FinishLynx 5.0 Release Notes

This section describes the new features now available in FinishLynx 5.0 since the release of version 4.0.

General Features

All of the features described here are available in FinishLynx 5.0. 

 

Image enhancements

Support of larger image files

Now, if you are running FinishLynx on a Microsoft Windows XP, NT, or 2000 Operating System, you can capture images larger than 2 GB.

Warning! If you are running FinishLynx on a Microsoft Windows ME, 98, or 95 Operating System, you will lose image once you reach a 2 GB limit.

 

New overlay options

Several new overlay options have been added to FinishLynx, including:

• the ability to use repeating graphic overlays

• the ability to configure overlays

• graphic overlays now included in exported images, and

• the ability to export and print transparent overlays.

In addition, new, improved overlays have been added to the installer for you to use.

 

Fonts for text overlays

You can add new text overlays to an image by following these steps:

1. Click an area on the image where you want the overlay placed.

2. Click Image from the menu bar and select Overlay.

3. Select one of the following options from the menu: 

• Text: is blank at first, but remembers the last text you entered.

• Closest time: fills in the time of the closest competitor in the image.

• Event name: fills in the name of the event.  It is displayed at the top and centered when in full screen mode (CTRL-F). 

4. A dialog appears from which you can select the font, size, and face color, as well as the exact text to display.

5. Click Ok. 

 

Repeating graphic overlays

Graphic overlays can be repeated across the entire screen as well as on image printouts. Whether or not an overlay repeats is determined by its file extension. 

• An image ending in .TGx (for example, FinishLy.tg6) displays once. 

• An image ending in .RGx (for example, FinishLy.rg6) repeats. 

• To modify an existing overlay so that it repeats across the screen:

1. Open the directory where you store your FinishLynx installation files, for example, C:\Lynx. 

2. Find the .TGx overlay file you want to modify. For example, FinishLy.tg6.

3. Rename the file with a new extension, .RGx. For example, rename the FinishLy.tg6 file FinishLy.rg6.

4. Run FinishLynx and open an image. 

5. Click anywhere on the image where you want the repeating overlay to appear.

6. Click Image from the menu bar and select Overlay.

7. From the Overlay drop-down list, select the image name whose file extension you just modified. The overlay appears, repeating across the image.

• To remove the overlay:

1. Click Image | Remove overlays.

 

Overlays included in the installer

Overlays included for you to use when you install FinishLynx now have a new, improved look. To find the overlays, go to your C:\Lynx directory, or wherever you stored your FinishLynx files during installation.

 

Full screen image mode

If you are sending a FinishLynx image to television or a video board, we recommend you first display the image in full screen mode.

• To display an image in full screen mode:

Press the CTRL and F keys simultaneously. Use the arrow keys to move the image around on the screen.

• To exit full screen image mode:

1. Click the mouse or press any key.

 

Exporting a FinishLynx image

When you export a FinishLynx image, JPEG (.jpg) is the default file format.  You can also select the Targa (*.tga) format if you prefer. 

• To export a FinishLynx image, follow these steps:

1. With an image open in FinishLynx, right-click and drag the mouse to draw a square around the selection of image you want to export. For example, you may want to draw a square around two competitors involved in a close finish, or the winner of an event. 

2. Release the mouse button. A drop-down menu appears on the screen.

3. Select Export…. The Save As dialog appears.

4. Navigate to the directory where you want to save the image and then click Save. The JPEG image is exported to the directory you specified. 

 

Automatic scroll of captured image

The image window in FinishLynx scrolls automatically so that the currently captured image is always visible.

This feature is intended for use in motor sports, where the FinishLynx image is being continuously captured without an operator actively interfacing with FinishLynx.

• To enable this feature

1. Open an event.

2. Click Image from the Menu bar and select Scroll new image. A check mark appears next to this option in the list, meaning this feature is now enabled.

• To disable this feature

With an event open, click Image from the Menu bar and select Scroll new image to clear the check mark next to this option in the list. The feature is now disabled.

