AXWare For Windows v7.20.x (2008)

Version 7.20.007.002 - early release

Fixed

Final Results - Time Columns: the number of runs accumulated for an event determine how many times should be printed, however if the template had fewer lines than line with Times, some times would be missing from the results. Workaround: set the number of runs to a high number in the Print Settings or update the Template to accommodate the additional rows. This update fixes that issue.

Version 7.20.006.001

Enhancements

DNF Staging Button - when a DNF is pressed, the penalty toggles between DNF to blank.

Fixed

Critical Fix - Time Slip Printing: could cause a program crash.

Version 7.20.005.006

New Functionality

*** Run Statistics **: A new Run/Heat Statistics Dialog now exists in the Reports menu. It provides run statistics that include:
- Number of runs expected overall and for each heat
- Number of runs completed overall and for each heat
- times for the first and last car in each heat and overall
- expected time for the heat to last
- overlap times for each heat including minimum and maximum overlap times
- various cone counts for the event and each heat
- counts of all other penalties for each heat (i.e.: DNF, OFF, etc)
- among other items.
New Staging Button Controls:
- For Timers with separate Start and Finish Triggers: Stop and Off-Course buttons are now provided for running cars, within the staging grid. This allows you to reset the start timer for the specific car (timer) from the staging grid, rather than the timing control buttons at the top of the staging window. The buttons will provide that function as well but it is more logical to place them beside the car that is on course. An Off-Course button (finish cannot be tripped), is also provided to allow quick control of this circumstances and retain the timing sequences for the cars still on course. Normally the Off-Course (finish cannot be tripped), is managed by the Off-Course penalty (see the penalty definitions for more information).
- DNF button: a new DNF (default definition) button has been added to allow you to quickly DNF a run. Note: the text will be respective to the penalty definition that you have provided. The Default DNF represents a did not follow the correct course path. Please see Penalty Definitions for more information. The DNF and OFF Course have different definitions for some clubs and you can tune the penalties to represent your requirements. Those definitions (text) will show up accordingly in the Staging control buttons.
Label based Print Templates:
- Print templates for labels now provides multi column configurations with the use of virtual margins. The margins allow multiple rows to be fit into the margin, data depending. This flexibility was required to support Membership Cards (see below), but all label templates benefit from this feature. Prior label templates were multi-line and single column configurations (per label).
Membership Cards:
- Print membership cards using Business Card layouts. Print templates have been modified to support additional flexibility in layouts. The Default configuration allows for Avery Style 8873 or equivalent business cards for sheet fed configurations. You can adopt the layout to manage membership cards using sheet fed printers, devoted label makers and or label printers.
- Optionally print Bar Codes on the card as well. For members that have multiple cars, it is best to print individual labels and adhere those to the back or front of the membership card, respectively.
Membership Numbers as Bar Code values:
- Member Number can now be used as the Bar Code Value for your entries and membership records. Keep in mind that using this feature requires unique records for each driver (or at least the membership number) and is not a viable solution for clubs that allow multiple entries cars for events and that use the Bar Code for staging.

Enhancements

Announcer Window - added highlighting for the last car to finish in the class standings section.
Registration Merge - added the support for importing the Heat and Work Heat data fields. However, they do not impact the Heat Assignments and can in what you expect to see in these fields. Heat Assignments should be managed via the Heat Assignments Dialogs and settings and import the data will only benefit clubs that do not 'officially' use Heat controls but want to provide Heat assignments as visual information only and based on their own controls. The merge will NOT overwrite existing assignments (they must be blank fields for the merge to function). You can force blank fields by loading the Heat Assignments dialog and Clearing All data.
Print Registration List - you can now print the registration list by Car Number. Simply click on the Car Number field in the registration list and select the Reports/Registration List. Any other sort column selection will force the registration list to be printed by Class.
Printing Bar Code or Registration Labels - you can now force the printing to be carried out based on different Sort columns: Select the sort column in the Registration grid normally to print the labels in the order you want. Valid columns are: Class, Number, First Name, and Last Name. Any other column selection will base the labels on the Class order (the default).
Staging Grid - Sector Time Hot Tips - hot times have been added to the sector times. Hover on any Sector column, and the respective driver's sector times will be displayed in Hot Tip.
Membership - Paid Listing - membership dues were counted for each entry (including redundant member records).
Insert/Edit Dialogs - minor adjustments to Hot Keys for buttons. Several redundant hotkeys were used, which were made unique. If you use the keyboard within the dialogs...please revisit the hotkeys that affect the functionality of those dialogs.

