You are here: Features > Plug-ins > Time Trial

Time Trial (TT) Plug-in

The Time Trial (TT) Plug-in allows you to create events as time trials, meaning that they will contain more than one start.

ClosedOVERVIEW

Time trial events have an additional line in the Information Zone labeled Time Trial. This line lists the number of starts in the event. Start lines in a time trial event are indented, and the indent region is yellow, to mark the current start.

Start lines in a time trial event include an Id field used to match the start to a result object.

Time trial events remain armed, even when a start is added. A time trial event must be manually disarmed with the Disarm function when all starts have been received.

When a start is received, its Id value is automatically filled in with the currently selected result's Id value, and the next result line is selected. If there are no results (no start list), then the Id value in the start is left blank. You can directly edit the start's Id value at any time.

The times in image areas are always displayed in time of day mode.

The times in the results area are based on an individual result object's associated start time (as matched by Id value). If no start matches by Id, then the first start is used. This behavior can still be overridden by the results filters. When a filter matches a result, it first looks for a start matching by Id value and, if not found, will use the start selected by that filter.

ClosedVIDEO TUTORIAL

 

ClosedHOW TO ENABLE TIME TRIAL MODE?
  • To turn on Time Trial Mode in FinishLynx:
  1. Click File | Options...  from the Menu Bar.
  2. Click the Event tab.
  3. Click to select Time Trial Mode: On.
  4. Click Ok. 
  • The Time Trial Mode is now enabled.
ClosedHOW TO DELETE A TIME TRIAL START?
  • Follow these steps to delete a start in a time trial event:
  1. Click to select the start that you want to delete.
  2. Click Event | Delete object from the Menu Bar.
  • The start is deleted from the event.
NOTE:   If you arm a time trial event when it is currently not armed, it becomes armed and no starts can be deleted. If you arm a time trial event when it is already armed (i.e., you re-arm the event), then the most recently added start is deleted and the event remains armed.
ClosedHOW TO CHANGE THE START KEY FIELD?

Instead of being bound to using the ID as the key field for the Time Trial (TT) Plug-in, it is Possible to have FinishLynx look up that start using any of these fields:

  • Last Name
  • First Name
  • Affiliation
  • Lane
  • ID
  • License
  • User 1
  • User 2
  • User 3
TIP: Examples: 1) Leverage this feature by assigning a wave number in the User 3 field of each participant in LynxPad or your favorite results management application. 2) Your event will start 1 wave for each school in each division, simply use the Affiliation as the Start Key and all members of the school will be assigned dedicated start time.
  • To change the start Key:
  1. Create a new event.
  2. Click the Key field in the Time Trial row of the Information Zone.
  3. Select the preferred field from the pop-up dialog.

NOTE: The start Key field supports up to 30 characters.
ClosedHOW TO SELECT THE START FOR THE CURRENT RUNNING TIME?

In Time Trial Mode, you can set the current start for the purposes of on-screen running time, scoreboard running time, and LapTime event generation.

  • To set the current start:
  1. Click from the Information Zone, or Event | Set current start from the Menu Bar.
NOTE:   If a photo eye break causes the scoreboard running time to pause or stop, then the current start is automatically advanced to the next start (indicated by the yellow mark).  The running time (on screen and on the scoreboard when it resumes) will be based on this new current start.
ClosedHOW TO USE A PHOTO EYE TO GENERATE LAPTIME EVENTS?

When the Time Trial (TT) Plug-in is installed along with the LapTime (LT) Plug-in, you have an additional LapTime Device: option called From Photo Eye.  This feature means that when a photo eye break is processed by the scoreboard, causing the running time to pause or stop, then a LapTime event is generated with the Id of the current start and the time of the break.

When using this feature, you will set the Sync. Source to None.  This means that the break time is stored in time of day, and the associated start is subtracted as appropriate. This allows the start to be changed later and have the change reflected in the LapTime data.

  • To enable LapTime events from a photo eye:
  1. Follow the steps to create a new LapTime object.
  2. Set the Sync. Source to None.
  3. Set the Results: Key to Id.
  4. Click Ok.
ClosedHOW TO USE TEMPLATES IN TIME TRIAL MODE?

If a time trial event is used as a template, then the new event is also a time trial event, even if Time Trial Mode is currently off in the Options dialog. See Templates for details.

ClosedHOW TO LOAD COMPETITOR START TIMES?

In Time Trial Mode, the Database now loads participants' start times from the Lynx.evt file, if present. See Database Files for more information on the Lynx.evt file.

ClosedHOW TO USE RADIOLYNX TO SEND COMPETITOR BIB NUMBERS?

The RadioLynx ID (bib number) field sent by newer EncRadios is used to fill in the start's ID field when in Time Trial Mode. See RadioLynx for details.

ClosedHOW DOES THE FIND TIME FUNCTION WORK IN TIME TRIAL MODE?

The Image | Find time… function is more flexible in Time Trial mode. If the time entered is before the first start time, it is treated as being elapsed from this start.

ClosedHOW TO USE THE START MASK IN TIME TRIAL MODE?

In Time Trial mode, it was previously impossible to mask laptime events received after the first start signal but before a participant's start key had a start assigned. The latest version has been improved to offer a solution for this scenario.

TIP: For the start mask to detect that a participant has not started, the TTStartMode must be set to Key Match only. This means that if a particpant does not have a start key, it will not fall back to the first start in the list (default behavior).
  • To use the start mask for all starts in Time Trial mode:
  1. Hold Ctrl+Shift and go to File|Options...
  2. Expand Event.
  3. Expand Results.
  4. Select TTStartMode.
  5. Set the value to 2 (key match only).
NOTE: If FinishLynx receives a laptime event for a participant that does not have a start and is not in the Results Zone and TTStartMode is set to 2, a results line will be created and the first instance will be saved (and marked as deleted) to Edit Splits dialog. To restore the laptime events, go to LapTime|Edit Splits... and undelete it. To save all laptime events ignored by the start mask, see the Advanced settings.

 

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