 

Mode options

Wide and zoom modes have new values in the Camera Settings dialog. The new values are shown here.

New Mode Options		Former Mode Options
Wide	50%	Average 2
Wide	33%	Average 3
Wide	25%	Average 4
Zoom	100%	Average 1
Zoom	*150%	n/a
Zoom	*300%	n/a

*Available in the EtherLynx Professional camera (see "Digital zoom").

 

Toggle orientation

In the Hardware Control screen, you can click the text in the Orientation column to toggle the orientation of the FinishLynx image from left to right, or vice versa.

 

EtherLynx camera image buffer displayed

The state of the EtherLynx camera's image buffer is displayed in the status bar. Here's how to read it:

• The buffer state appears in yellow, while the progress of a command (for example, saving an image), appears in green.

• Current buffer usage appears on the left side of the status bar, and maximum buffer usage appears on the right side of the status bar.

• When no event is capturing, the status bar displays the buffer status of whichever image you hover the mouse over.

• When an event is capturing, the status bar displays the buffer status of whichever image you hover the mouse over, as long as the image is currently enabled for capture.

• If you do not hover the mouse over an image, whether or not it is enabled for capture, then the buffer status of the first camera in the last leg to have capture enabled is displayed.

 

New tools

Image orientation button

Click on the Image Zone tool bar to change the image orientation. 

1. Make sure all FinishLynx images are closed. 

2. Click Image | Options… from the Menu bar. The Options dialog appears. 

3. In the Tool Bar: section of the Options dialog, check the box next to and then click Ok.

4. Open an image. The image orientation button appears on the Image Zone tool bar.

 

Selectable Results Zone fields

You can now select exactly which fields you want displayed in FinishLynx's Results Zone. 

1. Run FinishLynx and open a new event.

2. Click Results | Options… from the Menu bar. The Options dialog appears.

3. Click the Fields: drop-down arrow. A drop-down list appears showing all of the fields it is possible to display in the Results Zone.

4. Click to select as many fields as you want displayed in the FinishLynx Results Zone and then click Ok when finished. 

5. Click Results | Apply default fields. The fields you selected are displayed in the Results Zone.

 

Ability to save the LIF only

FinishLynx now allows you to save the LIF (Lynx Interface File) only. This is useful when you do not want to to save the FinishLynx image, but you want to send the information in the Results Zone to a competition management database, for example, for the purpose of viewing lap times.

• To save the LIF file only:

Click File from the Menu bar and select Save LIF.

 

Automatic alignment with the remote positioner

If you are using a remote positioner, you can now use controls from within FinishLynx to automatically align the camera. The automatic alignment controls replace the manual pan and swivel steps of the alignment process.

From the Hardware Control screen:

• Click to center the remote positioner automatically, relative to its available range of movements.

• Click to automatically align the remote positioner with the finish line.

 

New features

Two camera angle demo image

A second sample image, Sprint.evn, is available for you to practice FinishLynx evaluation using two camera angles.

• To access the image and practice with different angles

1. Run FinishLynx. 

2. Click File | Open….

3. Double-click Sprint.evn. The image opens on your screen. Notice in the FinishLynx Information Zone that there are two cameras listed, Inside Main and Outside Main. Now, practice evaluating the image and entering results.

 

Automatic serial port settings

When the LapTime or Wind Gauge module is set or when the Scoreboard script is changed, the serial port parameters default to their specific settings. You can still change the settings, but note that every time the module or script is changed, the settings default to their original values.

 

Allow button override feature

• What it is:

If you are using, for example, timed capture with a single split, enabling the Allow Button Override Feature means you can still capture image outside the timed capture settings, as long as a camera is set to timed or manual capture. 

• How to use it:

To enable Allow Button Override, follow these steps:

1. Run FinishLynx and click File | Options….

2. Click the Hardware tab. 

3. Check the Allow button override box.

4. Click Ok.

 

Internal photo eye improved

Improvements have been made to the internal photo eye feature that comes from the EtherLynx camera when used with FinishLynx's ACM Plug-in. In many indoor venues where the lighting is poor, the internal photo eye demonstrates improved performance.

