Section 2.1 - Opening and main windows
When you start fsTimer, the first window will be the opening window:

Each race that you time will be a "project" in fsTimer. When you create a new project, this will automatically create a corresponding subdirectory in the fsTimer directory. In
Section 2.6 we cover how to start a new project, but first we will overview the software using the "fstimer_demo" project that is included with the software. So, use the drop-down menu to select "fstimer_demo" and press "OK."
This will load the main window:

From the main fsTimer window, there are four main steps in timing a race: preregistration, registration, compilation, and finally the actual timing. Each of these forms an individual component of fsTimer, and will generally be done in order.
- Preregister - This step is optional. For many races you will have racers pre-register, e.g., online. This module allows you to import the pre-registration information from Excel (or a superior spreadsheet program like LibreOffice) into fsTimer, so you don't have to enter it all in manually.
- Register - This component is used to enter racer information into fsTimer, which will include the very-important racer bib number.
- Compile - One of the key features of fsTimer is the ability to do day-of registration on multiple computers. In our experience this significantly reduces the queue length morning of the race, and leads to much happier racers. When registration information is entered into multiple computers, it must be compiled into a single registration file before timing, which is done here.
- Time - This is the component that is actually used to time the race. It has additional features like printing as-of-now results, and exporting results to a spreadsheet.
In addition to these components, the main fsTimer window has a "help" menu that leads to general information about fsTimer, including the GPLv3 license under which the software is released.
You enter a module by simply clicking on the corresponding button from the main window. We will now give a description of each of these modules.
Continue on to
Section 2.2 Importing preregistration.