This timer does the job, but there’s a problem with using it in the specific context of remote skills-only events, which is that the time itself takes up only a small portion of the frame.
The text is readable in that screenshot, but by the time you show the timer on a laptop or tablet, stick it in view of a webcam some distance away, and then send that feed over a video call, it’s pretty unlikely that the ref on the other end will be able to read the timer display. The Hub app is even worse in this regard since the timer display itself doesn’t even take up the whole screen.
The animated ring (which drains of color throughout the minute) is better than nothing, and provides refs with a rough idea of when the timer starts and ends, but it is not an adequate substitute for being able to see the remaining time.
The large, high-contrast display makes this timer much easier for refs to see over a video call.
As the domain name implies, I first wrote this timer a couple of years ago for timing FIRST LEGO League matches (which are 2:30 long), but added support for VEX skills matches (1 minute timer) a couple of months ago when we started hosting remote skills-only events. To get the 1:00 timer instead of 2:30, either add ?program=vex to the end of the URL, or tap on the gear in the top right.
Had this exact problem at a remote skills event. Team had a massive TV in view of the camera, but the white background washed out the black text so it just looked like a white screen (of death?).
I’ve experienced this as well, usually turning down the brightness on the screen showing the timer helps a lot - but that’s a lot easier to do on a laptop or tablet than a TV.
Awesome, just tested that on a webcam and the clarity is so much better in the dark mode. As well as helping the camera light level balance, the digits look bigger and clearer in dark mode too despite being the same size. Nice one!
This kind of timer wouldn’t be much use for that. You wouldn’t do LRT without some kind of Field Control like in the RECF LRT system. You need all the robots to start/disable at the same time.
And if you are just practicing the controller has a built in timer.
Unless this is made already, I wonder if it would be possible for there to be a remote tournament competitor software. Basically competitors are given a specific id number similar to kahoot and input that into the software and sign in as their team number. The computer will connect to the robot via the remote utilizing Micro-USB. When the timer starts the competition sends a network signal to the computers to run driver control or autonomous remotely. Since VEXCode can start and stop programs via USB to the controllers, I think its very possible for a software to be capable of doing that too.
