What can you do with the MWS system? How does it work? Concrete usages and the technology behind it.
Interaction: Game, training, gambling and challenge | Live list: Playing ad hoc internationally | Live streaming: Real time broadcast on the Internet | Ball tracking: Move analysis with path lines of the balls | Individualisation: Archive, directories and sharing | Library: Literature and training programs on demand | Scopes: Remote and local, together and alone | Technology: Hardware, software and cloud | Changelog: Further development and latest features
With the MWS system, you can play billiards from table to table with other players who are somewhere else in the world at another MWS location. Real opponents, real tables, real balls and real cues - in a semi-virtual and multimedia environment with livestream and live communication.
The current system generation v3.0 with ball tracking marks a milestone in the technical development of MWS. Version 3.0 is not an upgrade, but a quantum leap into the future. Benefit from the technological future today.
Interaction: Game, training, gambling and challenge
With the MWS system, users can play and train with each other remotely and locally and choose from various game modes. The modes Carom, Cinque Birilli, Gambling, 3CC Masters and Training are available to users and differ in their purposes:
- Carom: Standard game mode for three cushion and classic disciplines with a universal scoreboard for set systems and long distances.
- Cinque birilli: Like the Carom game mode, but with a special scoreboard for the five pins discipline.
- Gambling: Additional option for the Carom and Cinque Birilli game modes. A stake is determined that is the same for both players and is played for. At the start of the match, the stake is debited to the MWS user accounts of both players. The winner of the match receives the stakes of both players credited minus a small administration fee. This mode is only available remotely, for a valid game result there must be a winner and a loser (a draw is not possible), and both players need a covered account.
- 3CC Masters: This game mode is designed especially for three cushion. By random generator the system creates starting positions, which both players have to solve. If you score the point, you can finish your run and receive 1 point on the scoreboard as usual for each point you scored. Both players always get the same starting position in the same inning, whereby the player order changes after 10 innings, so that for the next 10 innings the second player is the first to play. The game ends after 20 innings. The choice of solution is up to the players, there are no predetermined solutions.
- Training: All positions stored in the MWS cloud can be called up and trained in the training mode. The private game and training archive, the private directory structure, the public library with specialist literature and training programs, as well as shares from other users are available. New positions can also be created and saved in training mode.
In all modes, the positions and paths of the balls are automatically saved in the private game or training archive so that you can analyze a game later or repeat a training session. Already during the game or training individual positions can be marked in the history to make it easier to find them again later. If necessary, games and trainings can be interrupted to continue at a later time.
Navigation path at the terminal to start a remote game or training: Select a player in the live list (on the right in the header) / send invitation / select game mode / start.
Navigation path at the terminal to start a local game or training: New local game / enter players / select game mode / start.
Live list: Playing ad hoc internationally
If you are on site at a system and are looking for a remote game partner to play a game immediately, then our live list at the system terminal (on the right in the header) is that suitable feature for you. In the live list you can always see which players are currently online at other locations and are also looking for game partners to play together.
All you have to do to start a remote game ad hoc: Select a user in the live list and send him an invitation ... and off you go!
Live streaming: Real time broadcast on the Internet
From version 3.59 of the MWS system, the public streaming of matches and trainings is available in all game modes, whereby the consent of both players (both MWS users who are logged into the MWS system and connected to one another in one of the game modes) is required for the public streaming and can be submitted in the game configuration before the start of the game. The MWS livestreams are made available on the MWS website. The streams run platform-independent in all common browsers and can be called up on smartphones, tablets, desktop PCs and smart TVs.
With system version 3.63, the ball tracking feature is integrated into the MWS live streaming service. This enables precise move analysis with the path lines of the balls during the live broadcasts.
Ball tracking: Move analysis with path lines of the balls
MWS systems of the current generation v3.0 are equipped with ball tracking, record the path lines of the balls and thereby enable precise analysis of individual moves and entire matches. The position of the balls can be traced exactly at any point in time of a shot, so that, for example, the ball passages that are crucial for avoiding a kiss can be analyzed in detail. The ball tracking also masters the analysis of curve lines and ball speeds.
Ball tracking can be imagined as GPS tracking of the balls, which records the position coordinates of the balls at any time, analyzes them and makes them available for further use.
In games with auto scoring, the positions are automatically recorded with ball tracking and saved.
Navigation path at the terminal to manually record a position with ball tracking: Open position (call up saved position or take new picture) / shift key (remote control) or start path analysis (terminal).
