RaceMaps User Guide

1.1 Start from Home

1. Open RaceMaps. If you are new, tap Join an Event on Home to open signup directly.
2. If you already have an account, tap Sign in and enter your username and password. Do not register again.
3. After signing in, Home offers the roles available to your account: Viewer, Racer, and Admin if permitted.
4. Use the language icon on Home to switch between Thai and English.
5. One account signs in on one device at a time. Signing in on a new device signs out the old one.

1.2 Create a Racer or Admin account

1. On Signup, Racer is the default account type. Participants do not need the Admin option.
2. Choose a username using allowed English letters, numbers, and symbols without spaces, then create a password.
3. Organizers select Sign up as an Admin to create events and enter a valid Admin email as prompted.
4. Tap Signup. Correct duplicate usernames or invalid inputs if a message appears.

1.3 Complete the profile after signup

1. Enter a display name after signup (required). A profile photo is optional.
2. If you selected a new photo by mistake, use the × control over the photo to cancel that new selection.
3. Save your profile successfully. A new Racer proceeds to Racer Events. A new Admin proceeds to Admin.
4. Editing an existing profile returns you to the originating screen. It does not restart signup.
5. Team, phone, and blood type are optional. Save and continue stays accessible near the bottom, even with the keyboard open.

2.1 Create and update an Event

1. Open Admin → Event Categories to review Existing Events or create a new one.
2. Use an event name of at least 3 characters and select the correct start date. Shorter new names are rejected.
3. Choose Public to appear in normal name/date search, or Private to hide the event from ordinary search in updated app versions.
4. Tap Create Event or Update Event to save. Changing the Public/Private switch alone does not save.
5. Select the event to review its dashboard, categories, routes, entitlements, and control status.
6. On Live Dashboard, check tracked racers, viewing time, system load, and used/remaining slots before the event.

2.2 Create Categories and set tracking duration

1. Select an Event and scroll to Manage Categories.
2. Enter the Category name and set Location tracking duration (up to 8 hours). It starts at Start and stops at the limit.
3. Tap Add Category or Edit an existing category. Tracking duration cannot be changed while that Category is Started.
4. Verify the Category name and assigned route before sharing any QR codes.

2.3 Generate Event and Category QR codes

1. Tap Show QR Code on the Event to generate an Event QR for the whole event.
2. On a Category row, tap the QR icon (before Edit and Delete) to generate a Category QR for that class.
3. Check the Event and Category names shown in the QR dialog before printing or sharing the code.
4. Use Event QR when participants should pick a class, or Category QR to send them directly to the intended class.
5. Legacy Event QR remains valid. Category QR includes both Event and Category identifiers.

2.4 Prepare routes by GPS, drawing, or import

1. Within the Event, tap Record New Route and choose a route creation method.
2. GPS Recording: add points with One-time Mark Location or Start recording while following the real course. Add checkpoints after the start point exists.
3. Draw Manually: draw the line, continue from the last point after zoom/pan, then tap Finish Drawing.
4. Import: select GPX, JSON, or ZIP. If ZIP contains both JSON and GPX, the app uses JSON first.
5. An imported or unfinished route remains a Draft until Save. If recording is interrupted, check draft recovery before starting a new route.
6. Leaving before Save shows an Unsaved route warning. Check an old Draft before replacing it.
7. Review the route, tap Save, and give the route a clear name.

2.5 Assign the saved Route to a Category

1. Tap Assign Routes in the Event.
2. Choose the Category and a Route from My saved routes. Use Assign All only if all Categories should use the same route.
3. In My saved routes, check point counts and preview using the eye icon. You can rename/delete only your own routes.
4. Return to the Category list and confirm the assigned route name is correct for each class.
5. Use View Saved Routes to inspect saved courses without starting a new recording.

2.6 Approve racers and control the race

1. Open the correct Event in Control Event and check the Category before starting.
2. Review Pending / Approved racer entries and approve only when event requirements and available slots permit.
3. Set Location Update Interval to 10/20/30/60/120 seconds. Check the saved value when reopening this screen.
4. Tap Start only for the Category actually starting. Use Stop / Finish according to event operations.
5. Check GPS readiness and slot usage. An Approved status alone does not guarantee a live map position.

2.7 Manage help responders and SOS requests

1. Open the Event and use Manage help responders to grant helper access to users with an account and Profile. They need not be racers in that Category.
2. Verify the helpers, Event, and QR or assignment details before giving access.
3. When a racer sends an SOS, authorized helpers can open Help requests, accept it, or let the owner take over according to permissions.
4. After helping, mark the request Resolved. Verify the actual status if a request is canceled or cannot be accepted.
5. A red SOS icon means an active request. Verify the current request status before dispatching help.
6. A red SOS icon marks active requests, but currently opens helper management, not the request list. Responders open Help requests from Viewer Map.

3.1 Find and join an Event/Category once

1. Open Racer Events. My joined events appears above the search controls.
2. To find an event, enter at least 3 characters of its name and select the exact event start date. Then search.
3. Choose the correct Event and Category before tapping Add Event & Category.
4. After joining, the Event/Category appears in Racer Events and the same Event is available in Viewer without another search or QR scan.
5. Do not add an existing entry again. Reopen it from My joined events.
6. Reopen joined events after restarting the app without joining them again.

