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Help for Score!

The "Score" program is a custom program for scorekeeping IMAC aerobatic contests. IMAC is the International Miniature Aerobatic Club. IMAC contests involves flying model airplanes through aerobatic maneuvers better than your opponents.

By default, this program adheres to the standard IMAC rules. However, this program is highly configurable and supports a wide variety of special cases. If you have a special scoring situation, check out the customizations available (in the "Preferences" dialog box), or click here to contact us with questions or suggestions..

The official website for this program is: http://dave232.com/score.

Contents

Quick Start (The least you need to know...)

Many people have been able to use this program without reading any documentation at all. For those that want some documentation, but only the "quick" version, this section lists the minimum steps for getting the program up and running. Later sections of this help file provide even more detailed information, tips on using the program, and other FAQs.

Prior to Contest Day...

Install Latest Version of Java

Install Latest Version of Java

Step 1: Download latest Version of Score here Latest Version of Score

Then click Software Tab. Unzip into it's own directory (Desktop is fine) It MUST BE UNZIPED into this folder to work correctly and not lose all entered data upon closing of Score!. Naming Folder, the "Contest Name" EX: "21st Annual IMAC Challenge" will help to identify your contest. Then run the "Score.jar" file

Step 2: Set "Preferences" Correctly

From the "File" menu, open the "Preferences" dialog box. There are many settings that can be adjusted. Notice that there is a "Reset" tab that can be used to reset all values back to IMAC standards. However, if you have special scoring requirements, this dialog box is where the customizations are selected or configured.

Step 3: Define/Update Sequence Definitions

After clicking on the Set Up Sequences tab (at the bottom) you should confirm or enter the sequence definitions for each of the classes (Basic through Unlimited) for Knowns and Unknowns, as well as the Freestyle criteria. The Known sequences and the Freestyle criteria are normally already defined in the program. They are also available separately from my website if you need to refresh or restore the correct definitions.

You will need to enter the sequence criteria for the Unknowns. (Otherwise, they would have been "known" sequences, right?) The Contest Director may or may not have or release the Unknown sequence definitions to you prior to the contest. If not, entering sequence definitions is easy and fast enough that it could easily be done during the contest.

It is critical to have the correct K-factors for each figure for each sequence. The descriptions are displayed during data entry to help recognize that the correct sequence is being used, but the descriptions do not affect the program in any way. Ideally, the descriptions should closely match at least the first few words of what appears on the score sheets to make it easy for data entry.

On the first day of the contest (morning)...

Step 4: Enter Pilot Information

You should fully register each of the pilots using this program. Be especially careful to enter the correct class(es) and frequency (Yes,This Program has come that far!). Use the Set Up Pilots tab at the bottom of the main window to do this. Each pilot will also need to sign a waiver (like the AMA Form 10B), and probably fill out a 3x5 card with their name, class and frequency, depending on how you run your contest.

As an alternate approach,You can ask your RD for an "importable" Pre-Registered Pilot File and import from "Setup Pilots Tab, Select "Import from File" button and point to this file from your RD. Then pilots can be "pre-registered". in the program and then "uncheck" the pre-registration checkbox when they actually show up to the event.

During the contest (continuous)...

Step 5: Enter Scores

It is helpful to mark each physical score sheet as "1" or "2" (for judge 1, or 2) to help match which scores were entered from which sheet. This can be done when the sheet is handled for the first time during data entry.

Once the pilots start completing rounds, the score sheets should flow through the scorekeeper's station to get entered into this program. After scores are entered, the score sheets need to be kept per round and together. Use the Enter Flight Scores tab at the bottom of the main window to do this.

Step 6: Print Interim Reports

After data is entered for each round, the Results Report should be printed out and posted for the CD and the pilots to see. (You probably won't forget this step; the pilots will remind you.) Look in the Reports menu at the top of the main window for generating the Results Report. Results can be printed for any combination of rounds or types of flight; data entry for later rounds does not need to wait for previous rounds to complete. (Often, pilots in the Basic class are completing rounds faster than those in Advanced, for example.)

