For some reason my "Hakkapeliita" (not the PhotoNav but previous) does not detect the .CAB format at all. But I have to admit I did not do any more research than that, and came to conclusions. These conclusions seem wrong after short Googling, thanks for pointing this out.
Also, you have this things in the ToDo's: "Remote RaceChrono, ability to view real time lap times from a remote phone."
I think it could be possible to do a complete race managment system.... like having all phones constantly updating somekind of a central server and a managment stations see's these updates... maybe even passing messages to the drivers (SMS, IM, or whatever)...I understand this is HUGE work but might be REALLY nice
The remote feature is probably doable, but unfortunately BlackBerry version at this point is probably not. This is because RaceChrono would need to be rewritten totally in Java if I wanted to support BlackBerry. Maybe I can afford BlackBerry version when RaceChrono comes very very successful :-) Until the you need to get a cheap Symbian / Windows phone for RaceChrono use.
One thing I was pondering was a community area where we can all upload our laps for each track and download someone else's data to compare with when we go on track. I can imagine there are quite a few Mk2 Golfs out there at the tracks I visit, so the ability to download someone else's Mk2 Golf times would be a useful comparison.
Andy, we have had that idea for two years already, but problem is that we have nobody to do the development on that ... We hired one guy year ago, but he lost interest quite soon I guess doing work for free is not everybody's idea of good past time
I suppose it's the obvious wish list item. There's just so much that's possible, including lap times on the website, downloads directly into RC and so on. What coding needs doing? Is it in RC itself or some server-side thing that needs sorting? What language? Free is my kind of payment. If I can do it, I will, but I'm no programmer, just someone who can do a bit of scripting.
Hi, I was thinking about to buy a old PDA with a big screen to use like a speedometer, revs, chrono, etc.
So it is possible to make a design on show the typical parameters? The most interesting thing to me, is see the split, so most tracks don't has, but with RC you can invent :)
Another feature that I was missing yesterday (telme if exist an alternative) is compare 2 pilots. I share a kart with a friend, and we are in the same times, and I want to compare with him, I know that is possible to change the name of pilot but it don't appears in the lap times or other telemetris. So what I want is compare his best splits with mines, and his better lap with mine... his better speed traps, etc
Depend on the car/bike you are. A kart don't has speedometer, but a car yes, so every car/bike needs diferents things.
To me, is important the splits/lap times, with a smaller indicator saying if I have improved the split/lap. And why not, based on times of the session, a prediction of the possible best lap with the actual split.
That will be nice, but i have a doubt, a PDA in the light of the sun will have enough bright to read?
What would you like to add to this view? If you don't need speedo or RPM, this should pretty much cover it:
At least phone displays are readable inside car, but I'm not sure about direct sunlight. Might be hard. Would it help RaceChrono had somekind of speech support? Could you hear instructions from the phone if you had stereo headset inside the helmet?
Napalm: I often compare two drivers in the same car at the same track. Simply create a separate session for each driver, then you can compare the best laps of the two sessions and see where you're losing/gaining time.
Sorry, I don't see that answers. So you have reason the speedometer it is not so much usefull because no has time to see it. And with this screen have enougth.
The speech instructions can be an option, but I think it will distract the attention.
Andylaurence, yeah, you can do that but only to compare the 2 better laps, but not for example the 2 optimal laps, or 2 better speed traps.. etc.
A solution can be to save a determinated lap (optimal lap, best lap... etc) for each pilot and in the phone can load this 2 and compare them like we do now with 2 laps in the same session.
You certainly can compare two optimal laps. Open the session with driver 1, select the Comparison Lap option and select the session with driver 2, the next screen asks which lap you wish to compare with, the first option is Best Lap, the second is Optimal Lap and then you have all the laps that driver 2 completed listed below that. You can compare any of those laps. Then go back to the Lap Times option and you have all the times for driver 1 listed. The optimal lap is at the top and the best lap is highlighted. When you select one of the laps, you'll see the track map and you can then compare away!
As for pace notes, I've no idea what you drive or how loud your phone is but I'd have no chance of hearing what the phone is saying whilst on track!
Thanks for info, I don't tried to compare 2 laps from diferents sessions, that's what I needed :)
As for the pace notes, I think that in the most of race cars is impossible to hear a phone (I drive a shifter kart), so can help with a bluetooth headset, but I preferred images in the screens and the map of track, like a GPS navigator.
It is only an idea need to be discussed and refined, but the purpose is to be simple, straightforward and useful.
On the live view; option to show "lap time" on every trap. Every time you pass a trap line, racechrono calculates the "lap time" from that trap, to that trap. Ie every trap line is "start/finish line", and when you pass it, you get the lap time.
On this web site; wishlist-idea-ranking based on user votes.
And maybe (also?) a paypal-donation-based-wishlist-ranging?
(Then it would be possible to pay that you make new feats to sw.)
Is there any scope to IMPORT gps data ? eg. .GPX or .TCX data ?
This would enable us to import data into an AVI and overlay video with it. Specifically, this would be mad from a Garmin Edge 705 overlayed with a Contour HD helmet cam.
tfindlay: can you send me some example GPX and TCX files to tracks(at)racechrono.com? Not sure when I'm able to look at them, but it's good to have them around when ever I decide to do it. Can you get NMEA format from the device?