 

Ability to set active region for internal photo eye

You can now set in FinishLynx where in the vertical pane of image you want the photo eye breaks to come from. This is particularly useful in avoiding a scoreboard to be stopped prematurely by, for example, an official crossing the finish line at the top of the FinishLynx image.

• Setting the internal photo eye's active area

1. Capture some image into FinishLynx.

2. Right-click and hold while drawing a box around the vertical region that you want active.

3. Click Image | Set photo eye Active Area. A beam break can occur in the area you just activated. However, activity above and below the active area does not trigger a beam break.

 

Photo eye balance renamed "Set photo eye Threshold"

Photo eye balance has been renamed and is now called, Set photo eye Threshold.

A slider bar has been added to the Camera Settings | Inputs dialog that allows you to make adjustments.

 

Automatic capture and auto-crop improved

Automatic capture and auto-crop have been improved for better results when used in poor lighting conditions. Both features are now controlled by setting the Object Threshold and adjusting the leader and trailer found in the Camera Settings | Capture dialog and are set individually for each EtherLynx camera. The original auto-crop slider bar has been removed from the Image | Options.

• To set the Object Threshold:

1. Capture some image of an object in FinishLynx.

2. Right-click and hold while drawing a box around the object you want to use to set the threshold. Include some amount of image before and after the object.

3. Click Image | Set Object Threshold. The box resizes to the region of the image which FinishLynx considers is the object.

 

Scoreboard scripts added

New scoreboard scripts have been added to FinishLynx, including:

• uGraph**.lss: 14 new scripts for Micrograph scoreboards allowing greater flexibility in the display of data.

• Omni1000place.lss: for the Daktronics Omni1000 series, which orders results by place instead of by lane.

• Mondo.lss: for the Mondo brand scoreboard displays.

• Resultv2.lss: for ResulTV 2.0, which uses all of the available results fields.

• Resultv210.lss: for use with ResulTV 2.10, which uses all of the available results fields.

• Resultv220.lss: for use with ResulTV 2.20, which uses all of the available results fields.

 

Scoreboard refresh accelerator

You can refresh the scoreboard by pressing the Alt and E keys simultaneously.

 

Support for the Davis Pro Vantage Weather Station

FinishLynx now works with the Davis Pro Vantage Weather Station wind gauge, used with water sports such as rowing, canoeing and kayaking.

• To configure FinishLynx to use the Davis Pro:

1. Click File | Options from the Menu bar.

2. Click the Wind tab.

3. From the Wind Module:* drop-down list, select Vantage Pro.

4. Click Ok.

5. Restart FinishLynx.

• Wind reading available:

If a wind reading is taken by the Davis Pro Vantage Weather Station wind gauge, the wind direction is displayed in the Wind Units field in FinishLynx.

Wind direction also appears in:

• the LIF file,

• the scoreboard output, and

• printouts.

 

Wind gauge settings reminder

You now have the option to be reminded to change the wind gauge settings when you open a 100m, 110m, or 200m event.

By default, the reminder is disabled. To turn the reminder on:

1. Click File from the Menu bar and select Options. The Options dialog appears.

2. Click the Wind tab.

3. Select On in the Reminder: line at the bottom of the dialog.

4. Click Ok. The wind gauge settings reminder is enabled.

 

Two computer access

Two computers can now access the same FinishLynx file at once, allowing one operator to capture image on one capture computer while the other operator evaluates the results on another evaluate computer.

The computer being used to evaluate the image is able to do the following:

• create and modify results

• add LapTime times

• add a wind reading

• crop the image, and

• merge changes into a file later.

• To use FinishLynx with a two-computer capture and evaluate system:

1. Create an event on the capture computer and save it. The evaluate computer cannot open the event until it has been saved once.

2. Wait for the start signal. This causes an "autosave" which saves the start time in the event (EVN) file, meaning you do not need to save the event again.