At the end of the contest...

Step 7: Print Final Reports

  1. Run (and print) the final Results Report(s).
  2. Make sure that the Contest Director (CD) gets a copy of these reports.

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General Information

Key Features

There are three key features that make this scoring program distinct.

  1. Ease of Use. I've tried to make the screens as user-friendly as possible. In my experience with IMAC contests, the scoring data entry is often "cast off" to someone with limited IMAC knowledge and sometimes limited computer experience. Also, I've seen where the user is proficient but confined to the computer for lengthy periods of time. This program has attempted to make this better and get you back to doing what you should be doing: watching or doing great aerobatic flying!

  2. Data Transparency. The results of an IMAC contest are affected by the details. Data entry accuracy is paramount. The ability to examine (and sometimes fix) data is essential. Even when the data entry is perfect, some pilots will be curious about the data. The easier it is to view (and, if needed, correct) the data, then the easier life will be for everyone.

  3. Customization. In theory, all IMAC contests are flown to a particular standard. However (and in my experience), there are a great number of contests that apply variations to this standard. Some of these variations affect the contest significantly; some are more subtle. See the customizations section for a description of the customizations available.

Program Usage

Most of the time when using this program, you're doing one of two things. Either you're entering data (interactively), or you're looking at one of the reports that this program creates (using your web browser).

The data entry activity includes all activity around creating, editing or modifying the pilot, sequence and score data used by this program. The various data entry screens are all selected by clicking on tabs at the bottom of the main window.

The other type of activity is running reports. Reports are selected from the Menu Bar at the top of the main window. Report output can be configured to be written to different output formats:

Note that not all reports generate all formats. To enable or disable generating different formats, see the "Preferences". For viewing and printing data with the browser, I'll assume that you are familiar with the browser or can find help for it separately.

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Sequences

sequence entry screenshot

The "Sequences" tab is used for entering or editing sequence definitions. On the left side of the window is a list of all currently defined sequences. The rest of the window has fields for defining each sequence and buttons used for creating, deleting or copying sequences.

Creating New Sequences

Click on the "create" button to create a new sequence.

Copying Sequences

Click on the "clone" button to make a copy of the current sequence into a new sequence. This can be helpful for a "special" class that is similar to an existing class. (For example, creating a "seniors" class that is similar to "Sportsman".)

Deleting Existing Sequences

Click on the "delete" button to delete the current sequence. If scores have been entered for this sequence (for any number of pilots), then you will be warned about deleting this sequence. If you choose to continue deleting the sequence, then all of the associated scores will also be deleted.

Importing Sequence Information

In addition, there is a button for "importing" data. You can re-read sequence information or read additional information that is stored in a file. A common use for this is to read the "alternate" sequences now in use for contests where the large "roller" maneuvers are prohibited.

Detail Fields

Any of the fields for the current sequence may be changed at any time. There is no need to "save" after making changes, as all changes are immediately used by the program. Re-running any report will use the new definitions. All of the fields for each sequence are used in some way, and will affect the program's operation.

Type
The type selection defines which types of flights this sequence applies to. It is very important to specify the Type accurately.
Class
The class selection defines which group of pilots this sequence applies to. This is another field that it is very important to specify accurately.
Round (min and max)
The round numbers allow defining multiple sequences for a group of pilots. Most of the time, the default values will be used (which are the minimum and maximum values for a round). However, if you wish to have two different unknowns for a class of pilots, then define the first sequence for round 1 (both minimum and maximum should be set to 1), and then define the second sequence for round 2 (this time setting both the minimum and maximum values to 2).
K-Factors and Descriptions
The table of K-factors and descriptions is the essence of defining a sequence. It is critical that the K-factors are entered and entered accurately. The total K-factor for the sequence is displayed at the bottom of the table. Descriptions are displayed in the entry screen (dialog box).
"1/2s" Radio Button
This is the "normal" setting. Scores can be entered as half- or whole-numbers (or numbers that end in .0 or .5).
"10ths" Radio Button
With this setting, scores can be entered to a tenth of a point resolution. This is normally used in Freestyle scoring.
"Int" Radio Button
With this setting, a figure can be set to allow "whole" integer numbers only (no fractions). This is intended for rules such as the "airspace control score" which disallows fractional scores.

