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Recording routine videos

Overview​

Salto can pair iOS and Android devices as competition cameras. Videos are recorded locally first, then uploaded when a connection is available. Competition staff can review, download, publish, unpublish, or delete recordings from the Cameras tab.

Use a physical device for recording. Simulators and emulators are useful for navigation testing but do not represent competition-day camera behavior.

The camera opens fullscreen and supports portrait or landscape framing. In portrait, routine context appears above the record control. In landscape, context moves to the left and recording controls move to the right. The camera can rotate automatically or remain locked in the operator's current direction.

Before the competition​

You need:

  • A competition administrator or manager
  • A physical device with the Salto mobile app installed
  • Camera permission and enough free storage on the device
  • A reliable charging plan
  • A configured competition session, apparatus, and gymnast roster

In Settings > General Configuration, review:

  • Enable routine video recording
  • Allow public routine videos
  • Auto-publish ready videos
  • Session public-video access

Routine videos are staff-only by default. Enabling public routine videos permits publication; it does not publish every recording unless Auto-publish ready videos is also enabled.

Pair a camera​

  1. Open the competition and select Cameras.
  2. Choose the session and apparatus for the device.
  3. Select Create pairing code.
  4. On the mobile device, open Salto and select Pair camera.
  5. Scan the QR code or enter the displayed eight-character code.
  6. Confirm the device appears under Paired devices with the correct session and apparatus.

Pairing codes expire after 15 minutes and can be used only once. Create a new code if pairing is interrupted or the code expires.

Record from the admin panel​

  1. Select the paired device in Cameras.
  2. Confirm the command session, apparatus, and gymnast.
  3. Select Start.
  4. Use Pause, Resume, Stop, or Cancel as required.

Cancel discards the active recording. Stop preserves it locally and adds it to the upload queue.

Record from the D1 judge portal​

The assigned D1 judge can control the camera for their session and apparatus. The camera context follows the gymnast selected in the judge portal.

Before starting, confirm the displayed gymnast and apparatus. If the judge changes gymnast or vault context, wait for the camera context to update before recording.

Use manual recording mode​

Use manual mode when the judge portal is unavailable or the device operator is controlling the camera directly.

  1. On the camera device, open the camera.
  2. Select the gymnast-rotation button at the bottom right of the camera.
  3. Use the native rotation menu to select an ordered Salto rotation, then select the gymnast. Competition-assigned gymnast numbers appear beside names so operators can distinguish duplicate names. The menu matches the judge portal with the rotation number, group, and start time; the selected rotation number, date, and start time appear above it.
  4. Select Done or swipe the sheet down.
  5. Confirm the prominent Manual context, gymnast, apparatus, discipline, and session before recording.
  6. Select the red record control. Select the square stop control when the routine finishes.

Manual recordings use the same local storage and upload queue as remotely controlled recordings. They are labelled as manual recordings in the video library.

Gymnasts cannot be added from the camera. Configure session rotation groups and gymnast assignments in Salto before competition day. The record control remains unavailable until a valid gymnast and routine context are selected.

Operate the camera viewport​

Before each routine, confirm:

  • The gymnast name, apparatus, discipline, session, and vault where applicable
  • Manual or Remote matches the intended control source
  • The connection badge reports Online
  • The camera reports READY

During recording, the red treatment and elapsed timer remain visible. A remote pause changes the state to Paused; paused time is excluded from the elapsed duration. Rotation changes the control layout without clearing the routine context or timer.

Use the compact 1×, 2×, and 3× controls beside the record button to change framing. Because available camera hardware differs, 2× and 3× are device-dependent framing shortcuts rather than guaranteed optical magnification. On supported iPhones, 0.5× appears only when the app detects and can select an ultrawide lens. Physical lens changes are locked during recording, but the standard-camera framing presets remain available. The selected framing survives device rotation and returns to 1× when the camera route is reopened.

Under Operations → Resolution, choose 1080p for the recommended detail level or 720p to reduce local storage and upload time. The choice is retained on the device and shown in the camera's top status bar. Resolution changes are locked during recording; after a change, wait for the record control to return to Ready before starting the routine.

Use the bottom-right gymnast-rotation button to inspect the current recording order or change the active rotation and gymnast. When a gymnast has a competition number, it appears in both the rotation list and the live recording overlay. Select Operations to inspect device, power, orientation, and upload information without closing the camera preview. During recording, changes, uploads, and unpair actions are locked, although both sheets remain available for inspection. The screen remains awake while the camera route is open, but the device should still be connected to competition-day power.

Under Display, choose Automatic to follow device rotation or position the phone first and choose Lock current to keep that exact portrait or landscape direction. This preference is retained when the camera is reopened. Other app screens return to portrait after leaving the camera. Stop recording before changing this setting.

