Note: Text covers an earlier version. |
Advanced Start List Drawing
If you are not happy with MeOS automatic draw you can use manual drawing to get full control of all parameters, while you still can use MeOS algorithms to distribute times among classes to get a smooth flow of starts and avoid that runners with similar courses start simultaneously.Hint
If you wish to let somebody else make the time distribution, you can export a CSV file with time settings. You can open and edit this file in a spreadsheet program (such as Excel) without access to MeOS. Then you can import the same format and use as for the drawing. Read more about the data format.
Use the functions Import and Export in Draw Start Times for Several Classes. You can also export MeOS suggested time distribution as a starting point. This functionality is available when you have pressed Distribute Time under Draw Manually, see below.
Click Draw Several Classes on the page Classes and then Draw Manually. You need first enter a few parameters for the distribution.
If you wish to let somebody else make the time distribution, you can export a CSV file with time settings. You can open and edit this file in a spreadsheet program (such as Excel) without access to MeOS. Then you can import the same format and use as for the drawing. Read more about the data format.
Use the functions Import and Export in Draw Start Times for Several Classes. You can also export MeOS suggested time distribution as a starting point. This functionality is available when you have pressed Distribute Time under Draw Manually, see below.
The setting Max number parallel start defines how many runners are allowed to start at the same time, at most. We recommend that you treat one (physical) start at the time, and this limit applies to the classes selected for this draw operation.
If you have added the courses, MeOS will use this to ensure that competitors in different classes with similar courses do not start at the same time. Max number common controls defines how many controls two competitors starting at the same moment are allowed to share from the beginning. None means that every one starting at the same time have distinct first controls. If there are only few possible first controls, the start depth will probably be too long and then you should try to allow the first, or more, controls to be common.
Allow same course within start interval (interlace classes) means that if two classes have the same course, one of them can start on even minutes, and the other class can start at odd minutes. Otherwise this is not allowed.
Draw classes with the same course together means that classes with the same course are drawn as one single class. The start interval for runners on the course is constant, while it varies within the classes. See draw Classes with a Specific Course Together.
Base interval is the interval between each possible start moment, usually one minute. Smallest interval in class, is the smallest allowed interval for a class, and is a multiple of the base interval. Greatest interval in class is the upper limit. (For a given class, the start interval is always constant.) To ensure that all classes have the same start depth, enter the same number in these two fields.
Vacancy fraction defines how many vacant positions that are to be added to the class. You specify a percentage of the number of entries, and also an upper and lower limit. In the next step you will be able to manually adjust the number for each class.
Expected fraction of late entries defines how much space MeOS will reserve before (or after) the class to accommodate late entires. This is not a hard limit, but if there are more late entries than specified, there is no longer any guarantee that runners with similar courses do not start at the same time.
Note
If there will be no late entries, you should put this field to 0 (zero) to get a more compact start field. If you plan to let late entries start before or after the rest of the class, you should define this value.
The command Distribute Times constructs a suggestion for how the classes should be distributed to get a smooth flow of competitors.
If there will be no late entries, you should put this field to 0 (zero) to get a more compact start field. If you plan to let late entries start before or after the rest of the class, you should define this value.
MeOS now presents the suggestion as a list together with some statistics. For each minute you see how many start there are, and the total start depth. The button Visualize Start Field opens a windows and a graphical view over the classes.
You can now make changes to the distribution. You can change first start time, start interval, number of vacant positions and number of reserved places (for late entries) in each class.
The command Update Distribution will run the distribution algorithm again for those classes you didn't change, taking your changes into account.
You can also select Modify Settings, to remake the distribution with other basic parameters.
Finally, Perform the Drawing will draw all start lists for the selected classes, using the method you select.
Hint
The command Save Start Times saves the currently set start times and intervals for each class, so that you may continue working later. When you perform the drawing, the settings are also automatically saved. Use the button Fetch Settings from Previous Session to return to the previously used settings.
The command Save Start Times saves the currently set start times and intervals for each class, so that you may continue working later. When you perform the drawing, the settings are also automatically saved. Use the button Fetch Settings from Previous Session to return to the previously used settings.
Draw Late Entries
You can add start times for late entries to the selected classes by using the buttons Late Entries (Before) or Late Entries (After). Before or after controls if the new start times are allocated before or after the existing times. To use this functinality, all selected classes need to have entries with assigned start timesContents
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