Previous RaceChrono Wish List

RaceChrono is a fantastic piece of software but like my riding it can always be improved. Here is a short list of things I would like to see, please add to it if you like.

• Google Earth really time lap ( Probably more of a Google Earth thing )
• In Lap times / Open / Open view I'd like to see the arrows accurately show the lap difference between best time and other laps. At the moment the arrows always seem to stay together no matter what the lap time is.
• Ability to combine different sessions
• Exported files with the same name as the session as opposed to a random number
• Remote RaceChrono, ability to view real time lap times from a remote phone.
• Audio notices of better/worse sectors and laps
• Ability to mark multiple laps for export
• Configurable timer freeze lengths
• Accelerometer support (+ lean angle calculation + drift angle calculation)
• Switch MTK receivers automatically to 5 Hz
• Standing start. Start timer when car moves enough from close vicinity of the defined start point.
• TerraTrip rally computer functionality
• PC software to analyze the sessions

Completed items
• Ability to delete redundant laps ( ADDED IN VERSION 0.95 )
• Export support for DANAS/Dasy Analysis Software (i2m.it) or other OS X race analysis software ( ADDED IN VERSION 0.95 )
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Comments

  • Hi aol, Let me start by saying thank you for developing such a great piece software. I've only had the chance to use it once in anger and that was at Silverstone over the weekend where it worked extremely well. But I've been looking forward to using it for several months.

    The Google Earth wish is something that I'm pretty sure GE has to build into their software or maybe not. What I would like to see is when you put directions into GE you can travel the router by pressing the play button. I would love to be able to do the same thing with an exported .kml file from RaceChrono.
  • edited May 2008
    Hi,

    Thanks very much for the software. It works very well - even on my internal n95 receiver.

    First thing I did was export the kml and open it in Google Earth and I was surprised that it didnt 'simulate' the route in real time.

    Does the .kml file include velocity information? Google earth does have a route simulation feature but the speed at which it plays seems dependant on the 'fly by' settings in GE rather than picking up on anything from the .kml

    I have exported the data as .vbo and opened it with 'Performance Tools' from Performance Box and this seems to have all the data in that would be required for a simulation, is the .vbo basically the same as .kml or does it contain more information/fields?

    Sorry for the ramble! Just putting my thoughts down.

    QUOTE "Oh, keep in mind that NO MATTER WHERE YOU PUT IT, the damn .dat file gets put in the C:\ root directory, you might want to try look there... :)"

    Vista does not (by default) allow access to the root (c:\). I imagine if you unlock the 'secret' administrator account (google it), and run in XP compatibilty mode if necessary, it should work.
  • joewetherill, kml files looks the same as xml ones. They are text files, so you can open them with notepad for example. Inside you will see that only a list of coordinates are saved, no information about time or altitude is saved :/
  • edited May 2008
    joewetherill, that's true, RaceChrono's Google Earth export does not save speed or altitude information. It would be perfectly doable, the only reason why it's missing is that I didn't even know there's such feature in Google Earth ... :)

    If you have good example KML/KMZ files of this feature, send them to tracks(at)racechrono.com to give me a jump start on this feature.
  • Hi aol!
    Is there a easy way to remote read your software?
    We want to put this software in our racecar, and read output from a external phone or pc?
    This solution will solve our problems in finding good solution both for the driver and the team.
  • What is exactly what you would need to do? Send the GPS data and/or lap times to somewhere real-time?
  • We would like to use the software at a remote site (PIT). Your solution would be perfect if we could have a phone with GPS in the car and remote send all the data realtime to the pits.
    This is important because we are racing on the Nürburgring and we don't have radio communication for a whole lap.
  • OK. So maybe if the GPS location data would be sent to an external server real-time, where another RaceChrono would get it, and draw exactly same stuff on the screen. The laps etc can be browsed while driving already know, so this might just work.

    I added this to to-do list, it's quite extensive feature so it takes time to do. But I like it a lot, thanks!
  • edited July 2008
    Hello!

    At first I have to admit that Racechrono is a great tool for lap timing. I fish you a good luck in furter development of Racechrono system!

