How to setup Hy-Tek Track Meet Manager Customize Scoreboard Output Settings for software version 3.0 or earlier

Potential Symptoms

How to create an RTD sequence in Venus 1500 or Content Studio(Show Control) that shows Hy-Tek Track MM data on the matrix display.
The Hy-Tek program will require the Alpha scoreboard interface be installed and a communication port is required on the computer. The Hy-Tek Alpha Scoreboard interface is a software plug-in that allows data from the Hy-Tek computer to be sent serially to the Venus 1500 computer. The Alpha Scoreboard interface must be purchased directly from Hy-Tek.
Venus 1500 version 3 will require an RTD key (0a-1147-0006) and an available computer communication port.
Show Control will require DCS be used.

Environment

Product Family: Control System, Timing
Product: Standard Video, Track Timing and Control System
Components:
Control System:

Cause

Hy-Tek has a limited number of Font Sizes available in the "Customize Scoreboard Output" setup.

Resolution

You may find the Hy-Tek Track Calculator located in the More Information section below helpful.

In the Hy-Tek software "Customize Scoreboard Output" font setting must be set to 7x5 regardless of the Venus font size used.
In the Hy-Tek software, ensure you have a meet open.
Next choose Run>Interfaces>Scoreboard>Customize, this will bring a box up titled "Customize Scoreboard Output". This is the window that allows the setup of the matrix size of the Daktronics sign. Because Hy-Tek formats the data before sending it out to the display we will "massage" the Hy-Tek software into outputting the data in a format that will fit correctly on a Daktronics matrix display.

The actual matrix size of the display used in the following example is an SSL-160x288-23mm using a 13x7 Galaxy fixed width font.
Row calculation: You must leave the font size as 7x5 in the Hy-Tek "Customize Scoreboard Output" setup, see screen shot link below. A 7 high Hy-Tek font + 1(number of bulbs between lines) = 8 font height. Since we used the Full & Small matrix.itf file in Venus 1500 the first two lines of the sequence(Line 1&2) will be 'header' information. This will display the "Event Name" - example Men's 100 Meter Dash, and the type of race - Preliminaries, Finals, etc. 2 header lines plus 8 result lines equals 10 lines(rows) of data. Remembering we use a 7 high Hy-Tek font plus 1 blank row between lines equals a font height of 8(eight). 10 lines(rows - of results) times 8 font height equals 80 for the "Number of bulbs Vertically(Rows) setting in Hy-Tek.
2 header lines + 8 result lines(use the # of lanes the facility has/created the sequence to display) = 10 lines(rows). To determine "The Number of Bulbs Vertically(Rows) you multiple 8 font height x 10 lines(rows) = 80 Rows.
Set Customize Scoreboard Output> Number of Bulbs Vertically(Rows)= 80
Column calculation: This is less science and more trial and error. That said this will give you a starting point for the "Number of Bulbs Horizontally(Columns)" setting in the Hy-Tek software. You must leave the font size as 7x5 in the Hy-Tek "Customize Scoreboard Output" setup, see screen shot link below.
Using our example SSL matrix of 288 columns and the Venus 1500 font size of 7 wide + a space between characters + one additional space equals a font width of 9. 288 columns divided by 9 font width equals 32. So 32 times 6(Hy-Tek font width) equals 192 columns. 192 will be the starting point for the column setting for Hy-Tek. This setting might need to be adjusted, normally lowered, so that all the data can be seen on the Galaxy display.
The best way to determine the Hy-Tek column settings is to create a Venus 1500 sequence and add capital "B"s to your sequence counting the number until the row is full. Then take this number times 6(Hy-Tek font width) which produces your 'Customize Scoreboard Output' # of Bulbs Horizontally(Columns) setting. Using our example SSL matrix size the # of characters the sequence will allow is the same as using the division method.
Set Customize Scoreboard Output> Number of Bulbs Horizontally(Columns) = 192

More Information

Hy-Tek "Customize Scoreboard Output" Screen Shot for SSL-160x288-23mm

Hy-Tek Row Print Screen

Hy-Tek Column Screen

Choose Help>Contents>Index search for Scoreboard and choose Scoreboard Interfaces>Daktronics Scoreboard Interfaces. This provides setup information for Hy-Tek when used with Daktronics visual displays.

KB ID: DD1785514

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