Using Finishlynx and Agee

[ogtrack]

Now that track season is over I am working on getting ART to Lynx to communicating with each other on one laptop, so far I can get places in Lynx (no Finish time) are showing

This my setup in Lynx:

File > Options > Laptime > New 

Device: Lynx  Name: ART

Serial Port: Network(listen)

Port: 2005 

Sync Source Option: External

This is setup in ART

I make sure to click: Enable FinishLynx Feed

I have Internal (FinishLynx Sync) 

I have the Lynx hidden settings correct 2

Any help is very much appreciated

[Mark Harris]

I am interested to know for FL if you only needed the LapTime plugin installed to make the two talk to each other?  Also what are the settings if any for the hidden settings?

Cheers

[Brandon Daniels]

In ART, after you click on "Enable FinisLynx Feed" ... you need to select "External (ART Sync)"

You currently have it set to Internal (FinishLynx Sync) which is only designed to get places from ART, but not the times.  You'd only use Internal in ART if you're wanting to using the Finish Lynx image to evaluate/time the race.

[Brandon Daniels]

ART - FinishLynx Interface Instructions

[Alan Bingham]

Yes, you must have the Lap time module and network comm port module. 

[ogtrack]

Thank you for your replying l just tried your suggestion but I am still not getting finish times for chips, only getting places which is in the
 correct order maybe times don't appear in Lynx just places as l am seeing

I am using one laptop for my setup

[rtspt.usa]

use sync source None for both. i have found that to work better.

are you starting a clock in both ART and Lynx? 

also, if you want the official times to auto populate in lynx you need to set Laps in Lynx to 1 meaning the first lap time will auto populate in the time field.

if you want to read everybody on the camera and use the chip order to help you then blank out the Laps field in Lynx. Cummulative time will appear but not official until you click+shift on each athlete and select the correct bib.

[ogtrack]

rtspt.usa

Thank you for your input. use sync source None for both and setting total laps to 1 in Lynx hidden was the trick and set 

Again thank you

[Micah Mobley]

I'm also trying to get this to work and running into issues.   In the past I have to run them as separate systems.  I just got the LapTime and ComPort plugins yesterday and am just now trying to get it to actually sync since I'm growing beyond just a few meets here and there and will be picking up a whole lot more work this fall.     

 I have followed the steps in the thread, and tried to use the guide that was linked by deb...@gmail   

I seem to get through the first few steps but when I get to the ART setup on Step 4, I get an error returned that says

I tried that IP address because I know that FL will assign an IP address one higher than the computer it is connected to, and then the identalynx will go one higher than that.  

I checked the IP address of the Finish Lynx (169.254.253.48) and the Identalynx (169.254.253.49).  

I ran IPconfig to get the active IP of the computer and it indeed came back as 169.254.253.47

This is my stopping point.  Again, not crucial for tomorrow, since its a small race but I do want to get this dialed in before the season starts rolling.  Any ideas?

[Edward Schrank]

What is the ip of your reader? It sounds like your FL is all working fine since the cameras are getting their IP's correctly. 

[Micah Mobley]

The reader is 169.254.1.1

I have not changed it and that was the default it came with. 

[Micah Mobley]

I never switched from DCHP to Static IP on my laptop.  I just always disable the wireless adapter before I ever start setting up any equipment.  All spring I ran FinishLynx and was networking on two computers (one to review finish images and one to score with a meet manager program).  Never had any issues.  I could set it all up, get running then enable my wifi so I could use my wifi for live results.  

When I'm trying to set this up with ART, I have had wireless adapter disabled and tried closing both programs and all those steps I normally would try as troubleshooting. 

[Edward Schrank]

see step 2 in those instructions. Set a static ip for your laptop ethernet card (in the same ip range). 

[Micah Mobley]

You mean in the same range as the reader?  Reader is  169.254.1.1 so this should be 169.254.1.101 or something like that? 

[Micah Mobley]

THat did the trick.  

Got me through that step and on the the next one.  Thanks Edward.  I guess I just read it as more of a suggestion since it talked about the static setting being for the benefit of the finishlynx and I had never had issues with it on the FL side of things.  

On to the next step!  Cheers, man!

[Micah Mobley]

I'm reading now and getting times to show up on both programs.  

But when I pick up a read in ART, I'm only getting a time in FL.  How do I get the time to pull up with the athletes name and school?  I tried directing the database in FL and the event directory to the ART database.  I guess I'm not sure how to make ART tell FL what the event list is.

[Brandon Daniels]

Unfortunately it doesn't actually work that way.  ART doesn't create start lists or events for Lynx.  In Lynx, you'd need to set up start lists and athletes in another program like Hy-Tek MM for example: 

https://groups.google.com/g/agee-race-timing/c/AS5X3Fo496Q/m/clFqdA0gAwAJ

[Patrick W]

Micah - you can use the app I posted here ( https://groups.google.com/g/agee-race-timing/c/DH1OcCyHEB8/m/eUDI4A3zAgAJ ) to generate the finishlynx databases.  It's meant to generate a single day's data so you can select multiple races to encompass today's athletes.