    Here I have noted down few things I miss the most:

    1. I have the very same request as espens has - to have a possibility of uploading real time lap and sector times to the server in the internet. This could be done either over the sms or even better if over the gprs. And it should be user configurable for the amount of information sent - only lap times or lap times along with sector times.

    2. It would be great if log files saved under "Sessions" and "Export" would have "Session title" indicated in some part of the file names - date and time is just not enough informative at first glance. (I know that it could be wound inside one of the .bat files but still...).
  • Hi Silwer, thank you for your input, here's quick responses:

    1. Yes, it does seem a great feature for teams racing. It would be fairly easily done so that all data could be viewed from an remote phone. All graphs etc along with the other data. This would require only around 500-600 kB per hour for an 5 Hz GPS so it is not a problem. Problem is that an external server is needed (as phones don't have public IP addresses), and it is too much to require end users to be able to run their own servers. So this is something that I need to solve.

    2. Understood.
  • edited July 2008
    In my opinion it is not even needed to have all this data along with graphs. Minimum requirement is just the lap time. And if possible then the split times as well.

    At the moment we are using Racechrono system as Estonian BMW Club (not professionals - just the BMW fans) track day timing system. We have 6 mobile phones along with 6 GPS (5Hz) receivers.

    When we install the system to the car we input car racing number as the session title. After the car has gone thru the track we remove system from the car, go to the Racechrono menu, find his lap times and manually input the time values to the computers excel table as we have to make an ranking/standing list as per best lap time and per car class. After the lap times are input to the table the system is installed to the next car, new session with new car number is started and the cars goes to the track.

    All together we have on the one track day abt. 25-45 cars. We usually drive 3-6 laps per one round. And there is 2 or 3 rounds. It means that every event we manually write down maximum 45 cars * 6 laps * 3 rounds = 810 lap times...

    As you can see number is so high that it is very difficult make no mistakes when writing down times manually - human factor plays already a big role... :)

    After the track day we make all log files available over the internet - so all participants can download their own and also their competitors files. And if they have suitable mobile phone and racechrono installed they can all make comparisons of their drivings.

    Racechrono system is good to use and also has an educational purpose as the result everyone can drive better and faster. But do you have any thoughts how to make this marking of times less time consuming and how to avoid human errors? :)
  • Idea about remote side of racechrono is great... I would not mind even if PC server with static address would be needed. I can't wait to see it.
    Also I have one I guess easy request. On last race we had some delay on start because of incident on track. So racechrono was logging parked car. It would be nice to have option to delay start of logging while car is not moving.
  • edited July 2008
    Silwer: OK, thanks for explaining the use case. I will consider this for the to-do list for the next release, and maybe I can also then give you some tips on how to use RaceChrono for this. For now I think there's much better way to use it for this.

    Siklosi: The "stop logging if stopped" is on my to-do list. It make it for next version (v0.96), but maybe one after that!
  • edited July 2008
    Here's two suggestions from a Finnish race driver, I think they both are very good:

    1. Last lap time should be even bigger numbers and should remain a little bit
    longer. A running clock is actually quite useless in a race track (You have to
    concentrate to driving, not looking time...). Also in time it is useless to show the
    minutes. If my best time is 1.34.56, it should show in the phone "34.5" only. This
    is the way times are also used to show in pit boards. Everybody understands that if
    my time is eg "01.4", it must be 2.01.4, not 1.01.4. So fast I am not...

    2. A name for a new session should be given automatically a suggestion: eg I'm
    driving in Alastaro and it is my 3d session there: recommendation should be eg
    "Alastr03".
  • Agree with number 1...

    Hey aol, I have a different request to make. Can I have a live data display WITHOUT logging? So I can use it as a gauge!?