Individualisation: Archive, directories and sharing
In addition to the auto storage of all positions of your own games and trainings into your own private archive, the MWS system provides a number of other features to individualize content and adapt it to your own interests. The private directory is the storage location for individual positions that are saved manually. It can be divided at will into subdirectories to create your own training programs and the like. The functionality of the private directories is comparable to the folder and content management on known computer operating systems. By default, private content is only accessible to the owner and protected from being accessed by other users.
With the sharing function, users can share their private content publicly, so that other users can also access this content, for example to discuss a difficult position together or to have a game analyzed by a trainer. The decision on the share / withdrawal of the share of individual shots or entire matches lies with the owner.
MWS users can use the sharing function to call up and replay many world class matches of superstars that have been recorded with the MWS technology.
Navigation path at the terminal to access the private archive: Game archive.
Navigation path at the terminal to call up or edit the private directory: Reference positions / my reference positions or reference positions / my reference positions / edit reference positions.
Navigation path at the terminal to share your own content with other users: Game archive / select desired content / toggle share or reference positions / my reference positions / select desired content / toggle share.
Navigation path at the terminal to access shared content of other users: Game archive / add share or reference positions / add share.
Library: Literature and training programs on demand
MWS users can train at any time with positions from the international specialist literature that have been recorded with MWS technology. Coordinates and path lines of the positions are available on the MWS system in the public database. The MWS library includes several, systematically structured textbooks and training programs by MWS coach Andreas Efler.
Navigation path at the terminal to call up literature and training programs: Reference positions / MYWEBSPORT / literature.
Scopes: Remote and local, together and alone
Most of the features of the MWS system can be used remotely (over distance) and locally (at the same table), and are suitable as well for the joint use of several players and the sole use of one player. For example, two players can play a game with each other remotely, but one player can also play a game locally with himself for later analysis.
An exception to this flexibility is the gambling game mode, which is only available remotely.
Technology: Hardware, software and cloud
The MWS computer system, consisting of hardware components and software for operation, is installed locally at a billiard table and is networked with the MWS servers and other MWS locations via the Internet. MWS systems access the application software and the data storage in the MWS cloud. This means, for example, that game data is not saved at a specific location and is only available there, but that this data is available on all MWS systems worldwide, because the data and programs are supplied by the MWS servers. Applications and content are thus always up to date, complete and consistent at all locations.
The ball positions on the table are recorded with a high-resolution system camera, which also tracks the lines of movement of the balls at 50 frames per second. The system computer uses this data to calculate the exact coordinates and path lines, which are then transmitted in real time to the remote location via the Internet. There the ball coordinates are projected onto the table with a laser cross hairs and the balls are placed manually on these markings. In this way, the ball positions at remote locations can be set up identically. One and the same match is therefore played at two tables that are separated from each other. The players are connected via an audiovisual conference circuit, see their opponent playing on the flat screen via the livestream and can communicate with each other via the headset.
The system hardware includes a terminal (*) with a touchscreen for function control of the system, a camera box (**) with camera and laser technology for recording the ball path lines and displaying the ball positions, a remote control for controlling the system and placing the balls, as well as a webcam (*), flat screen (*) and headset for multimedia conference circuit and communication between two remote locations.
(*) Installation on a wall next to the billiard table | (**) Installation on the ceiling above the billiard table
Changelog: Further development and latest features
v3.81, v3.82, v3.83
NEW System improvements and bug fixes
v3.80 (10.05.2023)
IMPROVED Game configuration options, multiple distance variations for every discipline
IMPROVED Live stream scoreboard, suitable for every combination of discipline and distance
IMPROVED Live stream image quality, now in full HD resolution
IMPROVED Game archive with multiple filter options, all existing data converted to the new scoreboard
v3.73, v3.74, v3.75
NEW System improvements and bug fixes
v3.72 (16.03.2022)
NEW Marking / unmarking positions in the game archive (in addition to the same functionality in all game modes)
v3.71 (02.06.2021)
NEW Points can be entered during the shot (as long as the balls are still moving), available for all game modes
v3.67, v3.68, v3.69, v3.70
NEW System improvements and bug fixes
v3.66 (18.02.2021)
NEW Scoring integration into live streaming
v3.65, v3.64
NEW System improvements and bug fixes
v3.63 (23.10.2020)
NEW Ball tracking integration into live streaming
v3.62, v3.61, v3.60
NEW System improvements and bug fixes
v3.59 (25.08.2020)
NEW Public streaming, available for all game modes