Brandon - you should search the group more, there's lots of hidden treasures lol.

[Edward Schrank]

Once you get your lynx files for your event created and placed in the right directory (your choice, but you set this up in options) (.ppl, .evt and .sch), set up your overlays (Image, overlays) to get the data you want showing on the video. To load the event, click the go to event button (file with ? button), click load schedule and you will see your list of events in the dropdown. 

[Micah Mobley]

That is fantastic, guys!  I'm on the road today but as soon as I get home I'll set it all up and start tinkering with it.  Thanks for the help.  This group is proving to be a great tool...hopefully I can build up enough knowledge to be able to share some the other way sometime. 

Cheers!

[David Lustig]

Struggling to get ART chip reads to FL. I used document in ART but still no luck. I've tried matching the sync options to match external, internal, none as suggested in various chats. My laptop ip is static 192.168.0.1 and my 'test' in ART says 'success' and I'm able to connect when reading.

My LapTime in FL just says 'Not Connected'.

[Micah Mobley]

I'm still struggling with this one too.  A little more than a week ago I was able to get them to connect, but needed to get the next step of getting my start list files created for finish lynx.  But now, I'm back to getting the same error I was having before (when I try to test the FinishLynx setup in External Accounts of ART, I get the "target machine actively refused...")  

When I go back into FinishLynx I (as dlpro) am seeing the "Not Connected" thing.

I have deleted the lap time device, restarted both FL and ART, and tried multiple times starting the process from scratch.  No luck so far.  I have another meet tomorrow and can try it again when I set up the gear. 

[Brandon Daniels]

Have you factored in the issue that since you use DHCP (instead of static)... that your computer's IP address may have changed?  

So, if you're using DCHP, then you may need to look up and re-type in your computer's IP address into the ART Finish Lynx account settings every time you try to connect to a reader.  

This is another reason why it makes a lot of sense to use static IP addresses.  Even back when I used to mess around with Lynx on my home WIFI, I'd often set a static WIFI IP address for my computer.  

If all else fails, for the sake of your meet, you may want to try static IP addresses to at least get ART and Finish Lynx talking... until you can figure out a reliable way to do it on DHCP.

[Micah Mobley]

Not on DCHP anymore.  I have all of my stuff set to Static, with the exception of the FinishLynx cameras.  

[David Lustig]

my issue wound up being that i had multiple scoreboards with the same port #. Once i adjusted that i've beed good. i sync mine 'internal' but have everything on static, including my camera. I know there are many ways to skin a cat but wondering why your FL camera isn't on a static ip?

Also, have you tried FL without the camera and using Detect > NONE so that you can rule out IP issue? This is also a great way to test communication since you don't have to set up a camera.

[Micah Mobley]

Good point.  I have an external monitor hooked up, so I have ART on my laptop screen and FL on my extra monitor. I'll check that at the meet tonight.  

On the static IP thing for FL, to be honest I had never gotten that far into having static IP until just now.  I'm sure it seems like a minor thing to most folks in the group, but I was afraid to mess something up as a new to this process user. I realize now that setting static IP is not scary, just need to be aware to not let anything conflict.  I've got my laptops and ethernet ports all set in a certain sequence and my readers set in a certain sequence, which prevents the auto assigning of FL cameras from conflicting.  Ive tested all laptops with all cameras and all readers and have not gotten any conflict even with multiple laptops networked at the same time. 

[Brandon Daniels]

Dang, sorry to hear that you're still having issues.  

My set up is similar to yours: everything on my network is set on Static except my Lynx cameras.  I just like to let Lynx set the camera IPs.  And I've never had any connection issues in Lynx or from Lynx to ART so far.

If you have time, could you post screenshots of your Laptime settings in Lynx and your ART reader settings and ART Lynx settings? Would probably be best to set everything to your last known working settings.  Also have you made any software updates to Lynx or ART lately?

[Micah Mobley]

Wanted to give a quick update here, as I figured out my problem.  I had my IP settings correct, but had to try a different port number.  I was using 2002 when I tested it, but then it wouldn't work when I was fully hooked up and ready to time a meet.  I had been running FL and ART on the same computer, using external monitor that was an HDMI output.  My guess is that the port "2002" must have been taken up by that, so when I switched my FL and ART settings to "2003" it worked like a charm. 

Now that I can get ART to push times to FL, I'm on to the next step of getting my start list into FL.  I do wish ART could export that startlist file, so I did not have to go through MeetPro for that, but as of right now that seems to be the best way to do it. 

[Patrick W]

I pointed you to a link to get the start lists directly from ART.