    Since the OBD and GPS function is so good, a live display mode that able easily changing OBD data is great. I understand you can only log 2 kinds of data at a time to get some reasonable refresh rate. I wonder during the live data display we can switch what we can see... it will be a cool gauge I reckon.
  • edited August 2008
    Hi Takahashi, I was planning such feature that you could change the logged channel on-the-fly, but run out of time :-) Maybe in the next version.
  • No problem. Love your work to death that I decided not to buy the HTC diamond! :). This is how good your stuff is.

    aol, I really think that your Live screen will make a spectacular gauge! I sometimes like to quickly get to the live screen and just see GPS and OBD channels live. Just, without logging, can see my intake temp, or coolant temp, will be just great and make my day, everyday. Thanks.
  • I think could be useful to have acoustical sounds (like beep in high or low frequency) in order to understand (without looking at the display) if you are better than previous or best split while driving. Sometimes is not easy looking at the nokia while you're driving.....

    [then, quoting ESPENS]
    We would like to use the software at a remote site (PIT). Your solution would be perfect if we could have a phone with GPS in the car and remote send all the data realtime to the pits. WONDERFUL IMHO
  • edited August 2008
    Hi all,

    First of all, huge thanks for the RaceChrono team for excellent software! It is really usefull in karting, where young drivers may not give so objective feedback all the time :) From recorded laps it' s really easy to see for example how different setups affect cornering speeds.

    I also think that Espens idea to have a 'slave' device on the pit crew is excellent! If the main problem on that feature is that every phone has dynamic IP address, how about following arrangement:

    - Slave phone would send SMS message from RaceChrono application to master phone where it defines own current IP address.
    - Master phone would receive SMS and user may either accept or reject that request.
    - If request is accepted, Master phone starts to push NMEA stream to defined IP address.
    - Slave phone will receive NMEA stream same way as it would come from GPS and all data handling from that point inside application remains the same.

    That way no extra servers would be needed and all new features and improvements in user interface would also apply to slave function.
    I have no knowledge about developing applications to mobile phones and I do not know if that is doable, but maybe it's something to consider?

    Best Regards,

    Kimmo
  • Hi Kimmo, thanks for the idea! This makes me think, if it's possible to connect to a phone "upwards" at all, or if operator has some firewalls in place. I will find out.
  • Removed some discussion about completed requests, and updated the wish-list on the original post :)
  • edited September 2008
    Dear Annti, I've read about a probable new beta vesion.
    I will have a track day in BALOCCO (a famous fiat-alfa-lancia test site) where it will be 2 new tracks (Langhe & Test F1). I will create 2 new tracks and then upload.
    It could be possible to gain the new beta before this day?
    May you also add sound for warning about best/worst split in addition to visual warning.
    Thanks for everything
    Ivo
  • R-power: Great, send me the NMEA as well for those tracks. I put your wishes to the list, but sorry don't know when they are ready. Let's hope the beta will be ready for testing before you go there!
  • hi,
    I use RaceChrono on bike. It's very useful.
    When checking split, however, the numbers are too small! Can You enlarge?
  • edited September 2008
    Did you use the v1.00? Do you use 3rd or 2nd version?

    The 3rd version has simple timer with much bigger numbers than earlier. Still too small? Then again, if you are using the 2nd edition version, the system does not have scalable fonts, so it is stuck with small text.
  • Thanks. I use the v1.00 on 2nd version (N70).
  • edited September 2008
    All right, not much hope for bigger texts then sorry. A new phone would fix the issue :)
  • trying last evening and creating a test-track between 3 light in my city (just to practise with creating track and adding splits) I will propose this:
    what do you think about customizable "frozen time" for split times ???
    Now i think it freeze split time for 6 seconds (more or less).
    May you add in settings the customizable time for freeze ?
    This could be interesting in case of splits that are near one to another (like in slalom) or if you want to freeze for a long time your few splits.
  • edited October 2008
    If the freeze is longer than time between splits, then the new split is shown before the end of the freeze period. So you don't "miss" a split because of the long freeze period. But I agree the correct freeze length is matter of taste, so it should probably be configurable.
  • Another thing to add to wish list and possible use of accelerometers on N95 and similar phones.

    Way to measure lean angle and/or lean rate (speed at which a bike is leaning). Both would be very useful, since on bikes we always struggle to keep the bikes as upright as possible and also make the bike lean into corners faster. It would help with checking the riders consistency.

    Cheers!
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