Thanks. Ijust tried the DesktopVersion, it works. (I'm looking forward for the custom Display-Modes with which the screen size will be used by 100% ;-) )
I have a new little idea: A Background image which replaces the black background. (I don't know if there is a Problem with different resolution of the different phones/PDAs) If you store it in the same directory as the icons, everybody will be able to create themes.
Maybe it is also interesting for some people to think about a portable version.
1) Another idea would be to have multiple start and finish points so you can make a track out of two consecutive special stages or out of an uphill down hill secion excluding the parts in between. For example if you wanted to start timing from poit A to point B and then from point C to point D it would automatically exclude the point B to point C part (maybe START->finish1->start1->FINISH ?). Does this make any scence?
2) To add to the idea of emitting warning tones, a good Idea would be to emit warnings, or more accurately suggestions for things such as braking points and gear selection etc., something like a virtual co driver, It could say a number for the gear and then just a warning noise to warn you have reached the breaking point.
1. Chinese interface. I am happy to do the translation as long as it's possible to come out with a chinese version without too much trouble.
2. For non-race track tracking, ie. hill climbing driving, start from point A to point B and an option to simply do tracking starting from point B to point A without having to do make a new track profile.
Comments
I think it could be possible to do a complete race managment system.... like having all phones constantly updating somekind of a central server and a managment stations see's these updates... maybe even passing messages to the drivers (SMS, IM, or whatever)...I understand this is HUGE work but might be REALLY nice
So it is possible to make a design on show the typical parameters? The most interesting thing to me, is see the split, so most tracks don't has, but with RC you can invent :)
Something like this,
http://www.pfmengineering.com/images/motec_sport_dash.jpg
but with a bit custom like Racechrono2avi.
Another feature that I was missing yesterday (telme if exist an alternative) is compare 2 pilots. I share a kart with a friend, and we are in the same times, and I want to compare with him, I know that is possible to change the name of pilot but it don't appears in the lap times or other telemetris. So what I want is compare his best splits with mines, and his better lap with mine... his better speed traps, etc
To me, is important the splits/lap times, with a smaller indicator saying if I have improved the split/lap. And why not, based on times of the session, a prediction of the possible best lap with the actual split.
That will be nice, but i have a doubt, a PDA in the light of the sun will have enough bright to read?
At least phone displays are readable inside car, but I'm not sure about direct sunlight. Might be hard. Would it help RaceChrono had somekind of speech support? Could you hear instructions from the phone if you had stereo headset inside the helmet?
The speech instructions can be an option, but I think it will distract the attention.
Andylaurence, yeah, you can do that but only to compare the 2 better laps, but not for example the 2 optimal laps, or 2 better speed traps.. etc.
A solution can be to save a determinated lap (optimal lap, best lap... etc) for each pilot and in the phone can load this 2 and compare them like we do now with 2 laps in the same session.
Can be help with a new and bigger track for a pilot, or in a rally where can't be a copilot.
I was thinking about run with my kart a hill climb in my region, something like a map with pacenotes I think can help a lot
As for pace notes, I've no idea what you drive or how loud your phone is but I'd have no chance of hearing what the phone is saying whilst on track!
As for the pace notes, I think that in the most of race cars is impossible to hear a phone (I drive a shifter kart), so can help with a bluetooth headset, but I preferred images in the screens and the map of track, like a GPS navigator.
It is only an idea need to be discussed and refined, but the purpose is to be simple, straightforward and useful.
On this web site; wishlist-idea-ranking based on user votes.
And maybe (also?) a paypal-donation-based-wishlist-ranging?
(Then it would be possible to pay that you make new feats to sw.)
Is there any scope to IMPORT gps data ? eg. .GPX or .TCX data ?
This would enable us to import data into an AVI and overlay video with it. Specifically, this would be mad from a Garmin Edge 705 overlayed with a Contour HD helmet cam.
But there are some points where you can improve RaceChrono.
- Standing Start
- An analyzing Software for PC. The same Graphs, Infos and Tables/Views on a big TFT-Screen will already satisfy me :-)
- I miss the possibility to create own Display-modes (for example: Hi/Lo speeds + Distance). I think it's simple to make this possible.
PS. Check out RaceChrono Windows desktop version http://www.racechrono.com/beta/
I have a new little idea: A Background image which replaces the black background. (I don't know if there is a Problem with different resolution of the different phones/PDAs) If you store it in the same directory as the icons, everybody will be able to create themes.
Maybe it is also interesting for some people to think about a portable version.
to add to the wish list:
1) Another idea would be to have multiple start and finish points so you can make a track out of two consecutive special stages or out of an uphill down hill secion excluding the parts in between. For example if you wanted to start timing from poit A to point B and then from point C to point D it would automatically exclude the point B to point C part (maybe START->finish1->start1->FINISH ?). Does this make any scence?
2) To add to the idea of emitting warning tones, a good Idea would be to emit warnings, or more accurately suggestions for things such as braking points and gear selection etc., something like a virtual co driver, It could say a number for the gear and then just a warning noise to warn you have reached the breaking point.
2) I'm not implementing co-driver functionality because it might be inaccurate time to time, and if people learn to trust it too much ... :)
1. Chinese interface. I am happy to do the translation as long as it's possible to come out with a chinese version without too much trouble.
2. For non-race track tracking, ie. hill climbing driving, start from point A to point B and an option to simply do tracking starting from point B to point A without having to do make a new track profile.