e.g. "traffic" to avoid on the table).
	Half Ball Spacer	A half size "Spacer Ball" is also available, and serves the same function as a Full Ball Spacer, but with half the size.
Cueing Info	ABall	An Aiming Ball (ABall) provides useful information on how the author directs the shooter is to strike the CBall to successfully execute the shot. A "speed" indicator as well as a "tip" indicator, for follow/draw and left/right spin, are available.
	PBall	A Pattern Ball (PBall) is a hybrid between an ABall and a CBall. Like an ABall, it has speed and tip indication, but also includes the CBall ability to have Aiming Lines and Track Lines. PBalls are typically used in a Pattern Breakdown Drill (see Pattern Breakdown Drills for description).
Lines	Aiming Line	An Aiming Line has a "single segment" and is available for a CBall (or PBall) and for an OBall. CBall Aiming Lines will typically connect to an OBall's Ghost Ball (except for a kick shot, which will point at a rail). OBall Aiming Lines will typically point to the intended pocket (except for a bank shot, which will point at a rail). If an Aiming Line is activated for an OBall, the corresponding Ghost Ball is also made visible.
	Extended Aiming Line	An Extended Aiming Line extends backwards from the Cue Ball toward the shooter. Beginning and developing intermediate players will find this a useful visual aid to ensure proper body and cue alignment for successful stroke delivery.
	Track Line	A Track Line is a multi-segment line that is available for a CBall (or PBall) and for an OBall. CBall Track Lines may bounce off rails (e.g. kick shot), will typically connect to an OBall's Ghost Ball, and may have additional segments showing the resulting path of the CBall after striking the OBall. OBall Track Lines are useful for bank and safety Drills, where the OBall is not immediately going into a pocket. Finally, any segment of a Track Line can be converted into a "curved" line to represent perhaps a masse shot.
	Pocket Line	Pocket Lines can be turned on for any OBall that has an Aiming Line active. Pocket Lines are useful in layouts where the CBall needs to travel "far enough" to get the proper angle on the "next shot".
	Free Line	Free Lines have all the features of a Track Line, but are not attached to a ball. Examples of using a Free Line would be to draw the "head string", or a triangular "rack shape" on a layout.
Targets	Triangle	A Triangle target has 3 sides and can be an arbitrary shape and size.
	Circle	A standard circle target that can be resized.
	Polygon	A Polygon target has 4 sides and can be an arbitrary shape and size.
	Square/Rect.	A Square/Rectangle target has 4 sides, is resizable, and with sides fixed at angles of 90 degrees.
	Image	An Image target is a JPG/PNG file that is placed on the layout and can be sized to suit the need of the author.
Drill Info	TBox	A Text Box (TBox) allows the author to provide useful instruction to the user on execution of a Drill. It can be shrunk to an icon by a Left-Click when shooting and expanded by a Left-Click on the icon.