Sequence FAQ's

Q: What's the most common error on this window?

Clicking on the "class" or "type" radio buttons when intending to select a different sequence definition. (The radio buttons are used to modify the current sequence definition. Use the list box on the far left side to select different sequence definitions.)

Q: How many sequences can be defined?

Realistically speaking, most contests have a Known for each class, and one (or maybe two) Unknowns for the classes other than Basic, and one definition for Freestyle (a total of about 10 sequence definitions).

However, the program doesn't limit how many sequences you can define. If you had different sequence criteria for each type (Known, Unknown and Freestyle) and for every round and for every class, you could define 520 different sequences. (This would be crazy, but the program could handle it.)

Q: Okay, I kind-of followed all that (or maybe not?), but how do I set up two Unknowns for my contest?

For example, to define two unknowns for the Sportsman class, do the following:

Q: Can I define my own criteria for Freestyle?

Well, officially speaking, all contests are supposed to use the same criteria for Freestyle. However, Freestyle is just another "sequence" with "figures" for the different criteria. Modify the sequence definitions to specify the criteria that you wish to use. For example, the "old" style rules (2003 and earlier) could be used by defining the 4 criteria as a sequence with a K-factor of 10 for each, and not entering any "time-of-flight" data.

Q: Cool! Now that I have two Unknowns defined for each class, can I have the program throw out the lower Unknown score when calculating results?

Yes. This program allows you to customize many rules, including how many sequences get thrown out for each of the types (Known, Unknown and Freestyle). Poke around in the "Preferences" (from the "Edit" menu) or call or email me if you have questions.

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Pilots

pilot entry screenshot

The "Pilots" tab is used for entering or editing pilot information. On the left side of the window is a list of all pilots, with buttons to create a new pilot record, or to deleting an existing record. The rest of the window has several detail fields for the currently selected pilot.

Creating New Pilots

Click on the "create" button to create a new pilot record.

Deleting Existing Pilots

Click on the "delete" button to delete the current pilot. If scores have been entered for the currently selected pilot, then you will be warned about deleting this pilot. If you choose to continue deleting the pilot, then the associated scores will also be deleted.

Detail Fields

Any of the fields for the current pilot may be changed at any time. There is no need to "save" after making changes, as all changes are immediately used by the program. All of the fields for each pilot are used in some way, although some fields are more important than others. (The fields in bold below are the most important ones to enter.)

