Control the Timer

The room operator is responsible for the live control of the 4321 Timer. This page explains how to manage presets, control the countdown, and use hotkeys efficiently during a session.

Load Presets

Presets are usually received from Event Presenter through the Sync Timer Durations function. Each preset represents a topic, speaker, and its corresponding duration(s).

  1. Confirm that 4321 Timer has joined the same session room as the Event Presenter.
  2. Use Event Presenter to sync timer durations for the selected session.
  3. Check the preset list in the 4321 Timer Console. Compare the preset order, topic/speaker text, and duration(s) with the expected session information.
  4. Select the correct preset for the next timed segment before the speaker begins.

Important: If a topic has both presentation time and Q&A, the timer will automatically start the Q&A countdown when the presentation time reaches zero. Do not manually switch the duration at this transition.

Control the Timer

Use these primary controls during the live session.

  • Start/Pause: Starts or pauses the selected timer. Use it when the speaker begins and ends.
  • Reset: Returns the selected duration to its starting value.
  • Blink: Toggles a visual reminder state. Use it intermittently, for example, at one minute overtime, to alert the chair and speaker.
  • Sync: Sends the Console state to all connected Displays. Use this when you notice one or more timers are out of sync.
  • Overtime: The timer will visually indicate when it passes zero.
Console mode

Use Display Mode

A Display shows the active timer for viewing purposes. It does not provide control buttons.

  • Ensure the Display has joined the same event and venue as the Console.
  • Confirm that the Display updates when the Console starts, pauses, resets, blinks, syncs, or changes preset.
  • On a desktop, you can use the compact transparent Display view to minimize the timer size. Double-clicking it will return to the normal Display view.
Display mode
Compact transparent Display view

Hotkeys

4321 Timer Hotkeys are system-wide, desktop-only, and execute actions only in Console mode. The modifier key is configurable in Settings.

Default Modifier: Ctrl + Shift

  • <modifier> + Space: Toggle Start/Pause.
  • <modifier> + R: Reset.
  • <modifier> + B: Toggle Blink.
  • <modifier> + 01-99: Select a preset.
    — Two digits (e.g., <modifier> + 1, 0 for preset 10) apply immediately.
    — Note: Preset 01 is the first topic, preset 10 is the tenth topic. 0 or an out-of-range number is ignored.
Hotkeys

Troubleshooting Live Control

  • Preset list is empty or stale: Sync again from Event Presenter.
  • Display differs from Console: Click Sync and confirm the devices are synced in the same room.
  • Hotkeys fail: Confirm the desktop app is running in Console mode and you are using the correct modifier key.
  • Connection is lost: Wait for network recovery. If the problem persists, contact technical support.