FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

We’re using today’s blog to give everyone a sneak peek at a few of the graphics you’ll be seeing up on the big screen at your events. This is for two reasons: first, we want you to be able to get the most out of the information we’re providing, and second we need you to do us a favor. First, let’s take a look at the screens. Please remember that team numbers/names/ranks/cards/defenses/events are all for illustrative purposes only and are not indicative of any actual or perceived clairvoyance or precognition. As far as you know.

Match Preview

Last year at many of the District Championships we introduced a new audience screen known as the “Match Preview” screen, this screen is used to introduce the teams that are playing in the upcoming match - props to the PNW District for inspiring this addition! FIRST STRONGHOLD now incorporates the “Match Preview” screen into its standard flow. In addition to the team introductions, this screen also includes the defense selections made by each alliance in the order in which the audience will see the defenses on the field. This will give the audience a peek at the defenses while the FIELD STEWARDS are changing out the defenses for the match. During playoffs this screen changes slightly to reflect alliance information as well as the series progress, e.g. “Red Leads Series.”

Real Time Scoring

Once the match is ready to begin, and while the match is running, the Real-Time scoring screen is displayed in the lower-20% of the live match video. You should recognize this screen from Figure 5-4 in the FRC 2016 Game Manual (Section 5). This screen provides information that reflects the current status on the game field, such as team information, Tower Strength, Defense Strength, Game Timer, Real-Time Score, and match/event information. You’ll notice that this year the Game Timer and match progress bar is shown right above the score banners and not in the tournament header section. Also the defenses are represented by Strength Bars, each bar represents a defense in the same field order as the Match Preview screen; the bar will be completely full of the alliance color when it’s at full strength (Strength=2), half-full when the defense is at half strength (Strength=1), and empty when the defense is DAMAGED. During Playoffs, a banner will appear under the team “pennants” to indicate which alliance the teams belong to. And finally the Head Referee has the ability to place the match “Under Review” at any point in the match this season, indicating that further referee review is required to finalize the match outcome, and this will be indicated on the screen between the match scores.

Match Results

Once the match details have been finalized by the Head Referee, the Match Results screen will be shown; this display is synchronized with the changing of the tower flags to indicate a successful capture. The Match Results display contains a wealth of information. During qualification matches each team is displayed with their team number, card(s) issued to them during the match, their new ranking, and how that rank changed versus their prior ranking; during playoffs this information is combined for the alliance. If a team receives a red card during the match or a yellow card with no prior card carry, the yellow or red card will be shown; if a team receives a yellow card during the match with a prior yellow card carried into the match, which promotes to a red card, a double-card graphic is shown to indicate this card promotion. Each alliance is also shown the progress of their match goals; the goal of the Red Alliance to capture the Blue Tower and breach the Blue Outer Works is shown (and the resultant RP or match points, depending on Qualification or Playoff level, respectively), and vice versa. Included is also the points breakdown for Tower Points (boulders scored in towers), Defense crossing points, penalty points from penalties committed by the opposing alliance, and points awarded for scaling or challenging the opposing alliance’s Tower. Also new this year is a “High Score” indicator when a new local tournament high score has been achieved and a “Victor” banner that indicates which alliance won the match (or “Tied” banner if the alliances tie the match).

Audience Defense Selection

The Audience Defense Selection screen is used to help the audience choose the Audience Defense for Qualification and Playoff matches. The first Audience Defense is selected during opening ceremonies, and after that the Audience Defense is selected three matches prior to the beginning of the next round; at smaller events where there are only four matches between rounds, the second round Audience Defense might be chosen immediately after the first match! The Audience Defense Selection screen shows the two defenses from the next defense category to select between, as well as the matches the defense will be used in. Once selected by the Audience, and verified by the Head Referee, the selected defense will be indicated.

The Favor

Finally, we need all teams to do us a quick favor. In order to get the most out of the Match Preview screen we ask for all teams to have their Primary Team Contact verify/update their team information in TIMS – specifically the “Team Nickname” field within the “Team Information” page, as this is what will be shown on the Match Preview screen (to edit, use the “Edit Details” button at the bottom of the “Team Information” page). If your team nickname is too long, however, it will be truncated to fit the allowed area on the screen with ellipses indicating the truncation. The font used for the Team Nickname in the Match Preview screen is the variable-width font “Tahoma” at a 28pt font size using a Bold weight, and team nicknames greater than 420px long using that font will be truncated. You can test your team nickname in Microsoft Word (or comparable software) by using the specified font and keeping the total text length to four (4) inches or less using the horizontal document ruler as a reference.

Have a GREAT tournament season!