ID Numbers
You must enter a unique number to identify each pilot. This is usually the AMA number for the United States (CMA in Canada, AAM in Australia, etc.). The name of the field is set in the preferences. It can be set to any value when creating the pilot record. However, once score data has been entered for the pilot, it cannot be changed. The program allows for a second ID number (for example, IMAC).
Pilot Name
The name field is exactly what it seems: what others call this person. Any time that the program prompts for a particular pilot, either the number or (any portion of) the pilot's name may be used.
Address
These two lines accept any free-form address information. This information is printed on the The address information is not used in any other way by the program.
Airplane
The type of airplane being flown may be entered in this field. For example, "Extra 330L" or "Cap 232". This information is displayed in some of the reports, but is not required.
Missing Pilot & Panel Check Box
According to IMAC competition rules, all pilots in the "Sportsman" class and above must fly a scale aerobatic plane and the airplane must have a realistic, scale pilot figure and instrument panel installed. If the plane does not have both a pilot figure and an instrument panel, then check this box. A 1% deduction is applied to all scores. (Pilots flying in the "Basic" class are exempt from these rules, and may fly any AMA-legal plane.)
Comments
The comments field is a free-form entry for any comments about this pilot. This information can be displayed on various reports. This might include anecdotal information such as "this pilot switched airplanes after crashing the first", or "this pilot hasn't paid his registration fee yet!", or something along those lines. The comments might appear on various reports, if enabled on the "contest settings" preferences screen.
Pre-register
The "pre-registration" checkbox allows you to enter data for pilots (long?) before the contest. When the pilot shows up, you can then simply "uncheck" the pre-register the pilot and everything will run normally. Pilots that remain "pre-registered" are not included in the various reports.
"Class" Radio Buttons
Each pilot must have his correct class selected (Basic through Unlimited, plus 1 or 2 optional special classes). The class determines which sequences are used for scoring the pilot's flights, and which group of competitors he or she is flying against. Each pilot starts with the default value of "Basic", but the correct value must be selected. You can create up to 2 additional special classes in the preferences screens.
Frequency
Specifying the frequency (either fixed-channel or spread-spectrum) in this field is highly recommended. For each pilot flying a fixed-channel, the frequency is checked against all other pilots. Frequency conflicts are immediately alerted, and an overall frequency usage report will list all frequencies in use, highlighting those channels with multiple pilots (and therefore, conflicts).

Importing Pilot Information

In addition, there is a button for "importing" pilot data. You could (for example) import pilot definitions from a previous contest, altering or deleting as needed.

Pilot's FAQ's

Q: What's the most common error encountered with this screen?
Simply not filling out the various fields. The program has quite a few nice features, but it depends on data being entered. The most common omissions are AMA Number and Frequency.
Q: How many pilots can this program handle?
It is configured to handle up to 30 pilots per class. For 5 distinct classes, that's up to 150 total pilots.

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Score Entry

score entry screenshot

The "Scores" tab is used for entering scores for each sequence (or flight) for a pilot. (This program calls it a "flight" to not confuse it with a sequence definition. Technically speaking, a flight is usually the two sequences flown between taking off and landing.)

On the left side of the window is an input for selecting which pilot. Like any input for a pilot, the pilot's number may be entered or any part of the pilot's name. Below the input, the matching pilot is displayed as confirmation. In the main part of the window is a grid-display of the flights that have been entered (so far) for that pilot.

On the far right are additional check boxes for imposing penalties on the selected flight or figure within a flight. Also, there are buttons for entering zeros for all figures on the current flight, or clearing out all entries for the current flight.

The "Main" Grid

In the main part of the screen is a grid where all scores are displayed. Each column is labeled with RxSy, which means "round #x" and "sequence #y". Each row is labeled with the figure description (as entered when defining the sequences). If there are different sequences for different rounds, then the row descriptions will be correct for whichever column is selected.

You can use the arrow keys to move around the grid, or you can press the ENTER key to go down to the next row, or Shift-ENTER to go to the previous row. scroll buttons

If there are more flights than can be displayed at one time, arrow buttons will appear allowing you to scroll horizontally through the columns displayed.

At the bottom of the grid is a summary of each column. There is the "basic" sum labeled "Checksum Total" (which is easy for a pilot or anyone to add and confirm data entry).

Then, there is the K-Factored Total, which applies the K-Factor weighting as defined in the sequence. score summary

Below that is where penalties (if any) are displayed. For each column, the number of sequence breaks is displayed, plus an indicator if the pilot was penalized for not having a scale pilot figure and instrument panel in the model.

Finally, at the bottom of the summary section is the calculated total for that flight, including all adjustments for penalties.

Creating New Flights

GoTo Dialog Click on the "create" button to create a flight. A dialog box will appear, allowing you to specify the round, sequence and judge/sheet numbers. The dialog box will be pre-populated with values for the "next" flight. You can override these values with anything you choose. Also, you can click the "More" button to specify a range of flights to be added all in a single step.