3.2 Join using Event QR or Category QR

1. Tap Scan QR to join an event on Racer Events and scan with the camera or choose a supported QR image from Photos.
2. For an Event QR, a single Category joins immediately. When several Categories exist, select and confirm the class.
3. For a Category QR, the app uses the specific Event/Category and joins without another class picker.
4. An invalid QR, deleted Category, or mismatched Event must not send you to another class. Ask the organizer for a correct QR.
5. After joining, verify the entry under My joined events and its approval status.

3.3 Check Pending / Approved and prepare tracking

1. The Category displays PENDING while awaiting Admin approval and APPROVED after approval.
2. Check location permission and the actual Location ready indicator shown by your app.
3. Enable Tracking and grant the operating system Location permissions, including background access when requested for Racer mode.
4. If you remain Pending, contact the organizer. Enabling GPS does not automatically grant approval.
5. An organizer may require location sharing or a recent GPS fix before approval. Check available slots and ask the organizer if blocked.

3.4 Open your map and Viewer Maps – Category

1. Use Racer Map to inspect your own position and course, subject to event and tracking state.
2. From My joined events, tap Viewer Maps · Category to open the Viewer Map for the same Event/Category.
3. Opening Viewer Maps · Category does not itself stop Tracking. Normal Viewer access rules still apply.
4. Within Viewer, choose additional racers according to your Viewer entitlement. Opening Viewer does not change your Racer Category.
5. After returning from Viewer, verify your tracking status on Racer as usual.

3.5 Send or cancel a help request (SOS)

1. Use the + / help action on the supported Racer screen when assistance is needed.
2. Submit the details requested by the screen, then check the confirmation or request status.
3. After a helper accepts the request, follow its status until resolved. Use Cancel when you no longer need assistance and the option is available.
4. If sending fails, read the error and check connectivity rather than repeatedly tapping the button.

4.1 Find an Event and open Saved/Joined Events

1. Open Viewer from Home.
2. Enter at least 3 characters of the event name and choose the exact event start date before Search.
3. If you already joined an Event/Category as a Racer, that Event is also available in Viewer without another search or QR scan.
4. Use Show Saved Events for saved events. The list counts Events, not individual Categories.
5. Private/unlisted Events are excluded from normal search, but valid QR holders can still access them under usual rules.

4.2 Open Viewer Map using Event QR / Category QR

1. Tap Scan QR Code and use the camera or a supported QR image.
2. Event QR: if there is one Category, the app attempts to open that map directly. With several Categories, choose the right one from the list.
3. Category QR: the app validates the Event/Category and goes directly to the specified Category, not an arbitrary first class.
4. A valid Viewer scan saves only the main Event once in Saved Events. It does not register you as a Racer.
5. Map opening still follows event-day rules, finished-race confirmation, and Viewer entitlement checks.

4.3 Choose racers to display on the map

1. Open the racer selection panel on Viewer Map and select the racers you want to follow.
2. Search by name or use Select all up to your slot limit. Show on map remains at the bottom of the picker.
3. Entries show the avatar, display name, team, and a GPS icon: gray means no displayable fix. Green means a position is available.
4. The default free Viewer allowance is 5 racers. Change/deselect names to free slots or use an available extra entitlement.
5. Selections are saved for your account and Event on this device (shared across its Categories). They are not auto-picked or copied from others.
6. Tap Show on map to confirm changes. Closing/canceling the picker does not confirm a new selection.

4.4 View routes, map controls, and following

1. The map displays a Category Route after an Admin saves and assigns a route to that Category.
2. Tap a selected racer marker or name to focus the position, and use the available Follow/Favorite control.
3. Use the star to follow one racer at a time. Following other racers still follows normal Viewer slot rules.
4. Without a star, auto-follow uses the selected racer farthest from the start.
5. Use map zoom/view controls and hide/show the racer list to make more map space.
6. Use Avatars only for a cleaner map and toggle speed display as needed.
7. Manual dragging may pause auto-follow so you control the view. Use Follow to resume.
8. If markers are missing, check selected racers, Category status, GPS positions, and racer approval.

4.5 See your own Racer marker without a Viewer Slot

1. If the account is also a Racer approved by the Admin in that Event/Category, open its Viewer Map.
2. When a real, current GPS position is available, your own racer marker can appear without consuming a Viewer Slot.
3. Your marker has no Me label and does not use a Viewer Slot needed to follow other racers.
4. If you are still Pending, viewing another Category, or have no available GPS position, your marker may not appear yet.
5. My Location on your phone is different from the Racer marker sent by GPS Tracking.

4.6 SOS help requests for authorized responders

1. Ordinary Viewer access does not automatically grant Help Responder permissions.
2. Authorized helpers open Viewer Map → Help requests. Map access alone does not allow accepting requests.
3. An Admin-authorized helper opens Help requests for their permitted Event/Category.
4. Review the request and use Accept / Resolve or owner takeover actions according to on-screen permissions.
5. After Resolve or Cancel, the list should update. Refresh and verify the actual status if needed.

4.7 Open a finished-race map

1. A finished Category may show a Race finished message when you try to open it.
2. Read the message and tap Show Map to inspect available last-known positions, subject to access rules.
3. Do not describe a finished Event map as live positions at the current time.

1. Racer: allow the required Location/background permissions to send race positions, including when the screen is locked.
2. Viewer: watching the map does not require sharing the viewer device’s position. My Location may request while-in-use access.
3. Denied permissions: the app does not automatically force you into Settings. Change permissions yourself when needed.
4. Private Event: hidden from ordinary search. People with a valid QR can still open it under normal rules.
5. Account: use Profile → Delete Account for account deletion. Racer login uses the existing single-device policy.