Locate "ME" to set markers

While using this at autoslalom, it would be nice to set the Start/Split Markers/Stop by having the application detect my position. Any chance of this happening?

Comments

  • Hmm, what do you mean exactly?
  • I'm just checking this app out for the first time...so bear with me.

    I went to create a new track. It says to select a trap by tapping the markers. Well...there are no markers...so I clicked on "add trap." When I'm adding this new trap, it would be convenient if I could stand at the starting line of the course and press a button on the screen to detect my position (via GPS)...and therefore set the marker exactly where I'm standing. Then I could set more traps while doing my course walk by pressing this button.
  • edited April 2013
    OK. I see what you mean. There is this feature, but it is not in track editor. When you start a new session you have the option to create a new track. You can then add traps to your current locations.

    But notice that the traps need also Bearing, which is usually detected only after moving some distance. But walking through the course and adding traps while doing this should work just fine.

    I now see that it would be convenient to have this in track editor, so I guess it's for further development.
  • Maybe I'm missing something. When I click on "Add Trap," it just seems to place it in the centre of the screen...not at my "current location."
  • You're probably talking about the "track editor" that does not have this feature. But when you start a new session (from the main screen), you can create an empty track and start adding traps to it (in your current location).
  • Hmm...okay...I'll try playing with it some more and see if I can get it to work. Right now I'm just sitting at my desk at work...so I haven't moved to actually see if the screen/split markers move with me.
  • Alright, I read through the manual a little last night...DUH!

    My mistake was that I wasn't starting a new session. I was going to the "Tracks" tab, and clicking the "+" button to create a new track.

    Now that being said, I still haven't created my own track yet...it seems unnecessarily tedious.

    Out of curiosity, have you tried using "TrackMaster" by Trackaroo?
  • edited April 2013
    I have tried using TrackMaster but every time I use it my brain melts... So I haven't got as far as creating tracks with it. I guess my brain is hard-wired to the way RaceChrono has worked for last 6 years.

    That said, I've tried to make the track creation as easy as possible, but apparently I haven't been too successful at that. Any improvement ideas? I'm open to suggestions!
  • edited April 2013
    With TrackMaster...for autoslalom, all you have to do is stand at the start line and add a marker there...then you can walk directly to the finish line and set a marker there. DONE. If you want to have a split marker, you can walk directly to that point and set a marker there.

    With RaceChrono...from what I can see, you actually HAVE to walk/drive the course to set the track.
  • I see. I guess the "locate me" button to track editor is in order. But then you'd still need to rotate the trap to correct direction, as RaceChrono creates unidirectional traps as default.
  • Well thats a feature I didnt realise I had on Android RC.
    However all the trap options seem greyed out and dont respond to me tapping any of the trap buttons. I got a fix to 7 satellites and my location was within 1m of actual location on the google satellite picture.

    Given that I havent read a manual, is there any option I should be selecting to enable the 'create new track' facility?

    I am using a galaxy-y & internal GPS, with latest RC for Android.
    KevT
  • edited April 2013
    KevT, they are greyed out when the GPS doesn't have a bearing yet. Walk some distance and the GPS will acquire bearing. I know it a bit awkward as it doesn't give you any indication what is wrong. RaceChrono uses unidirectional traps as default so proper bearing is needed in placing a trap.
  • edited April 2013
    Since the beginning I've not bothered by creating tracks until I have run a session (just run as "New Track", or even the wrong track and change later).
    When you have a session it's easy to step through it and add the traps you want (times splits etc are calculated on the fly, no need to have them before the first run, if you can live without live times just this once).
    But I have not tested the Android version in anger yet, the Symbian version works better in the car (buttons work even after you have tape over them :-) )
  • I played with this a little bit this weekend. I ran about 5 runs back to back.

    Afterward, I tried adding the start and the stop...and that wasn't REALLY an issue. I guess my problem is that with autoslalom, I'd like to place the start line and the stop line ACCURATELY. It seems difficult to do this ACCURATELY after the fact.

    On a track, where you are doing lap after lap, it doesn't really matter if you place the lap start/stop line accurately, so afterward, you can go back and add it without issue.

    I guess I don't fully understand why the buttons are grayed out when you are stopped. I understand that RaceChrono needs to have a bearing...but I should be able to add a start/split/stop line EXACTLY where I am standing...and then rotate it later.
  • edited May 2013
    Snizzoop, I undestand the issue you're having, I will try to improve this in future versions. I guess the root cause for this is that I never did auto-slalom my self, and therefore didn't think of this use case.
  • Fantastic!

    I <3 Autoslalom.
  • I don't know if changes were made since May 1, but as far as I can tell RaceChrono is really well setup for Autocross/Autoslalom right out of the box. Here are the steps to follow.

    1.) Open RaceChrono and press the giant START button.
    2.) Press the "Create new track" button
    3.) Walk from the launch line, KEEP MOVING, and press the "Add Start" button when the GPS is directly over the start line. If you do not keep moving your bearing will not be available to RaceChrono and all "Add" buttons will be grayed out.
    4.) Immediately walk over to the finish line and approach it on the driving line. Do not walk the course yet (there are rumors of satellite drift being an issue, so set start and finish ASAP even if the rumor is garbage).
    5.) KEEP MOVING and press the "Add Finish" button when the GPS is directly over the finish line.
    6.) Walk the course and add splits wherever you want. Again, don't stand still when you go to add a split or the buttons will gray out.

    It is incredibly easy to accurately set traps while walking, so not being able to stand still while you set the trap is not a negative. As long as you cross the lines as if you were driving your car, all of your bearings will be correct and nothing will need to be edited.
  • edited June 2013
    I've started to use the standing start feature instead of trying to place accurate start stop lines.

    In the end, I don't really care if RaceChrono can tell me the exact same time as the timing system does. I am using it to find time (between me and a co-driver) based on the data from my driving line and speed graph.

    Oh...and satellite drift...like this?

    https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LMxSd3jXXnw/UaPGmcTroaI/AAAAAAAABIE/fe5xYNxJp7U/w514-h822-no/2013-05-27
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