Entering Scores

Whenever the cursor is in a "score block" you can simply type a number for the score. Experiment with the "auto-decimal-point" option to speed up data entry. Also, you can type the letter "B" to select the "break in sequence" option without interrupting the flow of score entry going down the column. Similarly, you can type "P" to specify the "missing pilot/panel" for the (entire) flight. Using a number pad, it should be easy to enter scores very quickly by typing the numbers (especially if using the auto-decimal-point option) and the ENTER key. Shift-ENTER will select the previous entry.

Selecting Flight Types and Judge Numbers

Simply click one of the buttons or controls at the top for selecting which type of flights are being entered or edited, or which Judge or sheet number is being entered.

Deleting Existing Flights

Click on the "delete" button to delete the current flight.

Score Entry FAQ's

Q: Our judges don't have numbers, but the program is requiring one. What do I do?

What the program really wants is a score sheet number. When you first enter data from a score sheet (and it's not already labelled), assume that its number is 1. Specify "1" on the GUI and click on the "Edit Scores" button. If data has already been entered for #1, then try #2. Once you figure out which number should be used, write it on the score sheet and you're done for the rest of the contest (or at least until this sheet has been filled up).

Q: Why are there multiple totals? Isn't there only one way to add numbers?

The checksum is a simple sum of the scores (meaning that it is not multiplied by the k-factors). After entering the scores into the computer, the scorekeeper should write the checksum values on the score sheet. The pilots have the opportunity to add the numbers up themselves to detect any data entry errors (which is why it's a simple sum).

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Customizations

The ability to modify the behavior of this program falls into two categories.

First, there are several configuration items that don't really change the rules of the contest. These are the "little" things that include things like: the name of the contest, auto-save for data files, data-entry keystroke behavior, whether or not to include "comments" on the reports, where or how to launch your browser, and whether or not to include HTML links between the reports,

Second, the very core of scoring can be modified in several ways. This includes the ability to apply variations that go beyond the IMAC standard for rules and scoring. Here is a quick list of some of the more common customizations available:

The details for any of these customizations are covered in the next section(s).

For any questions that you might have, please contact me. I've worked with many situations around the world and I'm happy to offer assistance (or even listen to complaints). Sometimes, I'll learn about a new requirement customization. Other times, I can help describe how to use the existing program to meet your particular needs.

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Preferences

screen_prefs Dialog

Many of the program settings or options can be set using the preferences dialogs. There are five different tabs, each containing many options that can be modified. In addition, there is one more (6th) tab that has buttons to "master reset" the options back to "normal" or "official" values.

Some of the options will not take full effect until the program is restarted. These are marked with an asterisk (*).

The rest of this section defines what each of the options will control.

Basics

Nearly every contest should be setting the values on this tab.
Contest Name
This is the name of your contest and appears at the top of nearly every report.
Region Name
This field is optional for the program, but might be required by your regional director. It is written to some of the XML data file to assist in importing contest results into a master database.
Custom Classes
Custom classes allow you to create specialized "subset" classes (like "Seniors"). Optionally, pilots can be configured to be in one normal class AND one or both of the special class, or in the special class(es) (only).
Reverse Round Order
This checkbox causes the rounds to be listed in DESCENDING order (3, 2, 1), which matches the score sheets for some contests. This is for display convenience only and has no effect on any of the calculations.
Auto-Decimal Point
This checkbox affects numbers during data entry. It will cause a decimal point to be entered automatically when the program deems necessary. So, entering "6" will result in "6". Entering "65" will enter "6.5". Entering "10" will enter "1.0", but entering "10." (with an explicit decimal) will enter "10.0". This is a nice option that can ease the task of entering scores, and should be considered.

