Numerical Display Heat Counter

[want2dance]

Hi dancers, Just wondering if those of you who have competed have ever seen a display showing what heat the competition is on? I compete regionally and have spoken to several other competitors about how nice it would be to have such a thing. It is so hard to constantly pay attention to the announcer and I am sure that it would help out the line up people. If you have seen such a thing or know any details about it, can you reply to this post... thanks

[Chris Stratton]

If the competition runs numerically in order, especially if it's all finals with no recalls that might work. But a lot of competitions end up having to loop back to do later rounds.

I have seen an 'up next:' line on a callback projector

[Queenvee]

Many of the comps in the NE area use an electronic heat sign - the Constitution State Challenge, the Northeast Open, American Star Ball, NJ State Dancesport and I think both of Ed Simon's comps. It's great because it eliminates the endless "what heat are they on?" questions from newer competitors. No idea who the manufacturer is or where to find them but the organizers of these comps would know.

[Laura]

When my ballroom club puts on comps and uses O2CM, we'll set up a display screen that not only shows what the next few heats are, but it also shows the list of recalls.

One place where we hold comps has large flat-panel display screens all around the facility. We'll hook the heat number/recall list thing up to a huge one in the on-deck area and also in the warm-up area. And then we'll hook a video feed of the competition floor up to the other one in the warm-up area. Sweet!

[tanya_the_dancer]

OSB has an electronic sign. I think they roll it back when they move on to the next round of recalls.

[fascination]

Hi dancers, Just wondering if those of you who have competed have ever seen a display showing what heat the competition is on? I compete regionally and have spoken to several other competitors about how nice it would be to have such a thing. It is so hard to constantly pay attention to the announcer and I am sure that it would help out the line up people. If you have seen such a thing or know any details about it, can you reply to this post... thanks
they have one at ohio

[fascination]

oops...missed t the d's post

[hamstersphere]

Silly me, I saw the subject line "Numerical Display Heat Counter" and thought you meant a digital thermometer ...

Seriously, though, it goes back to watching the (sometimes painfully) slooow adoption of technology within the ballroom community. On the flip side, I once pulled an all-nighter trying to wire a community center for digital-signage heat/result screens (as mentioned above, pointing in all directions on the comp floor, plus in the hallways and dressing rooms) ... and it was a colossal failure due to infrastructure issues. What we need are travelling techies at comps, like we have travelling photographers and dress sellers ... :)

[want2dance]

Thank you for all your input. Yes, it would be nice to have some techies on the payroll. It doesn't seem like that difficult a process if it just has to count down heats. I would think that there must be someway to attach to computer software and even notify competitors of changes or recalls. I do have an email in to OSB and I hope someone will respond to it. But thanks again for your input. I really do think that something like that would make it easier for all involved.

[Laura]

I would think that there must be someway to attach to computer software and even notify competitors of changes or recalls.
O2CM is competition management/scrutineering software that outputs heats and recalls to a display screen.

Here's a low(ish)-tech solution: I went to a recent college comp and they had someone sitting all day on the dais near the MC who used Power Point to project the current heat number and "next up" on a giant screen behind the podium.

[kathyt cupcake]

O2CM is competition management/scrutineering software that outputs heats and recalls to a display screen.

Here's a low(ish)-tech solution: I went to a recent college comp and they had someone sitting all day on the dais near the MC who used Power Point to project the current heat number and "next up" on a giant screen behind the podium.

If you go the lower tech version, have one presentation for the current heat and "next up" and a second one where you're entering the recalls if you're entering recalls by hand.

Also, for those of us trying to take photos, it would be helpful if you project white lettering on a black background, otherwise most photos with the screen in the background end up with messed up white balance.

[reb]

NDCA Nationals projects a HUGE screen facing the audience and a normal size screen backstage where the competitors line up.

[Laura]

Also, for those of us trying to take photos, it would be helpful if you project white lettering on a black background, otherwise most photos with the screen in the background end up with messed up white balance.
Awesome tip -- thanks!

[elisedance]

There's something to be said for the low-tech too though - imagine the outcome, once everyone is wedded to the technology, if (when) the heat computer goes out at OSB....

I've haven't seem these yet but agree they would be very useful if screens were positioned all over the place. Even better if they worked like airport ones and gave you an ETA for your heat. Then, perhaps, you could figure out if you have enough time to get to the washroom and back.

Oh, and don't forget a screen in the washrooms!!

[NielsenE]

The regional franchise pro-am events I attend use a simple three-digit "now serving" style display. However since these events only have a few semis or quarters, that's more than sufficient to help competitors keep track of things. Ie seeing that they are on 456 and your next event is 478, you know you have between 20-30 minutes.

Their system is a mess, IMO, when they have callbacks though and it always seems to confuse someone. I beleive they rollback when the final is reached so the number jumps backward about 20-40 places. The printed program does state when the final will be danced (ie the final will be danced after heat 489), but when there is a split floor, then the other half of the floor was listed back under the orginial heat number, but not danced until the final, which seems to be very confusing...

Most of the college comps I work, you a projector wired to the scrutineering software I use. And we can display two formats: one is a rotating, non-ordered list of known callbacks. The other is a dedicated screen to a single event -- either used for the on-deck event, or the "get on the floor now" event. I'm hoping to enhance the former list to be ordered by execution order and show place holders for first rounds, etc But so far that's required too much extra work from the MC/CoJ to keep it accurate...

[Indiana_Jay]

At the USA Dance nationals in Louisville last year, there was a pretty big (19"? 25"?) flat panel monitor on the dais that displayed the heat number in white letters on a dark background. It's visible in the background of this photo (http://www.dance-forums.com/album/thumbnail.php?src=/album/uploads/060baddfb7d6dfcda338a04ccb658502&w=1024&h=768&zc=0&q=0) I took during the competition. I don't know if they had a similar display "off stage" for competitors. I also don't know how they created the image, but suspect it was manually updated PowerPoint, because a.) there were a few times it didn't change on time and b.) As an O2CM registrar, I haven't found any way to make O2CM output a display like that.

-IJ

[Laura]

I seem to recall hearing that they had someone sitting there with Power Point.