Harry's GPS Suite Forum

I've had a lot of trouble ever since version 17.xx came out. Will eat my memory like a hungry lion.. And it did not want to "overlay" a couple of my laps, tried many times. Finally I gave up and saved ("moved") the raw video to the IPod library and onto the desktop. But now I want to post some of those 2.5 min laps on youtube and not the whole 25 minute sessions, (they wouldn't let you anyway).
Can I somehow get the raw video back to the photo library on my IPod touch (I'm sure I can) BUT also back to Harry's so that I can overlay? Or is it too late?
One other question I have: A couple of times I overlayed, the lap showed up correctly in my photo library but DID NOT say "overlaid" in Harry's (i.e doesn't give me the icon). That lap overlaid in my library (which happens to be a reference lap -best time-) also fails to :show up" as a reference lap. Every time I now overlay ANY lap it tells me that the reference lap is not available. I then just hit ignore... But why does all this happen?
To be honest, I wish we could go back to the "old" version 16.xx. The new version is so "temperamental". You touch a screen in lap list and it goes haywire, getting you back to Harry's entry screen "Do you agree...." How annoying. It also seems to like to record several sectors as ONE every now and then and you get a screwy "virtual" calculation.
I'm not really complaining, who could for $20??? But I think the software has become to "bloated" and just explodes once in a while. Could we have a simple version back? Without all this "dual camera" GoPro crap? and just record my laps?
Sorry, but this new version is frustrating. Horst.

Hi,

Besides the overall request for simplification I need some more details to understand your items:

When saying "Will eat my memory like a hungry lion..", what do you mean? Storage (the iPod GBs) or main memory? As I assume it is the former - there is no change between v16 and v17. It simply depends on the length and resolution of videos. There is nothing else added.

When saying "did not want to overlay a couple of my laps", what exactly happened? Did you receive an error message? Something else?

On the reference video: the reference lap is either the best lap, the last lap, or any lap you selected to be the reference. It is used to fuel predictive lap timing, comparing data in the analytics area, and adding a reference lap video to overlays. In any lap's details, you can see which reference lap is selected (check Lap List ‣ Lap Details ‣ Data Recording ‣ Reference). In case this lap has a video linked, it will automatically be inserted into the lap's video overlay. In case the reference lap has a video linked, but that video has vanished, you get the named error message. Either relink the reference lap video, or remove the link (navigate to the reference lap's details, press "Edit", and delete the video link showing NO VIDEO).

On moving back the big raw video - yes, that is possible. Simply configure iTunes to copy the video back to the iPhone's Photo Library (not Videos please, that cannot be accessed by Laptimer). Now, select the lap you want to overlay and check if the video re-appears. In case it does not, you need to manually relink the video: in Lap Details, press "Edit", select "Add video" and select the video from Camera Roll / Photo Library. Next, LapTimer will ask you to select the frame the lap ended - which is the probably challenging part. It is good to check the session's lap times (time of day) first, get get an overview which video segment matches the individual lap.

Finally on your "back to the past" request: that is not possible as only the latest version is available from AppStore. In case you do not like new features, just turn them off: in LapTimer ‣ Settings ‣ MultiCam Control turn off Discover MultiCam. In LapTimer ‣ Settings ‣ iCloud turn Use iCloud off. The reference video topic will go away once you have cleaned up the reference lap video.

From a software development standpoint, it is hard to maintain both an old version and a new one: firstly, it is not possible to maintain such a thing in AppStore. I can certainly add an old version as a separate app - but you need to purchase it as there is no migration. Same if you do it the other way around. Furthermore v16 would not get approved by Apple any more - it does not match the current API use policy and tooling any more.

You are right that software tends to get complicated and fat over time. I spend considerable time walking the borderline between new features and restructuring existing code to make it both more stable and faster. For me (and hopefully most users) it is no option to stay with the current feature set. Adding new integration, sensors, features is what motivates and is fun. Not working on it is walking away. Btw, I have a pretty good status on stability from feedback I receive regularly. For each major release intensity goes up shortly, and goes down when bug fix release get available again. I'd judge v17.0.5 to be as stable as 16.7 has been, all known issues (mostly one that came from v16) will be fixed in the upcoming v17.0.6. In case some new arise from the detail questions above, they will go away soon too

- Harry