Relay Planning Software ?

[Sloop]

I'm just about to start the planning for a relay event next year.
I have OCAD, Condes and Ppen available, and have planned or controlled with all of them, but I've never planned a relay.
Anyone care to recommend one of the above, and explain why it is better for relays ?
Thanks in advance.

[Scott]

Condes has some really nice automated gaffling functionality that makes it good for relays. Although I love Purple Pen, as far as I'm aware it doesn't do gaffling and requires you to set up every gaffle as a separate course.

[graeme]

Condes handles all the gaffles and map/team allocations automatically and can do almost everything you might want. It could almost do the WOC relay
Only downside is that it seems to be quite fiddly to get sensible splits from it - you just get a zillion courses with one or two runners on them. (That may be an SI thing.)

[SJC]

Use Condes.
It handles all the gaffling, allocations to teams, and will print the team and leg numbers on the map for you so there are no mistakes.
You can also export all of the teams, legs and control codes for use in the results software.

[NeilC]

Use whichever software you are most comfortable with. Both OCAD and Condes can do relays perfectly well. Condes has more features but you need to know how to use them. My club doesn't have Condes but I controlled the British Relays this year which used this software. I didn't find it particularly intuitive and so struggled to use it to it's potential. When I controlled the JK Relays a couple of years ago we used OCAD - once again the relay part is not particularly intuitive but at least I knew my way around it having practised on the JHI relays the year before.

[Scott]

Condes also has the advantage of having a checkbox option to allow you to add the control codes next to the sequence numbers on the map, like a proper relay (and at the JK Relays had at Pwll Du). Not sure whether OCAD does this now - it didn't last time I looked, but I'm at least a couple of versions behind.

[NeilC]

It does, indeed I am using that feature for the Brighton City Race next Saturday, which in many respects is like a relay given the mass start and gaffling.

[plain lazy]

Condes also has the advantage of having a checkbox option to allow you to add the control codes next to the sequence numbers on the map, like a proper relay (and at the JK Relays had at Pwll Du). Not sure whether OCAD does this now - it didn't last time I looked, but I'm at least a couple of versions behind.

Is having the code next to the control number on the map something that people might like in the UK more regularly? Is it something that is allowed for say a national relay champs and UK Relay league? I'm going to be using Condes for the Scottish Relays at Balmoral in 2016 and I can talk to the Controller about this as an option if there's interest.

[graeme]

It depends on the relay.

In something like Jukola, (scott's link) the controls are far apart, the map is a big awkward piece of paper, and the description isn't important - once you're in the circle you're normally just looking for the huge pile of people/mud. So having numbers is great

In the UK, we often have small areas (i.e. manageable map) with loops and many controls which are tucked away so you have to read the descriptions anyway. Control numbers can just end up adding to the mess.

http://omaps.worldofo.com/?id=137484

[plain lazy]

In the UK, we often have small areas (i.e. manageable map) with loops and many controls which are tucked away so you have to read the descriptions anyway. Control numbers can just end up adding to the mess.

A good point well made... I guess I can play about with it and see if it works or not. Thanks.

[greywolf]

Control numbers can just end up adding to the mess.
http://omaps.worldofo.com/?id=137484

That was a mess long before they added the control numbers - hopefully this year's ESOC sprint maps will use the correct colours

[Rosine]

One limitation of Condes (or at least, it was when I planned the 12-person relay in the distant past) was that the location of the control number is the same for each course variation. The more details you print next to the control, the larger the chance that it interferes with a leg line or other control.

[Scott]

Graeme's absolutely right that including the control codes on the map does have the potential to clutter it. That said, I would still like to see it become the norm for relays, with planners making a conscious decision to leave the codes off if it's required to avoid clutter.

It's definitely possible to include the codes on the map at major UK relays - JK2014 did it. And the UK Relay League coordinator positively encourages it

[andypat]

And to add to the mix in Graeme's example the control codes and the control numbers were sometimes quite similar

eg 21-122, 22-123

[graeme]

It's definitely possible to include the codes on the map at major UK relays

Yes, I did it at the last relay I planned, though it wasn't a major UK relay