Fixed

Creating Events - Points and Pax Points: a rare but possible circumstance can caused a crash condition when the Points control is OFF and the Pax Points was ON. This scenario should not have occurred in any case and confused the points system. Work around: update the AXWAREW.INI to properly set the Points and Pax points active states. This update validates these settings and will force Pax Points OFF if Points control is OFF.
Print Control Dialog - Close button now closes the window (clicking the [X] @ top right corner) or the Close button.
Tag Heuer Timers - fixed the timing data log (raw times). Raw Timing log was incorrect written in prior versions. Change had NO affect on timing itself, only the raw timing log for debug purposes only.
AXWare ORM Class Downloads: user was not made aware of any errors during the download process.

Version 7.20.004.019

New Functionality

Font Control - you can now control fonts within all of the grids in the software. This includes the Registration, Staging and Membership Grids, work assignments, etc. The fonts can be picked from any installed font on your system and it is recommended to select well known and established fonts that are on most any PC.
Print Control Dialog - the print control dialog can now save the report that is being displayed.

Enhancements

Sector Timing:
- When loading an event with Sector times...the sector controls are now initialized based on the existing sector data. This helps in properly validating and invalidating sector times after restarting the event. Prior to this, the validation controls would restart and could validate times that should have been invalidated. In summary, this process is an averaging mechanism for each sector and is affected by the Threshold Percentage settings in the Timing Settings options.
- Networking: when networking a with sector times, the networking could result in extraneous activity.
T-LINK Status: - improved status updating during the Timer Activation.
JA Circuits:
- Since there are several versions of the JA Circuits timers, additional code was put in place to properly control the Reset Finish. Prior versions could ignore the Reset Finish when using Net Time mode.
Net Time Timing Control - if timers that do not support separate starts and finish triggers were used, a non-zero value in the False Trip Threshold Period (Timer Settings) could force the times to be ignored (discarded). Setting the value to 0 was a valid workaround.
Unique Car Numbers & Staging - if you stage cars that are not registered and Unique Car Numbers is active, registering the missing entry will now automatically consolidate all runs for that entry. This is the default behavior when Unique Car Numbers is in-active (off).
AXWRATS Timers - the timer test dialog will now pop up each time the communication interface is activated. This is to ensure your timer is proper connected and lights are aligned.
Floating Status Dialog - Revisited many error messages to help focus on the solution to some issues.
Printing Year End Points - if you are using the Rookies reports for Year End Points, it now sorts and places the rookies in finishing positions. Prior versions only listed the rookies without regard to standings based on points.
Announcer Window - if the announcer window is active, and the print template for it is modified, it is automatically activated appropriately.

