AGClock v2.1 for Windows
A game clock for Backgammon.
AGClock is for backgammon players and Tournament Directors alike.
AGClock is a small 100 Kb standalone program for Windows, yet it has all the features a Backgammon player is looking for.
There is no need to install it, just put it on your desktop, a USB stick, a memory card, whatever peripheral your PC recognizes and run it!
- Dual game clock with simple delay.
- Display the names of the players.
- Set match length and keep the score.
- Intelligent Crawford reminder
- Full screen mode or windowed mode.
- Keyboard only or mouse steered.
- Visual aids for the players and the Tournament Directors.
- User friendly.
- Abuse prevention.
- SCOREBOARD only
(Click for larger image)
1. Features
- Dual Game Clock with simple delay.
When it becomes a player's turn to move, the clock waits for the delay period before starting to subtract from the player's reserve time. Thus with a delay time of twelve seconds, the clock waits for twelve seconds before counting down the reserve time. If the player moves within the delay period, no time is subtracted from his reserve time. - Set the names of the players.
You can enter the names of the players (and change them later). - Keep the score.
Once the clock is set, the match length and the score of both players can be set and updated. - Intelligent Crawford reminder.
The first time a player's score equals match length - 1, the text "Crawford" is displayed. - Full screen mode.
The program opens in a maximized window, automatically adapting the font metrics and the dimensions of the display gadgets. Once you press Restore Down, the window can be resized in width. - Keyboard only.
It is possible to use the program solely with the keyboard. {F1} replaces [Help], {Ctrl}+{S}+{C} in stead of [Set Clock], {X} to Exit the program. - Scoreboard only.
As of version 1.8 AGClock can be used as scoreboard only. - Visual aids for the players.
A hand points at the player on turn, the other player's clock is grayed out.
During the delay time, the separator blinks and the delay time counts down.
Once the delay time is consumed, the player's reserve time counts down and a blinking "Count down" shows below the player's name.
When the clock is paused, the text "paused the clock" shows under the player who paused the clock. One half of the paused clock is dimmed as is the pointing hand. The player buttons are now enabled.
The program displays the time the clock was paused (for TDs).
If less than 2 minutes remain, the blue bar becomes yellow. With less than 1 minute, its color changes to orange. Below 30 seconds, the bar gets red. When the reserve time time is consumed, a Time Out window pops up ("Please call the Tournament Director") and the text "Timed out" is displayed under the player's name.
While updating the score or match length, the corresponding field is highlighted.
A 'Normal Time' clock displays the time (of the computer) in the left top corner of the window.
The right top corner displays the time the match started.
- User friendly.
Before the clock is activated with [Set Clock], all functionalities are disabled (except [Help] and [Exit]). Once the clock is set, the text "{space}=start, {1} {2} sets score" reminds of the possible actions.
{Space} is used to start a clock and to switch clocks. It is the largest key on the keyboard at a convenient place for both players. Once pressed, a reminder shows the keys to pause the clock.
{Escape}, {Backspace} or {Enter} pause the clock. These keys are situated at the left and right side of the keyboard to please both players. Pressing those keys again resumes the clock. Remark: {Space} also resumes the clock, but it refreshes the delay time too! This is added to restore a player's turn.
When a clock is paused, the score can be updated. Pressing {1} {2} or {3} highlight the relevant field. The keys on the NumPad act the same way. Once highlighted, pressing {1} or {2} again stops both clocks and updates the score. {CursorUp}/{CursorDown} or {+}/{-} count up or down. The left and right arrow can be used to browse thru the fields. The score is protected to not surpass the match length nor to become negative.
The first time a player reaches matchscore - 1, the text "Crawford" shows below the match length. Also a Set Crawford reminder pops up to manually change this setting with {C}.
When a player's score equals the match length, "WINNER" is dislayed and the clock can't be started anymore.
The [Help] button pops up a window with a summary of the functionalities. [F1] also opens the Help window.
When the clock is active, only switching and pause can be triggered. Other functions are disabled or freeze the clock.
Pressing the Windows key or the menu key (F10 or alt) is captured and pauses the clock.
2. Abuse prevention
- [Set Clock] demands a password to prevent abuse. The password to enter is AG - capital A, capital G - short for AmsterGammon.
- Pressing [Help] or [Exit] while the clock is running freezes the clock: there is no time penalty for the player on turn. Minimizing the clock however does NOT freeze it.
- The clock can be set several times, but once it is activated with {Space}, the [Set Clock] button is disabled.
- The only way to exit the program is by pressing the [Exit] button. Alt+F4 (a shortcut of Windows to Exit the active window) does not exit the program, but freezes the clock. The window icon [x] to quit acts in the same way.
- When a clock is started in error, pausing it and pressing {Space} (instead of {Escape} or {Backspace} {Enter}) restores a player's delay time.
- Except for {1} {2} and {3} no key or button stops the clock. Actions besides switch or pause freeze the clock or have no effect at all. {1}, {2} or {3} are only effective with a paused clock. - Once Timed Out, the clock is blocked until the TD resets the clock with the password. [Exit] is now protected with the same password.
3. Special features
- To keep a fair time management, the program "creates" a standard
second. The time of this standard second is slightly longer than the
time of a 'real' second, but not more than 2 seconds per 5 minutes
depending on the processor and operating system of your computer.
The program's second is equal to the next standard second, time
after time.
The feature is implemented so that start, switch, pause/resume is exactly the same for each player with a maximum discrepancy of 1 millisecond, whereas the use of a 'real' second could add up to several seconds per game, favoring one of the players. - The names of the players can be set in the corresponding fields. Just click on a name and enter the new name of the player. When you leave the entry field blank, the 'old' name is kept. This feature is inactive when the clock runs.
- The Time Out feature offers the Tournament Director the opportunity to adapt the reserve times of the clock. Once clicked 'OK', the button [Set Clock] is enabled. The current times - both reserve time and delay time - are default values for the parameters thus making the job of the TD as easy as possible. Remark: the default reserve time of the timed out player will be 0.
- The fonts used by the program are Arial and Symbol. Both fonts are installed with all Microsoft Windows operating systems.
- The clock can be resized in width. The height is automatically adapted. The minimum width is set to 320 pixels.
- A paused clock can be resumed with restoration of the delay time by pressing {Space}. An erroneous started clock can thus be paused and restored.
- The use of different warning colors makes it pleasant for the players. They don't need to concentrate on the clock. A Yellow background indicates less than 2 minutes reserve time. Orange stands for less than one minute and with less than 30 seconds, the background turns Red.
- A match score is added. Since this is a Backgammon game clock and matches are played while using it, I thought it was obvious to add the match score feature. Its functionality is kept as user friendly as possible, even with an automated Crawford detection.
- Scoreboard only.
As of version 1.8 AGClock can be used as scoreboard only. Just start with [Set Clock], enter the password AG and keep pressing {Enter} without entering reserve times or delay time. - Other special features are mentioned under "Prevent abuse"
LJL Nardy Pillards
You can download it here