Ad-hoc Timers
Ad-hoc timers are quick, on-the-fly countdowns you can create and run independently from your main session schedule. Need a 5-minute break timer right now? An unplanned lightning talk? Just create an ad-hoc timer — no need to add it to your session list.
When to use one
- Unplanned breaks ("Let's take a 10-minute break")
- Lightning talk rounds where each speaker gets 5 minutes
- Workshop activities with a shared countdown
- Q&A segments where you want to cap the discussion at a set time
- Countdowns to a specific clock time ("Show starts at 2:00 PM")
Creating Ad-hoc Timers
Open the Ad-hoc Timers panel in the controller and click the Add button. Each timer supports the following options:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | A name for your timer (e.g., “Coffee Break,” “Lightning Talk #3”) |
| Speaker name | Optional — the speaker or presenter for this segment |
| Notes | Optional internal notes or instructions visible only in the controller |
| Labels | Color-coded tags for organization. Labels are shared across sessions and ad-hoc timers. |
Duration Modes
There are three ways to set how long an ad-hoc timer runs:
Fixed Duration
Set a specific countdown in HH:MM:SS format. The timer counts down from the duration you enter.
Set a 5-minute break timer: enter 00:05:00 and hit play. The timer counts from 5:00 to 0:00.
Target Time
Instead of a duration, set an end time — the timer calculates how long to count based on when it starts. This accounts for delays in starting.
A panel starts late, but it still needs to end at 2:00 PM. Set the target time to 14:00 — the timer automatically adjusts the countdown to reach zero at 2:00 PM regardless of when you press play.
Time Warp (Speed Factor)
Show the speaker a different time than the actual countdown. The timer runs at a faster or slower rate than real time.
| Factor | Effect | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0× | Speaker sees 2× the real time — timer runs 2× faster | 10 min actual → speaker sees 20:00 counting down |
| 0.5× | Speaker sees half the real time — timer runs 0.5× slower | 10 min actual → speaker sees 5:00 counting down |
Valid range: 0.1\u00d7 to 0.9\u00d7 (slow) or 1.1\u00d7 to 5.0\u00d7 (fast).
Time Warp is useful for subtly encouraging speakers to speed up or giving them the impression of more time. The audience screen shows the real countdown.
Start Modes
Control when each timer begins:
| Mode | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Manual | The timer waits until you press play | Default for most timers |
| Linked | Automatically starts when the previous timer finishes (reaches 0:00) | Lightning talk rounds, sequential activities |
| Scheduled | Starts at a specific date and time automatically | Pre-planned ad-hoc segments with exact start times |
Linked start is not available for the first timer in the list — it needs a preceding timer to link to.
Display Modes
Choose how the timer displays on screen:
| Mode | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Countdown | Standard countdown from duration to 0:00 |
| Count Up | Elapsed time counting from 0:00 upward |
| Time of Day | Shows the actual wall-clock time (e.g., 2:45 PM) instead of a countdown |
| Countdown + Time of Day | Both the countdown and current time displayed simultaneously |
| Count Up + Time of Day | Both elapsed time and current time displayed simultaneously |
Warning Thresholds
Set color-change thresholds so the speaker knows when time is running low:
| Threshold | Default | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Warning (yellow) | 5:00 | Timer turns orange when remaining time falls below this value |
| Critical (red) | 1:00 | Timer turns red when remaining time falls below this value |
Both thresholds are customizable per timer. The red threshold must be lower than the yellow threshold.
Screen Targeting
Choose which screens show each ad-hoc timer:
- Speaker — The speaker's confidence monitor
- Audience — Audience-facing screens and projectors
- Staff — Backstage crew screens
- All — All screens simultaneously (default)
You can select any combination. For example, show a break countdown only on audience screens, or a backstage cue timer only on staff screens.
How They Appear on Screen
Ad-hoc timers can display in two ways relative to the session timer:
| Mode | What happens |
|---|---|
| Override | The ad-hoc timer completely replaces the session timer on screen. The session timer resumes when the ad-hoc timer is dismissed. |
| Split | The ad-hoc timer appears alongside the session timer (smaller), so the speaker can see both countdowns at once. |
Layout Options
When multiple ad-hoc timers are active, they arrange on screen in one of three layouts:
| Layout | Description |
|---|---|
| Vertical | Timers stacked on top of each other |
| Horizontal | Timers displayed side by side |
| Grid | 2×2 grid layout (for up to 4 timers) |
Up to 4 ad-hoc timers can display on screen simultaneously. Additional timers exist in the controller but are not shown on the presentation screens until others are dismissed.
Extend Mode (Overtime)
When enabled, the timer continues counting past 0:00 into overtime instead of stopping. The display turns red and shows the overtime duration using the prefix configured in Room Settings — plus (+0:01), minus (-0:01), or none (0:01).
Linking Ad-hoc Timers
Just like sessions, ad-hoc timers can be linked together. When one finishes, the next one starts automatically. This is especially useful for lightning talk rounds — create a 5-minute timer for each speaker, link them together, and the round runs itself.
Set up a lightning talk round: create five 5-minute timers, one for each speaker. Link them together with the Linked start mode. Press play on the first timer, and the rest will start automatically one after another — 25 minutes of talks with zero manual intervention.
Timer Controls
While a timer is running or paused, you have these controls:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Play | Start the countdown |
| Pause | Temporarily stop the timer at its current position |
| Reset | Return the timer to its full duration |
| Scrubber | Drag the time slider to manually jump to any position in the countdown |
| Clone | Create a copy of this timer with all the same settings |
| Delete | Permanently remove the timer |
Reordering and Bulk Operations
- Drag and drop — Reorder timers by dragging them in the controller
- Selection mode — Toggle checkboxes to select multiple timers
- Bulk start — Start all selected timers at once
- Bulk delete — Delete all selected timers at once
Estimated Start Times
The controller automatically calculates and displays when each unstarted timer is expected to begin, based on the durations and scheduling of preceding timers. These estimates update every 60 seconds.
Real-Time Sync
All ad-hoc timer state — creation, controls, reordering, settings changes — syncs instantly across all connected controllers and screens via WebSocket. Multiple operators can manage timers simultaneously, and late-joining screens receive the full current state on connect.