Fixed

Inserting and managing Classes: - some operations have been improved to trim the class that was entered (removing white space - spaces).
Registration Labels:
- When using a dedicated label printer, the Registration Label template was not being utilized.
- Potential Crash: fixed a crash condition that was the result if printing labels (either Registration or Bar Code), then viewing any report via the default Browser Print Control Dialog, and then attempting to print further labels. The problem was due to a printer initialization control that forced the label output to behave like a if it was being printed to a file (in error).
Heat Control and Class Sorting: - in some cases the sort order for final results could be affected by the heat order and as a result some classes could be intersperse with other classes. One workaround was to remove the heat control file (*.HCF) for that event.
Reports:
- Printing Final with Points: depending on your optional column settings, the Event Points in the report could contain blanks due to a column lookup problem.
- Pax for Day 2 of a 2 day event: report was inconsistent due to using Day 1 Pax calculations.
- 2 Day event Virtual Times for T-LINK configurations: the reports could contain extraneous headers for the classes.
Staging Grid:
- NCCC Version: - data columns were hidden in the staging grid each time an event was loaded.
- 2 Day Events: The Best Time in the staging grid was reported incorrectly (it was the same as the raw time).
Insert New Entry - when inserting a new entry the warning "Data has not been saved.." would be displayed when pressing the Register button. This warning was the result of the Membership Expiration date (which if empty was set to the current date).
Reset Finish:
- For timers with separate start and finish triggers, when a Reset Finish was pressed, the Reset Start was inactive for the re-activated timer.
- The Reset Finish could potentially lead to inaccurate times for cars waiting to finish.
Classing Definitions:
- Importing Class Definitions: importing class definitions from different sources, including AXWare Systems ORM, the class order was displayed incorrectly in the Heat Assignment dialog (especially for the 'Class By Heat').
- Pax Classes: When a pax prefix was changed or a new pax class added, the standings for the pax class could become mixed. The Pax entries would become their own entities (not a complete class). A workaround is to remove the *.HCF (Heat Control File) that is automatically generated for all events. This issue also affected the data displayed in the Staging Grid, including differentials and positions. This version corrects that behavior.
Heat Assignment Dialog: If classes were modified, and the Done button was pressed, it would still save the Heat Assignments. This no longer occurs. since the Done simply exists the Heat Assignment Dialog without saving. The Save/Done button works as expected.
Clear Event Points: if the Clear Events Points function was used, the point totals were not automatically re-calculated from within the Membership file. To re-calculate the points, a Points Update was necessary from any associated event.

Version 7.20.003.018

New Functionality

Segment Timing & Single Light Operation:
- Segment Timing has been extended to support Lapping Mode and Single Light operation modes.
Initial Phases of adding Skins: provide additional customization to the GUI, allowing you to select the particular flavor of Windows that you prefer.
Heat Assignments in AXWare Systems ORM
- AXWare Systems ORM now provides Heat Assignment control for each event. It is similar to the AXWare For Windows - Heat Assignment dialog and accessed via the Events task for the desired event.
- Download Registrations provides the ability to also download the Heat Assignments for the selected event, either with the Registration List or simple the Heat Assignments themselves. This feature is accessible via the File/AXWare ORM/ functions.
Announcer Window Style Sheet selection: - the Setup/Options/Timing Settings contains a new selection for the style sheet that is used in the Announcer Window. Select the style sheet that best suits your color needs (akin to selecting a style sheet for Reports in the Print Settings). This version now offers several different announcer style sheets.

New Floating Status Information Dialog: This version of the software provides a floating dialog that informs you of various errors and warnings throughout the program. It provides better control of errors so that key operations are not interrupted if an error or warning do occur. This is especially true for false trigger detection (start, finish and segment times, low threshold warnings etc.). In prior versions a dialog would interrupt your normal processing control regardless of what operation you were trying to do and forced you to deal with the dialog. This Status Information dialog, logs the message and remains floating while you complete your normal operation and then deal with the situation in a respective manner. See Timing Settings for additional information about detecting false trips, low net times, etc.

In addition to timing errors, various other messages are displayed during the loading of an event or membership file. Rather than display multiple popup dialogs in sequence, the Status Information Dialog allows the software to log the messages in a common view, allowing more information to be displayed without interrupting to the loading of the file.