File System

The values on this tab affect how data files and report files are saved on your computer. The default values are adequate for most people and can be left with their default values.
Auto-Save
If selected, the data files will automatically be saved every n minutes; you set the value of n. For example, if you set the time to 5 minutes, then for as long as you are making any changes to data (like entering scores), the data will be saved to disk every 5 minutes.
Reports Prefix
This value specifies a common prefix for the filename for each of the reports. By default this is "report_", meaning that (for example) the Results Report will be named "report_results.html". If you changed it to "xyz-" then the Results Report would be named "xyz-results.html".
Reports Location
This value determines where on your system the report files will be saved. By default, the program writes the report files to the same directory as the program. But, if you wish to create a separate folder for reports, you can specify that folder here.
Launch Default System Browser
If selected, then this program will attempt to launch the "appropriate" browser when viewing a report or the help file. The definition of "appropriate" and how the program finds that browser is unique to each operating system (Windows vs. MacOS vs. Linux/Unix).
Launch Specific Browser
If selected (usually when the "automatic" option isn't working correctly), then you can specify exactly where your browser program is located (or which one if you have multiple browsers).
Don't Launch a Browser
If selected, then the program will not launch a browser. For each report that would normally be shown, it will show a dialog box with the filename that you should view. Some Macintosh users will have to use this option, because I haven't been able to get Macintosh systems to work correctly in all cases. Sometimes, the program can find Safari, sometimes not...?
Generate HTML, XML or CSV
Selects which file formats will be created for the reports. Not all reports can generate all formats, so you won't have as much control as you might think. The program will sometimes override these settings in order to successfully generate something.
Create HTML Links
If selected, then the program will generate HTML links from the Results Report into each of the corresponding Pilot Reports. This is very convenient if the Results Report is being viewed on the computer or online; you can easily go from the Results Report into a Pilot Report to see detail.
Sort ... Definitions
If selected, then the pilots and sequences will be displayed in a "sorted" order, rather than the (random) order in which they were created. Note that once the data is sorted, it can never be returned back to the original order.

Calculations

Warning: The values on this tab will affect how scores are calculated. Change them with great care.

Make sure that any rule variations are announced at least 30 days prior to the contest. Also, make sure that any pilots that have already registered are explicitly reminded or informed about any rule variations. Failure to do this can render your contest null and void.

Scale Scores to 1000
This is the normal scoring. All Known and Unknown sequences are normalized to 1000 points for the highest scoring pilot, then proportionally for all others for each sequence. If this option is NOT set, then the scoring will be like the really old days when it was a decimal number between zero and one, as a percentage of "perfect".
Scale Unknown Scores to ...
Rather than scaling the Unknowns to a simple 1000 points, they can be scaled to a percentage (or weighting) of the entire contest.
Freestyle is Required
This option causes the Freestyle scores to appear in the same table as the other flights. This is not common, but typically found at "premier" or specialized contests. If not set, then Freestyle flights are displayed in a separate section on the results report.
Scale Freestyle Scores to ...
This is like the Unknown option, scaling the Freestyle to a percentage (or weighting) of the entire contest.
Scale Final Score to 1000
This option will RE-scale the final score to 1000 points. This is not common.

Include

This tab includes several options to selectively turn on or off several features of the program. Each should be self-explanatory and are not described further here. If you need help, contact me.

Points

If your contest (or country) is accumulating points for a year-end total, then this tab is where you specify the values for calculating the points.
Calculate (Base) Points
This option enables the logic for calculating points.
Points are scaled
Points are computed as 1000 for the winning pilot in each class, followed by a prorated value for each other pilot. If this option is NOT selected, then a distinct value can be specified for each rank position.
Also calculate Bonus points
In addition to "base" points, you can add on another number of points for "beating other pilots". This further rewards pilots that fly against a greater number of competitors in his class.

Reset

This tab has two buttons that will either reset the "official" values back to IMAC legal values or ALL options back to the default values. You have to guess which button does what.

The customizations for this program have been added by requests from different people around the world over the years using this program. If you have custom scoring needs that you think this program might handle (or not!), contact me and we'll see what can be done.

