Program setup

On this screen you setup program parameters. This is usually only done once.
You can navigate to the Program Setup from the Race Setup panel.
After having made changes to this panel, the program might issue a message that calls for a program restart.

The LapTimer-II device is connected to serial port:
You can chose COM1 to COM20 as the serial interface for the hardware.
Alternative you can chose “None” in which case there is no input to the program.
You can however still use emulation mode, i.e. to test the program.
If you do not know which COM port the LapTimer-II device is connected to, press the “Search” button, and LapMaster will try to locate the LapTimer-II device for you.

LapTimer version:
If a LapTimer-II device is connected, an identification of the firmware will be displayed in this field.

External programs.
Lapmaster can integrate and use external programs; however you might have a different version or preference of any of these types of programs.
In that case you can define them here.

- Text editor: Notepad is normally used for text editing.
Use the “Find” button to allow LapMaster to search your Computer for the best suited program (=Notepad), or use the “…” button to manual select a program.

- Spread sheet: By default there is no spread sheet program. However if you have e.g. Microsoft Office installed, you should use Excel.
Use the “Find” button to allow LapMaster to search your Computer for the best suited program, or use the “…” button to manual select a program.

- Internet Browser: Standard Internet Browser is Microsoft Explorer.
Use the “Find” button to allow LapMaster to search your Computer for the best suited program (Your default browser), or use the “…” button to manual select a program.

- HTML editor: If we cannot do any better, Notepad is used. However if you have e.g. Microsoft Office installed, you should use Word.
Use the “Find” button to allow LapMaster to search your Computer for the best suited program, or use the “…” button to manual select a program.

- Note on Open Ofice:
Calling the SCALC.EXE program launches the Calc in a separate window, then terminates immediately. This causes LapMaster to import the work file before you have made any changes. When using Open Office Calc, you must manually import the updated workfile into LapMaster, once you have completed any editing using Calc.

Language.
This is the language used by the LapMaster program. Both on the menus and as the spoken language over the loud-speaker system.
By default you have:
- English – Andy Wasserman (High quality)
- English female voice
- English female voice – Inge (High quality)

Installing optional language packages from www.lapmaster.dk you can select from:
- Dansk herre stemme (Danish, male high quality voice)
- Dansk dame stemme (Danish, female voice)
- Dansk dame stemme - Inge (Danish, female high quality voice)
- Deutsche weibliche Stimme (German, female voice)
- Svensk manlig röst (Swedish, male voice)
- Norsk herre stemme (Norwegian, male voice - Actual Norwegian text, Danish voice)

- Espaniol

- Italiano

When you press the ”Change” button, you can select the directory that contains the language customization. Inside this directory you need to select the “Dictionary.txt” file to activate the new language.

If you change the language you will need to restart the program.

It is possible to add another language yourself. To learn how this is done, read the “Customized language” chapter.

12 Hour clock.

By default LapMaster uses a 24 hour clock for real time displays. However if you prefer, you can select to use a 12 Hour clock format.

Main screen layout.
You can choose between “Classic” and “Fill frame”.
This is really only an option if you have less than 8 lanes.

In “Classic” you would have an empty space below the lanes before the buttons.


In “Fill frame” there will be no space below the lane displays before the buttons.

Spacebar calibration
Pressing the spacebar will issue a track-call, or if already in a track-call, it will release that track-call, allowing for the continuation of the race or intermission.
However if you hold down the spacebar it has a repeat function (Typomatic) which is very handy when typing a long row of spaces, but not so good for the track-call function.
If left to its own devices, if the spacebar is held down for too long, it generates a long series of trackcall On/Off. That is very annoying to say the least.
For that reason, LapMaster requires a period of time from you release the spacebar, until you can activate it again. That too can be a little annoying if you are in a hurry.

By using the spacebar calibration, LapMaster can learn the precise timing of your keyboard. (It is a function of the keyboard hardware, not the operating system).
When LapMaster knows the precise timing, it can in practical terms differentiate between the repeated space’s, and you actual manual entered spaces.
This allows for a much improved user experience.

Clicking on the “Spacebar calibration” button, you will be asked to press and hold the spacebar.
When LapMaster have measured the few first spaces, it instructs you to release the spacebar, and shows the resulting calibration.
I.e. Delay=500 Repeat=33 which means the first repeat arrive after 500 ms, while the subsequent spaces comes 33 ms apart.
This calibration is stored until you make another calibration.