3. Now, the evaluate computer can open the event and see the start time.

4. Shortly after image is captured on the capture computer, it appears on the evaluate computer. The evaluate computer checks the image files every five seconds to see if image has been added or removed.

5. At this time, the evaluate computer can read the images.

 

Plug-in Enhancements

You can purchase FinishLynx Plug-ins to add features to the standard FinishLynx software. These features are designed to meet the needs of specific sports and situations.

 

LapTime (LT) Plug-in Enhancements

Support for new LapTime devices

The following LapTime devices are now supported by FinishLynx. You must have the LT Plug-in installed with FinishLynx (sold separately).

• Seiko CT-1000 (and compatible Seiko timers)

• Microgate REI2, and

• AMB.

• To select the Seiko, Microgate, or AMB LapTime module from FinishLynx:

1. Click File | Options… from the Menu bar. The Options dialog appears. 

2. Click the LapTime tab.

3. From the LapTime Module:* drop-down list, select Seiko, Microgate REI2, or AMB.

4. Continue configuring the LapTime settings and then click Ok.

5. Restart FinishLynx. FinishLynx is now set up to work with the LapTime device you just selected.

 

Support of LapTime devices without cameras

You can now use FinishLynx with a LapTime device when no camera is connected.

1. Click File from the Menu bar and select Options. The Options dialog appears.

2. Click the Hardware tab.

3. In the Hardware Type:* line, select the None radio button.

4. Click the LapTime tab.

5. Select and configure the LapTime device in use.

6. Exit and restart FinishLynx.

 

Key field specification allowed

You can now specify which field the LapTime key refers to. For help with this, please contact Lynx technical support (see "Obtaining technical support"). 

 

Mapping file

The LT Plug-in now allows you to use a mapping file to identify event competitors in the FinishLynx Results Zone while using the LT Plug-in with the AMB LapTime device. You can use the mapping file to associate a particular transponder with a particular lane, or you can map multiple transponders to a single lane.

• Create a mapping file

The file, LapTimeMap.txt, is now included with the FinishLynx installer. You can find the file wherever you stored the FinishLynx files when you installed the application. For example, it might be found in the C:\Lynx directory. After finding the LapTimeMap.txt file, open it and follow its instructions to create your own mapping file.

• Associate your mapping file with the LT Plug-in

After you have created a mapping file, follow these steps to associate it with the LT Plug-in.

1. Run FinishLynx and click File | Options…. 

2. Click the LapTime tab.

3. Click the Browse button near the Map File: text field at the bottom of the dialog. 

4. Navigate to the directory where you saved the mapped file you created earlier and then click Ok.

 

AMB status displayed

AMB LapTime device status is now displayed on the main status bar. The latest noise value is displayed as well as statistics for the most recent passing event.

 

Start mask feature

A LapTime start mask feature has been created to help avoid picking up bogus hits before the signal to start the race. Set by default to 3.0 seconds, all LapTime events before the start and until the mask value after the start are ignored.

• To change the start mask value: 

1. Run FinishLynx and click File | Options….

2. Click the LapTime tab.

3. Click anywhere in the Start Mask: field and change the value to any non-negative value. 

4. Click Ok.

 

Splits memory display

You can now display whether a split was too fast, too slow, or manually created. In addition, you can display whether a split that was too fast or too slow was accepted by the FinishLynx operator.

You can view the condition of each split by clicking Results from the Menu bar and selecting Edit split times... to make the Edit Splits dialog appear. Each split condition is defined in the dialog like this:

Split Code	Description
f	too fast
s	too slow
m	manually created
a	accepted

You can also display this data in the splits printout, by clicking Results | Print split times....

 

Multiple Splits Interface (MSI) Plug-in Enhancements

Enhancements have been made to the MSI Plug-in, which is most often used in horse and greyhound racing.

 

Splits appear in the LIF file

Split times from the MSI Plug-in now appear in the LIF file.

 

Multiple splits capture

The MSI Plug-in has been enhanced so that you can now now set EtherLynx cameras independently for taking timed capture, Automatic capture, and manual capture splits. Active times of more than one split captured from different cameras can overlap, allowing multiple splits to be captured at the same time.