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Reports

There are several reports available from the "Reports" menu. Each report is created as an HTML file and displayed using your computer's browser. Within your browser, you can resize the window, change the print layout between portrait and landscape, and change the colors used for displaying the report.

Alternatively, you can send report output to a CSV file (either in addition to HTML, or instead of HTML). The report format is selected in the Program Settings
dialog. results report screenshot

Results Report: This report includes the "official results" of the contest. This is probably the most important report that you will run. It will certainly be the most requested report by all of the pilots.

Pilot Report: This report includes all score detail for a specified pilot. It is the most likely report to give to a particular pilot.

Frequency Report: This report lists all the pilots in the contest, ordered by radio frequency. Frequencies that have more than one pilot (channel conflicts) are displayed in red. (Rarely if at all Used anymore).

Reports FAQ's

Q: Why is the program "throwing" out some scores?

That's actually part of the IMAC standard rules. After flying enough sequences (3), the program will throw out the lowest score when computing results. After flying even more sequences (6), the program will throw out the second lowest score.

Q: How do I "print" the results?

The results (and several other data output screens) are presented as a "web page" in your browser. You select "print" just as you would for printing any other page from the internet. (I did this on purpose, so I wouldn't have to write "printing" logic myself.)

Q: But I don't like where the pages "break" using the browser.

Uh, you're right. Someday, I'll have to write a more capable program that includes printing logic. For now, you can select to print each class separately or ranges of rounds separately as your particular needs might dictate.

Q: No reports show up (or my browser isn't launching).

Yeah, that happens sometimes because of systems are different... By the numbers, this is happening on some Macintosh systems, some Windows systems prior to XP, and very few XP users. No Linux/Unix users have reported any similar problems.

Solution: Go into the "Program Settings" dialog (from the File menu), and select the "Launch browser explicitly" option, and click the "..." button (off to the right) to find your browser. For Windows users who run into this problem, you might find your browser at:
C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe

Q: The right-side of the printout is cutoff. How do I fix that?

Just as with any web page, you can set your margins wider, or (more likely) set the page orientation to "landscape". Web pages do not automatically paginate for content to the right.

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Miscellaneous FAQs

Q: How many rounds can this program handle?

It can handle up to 500 (Really) rounds for each type of flight. For example, it can handle 20 Known rounds and 20 Unknown rounds and even 20 Freestyle rounds. In a typical contest, there are 4-5 Known rounds flown, 1 (or maybe 2) rounds of Unknowns, and 1 round for the Freestyle.

Q: How many sequences per round can this program handle?

Up to 2 sequences per Known round can be entered. Normally, for Known rounds, there are two sequences per round (although "short" rounds are sometimes flown to equal out how much flying time each class gets). Unknown rounds are limited to 1 sequence per round (because after 1 sequence it's no longer "unknown"). Freestyle rounds are limited to 1 sequence per round.

Q: How many judges can there be per sequence?

Up to 8 judges per flight can be entered. The capability to support 8 judges applies to all types of flights (Known, Unknown, and Freestyle). Known and Unknown rounds normally use 2 judges per flight for most contests. Freestyle can handle 7 judges in the Freestyle event. I'm a bit skeptical that most contests will be successful in finding that many (qualified) judges. However, this program can handle it if you find that many.

Q: Why do parts of the window "jump around" while using the program?

That's Java trying to be helpful. I might (or might not?) fix that in later versions (Fixed). The language is constantly trying to "optimize" the screen layout. I wish that it would decide once, and not keep re-evaluating the layout, but I didn't write the language... (Again, Fixed)!

Q: Why was this written in Java? Wouldn't (some other language) have been better?

Because I wanted to. "Better" is just one of those religious wars for programmers, so... no.

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Program Removal

Actually, removing the program is quite easy. Just erase the files, or the folder that contains them. This program doesn't leave any remnants or modify your computer.

