Problems with video overlays

[Harry]

Please send the CSV or the HLPTRL export to my email address. I'll check.

- Harry

[Harry]

Yes, the second one is the problem. This will keep LapTimer from reading through the file as no video frame will reach 42949672.12...
Please send the HLPTRL file, I will repair so you can re-import it.

- Harry

[cgroppi]

I am also having problems with video overlays. I used laptimer for the first time at an autocross this Sunday. Once I learned the details of the software, it seemed to work fine, with the exception of video overlays. I am using laptimer 14.4 with iOS 5.0.1 on an iPhone 4. I'm using the software with an Emprum GPS and the Chinese knock-off Kiwi WiFi OBDII unit. I have the setup mounted on the windshield with a RAM suction cup mount, and took video for all of the runs.

I successfully captured data from 5 autocross runs, 2 without OBDII data (connection issues) and 3 with OBDII data. I can see the data in the Lap Details view, and was able to export the data to kml files which I successfully opened in Google Earth, and to CSV files which i've looked at with Excel. The data seem to make sense (including OBDII).

However, when I make video overlays, the data is only displayed properly for 1 of the 5 runs (one of the two without OBDII data). On the other 4 runs, the friction circle starts with a dot in the center, but the dot runs off the bottom of the plot in a second or two never to return. Speed remains at 0.0 for the entire video, and there is no location cursor on the track map. On runs with OBDII data, I got two different behaviors. On one run, the throttle remains at about 10% the whole run with no change, while the engine rpm climbs linearly from 0 to 65535 and then resets to zero and begins climbing again while the rpm pointer spins clockwise continuously. On the other two runs with OBDII, the rpm freezes at just above idle and remains frozen the entire run (along with the pointer and throttle). No gears are displayed.

All the data exists and makes sense as shown by the exported CSV file, it's just not making it into the overlay. Also, RPM, gear and throttle are correctly displayed in realtime on the video screen while driving (at least it was between the finish line and the grid when I was able to look).

Any ideas?

[Harry]

Hi,

I'm sure there is a problem in the data stored. Please just send me the .hlptrl export of one of the laps gene ring problems.

- Harry

[Harry]

I had a look into the data, and there is a common issue. It seems all lap recordings generating overlay issues have a malformed 2nd GPS fix stored. Exporting a lap to .hlptrl, removing this fix, and importing it again fixes the issue. For those that want to repair laps on their own, please follow the procedure below. I will have this fixed in the next version.

Export lap recordings that need a fix to .hlptrl. Open the .hlptrl file in a plain text editor (you may replace the extension by '.txt' or '.xml' to get the file associated). Delete the 2nd fix's definition completely, including the leading <fix> and ending </fix>. You can identify malformed fixes easily as they have the sequence "<relativeToStart>0.0,99:59.99</relativeToStart>" included:

Code: Select all

			<fix index="3438">
				<date>14-JAN-12,22:11:59.44</date>
				<coordinate>37.524372,-77.456058,39.9</coordinate>
				<speed>0.0</speed>
				<positioning>1,2</positioning>
				<satellites>10</satellites>
				<direction>337.1</direction>
				<hdop>0.80</hdop>
				<relativeToStart>0.0,99:59.99</relativeToStart>
				<acceleration>
					<source>1</source>
					<lateral>-0.01</lateral>
					<lineal>0.09</lineal>
					<coordinate>37.524373,-77.456053</coordinate>
				</acceleration>
				<obd>
					<rpm>908</rpm>
					<maf>4.79</maf>
					<speed>0.0</speed>
					<throttle>0.62</throttle>
				</obd>
			</fix>

Send the corrected .hlptrl file to an email account you can read on your iPhone. In Mail app, long-press the attachment. You will get a context menu allowing you to open the file in LapTimer. LapTimer will add the fixed lap to the lap list. You may remove the original ahead of import (or afterwards).

Sorry for any inconvenience,

- Harry

[Exigent]

Using v14.4.2, iPhone 4S, KiWi WiFI cable, no external gps device and having a couple of issues :

1. Video shoots great, overlay process works except the mph is 0.0. RPMs are there with the gear I'm in, friction circle is there, etc. (MPH shows in Racer mode, also using Airport mode to make KiWi cable reliable)
2. I checked my gps signal & it's not good. Moved my mount, even got out of car with phone in hand & couldn't get more than 1 red bar - any thoughts there?

I've had the app for a couple of years and been very happy with it although my results have been mixed in terms of consistent performance. Spent a bit of time really reading online documentation, this forum and PLX forum and finally got the KiWi cable working (a frustrating little bugger) so I'm down to this issue.

[Harry]

Hi,

Turning on airplane mode turns off the internal GPS. That's the way iOS handles this. With an OBD connected, you will see OBD based updates (e.g. wheel speed in Racer's View), but no GPS any more. It will simply freeze in the position it had when you turned on airplane mode. Actually, it will not trigger lap timing either. Without one of the supported external GPSes connected, you need to turn airplane mode off.

Hope that helps.

- Harry

[Exigent]

That helped. Funny thing - the iPhone shows 3G instead of the wireless symbol even though it is connect to HLT.

Now that I have everything working properly I've been experimenting with all of the various screens, etc. The app is even more impressive than I initially thought.

Thanks Harry!

[OlDirty]

Hi
I'm new here with using the laptimer. I got a problem with overlaying long videos (>10min). I started video recording manually and stoped it after about 12min. So the video was stored on my iphone 4s and i pressed the overlay function. The application now starts with the overlaying process. In the step "Overlaying Video... 29% processed (8200 frames)" the process freezes. I need to turn of the iphone completely to shut down this process. I still have about 6GB free space on my iphone. Is there a known problem with overlaying long videos?

[CivicSiRacer]

Sorry to bother you guys but I thought I remembered seeing documentation on how to export my data from my autocross today and overlay on my video recorded off my Contour 1080p, but now I cannot seem to find it. Going to use the free version of Dashware to merge both files.

Any help pelase?