Difference between revisions of "EVE Fitting Tool"
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Revision as of 06:37, 6 December 2009
EVE Fitting Tool, or EFT, is one of the most widely used 3rd party applications by players. It allows you to create and experiment with different ship fittings without the need to be in the game. By adding your character information, it can let you know if you meet the requirements for the fitting or what skills you lack for the proper fit. The step-by-step visual guide below is aimed at providing you with a good understanding of how to use the program and interpret the information it displays.
Step One: Importing your character
The first thing you will want to do after starting EFT is import your character information. This can be done by opening the 'Character Editor' under the 'View' menu option or pressing Ctrl + C.
By default, EFT provides you with a 'All level V' character which is useful for determining maximum effectiveness of ship setups. However, you will want to make sure you import your own character to get a realistic view of how your character matches up to the fittings you are creating.
After opening the 'Character Editor', you will want to click the 'Create new character' icon just to the right of the drop down menu.
This will open a new window to type in your character's name. After hitting 'Ok', the drop down menu will select and display your newly created character. Next click the 'Import' button.
On this screen, you will need to input your character's API key which can be obtained here: http://www.eveonline.com/api. When you have input the information, click 'Connect' which will pop up another window to select the character information you wish to import from your account. You can also click the option to save that character selection which will allow you to use the 'Quick import' button to update your character in the future.
Keep in mind, this only imports your character's current skill information and does not anticipate any future training. It will not import any implants your character has either. However, you can add implants by clicking the 'Implant' button and browsing the trees available. When you have found the right implant, double-click it to add it to your character's stats. Active implants are displayed by a green check mark.
One other useful thing to know is that you can modify your character's skill levels manually. This is very helpful if you want to compare your ship stats with your current skill level versus any future changes.
Just remember that you can use the 'Quick import' button to 'reset' your skills back to their original state should you forget which skills you modified.
Now that you have added your character, it is time to work with your ships.
Step Two: Working with the ship window
To open a ship window, click the 'File' menu tab and select 'Open ship browser...'
This will open the selection window where you can browse all the different ships available. Clicking a ship will show its stats and bonuses to the right.
Once you start adding and saving fits, you will notice that each selection will indicate the number of setups that you have for that ship type. When you have found the ship you want to fit hit 'Ok'. The ship window will open up and if you do not already have any fits for that ship it will ask you to create a new one. Click 'Yes', type in the name you want to save the fit under, and hit 'Ok'.
From here, you will want to familiarize yourself with the display. You can select the character you want to work with in the drop down box at the top. Mousing over the various icons in each section will display specific information. For example, mousing over the question mark will display the ships information and bonuses.
The icons under 'Defence' and 'Targeting' will also indicate the ability to right-click and alter the displayed information or variables.
Once you are comfortable with the display, you can start fitting your ship.
Step Three: Fitting your ship
On the left side of the EFT screen, it will have various categories which can be expanded to find different modules.
You can also search for specific types by typing the name in the search window at the top. In certain categories you can also show faction or other specific modules by clicking the buttons at the bottom of the window.
To load a module, click and drag the module into the appropriate slot on the ship window. When a module is loaded you will notice that it will change various stats on the right side of the ship window. You can also change the status of the module by clicking the icon to the left of the module itself.
Right clicking the module will allow you to change ammunition types and view other info.
Clicking 'Show Module Info' will pop up a window that will display the various stats and requirements to fit the module.
You will also notice that it gives the price for the module itself. As you load a module onto the ship, it will automatically pull the average price information from the EVE-Central database if you are on an active internet connection. As you fit more and more modules, the ship window will calculate the estimated total cost for that fitting in the bottom right. Keep in mind that not all modules have price data loaded on the EVE-Central site and it may not be completely accurate depending on the region you are in.
Some ships also have the ability to carry drones. If you wish to add those to the fitting, click the 'Drones' button at the bottom right of the ship window. From here you simply click and drag the drones you wish to fit. To put them online, click the check box.
When you have finished loading all the modules you wish to fit to a ship, the display window will indicate if you have the proper skills. The color icon next to your characters name will either be red or green. If it is red, you can mouse over to show which skills you still need to be able to fit the modules.
Keep in mind that even though you may have the required skills, they may not always be enough to fit the modules effectively. Other things such as the Powergrid or CPU requirements may still hinder you from flying with that fitting. If this is the case, it will show the overage in the top right.
Unfortunately, it will not suggest any skills or modules to make up for the difference so it will be up to you to determine any additional skill training you need or modules to switch out.
Once you have finished creating a fitting, you have a couple of options. If you wish to work with the same ship, you can click the arrow down icon next to the 'Current Setup' drop down menu to manage the setups. It also features options to export the setup to various formats. If you are finished working with that ship type, click the X in the top right of the ship window to close it and save your setup. You have successfully created your first setup!
Other Useful Tips
EFT offers the option to import saved ship setups that you may find online or pull from EVEMon. To do so, open the 'File' menu and click 'Import fit from XML...'.
In this window, you can specify where your saved XML files are, import them, and also export your current setups into one large file.
If you wish, EFT also offers the ability to compile DPS charts based on ship setups that you have saved. To use this function, you would need to have multiple ship windows open each with a different setup selected. From here, open the 'File' menu and click 'New DPS Graph'. This will pop up a new window.
Right click to select the attacking and defending ships. The graph will display your DPS versus the range of the targeted ship.
You can also adjust the velocity at which the ships are traveling and clicking on the line will show the transversal velocity of the two combating ships.
Hopefully, by now you should have a good understanding of EFT and how it can benefit you. It is a very useful tool to create your own ship setups and help you further develop your character in game. As EFT is updated this page, will be updated to reflect those changes. Feel free to add your own useful tips and tricks as needed.
Fly safe! o/
Original created by Krelis Maxwell on 12/05/2009