Battery information stays hidden during normal operation. Operations shows a power warning when the unplugged battery is below 20% or Low Power Mode is enabled. Below 10%, a compact critical warning also appears over the camera preview. These warnings never prevent recording.

While the paired camera app is open, its battery percentage is published with device status. Competition staff can see it on each paired-device card and in the selected-camera metrics in the web Cameras tab. The last reported percentage remains visible if the camera goes offline; use Last seen and the device status to judge how current it is.

Do not close or unpair the camera during a recording. Stop the recording first.

Upload pending recordings​

The device normally starts uploading after a recording is saved. If connectivity is interrupted, the local file remains queued.

To retry from the device:

  1. Select Operations.
  2. Under Pending uploads, select View … queued recordings.
  3. Review each recording's gymnast, routine context, saved time, duration, size, status, and any retained upload error.
  4. Select Upload recording or Retry upload for one item, or select Upload all … recordings.

The queue can be inspected during recording, but upload actions remain locked until recording stops. Successfully uploaded items leave the pending queue. Playback and deletion are intentionally unavailable in the device queue so recoverable competition footage cannot be removed accidentally.

To request a retry remotely:

  1. Keep the Salto mobile app open on the paired device.
  2. Select the device in the competition Cameras tab.
  3. Select Upload pending.

The web app cannot upload a file stored on the phone by itself. Upload pending tells the selected device to run its local upload queue.

After stopping, wait for Saving locally to finish. Saved locally confirms the device copy is safe. Uploading and Uploaded describe the separate network step. If upload fails, the device explicitly reports that the local copy is retained; keep the app installed and retry from the recording queue when connectivity returns.

Review and manage videos​

The routine video library shows the gymnast, apparatus, source, status, recorded time, ready time, and expiry.

  • Play opens staff playback.
  • Download prepares and downloads an MP4. Preparation can take additional time.
  • Publish makes an eligible ready video available to spectators after the organiser confirms consent responsibility.
  • Unpublish removes public access and returns the video to staff-only playback.
  • Delete removes the library record and its video asset. This cannot be undone.
  • Refresh status checks the video provider when a completed upload remains at Uploaded or Processing.

Published videos appear beside the matching gymnast and apparatus score on the public live leaderboard. Session-level public-video settings still apply.

Downloaded files use a privacy-reduced name such as 123 - First L. - Floor - Competition Name - 2026-07-14 - a1b2c3d4.mp4. The competition number is omitted when none is assigned, vault recordings include the vault number, and the short video ID prevents filename collisions. The same base title is used in Mux for operational identification; Salto does not send the gymnast's full surname in that title.

Retention and expiry​

The video library displays the expiry date and days remaining. Retention is determined by the club plan when the recording is created. Changing plans later affects new recordings without shortening existing expiry dates.

Expired videos are removed automatically. Download anything that must be retained before the displayed expiry date.

Recover a stuck camera​

If a camera is stuck in recording, uploading, or command-pending state:

  1. Confirm whether the mobile app is open and connected.
  2. Select the camera in Cameras.
  3. Select Reset state.
  4. Confirm the reset.

Resetting expires pending commands and clears operational state. It does not delete local recordings or uploaded videos.

Use Run recovery cleanup to expire stale commands and pairing codes and process expired videos for that competition. Running it more than once is safe.

Common issues​

  • An open camera becomes offline: Reload the current mobile app build and keep Salto in the foreground. A foreground camera sends regular heartbeats; a backgrounded or disconnected camera is shown offline.
  • The camera does not rotate: Open Operations and choose Automatic, turn off the device's system orientation lock, then close and reopen the camera. Home and pairing screens intentionally remain portrait.
  • The camera reopens in one direction: The saved Lock current preference is active. Choose Automatic under Operations > Display to resume rotation.
  • Operations opens in the wrong orientation: Update to the current native app build, close Operations, rotate the camera, and reopen it.
  • The bottom of Operations is not visible: Expand the sheet and scroll within it. Dismiss the keyboard if it covers the final actions.
  • Camera or microphone access is disabled: Enable both permissions for Salto in device settings, then reopen the camera.
  • Upload failed because the video service limit was reached: Delete disposable videos through Salto to remove their associated assets, or contact the account administrator about video capacity. The local recording remains queued for retry.
  • A video remains at Uploaded: Select Refresh status. If it is still processing, wait and try again.
  • Upload pending does nothing: Confirm the selected phone is online, paired to this competition, running the current app build, and has a pending local recording.
  • The wrong gymnast is shown: Stop before recording, open the bottom-right gymnast-rotation menu, select the correct Salto rotation and gymnast, then verify the device display. If the rotation is missing, correct its session grouping in Salto and reopen the camera while online.
  • Public spectators cannot see a published video: Confirm public routine videos are enabled for the competition and not disabled for that session.