 

Introducing the Network COM Port (NCP) Plug-in

With the NCP Plug-in, you can send data to multiple serial devices from a single FinishLynx computer.

 

Product summary

The FinishLynx NCP (Network COM Port) Plug-in (sold separately) allows you to use a single FinishLynx computer to communicate with multiple serial devices directly through TCP sockets instead of serial ports.  With the help of SeriaLynx™, you can put serial devices such as scoreboards, wind gauges, and lap timers on a wired or wireless Ethernet network and then use the NCP Plug-in to enable FinishLynx to communicate with those devices.

 

UDP support

FinishLynx's NCP Plug-in allows you to send scoreboard data via UDP. To enable this protocol on your Lynx network, make sure the NCP Plug-in is installed and then follow these directions:

1. Run FinishLynx, click Scoreboard from the Menu bar and choose Options. The Options dialog appears.

2. Click New and choose a scoreboard script from the Script: drop-down list.

3. From the Serial Port: drop-down list, select Network (UDP). The port and IP address fields appear.

4. Enter the port and IP address data for the computer/s you want to send scoreboard data to.
   
5. NOTE: If you want to send data in global broadcast packets so every device on the network receives the data, leave the IP address field blank.

5. Click OK and then restart FinishLynx. FinishLynx is now ready to send data to the scoreboard over the Ethernet network.

 

Introducing the Lynx Remote Control (LRC) Plug-in

• Introduction

The new LRC Plug-in allows you to remotely control several FinishLynx functions by issuing commands through a serial port or TCP socket connection. The LRC Plug-in allows you to remotely control the following functions:

• printing results

• printing images, and

• exporting images. 

• Use with the NCP Plug-in

FinishLynx can be controlled remotely over TCP/IP using the NCP Plug-in (sold separately) and sending commands via Telnet to the TCP port the FinishLynx computer is set to listen on. Please see the Remote Control Specifications for more information on available commands.

 

Introducing the EtherLynx Professional Camera

FinishLynx 5.0 supports Lynx's new camera, the EtherLynx Professional. The EtherLynx Professional camera can be used with high-speed sports such as car, motorcycle, and power boat racing, and to take higher resolution images of other sports.

The EtherLynx Professional camera can be used with EtherLynx cameras.

 

More frames per second

The EtherLynx Professional camera comes standard with the ability to capture 2000 frames per second. The EtherLynx Professional camera is upgradable to 5000 and 10000 frames per second.

 

New pixel depth settings

The EtherLynx Professional camera allows you to select a wide variety of pixel depths ranging from:

• 16, 32, 64, 128, and 256 grays, and

• 512, 4K, 32K, 256K and 2M colors.

Increasing the pixel depth increases the size and quality of the FinishLynx image, as long as your computer monitor is able to match the same number of colors.

 

Hardware gamma

The EtherLynx Professional camera enables you to adjust the image gamma before it is sent to the computer. This feature is different from the software gamma adjustments still available in the Image | Adjustments dialog. 

Hardware gamma offers many advantages. For example, the gamma adjustments can be applied to all 2M available colors instead of the 4K or 32K colors enabled by your computer’s video card. As a result, the quality of the gamma adjustments is significantly higher.

Hardware gamma proves most valuable in situations where the color of the object is similar in color to the background. For example, when capturing horses on a dirt track, the hardware gamma (while adjusting the contrast and brightness in unison) can increase the color difference between the two and make it easier to see the nose of the horse.

Warning: Because the hardware gamma is applied to the image while it is captured by the EtherLynx camera, it cannot be undone.

When setting the gamma range, note the following:

• Values less than one increase the differences between similar dark pixels in the image, which appears to give the darker areas greater contrast and brightness.

• Values greater than one have the opposite effect.

• To set the hardware gamma:

1. Click in the upper left corner of the screen. The Camera Settings dialog appears.

2. Click in the Gamma: text box and type a new value, between 0.25 and 1.75.

3. Click Ok. Now, the image you capture is affected by the gamma value you set.

 

Digital zoom

The EtherLynx Professional camera comes with an option to purchase separately zoom modes of 150% and 300%.