Enhancements

Start Timer and Start Display: The Setup/Options dialogs are automatically displayed when the Display or Timer port is not configured or an error occurs when trying to activate the port. The options dialog will be displayed when the port has not been selected, does not exist or an error occurs when attempting to open the port.
Bumping Support: behavior change - with Pax Class with Bumped Entries = OFF, the bumped entry will use the 'new' classes pax factors to control the sort order of the class. When Pax Class with Bumped Entries = ON, the class will treated like a Pax Class and any Bumped entries will use the Pax factors from their original classes.
Segment Times Validation:
- Re-Accepting Staging Data: sectors times are now automatically invalidated/validate if any runs are re-accept runs.
- Improved segment timing validation algorithm.
BEHAVIOR Change Networking Mode Activations:
- Networking activation is now more strictly enforced and reduces the changes of loading networked events and modifying them outside of the networking process. As such, when a network event is detected, you must select a networking mode immediately or the software will not load the event. In addition, when closing a networked event (and other clients are still actively networking), the software will end networking and close the event file. This reduces synchronization issues and increases the actions that can be executed on a networked event.
- Important Notice: Switching Client Modes on the same computer. If you are actively networking an event and you switch modes, the new client will actively process all of the networked data as it is loaded. If you continue to switch modes back and forth, you will be warned about unsynchronized data. To fix this condition, you must re-synchronize the event and follow the instructions on the screen.
  
  WARNING: DO NOT load an event on one machine and start a networking client on a second machine. This will cause un-synchronized conditions and can jeopardize your data. If you want to share data between several computers, start the Networking clients as soon as necessary.
Print Registration Labels: - Registration labels are now printing in Bold font due to the lightness that many label printers use as their default.

Fixed

Reset Finish: found another problem with reset finish. Each time has an associated ID which was not reset accordingly, resulting in times being ignored (due to a redundancy validation check).
Points Update for Method: (3rd option) 100 - [900 x (Total - Time#1)/Time#1], did not set the 1st place points correctly.
MS Vista:
- Browse Button: The browse button was broken in several dialogs (dialog did not load). The issue occurred due to the differences in Vista and the File Control Dialog using the latest development tools (an unexpected condition).
Unique Car Numbers in Pax Classes:
- When re-classing from a non-pax class to a pax class, the Unique Car Number condition was not adhered to in all cases.
Event Reports:
- 2 Day Event:
  - Day 2 Raw Time Report: sorted based on class rather than overall raw time for day 2.
  - Active Heat Report: defaulted to Day 2 automatically, rendering Day 1 Report in active.
- Model, Color: did not add in the Car Color correct (result of defining the Car Color as a base field).
- Certain data columns (Rookie, Paid, etc) could contain previous fields data if the current data was blank.
Class Pull-down lists: when the sort order was specified to be Alphanumeric, the sort order appeared almost random. This had to do with the latest MS libraries and builds.
Segment Times Validation:
- The automated segment time validation process was too aggressive in nature and tended to invalidate valid sector times. A revamped and slightly more tunable approach has been implement. The Timer Settings now supports 3 sector percentage settings that represent the minimum % of the actually sector time, under which time it will invalidate the time. A running average threshold value is for each sector.
Class Definitions: When loading a new class definition file for existing event, you have the option to execute the regeneration of the results.
- If bumping control was active and you did regenerate the results, the pax factor that was used for bumped cars was the incorrect one (it was the hosting class, rather then the pax factor of the original class).
- Top Times were also not properly updated (as a work around an event reload was necessary).
Staging Grid:
- Overwriting Car Number: when the staged car is changed for the fast run of the existing staged entry, the Total Time was not properly updated in the standings grid. A re-accept for the old staged entry was required. Change the Class then the car number consolidated the entries properly.
Single Light Lapping Modes:
- at the completion of a run group (several cars lapping for x laps), the Start icon was not automatically re-activated. It had to be pressed to force the next set of runs to start.
Export Event to Membership File: Car color was not being exported.
Session Control Mode:
- Fixed a problem with run numbers being incorrectly managed. The 2nd and additional sessions could force the a time to be recorded into the 1st sessions time slot in the registration/standings grid.
- Final Results were not properly organized. Each sessions is now printed on a separate row.

