E

PHOTO TIMING

E1 HyTec FinishLynx
E1.1Detailed Outline
E1.1.1LIF detection
E1.2Connecting Computers
E1.3Photo Timing End
E1.4Results Program End
E1.5Synchronising The Match and Photo Finish
E1.6Photo Finish Officials
E2 Timetronics MacFinish
E2.1Detailed Outline
E2.2Connecting Computers
E2.3Photo Timing End
E2.4Results Program End
E2.5Synchronising
E3 Assigning an IP address

E

Photo Timing
For the match day program to generate photo finish information certain things need to have been set up. To achieve this point, starting from nothing, the step are:
Start the match day program.
Set the number of teams in the match.
Set the competion name, this will pick the related match draws.
Set the venue name.
Set the match date.
Set all the team names and numbers.

E1

HyTec FinishLynx
General Description
When the results computer is connected to the photo timing system via a network, the results computer will search the photo timing computer for results on a regular basis. When a track result is found it will be entered into the results program (including any wind reading) by the program itself or with user confirmation and saved. After being saved, automatically or manually, the result will be printed out as if it had been entered manually.

Restrictions
A valid timetable must exist for all track events.
A maximum of 16 athletes are allowed per race photo.
Non scoring athletes will be removed automatically and treated as separate race(s).

Advice
Only experienced users of the results program AND photo timing should use this feature as an understanding of underlying files is required.
Where possible ensure that valid lane draws exist for ALL track events.

E1.1

Detailed Outline
When using the Lynx system, use of LYNX.EVT file is crucial as it is the only common source of information between the timing system and the results computer. Results program has the ability to create and send this file to the Lynx photo timing computer, this will be in timetable order with lane draws and Gun test. The results program does not have the ability to read the file created by the photo judges. The photo judges should be made aware that the results program can create and maintain this file. This may ultimately save them the task of manually creating the file.

The Lynx system is assumes that all events are known by an event number, round number and heat number. For simplicity, the results program will create a different event number for all races, this means all round numbers are "1" and all heat numbers are "01". The allocated event number will usually reflect what is in a printed program, typically this is noted as a T number. e.g. 



  
 Timetabled event FinishLynx  

  
 Event name String T noEvent no Round  Heat  

  
 Gun Test     -           00  0        Always 1      Always 01     

  
 400mh        A           01  1        Always 1      Always 01     

  
              B           02  2        Always 1      Always 01     

  
 800m         A           03  3        Always 1      Always 01     

  
              B           04  4        Always 1      Always 01     

  
 3000m SC     A&B         05  5        Always 1      Always 01     

  
 100m         A           06  6        Always 1      Always 01     

  
              B           07  7        Always 1      Always 01     

  
 .....        .....       ..  ....     Always 1      Always 01     

  
 .....        .....       ..  ....     Always 1      Always 01     

  
 4x400m Relay -           ..  ....     Always 1      Always 01
From the results programs point of view when creating the lynx.evt file, it is assumed that all events up to and including 800m are treated as having an A and B string. Longer events, 3/5000m, steeplechase etc, are treated as one heat. The number being worn by the athlete and the names, if available, will be used in the file created.

Where 2 or 3 matches run the same event together, e.g. 5000m, the event number is same for both matches, the round and heat number are also 1.

When the program creates Lynx.evt the event names will be in the following format.
"001-1-01.lif"


E1.1.1

LIF detection
The results program will look for LIF's that are in one of the following formats in the priority order shown below.

001-1-01.lif
001-1-01 T01.lif
001-1-01 T01 Gu13 70mH A.lif
T01 Gu13 70mH A.lif
T01.lif
Gu13 70mH A.lif

N.B. The event names are those from the event menu with the A/B indicator if appropriate.

E1.2

Connecting Computers
In order to use this timing feature you must have the following on your PC:
1. A 10/100 network card.
2. A 100m (or suitable length) Cat 5 cable that allows connection to a network, not to another PC.

E1.3

Photo Timing End
Reading Machine
In order to get the photo results from the timing system the IP address of the pc (reading machine) must be found along with where the race photos will be held. To do this perform the following on the reading PC.
  1. Ensure the timing equipment is set up and switched on.
  2. Start the FinishLynx program.
  3. On the top menu click Scoreboard, Options, then database tab
  4. Set the Data Source to Files.
  5. Click "Write LIF" to On.
  6. Write down the Output Directory, this is where the LIF files will be stored.
  7. Save the change.
  8. Start explorer in C:\
  9. Select Tools, Folder options, View
  10. Go to the bottom of the scroll box and tick "Use Simple File Sharing"
  11. Click Apply, Apply to all Folders, click yes, click OK
  12. Using explorer, navigate to the LIF files location
  13. Right click the folder/dir and select Sharing and Security.
  14. Tick "Share this folder on the network", click apply, click ok.
  15. Close explorer
  16. Start a cmd window.
  17. Use ipconfig to obtain the IP address of the reading machine, write this down.
  18. Close the cmd window.