Zoom Mode	Function	Density
150%	Makes the FinishLynx image 1.5 times bigger in height.	2000
300%	Makes the FinishLynx image 3 times bigger in height.	4000

 

Digital zoom advantages

The EtherLynx Professional camera's digital zoom option allows you to:

• take very high resolution FinishLynx images,

• use smaller, less expensive lenses, and

• enables a wider variety of camera locations with a single lens.

• Taking high resolution FinishLynx images

When used with an F-mount lens, the digital zoom option available for the EtherLynx Professional camera enables a higher resolution than any other EtherLynx camera. This higher resolution, combined with the higher frame rates of the EtherLynx Professional camera, enables higher resolution images to be taken even in sports where objects are not moving at particularly high speeds. Higher resolution images help you:

• evaluate an extremely close race, and

• print extremely high quality images.

• Using smaller lenses

Digital zoom also allows you to use smaller, less expensive lenses. For example, if you are currently using a 300mm f5.6 lens in Ave 1, you can set the Mode to Zoom 300% to achieve the same field of view with a 100mm f2.8 lens. The 100mm lens is considerably less expensive than the 300mm lens and offers four times the amount of light.

When light is plentiful, digital zoom can be used to get more resolution for a given field of view. In situations where light is scarce, it can be used to get more light for less lens money.

• Covering more camera locations with a single lens

Because the digital zoom range of the EtherLynx Professional camera is 12x (as opposed to 4x in the EtherLynx models), you can cover a wide range of camera locations with a single lens.

 

Status lights

The EtherLynx Professional camera's status lights on the rear panel of the camera include a Boot and Error LED. They are read as follows:

• Boot LED

This color...	indicates this...
solid red	the camera is starting. This process takes about 20 seconds.
slow amber blink	waiting for communication with FinishLynx.
fast amber blink	the camera is loading into FinishLynx.
slow green blink	the hardware is being initialized.
solid green	the camera is loaded.

• Error LED

If the light is off, there is no error. If the light is on, an error has occurred.

 

Serial port on rear panel

The rear panel of the EtherLynx Professional camera has a 9-pin serial port that can be used to connect a RadioLynx receiver, scoreboard, wind gauge, or other serial device.

 

Wireless option available

The EtherLynx Professional camera has a wireless option available (sold separately) that enables it to connect to an 802.11g wireless network using an Access Point or in ad hoc mode.

• Configuring the EtherLynx Professional camera for a wireless network

1. Run FinishLynx.

2. Turn on the EtherLynx Professional camera in wired mode, using the Ethernet cables provided.

3. From the Hardware Control window, click . The Camera Settings dialog appears.

4. Click the WLAN tab.

5. Make the following settings:

• Mode: select the Access Point or Ad Hoc radio button.

• SSID: this value must match the access point or the other nodes on your ad hoc network. Make sure this value is different from any other wireless network SSID's nearby.

• Channel: select a setting from the drop-down list only if you are using the EtherLynx Professional camera on an ad hoc network. Make sure the channel setting is at least six apart from any other ad hoc networks nearby so that it does not overlap. Skip this setting if you are using an access point.

6. Click Ok.

7. Disconnect the Ethernet cable connecting the EtherLynx Professional camera and the FinishLynx computer.

8. Restart the EtherLynx Professional camera. When the camera restarts, it is accessible over the wireless network.

• Wireless tips

Before using the EtherLynx Professional camera in wireless mode, do the following:

• If there are other, wired EtherLynx cameras on your FinishLynx network, turn them on before turning on the EtherLynx Professional camera you plan to use in wireless mode.

• Make sure all other devices on the wireless network have Power Saving Protocol turned OFF.

• Confirm that the SSID configured in the EtherLynx Professional camera is the same as the SSID configured in the Access Point or other ad hoc nodes.

• Make sure no other wireless device can access the wireless network that the EtherLynx Professional camera is on.