Version 7.20.002.004

New Functionality

AXWare ORM Support:
- Virtual Results Result (for T-LINK sector timing support) - added to the Upload Event Results functions. AXWare Systems ORM has been extended to provide this report automatically. The Report is generated by the Reports/Bench Racing Virtual Final Results.
Registration Client II - added second registration client due to customer requests. This provides explicit registration control from two devoted registration clients. Using the Admin Client and the Timing Server, this can be extended to 4 machines managing registration.
New Percentage based formula for Points and Pax Points - a new option has been added to the Percentage points. The additional formula is:
points = 1st Place Car Time/Time * 1000.00
Final phase of the Development Environment update (2008)

Enhancements

Sector Timing:
- Automated the invalidation of sector times that were out of range (below a specified percentage of the fastest sector time). This helps keep low sectors times from being recorded as Top Sector times accidentally.
  Change in behavior: Prior versions used a Time Threshold rather than Percentage.
- Automatic invalidation for Reruns or DNFs.
Standard Deviation Consistency Points - the points used for consistency are now separated from the results points. The results points are controlled by the Points Settings while the Consistency points are controlled via the Pax Points settings.
Membership Reports:
- Email, Address & Phone, and Directory: have been modified to allow an improved book marking scheme in the HTML results. You can now sort the Membership list on first or last name and the resulting report will contain book marks respective to your selection (1st letter of either name).
- The extra divider has been removed from Excel and Text based reports.
Export Event to Membership file:
- added Membership Number and Expire data fields to Base Data Field export.
- Improved flexibility in moving data between the Event and Membership files.

Fixed

Reports - Print To - functions would get stuck to always print to the Print Control Dialog, rather than the select report file.
Networking - fixed a conditional that could cause extraneous Synchronization warnings in some instances.
Edit/Insert dialog - SCCA Membership support - Optional Data columns. Several of the optional data columns were not being saved when creating a new entry requiring additional edit steps to force the data to be saved.
Export Event to Membership file: Member Number was placed into the Member Type field.
AXWare ORM - Upload Memberships: Prior version experienced upload errors due to a process update.

Version 7.10.003.001

New Functionality

Bench Racing - Virtual Final Results - T-LINK Wireless solutions
- New report Bench Racing - Virtual Final Results prints virtual timing information for the event. Overall virtual time and all segments are printed automatically.

Enhancements

Segment Timing and Notes filed in Staging grid - the Notes field was moved to to the right of the segment timing fields. It is now stuck to the right of the Penalty Field.

Fixed

Reset Finish (Critical Fix) - the Reset Finish was broken for timers using individual start and finish triggers. This is a must have release.

