Host Computer Setup

The host computer runs the event. It stores the event file, serves the interface to every client device, and keeps automatic backups while the event is open. Pick one machine and keep it as the host for the whole event.

Any reasonably current Windows, Linux, or macOS computer works, and a laptop is fine. Keep it plugged in and turn off sleep in the operating system settings, because every client device loses its connection while the host computer sleeps. Use a wired network connection when the venue offers one. You need internet access to sign in and to install updates, but not to run an event.

Installing

Download the installer for your platform from the download page and run it. On Windows, the installer shows the End User License Agreement and you must accept it to continue. On macOS, the agreement appears when you open the disk image and must be accepted before it mounts.

When you open Competition Control, the launcher appears. It is the small control panel you use to sign in, start or open events, connect to other host computers, and manage updates. The event interface itself opens in a separate window.

Signing In

Competition Control must be activated with an RECF account before it can start or open an event.

1. Click RECF End Users under Sign in with your RECF account to continue.
2. Your web browser opens the RECF sign-in page. The launcher shows Waiting for your browser... until you finish.
3. Sign in with your RECF account in the browser and return to the launcher. It shows Signed in as followed by your account name, and Start Event and Open Event become available.

You stay signed in between launches. Click Sign Out if you need to switch accounts. Nobody can start or open an event until someone signs in again.

Starting or Opening an Event

Click Start Event to create a new event. A Save Event Database dialog opens in Documents/Competition Control/Events with a suggested name of event- followed by the date and time. Change the name to something you will recognize later, such as the event name, and click Save. When the event is ready, a new window opens on the General step of Event Setup. Continue with Event Setup.

Click Open Event to continue an event you already created. Select the event file and click Open. Teams, scores, rankings, authorized devices, and settings are exactly as they were when the event was last closed.

The event file is a single file with the .db extension. Everything about the event lives in it, so keeping that file is the same as keeping the event. Only one event can run on a host computer at a time, and while one is running Start Event and Open Event are disabled.

While an event is running, the launcher shows a button labeled with the event name (or Event Server if no name has been set yet) and a green dot. Click it to open another window into the event on the host computer. You can have several open at once, for example one on the Queue page and one on the Displays page.

To stop the event, close Competition Control. Every saved score and setting is already in the event file. Open Competition Control again and click Open Event to pick up where you left off.

Note

If you used an earlier release that stored events in Documents/PortalEvents, and you have not yet created any events in the new folder, Open Event starts in the old folder so your existing events are easy to find.

Connecting to Another Host Computer

You can use the launcher as a full-size window into an event running on a different host computer, for example on a second laptop at the scoring table.

The host computer announces itself on the local network, so the IP Address field suggests host computers it has found as you click or type in it. Each suggestion shows the address and the event name, or Event Server when no name has been set. Pick one, or type the other host computer's address as shown on its Devices page, leaving off the http:// part, for example 192.168.1.20 or 192.168.1.20:53243. A green check mark appears when Competition Control finds the event. Click Connect, and a window opens showing a device code. Have an Admin authorize it as described in Client Devices.

Browsers on tablets and phones do not see these suggestions. They still need the address typed in or the QR code scanned.

Backups

While an event is running, the host computer saves a backup copy of the event file every 2 minutes to Documents/Competition Control/Backups/, in a subfolder named for the Event ID shown on the General step of Event Setup. Each backup is named with the Event ID and the date and time it was taken. Every backup from the last 30 minutes is kept. Beyond that, one backup per hour is kept and the rest are removed automatically.

To restore from a backup, close Competition Control, copy the backup file into Documents/Competition Control/Events under a clear name such as event-name-restored.db, then open Competition Control and use Open Event to select the copied file.

Important

Always copy a backup into the Events folder before opening it. If you open a backup directly from the Backups folder, the automatic cleanup can remove the file you are working from.

Network

Client devices reach the host computer over the local network using plain http://. The Devices page lists the exact Server address to type into a browser, usually just the host computer's IP address, for example http://192.168.1.20. Each address is labeled with the network connection it belongs to (Wired network, Wi-Fi, or Virtual adapter), with the one client devices are most likely to reach listed first. If another program on the host computer already uses the standard web port, the address includes a port number instead, for example http://192.168.1.20:53243. Either way, type it exactly as shown.

If client devices cannot load the address, allow Competition Control through the host computer's firewall. On Windows, choose to allow access if a firewall prompt appears the first time an event starts. Many school and venue networks also block devices from talking to each other. If you cannot fix that with the venue, use your own travel router or a hotspot and connect the host computer and every client device to it. Client devices do not need internet access. See Network Requirements for the full list of ports and addresses to give a venue's IT department.

Updates

Competition Control checks for updates when it starts and after you sign in. When one is available, a Version X Is Available dialog opens. Click Install and Restart. The dialog shows the download progress, then Installing..., and Competition Control restarts on its own when it finishes. Updates cannot be installed while an event is running; the dialog shows Stop the event server before updating. until you close the event.

The Updates selector on the launcher chooses which releases you receive. Stable is the default. Beta offers pre-release builds for testing, so use Stable for real events. Changing the channel discards any pending update and checks again. The installed version is shown below the selector.

Install updates several days before an event so you have time to test. Do not update on event day.

Remarks

Create and fully set up your event file at home, then bring the host computer to the venue and click Open Event. At the end of the day, copy the event file to a USB drive. It is the complete record of the event.

The links at the bottom of the launcher open the EULA, Terms, Privacy, and Licenses pages on the Competition Control website in your default browser. Open Log Location opens the folder that holds the application logs, which Support may ask for when you report a problem. Error messages you may see on the launcher are explained in Troubleshooting.