The selection of autocross timing & scoring software on the market
seems to be improving. Hopefully, competition breeds better product.
I'm hoping for software that can do all of the following. Am I
dreaming?
(1) Handle timing functions, directly interfacing to an external timer
unit or using the PC's clock, accurate and repeatable to 1/1000
seconds (or whatever the rulebook requires).
(2) Handle scoring functions in as hands-off a mode as possible.
Ideally, the operator should only have to enter penalties
(pylons, off-course), and handle missed or extra trips.
(3) Handle the registration process for on-site registration.
(4) Handle the registration process for pre-registration.
(5) Handle single-day events.
(6) Handle two-day events.
(7) Handle scoring for an entire season, with a (relatively) arbitrary
points schedule or other season-long points system.
(8) Maintain a list of entrants.
(9) Print mailing labels.
(10) Print results in an easily mailed format.
(11) Generate results for paper, electronic mail, and HTML formats
for individual events or season-long standings.
(12) Generate a variety of reports, such as heat sizes, attendance over
time, repeat entrants or one-time entrants, etc.
(13) Allow the user to modify entrant data, including change of address,
change of surname, etc.
(14) Handle local rules, such as allowing multiple entries in different
cars, local indexed classes, local non-indexed classes, etc.
(15) Handle different order of running -- all day, per class, per heat,
etc.
(16) Allows the owner of the software to tweak it -- either through
an open source agreement, freeware/shareware, or some
massively complex configuration system.
(17) Allow multiple access to a central database -- for example, one
computer at Registration and another in T&S, both working off
the same live database. Perhaps even have a device at tech.
I'm sure there's more. Does any of the software out there come close?
Mark
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