Version 7.10.002.011

New Functionality

Run and Work Heat Control:
- A new option allows Work and Run Heat assignments to be controlled per driver. A new setup option, Options/Event Settings/Control Heats By Driver activates this option, and when ON, the Heat and Worker assignments can be controlled directly from the Registration Grid. That Run and Work assignments may be imported, manually selected or 'initialized' via the Heat Assignments dialog, if that is desirable.
  - Added new Run Heat and Work Heat data columns to the Registration Grid to allow you to control the run heat and work heat assignments on a driver by driver basis. These columns may also be added to the registration report via the Print Templates.
- NEW Work Definitions Dialog controls the work definitions, providing:
  - Name of the assignment (and whether or not it's a non-heat position).
  - Design positions as BOD, Chief, or both, or normal general positions.
  - Allows you to set the number of workers required for each position, per heat.
  - Provides worker counts for each heat based your registrations list.
- Heat By Number Control has been expanded to allow "EVEN" and "ODD" Car Number selections, allowing more explicit control over groups within each heat. The Heat Assignment Dialog in this mode allows you to select the Sub-Selection as EVEN or ODD.
SCCA National Weekend Membership program - has been integrated into the software as well as the AXWare ORM to provide membership validation and Weekend Membership allocation support from SCCA.
- Events: Verify and obtain Weekend # are both provided from with the Edit/Insert dialogs. Supports additional data columns required for the Program.
- Membership File: only the Verify Membership is provided since the creation of a Weekend number has a start date which by default is based on an event.
- Reports
  - Non-Member report that provides the necessary information for reports which are to be sent to SCCA.
- AXWare ORM provides access to the SCCA Membership Services for Online Registration (and membership control).
- Edit/Insert Dialogs - provide access to the SCCA Membership Services through AXWare ORM. Verify or allocate temporary membership from AXWare For Windows, either during administration of data or onsite if your club has wide-band support.
New Permanent data columns:
- Car Color
- Member #
- Expires (membership expiration date).
Staging Grid:
- new Notes field that allows you to enter freeform text for any run.
- Column Preferences allow you to select what columns you want viewable or hidden, similarly to the Registration Grid.
Announcer Window:
- New Announcer Window provides an announcer screen that displays the last 3 runs taken (or modified), as well the standings for the class from the last car that finished a run. The data in the announcer standings provides a new Print Template that you can tailor to your requirements. By default, the data columns are identical to those in the Final Results.
- The Announcer Window can be activated on all Networking computers are well, except the Registration Client.
Updated development platform.
Updated supporting GUI platform for future extensions.
AXWare ORM: this version contains more integration with the software allowing even more flexibility. In particular:
- Support added for the SCCA National Weekend Membership program
- Integration for access the SCCA Services from within the software.
- Improved Membership Import into ORM.
- Improved Optional Column definitions and control.
- New settings that provide better validation control of registrations.
- Many more items coming soon, including:
  - Work/Heat control,
  - new Payment Controls,
  - new Event cost controls allowing you to tie events together with discounts,
  - linking users together so that they may register for one another (and pay for events)...
  - and much more...

Enhancements

Admin Client - can be run in two modes which is controlled by a new Networking Menu option - Auto-Timing Controls. These modes are:
1. Network/Auto-Timing Controls is active (ON) - The Admin Client runs identically to the T&S Server, recording real-time data, standings and statistics and provides access to all related functions.
2. Network/Auto-Timing Controls is (OFF), the Admin Client allows you to run it as a 2nd Registration Client (without the auto-sorting and real-time standings generation). In this mode timing data and all edits are exchanged normally but sorting, real-time standings generation, and run statistics are turned off. This allows control over the Registration Grid and views, allow you to search, sort or manipulate the data as desired.
Optional Data Columns - enhanced the optional data columns to be more 'generic' in nature and provide additional flexibility. In particular this provides for an easier setup for both SCCA, non-SCCA and NCCC configurations. Specifically:
- SCCA Clubs - the optional fields for Address (Full), Phone and Email are configured. SCCA Clubs are determined by the license file and by the new settings OptionsEvent Settings/SCCA Club?.
- Other Clubs - default columns are Sponsor and Tire Brand.
- Consistency Rating - Standard Deviation - new button in Options/Optional Columns creates the necessary data columns that use the Standard Deviation ratings to rate consistency. Used by specialty clubs.
RallyX - RallyX Drops were being reset to 2 if the drops = 0. 0 is now a valid value.

Fixed

Print Active Heats - this was broken due to the modifications for 2 day events in the prior update.
Event Reports - the differentials, and the Final Summary Report were incorrect.
Changing Number of Events in the Membership File - if that is the only item changed after loading an the membership file and then saving it, the membership data is not saved correctly. It did not flip the save flag for the file unless additional edits were carried out in the membership data to cause the save flag to be set, and thus properly saving the data.
JAC Finish Time Reset - when in non-chronomix mode, the reset was accepted but additional validation forced it to be ignored. It is now working as expected.

Prior Version Release notes:

v6.2x Release Notes (2007)

v5.3x Release Notes (2006)

v5.2x Release Notes (2005)