Overlaying Video (Multiple Questions)

[llan981]

Main is IPOD with 64GB and multicam is Iphone4 @720P and GoPro at 720. I turned off ICloud on all HLT and HLT Multicam. So now I am at a crossroad of how to best get all the data to the IPOD 64 and get it all to link properly:

1. What is your expert opinion?

2. Just for a trial, I turned on ICLoud on both HLP and HLT multicam and in an hour or so I saw all the multicam data appear on the main HLT. All seemed good as I guess it can transfer after the fact, right?

3. When I tried to overlay, I got a warning message indicating video not available, I selected Ignore, and then overlay started. When completed, I did not get the Iphone4 @720P as a picture and picture. Does both Picture and Picture (Multicam #1 and Multicam #2) data have to be available to overlay correctly?

4. Now when I look at all the laps did the Iphone4 @720P (mulitcam) get purged from my main? I do not see any video files from my Iphone4 @720P anywhere and the thumbnail says offline.

[Harry]

Hi,

In case you use iCloud to transfer footage from the iPhone (to the iPod), the video will be removed from the MultiCam device once it has arrived on the iPod - at least if you have used the MultiCam options to auto transfer into the cloud (MultiCam) and from the cloud (master / LapTimer). So this part is probably o.k. For the GoPro, there is no automatic transfer available. The latest recommendation on this is to place the GoPro video into LapTimer's Documents folder using iBrowse. Once this is done, use the "Re-Link" option to let LapTimer replace the GoPro link with the video stored locally now. Please check http://www.gps-laptimer.com/LapTimerDoc ... hapter.pdf for the details.

- Harry

[llan981]

I manually moved the file using ifunbox and am I correct for the Iphone video using multicam, the metadata reference is in-tack and it finds the right session? Second question, I now get a confirmation warning, " Number of laps avaialble for multiple lap overlays reduced by due to inconsistent sync points. Please adjust teh lap's sync point and agree to adjust the full session."

1. Did my video link with right session?
2. IF yes, why is adjustment required?

[Harry]

Yes, MultiCam recorded videos are tagged and are associated automatically. GoPro videos are not and require the Re-Link. 1. Can't say. 2. This warning is about lap to lap transition. This is a minor problem and not related to finding videos. Have you managed to overlay a single lap with the two PiPs now?

Harry

[llan981]

What I have experienced, if I try to overlay 12 minutes with all the options selected, then about 90% through the 'overlaying video' process it abends and I have to start over again. With the main camera at 1080P 30FPS and the two multicams at 720P 30FPS, what is maximum time limit of 2 min laps you can overlay?

New update: Just did 7 minutes of overlay (3 laps) and it was at 99% done, screen flickered, and exited HLT. Video overlay not successfully completed. Restarting another time. I have 16G of 64G left on IPOD.

[Harry]

The limitation is due to iOS's media server and related to main memory, not storage. The media server growth during overlay and - in case too many (large) frames are processed - may kill running apps. This is actually an iOS bug, but seems to be difficult to track down. The more PiPs you add, the higher the resolution, the longer the overlay is, the smaller main memory of the device is, the sooner LapTimer "is crashed" by iOS.

iPod touches are critical here. The 3rd and 4th gen came with 256 MB main memory only, the 5th gen has 512 MB only. iPhones 4 and 4S had 512 MB, while 5/5C/5S come with 1 GB main memory and usually do not run into this issue.

- Harry

[llan981]

There must be some some extra memory load at time the overlay video is about to write and transfer to the camera roll that exceeds the 512k memory constraint.

On the topic of ickoud transfer, exactly how does it work as I am concerned about how much extra storage I will need to buy if both main and multicam are on and attached to the same wireless network. Does the multicam upload as it's being downloaded to the main? Does all go to cloud first before being sent down to main?

Any future plan to use Dropbox,google drive, or airdrop as alternative solutions?

[Harry]

The 512MB limit is not the critical item during transfer to the photo library. This step is a "copy" on storage memory which requires additional storage space until the copied file can be deleted. It is a copy + delete instead of a move. There is other option available here.

I do not plan to use other cloud mechanisms but plan to offer a direct wifi based device 2 device transfer in the future. This allows better control compared to cloud mechanisms. Furthermore it is portable across iOS/Android/Mac/Windows. On iCloud transfer, please check the video documentation: http://www.gps-laptimer.com/LapTimerDoc ... hapter.pdf

- Harry

[llan981]

Interesting. So when I did a 7 min overlay it avenged at 99%, then I dropped to 5 min and it abended at 99% but when I did a single lap at 1m36 sec it worked fine.

I can understand the failure at 7 min but why at 5 min when my thought the 7 min overlay was about to finish so surly the 5 min version should

Also, I shoul get my gopoint bt1 this week, what overhead does it take on resources?

[Harry]

This is not a linear relation. If the media server would grow at the same rate as video frames processed, it would probably be an easy bug to find... Furthermore it depends on the overall memory state: apps active in background, system up time, etc

An OBD dongle does not add relevant memory demand. But it certainly requires processing time. Multi core systems have a clear advantage here as communications can be processed in parallel. One of the reasons I have started discouraging the use if OBD dongles for iPhone4s...