Display Computer README

This page and the actual README file on TRC's Display Computer may have deviated, though they matched when this page was created.

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HOW TO START THE DISPLAY

1) Turn on the computer. Hopefully you've already done that.

2) Plug it in. The laptop has a good battery but will go ­into power-save mode when not plugged in, and that could mess you up.

3) Choose between using a WiFi network provided at the finish location (e.g., Round Table) or establishing a "ad-hoc" (private) network between only the TRC computers.

• To Use Available WiFi
  

a) Start TRC's Server computer first.

b) After the server uses its web browser to connect to its local rallye scoring program, return to this display computer.

c) Double click the display computer's desktop icon "TRC Scoring public WiFi". This will eventually open Internet Explorer, trying to connect to TRC's server. The WiFi may require you to first agree to their "contract." After doing so, you may need to double click the desktop icon again.

• To Use the private network

a) Double click the "Connect To" icon on the desktop. A networks window should pop up.

b) Click on "TRC"

c) Click on the "Connect" button

d) A connecting progress window will appear, when it disappears the network is ready. The display and the server both need to have their networks activated before you can use it, but the start up order does not matter.

e) Then double click the desktop icon "TRC Scoring ad-hoc WiFi". This will eventually open Internet Explorer, trying to connect to TRC's server.

5) Plug the HDMI cable into both the TV and the left hand side of the computer. Both ends of the cable are the same, and it does not matter which side you plug in first. It may be necessary to change the INPUT channel on the TV to select this HDMI input.

6) The TV may be used in either of these modes:

• "Extend" mode where the TV is an extension of the built-in display. This makes it easy to score on one screen while the Score Board displays on the other. You may have to drag the Score Board window sideways to the TV (or the scoring window back to the notebook's display).

• "Duplicate" mode where the TV and the built in display show the same thing. If you're doing all the scoring on the server, the client computer can be dedicated to showing the Score Board.

Following Murphy's Law, it will not be in the mode you want. If you want to change it:

a) Right click on the desktop

b) Select "Screen resolution"

c) A window will pop up showing you the displays.

d) The last pull-down is "Multiple displays" where you can select the "Extend these displays" or "Duplicate these displays" mode. Then click OK.

7) Press F11 with the cursor on the TV's screen to make its browser "Full Screen."

8) Connect to your rallye with either "Score Board" or "Scroll Board" Score Board is a static display that automatically updates every 30 seconds. It is the preferred score board, but depending on the rallye, there may be too many cars in one class to fit them all on the screen and still read them clearly. Scroll Board is a moving display that scrolls through the scores, updating every 30 seconds. The numbers are easier to read from across the room, but waiting for your score to scroll into view is a bit annoying. Use the static Score Board unless there is a class that just is too impacted to display nicely.

Other Notes:

• There is a USB mouse in the computer bag. The mouse can be plugged in at any time. The mouse sometimes has trouble working on glossy or dark tables. Just stick a piece of paper under the mouse and it will work fine. If you really like the track pad feel free to use it, but most people prefer a real mouse.

• It may be necessary to Zoom in or out as the rallye goes on to make the board fit the screen. To adjust the size of the text, put the cursor on that screen, hold down the control button and use the mouse wheel (or + and - keys) to increase or decrease the size of the text.

• If you are running in "Extend" mode, while the Score Board is running, you can actually use the laptop screen as a second scoring machine or to recall cars that think their info may be misentered to review or adjust their score. Be sure the same car's score will never be updated on both computers at the same time, typically by holding their paper score sheet.