E1.4

Results Program End
On the results program computer
Connect the Cat 5 cable from the results PC to the timing equipment hub.
  1. Click on the Network icon, the LAN connection should show the network connection for the reading machine.
  2. Start a cmd window.
  3. Use ipconfig to obtain the IP address of the reading machine, write this down. It should NOT be the same as the one noted earlier, if it is or no address exist see assigning an IP address.
  4. Close the cmd window.
  5. Start Explorer.
  6. Select Tools, Map Network drive.
  7. Select a drive letter, e.g. Z:
  8. Click the Browse button.
  9. Click Entire network, MS Windows network
  10. Click MSHome and wait a few seconds for the machines to be detected.
  11. Click the name of the reading machine.
  12. Navigate to the directory that will hold the lif files, as noted earlier.
  13. Click Finish.
  14. Confirm that the new mapped drive (Z:\) is showing in Explorer.
In some cases it may be necessary to allow your PC access through your firewall, typically the timing end does not have restrictions as it is not on the internet.

E1.5

Synchronising The Match and Photo Finish
After completing E1.4
  1. Start the program for a new match.
  2. Select Utilities|Timetables|Set Timetables
    With reference to the table in Appendidix B3, select the timetable required. Enter the times for all track events, see 6.5.2.
  3. Select Utilities|Draws|Set Draws
    With reference to the table in Appendidix B4, select the draw required. Enter the times for all track events, see 6.5.4.
  4. Set the number of teams,
  5. Set the Competition name.
  6. Set the Venue name.
  7. Set the Match Date.
  8. Set the Team names.
  9. Select Display|Full Timetable|Track Timetable. Confirm it's one you created.
  10. Select Display|Draws|Track Draw. Confirm it's one you created.
  11. Select Utilities|Photo Timing|Create Photo Timing Information.
    The path will be where the photo files, LIFs, will be found, i.e. drive/path mapped earlier Z:
    On creation the LYNX.EVT file will be found in the location displayed.
  12. For other Hytec FinishLynx files, select Utilities|Photo Timing|Photo Finish Files. All files can be displayed and sent to the reading machine.
  13. Select Utilities|Photo Timing|Set the Mode desired.
  14. Select Utilities|Photo Timing|Start/Stop
  15. Select Utilities|Photo Timing|Status and confirm the status is started and file and event details can be seen.
  16. Then in all cases, enter team declarations etc. as normal meeting.
    Ending the program will stop the photo timing feature. Alternatively, select Utilities, Photo Timing, Stop.

E1.6

Photo Finish officials
As a photo finish official you will be interested in creating the LYNX.EVT file for use by the photo finish system. The file can be created any time before the match, on the day or even during the match. To to this you will need the team names and numbers/letters, track timetable and track lane draws. The file can be created by following E1.5 points 1 to 11.

E2

Timetronics MacFinish

E2.1

Detailed Outline
Timetronics relies on its own user generated files for operation. While the program can create such files for use with Timetronics photo finish the knowledge of how/where to load them does not exist in the U.K. As a consequence of this the results program will only read photo results.

E2.2

Connecting Computers
See E1.2

E2.3

Photo Timing End
In order to get the photo results from the timing system the IP address of the pc (reading machine) must be found along with where the race photos will be held. To do this perform the following on the reading PC.
  1. Ensure the timing equipment is set up and switched on.
  2. Start the MacFinish program.
  3. Select the location where the WPdoc.txt is being saved
  4. Write down the Output Directory, this is where the results will be stored.
  5. Start explorer in C:\
  6. Select Tools, Folder options, View
  7. Go to the bottom of the scroll box and tick "Use Simple File Sharing"
  8. Click Apply, Apply to all Folders, click yes, click OK
  9. Using explorer, navigate to the LIF files location
  10. Right click the folder/dir and select Sharing and Security.
  11. Tick "Share this folder on the network", click apply, click ok.
  12. Close explorer
  13. Start a cmd window.
  14. Use ipconfig to obtain the IP address of the reading machine, write this down.
  15. Close the cmd window.

E2.4

Results Program End
See E1.4 where LIF should be replaced with WPdoc.txt.

E2.5

Synchronising
See E1.5 where LIF should be replaced with WPdoc.txt.

E3

Assigning an IP address
This is a brief guide to assigning an IP address. This is your responsibility and has nothing to do with the results program. If no IP exists or it conflicts with the photo timing IP address(es), perform the following.
  1. Select control panel.
  2. Select Network Connections.
  3. Click Local Area Network.
  4. Select TCP/IP.
  5. Click Properties.
  6. Click 'Use the following IP address'.
  7. Enter use an IP address this must be different to the capture and reading machines, eg 192,164,090,100, write down this chosen IP.
  8. Enter the subnet mask, typically 255.255.255.0
  9. Click OK.
  10. Click OK, an Icon should show in the LAN connection section.

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