Container: The ultimate guide

This post contains some cases that will teach you how to manage and configure the Container feature to make it work the way you want to operate it.

All of us have dealt with such an object as a container. What is a container?

In simple terms, a container is any receptacle for holding different things inside of it. But you could ask us: What does this have to do with the app and the timer?

Regarding MultiTimer, the Container is a special, visual tool that is designed primarily to organize work with the timers. The tool allows you to set any of the existing boards in its settings, so that all the timers that are created on it will be used as templates.

Boards connect with each other

Containers use only the timer settings while operating. Thus, the timer, which has been started with this tool, always works regardless of the timer located on the selected Board.

The feature supports the following types of timers: Countdown, Quick, Count-up, Pomodoro, Stepped timer and Interval timer.

An exceptional feature is that the container can interact with another container when it is located on the Board specified in the settings.

The timers are displayed in a list with their names and duration. The list appears immediately after clicking on the configured container.

Container shows the timer list of the linked board

And here are just a few examples (cases) that illustrate how to create and use your own Containers.

Case 1: Cooking book | Recipe categories.

Even with an exceptional "sense of time", it is impossible to determine exactly up to a second how many minutes remaining on a particular stage of cooking, whether boiling eggs or baking with your own hands.

Of course, during the entire cooking period, the kitchen timer becomes an absolute tool to control time. However, everyone knows how difficult it is to keep everything in mind, using even a couple of timers in your head.

At this point, some cooks or kitchen workers resort to the help of timer applications on their phones or tablets.

Advantages of most of these applications can be easily identified as:

Perhaps a big shortcoming that can be considered is a hodgepodge of timers, which is obtained from a number of similar, not designated timers.

How does the Container help to avoid "quarrel over the kitchen board"?

#1. Adding the main board

The first thing we're going to do is to add a new board labeled as "Cook book 📖".

Instructions:

1. When you have 'No Boards'

Steps to add a board when there are no boards

2. When you have Boards

Steps to add a board when you have existing boards *

* This way of adding boards can also be applied in the case when you do not have boards created earlier.

Now you need to go to "Timers", and drag & drop 6 containers onto the main board.

To add containers, you should:

These are empty containers, which will be filled with the set of necessary timers.

#2. Placing containers

Container, as a tool, is directly related to the Board. Thus, we add 6 additional boards - one Board for each container, with the following names:

Board 1 : 📝 Favorites

Board 2 : Quick & Easy ✅

Board 3 : ✳️ Appetizer

Board 4 : Pasta 🍝

Board 5 : Beverages 🍹

Board 6 : 🍏🍐🥑🥕🍠🍅🌽

#3. Adding timers

Fill in each of these boards with a number of timers.

📝 Favorites

Quick & Easy ✅

✳️ Appetizer

Pasta 🍝

Beverages 🍹

🍏🍐🥑🥕🍠🍅🌽

#4. Setting up containers

Now when necessary boards have been prepared, let's move on to the container settings.

Container settings includes 2 parameters: 'Color' and 'Board'.

The Color option is used to give a custom identity to a set of containers.

One of the available boards can be specified in the 'Board' parameter field.

There is no container a Label parameter in the container settings. Once you configure it, it acquires the name of the Board you specify in its settings.

So, the main Board will take the following view after setting up all the containers.

You can increase the number of timers by adding them to the boards without worrying that they will be inconvenient to manage and perceive because of their large number.

#5. Container control

The container is controlled in the same way as all other timers using one-touch functionality.

When you tap a container, a list of timers appears. This list of timers' labels and duration displays timers that are located on the board specified in the container settings. By clicking on the list item, you start the timer corresponding to its name.

Gesture Control

One tap → opens the list of timers.

One tap → starts a timer from the list.

One tap → pauses a running timer.

One tap → resumes a paused timer.

Long press or double tap → resets container.

Another long press → opens container settings.

Case 2: Workout Complex

Similar to how the "Cooking Book" case is created, we will create a board on which a set of containers containing thematic "templates of timers" will be placed.

Case 3: Household Chore

This example is suitable for those who devote a lot of time to various kinds of household chores and wants to save some time for themselves.

Final Lines

Pay special attention to some important technical notes:

↘︎The container, as a tool, does not run the timers located on a board, but runs a copy of these timers in itself; that is, it mimics timers using their settings.
Therefore, timers located on boards can be started regardless of whether this timer is started in the container or not.

↘︎Regardless of whether the timer is started on a board or a copy of this timer is started using a container, the timer operation data will be recorded in its own History.

↘︎By default, if the Board with timers is not set in the container settings, after clicking on the container, it will show a list of all timers located on all boards.

If you came here and you still don't know what the Container feature is,  please leave a comment below or let us know and we will do our best to assist you.