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Technical Information

Excel

The version "1" series (v1.1 - v1.13) of Score was written in Visual Basic for Applications, running under Microsoft Excel (v97). In addition to the installation size of Excel (several hundred MB), the score program was around 500KB. The data was always saved into the same spreadsheet file as the software. There also are limitations that kept me from having full control of the output file formats. (This affected the "StoryWriter" feature, and the ability to generate HTML output.) The licensing cost of this series was around $300 for the Microsoft Office product suite (although Excel is extremely prevalent).

Java

The version "2" (and later) series is written in Java (v1.5 or later). The score program is about 4.5MB in size, and separate from the data (which is about 350KB). The load and save times for the Java version are far faster than when running under Excel. Finally, the Java version runs on any Java platform, so Mac and Linux users can run this software as well. The cost of this program is ... free!. The cost of the Java runtime environment is ... also free! (Although, you may have to install the Java Run Time on your computer. However, it's easy to do.).Simply go to Latest Java Runtime Install

Data Files

All data is loaded automatically when the program starts up. All data is saved automatically when the program quits. Also, there is an option to explicitly save the data when desired (from the "File" menu), or to automatically save periodically (program settings). All data is saved in 4 different data files: pilots, sequences, flights, preferences. Each file is a plain-text file that can be viewed or repaired using external tools.

It is not recommended that you attempt to edit these files by hand. However, having the data in "plain text" allows you to inspect anything or everything and know that nothing is "locked" or "hidden" in any way. Also, it allowed me to have the data migrate across version changes in the program! Keeping the data in separate files allows someone to simply "blow away" all of the flight data quickly, while not losing any of the entry for pilots or sequences. (This could be done if something went terribly wrong and a lot of data was entered for the wrong rounds or classes or whatever.)

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History

Back when I first started out in IMAC, I was asked to be the scorekeeper (because I was the "computer" guy). For my very first contest, I tried using some other scoring solutions (there weren't many choices available). As a programmer (and like all programmers!) I felt that I could provide some improvements for myself and others. By the time of the next contest, I was using my own program and have been building on that foundation ever since. There are several reasons for having my own version:

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Index

A
after the contest
autosave (data files)

B
before the contest
benefits
break in sequence
browser

C
changing flight data
comments
contact info
contest name
contest settings
creating pilots
creating sequences
csv files, reports
custom rules
customizations

D
data entry
data file format
data files, autosave
deleting pilots
deleting sequences
detail, pilots
detail, sequences
during the contest

E
ease of use
editing flight data
email address
ENTER key during data entry
Excel

F
features
file formats
flight data, editing
freestyle, new vs. old
freestyle, time
freestyle criteria

G
general program usage

H
help, getting more
HTML files, reports
HTML links between reports

I
IMAC rules
installing the program
integer numbers

J
Java
judges, numbering

K
k-factors, setting

L
limits
links between reports

M
Macintosh (browser)
max number of judges
max number of pilots
max number of rounds
max number of sequences
max number of sequences per round
Microsoft Excel

N
Nationals (rules)
normalized scoring

O
optional classes

P
page breaks
performance graphs
pilots
pilot details
pilot registration
pilot report
pilots, creating
pilots, deleting
pilots, max number of
points
preferences
pre-register
printing reports
program installation
program settings

Q
quick start

R
raw data
regional points
registering pilots
reports
reports, printing
Results Report
rounds, reverse order
rules, standard
rules, custom
running the program

S
saving data files
score entry
scoring method: old vs. new
sequence break
sequences
sequence detail
sequences, creating
sequences, defining two unknowns
sequences, deleting
sequences, max number of
settings
special classes
senior classes
Sun Java

T
table of contents
text files
throwing low scores
time for freestyle
two unknown sequences, defining

U
unknowns scoring method
uninstalling the program
URL for Score

V

W
website for Score
whole numbers

X

Y

Z

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