Photo Finish System

Photo Finish is a browser-based timing system that uses a high-speed camera to capture athletes crossing the finish line. It creates a slit-scan image where time is mapped along the horizontal axis, allowing you to precisely determine finish times by clicking on athletes in the image.

The system runs entirely in your browser — no video or images are sent to our servers. You can download the photo finish data as a ZIP file to review or edit times later.

Photo Finish is currently in beta. While we've tested it extensively, we recommend treating it as a supplementary timing tool rather than your sole timing method.

During the beta period:

• Always have backup timers available
• Test the system before meet day to ensure your camera and browser work well together
• Download photo finish files after each heat so you have a backup
• Report any issues to help us improve the system

A high frame rate (FPS) camera is required. The higher the frame rate, the more accurate your timing will be. Standard 30fps webcams will work but provide limited accuracy.

Frame rate determines timing precision:

• 30 fps — ~33ms precision (standard webcam)
• 60 fps — ~17ms precision
• 100 fps — ~10ms precision (recommended minimum)
• 120+ fps — ~8ms precision or better

Yes, absolutely. While Photo Finish is in beta, we strongly recommend having backup timing methods available:

• Manual stopwatch timing by officials
• A second timer running the QuickMeet Speed Timer
• Traditional timing equipment if available

Photo Finish works best as a primary timing system with manual backup, or as a backup to your existing timing setup. Having redundancy ensures you'll always have accurate results, even if technical issues arise.

Setting up Photo Finish involves a few key steps:

1. Position your camera — Mount your camera perpendicular to the finish line, looking straight down the line. The camera should capture runners crossing from one side to the other.
2. Connect to your computer — Plug in your USB webcam and open the Photo Finish page in Chrome.
3. Allow camera access — Click "Allow Cameras" and grant permission when prompted.
4. Select your camera — Choose your high-FPS camera from the dropdown. The system will display the actual frame rate being captured.
5. Set runner direction — Indicate whether runners cross left-to-right or right-to-left.
6. Select the event and heat — Choose the event you're timing so finish times can be automatically assigned to athletes.

The system uses motion detection to automatically start recording when runners approach the finish line. Press Space to start the race timer when the gun fires.

Google Chrome is strongly recommended. Chrome supports higher camera frame rates (up to 240fps on capable cameras) for the most accurate timing.

Browser compatibility:

• Chrome — Best support, highest frame rates
• Safari — Best support, highest frame rates
• Edge — Good support (Chromium-based)
• Firefox — Works but may be limited to 30-60fps

For best results, use Chrome on a laptop or desktop computer. Mobile browsers are not recommended for Photo Finish timing.