Notices
Media Got any pics or vids to share?

Overlaying data onto your track videos

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 2, 2012 | 01:35 AM
  #1  
Mobius's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,469
Total Cats: 365
From: Portland, Oregon
Default Overlaying data onto your track videos

I decided to see what I could do for a reasonable price using tools I already own or that were inexpensive. The traqmate stuff that GRM published is awesome, but I have other car budget items with higher priority. And the quality of tools seems to be increasing rapidly due to the growth in power and ubiquitous presence of smartphones.

Starting hardware:
data collection: iphone 3gs
data collection: PLX kiwi wifi OBD2 reader
video: gopro hero

Needed:
IOS data collection app
video overlay tool
external GPS for iPhone

For the data collection app on the iphone, I wanted to be able to export data so that it could be overlayed onto the gopro video, and I wanted it to be able to access the OBDII data from the car. I looked at Harry's Lap Timer and CMS lap timer. I decided to go with Harry's as the export options seemed more straightforward. Also, support for Autocross seemed simpler as well.
Cost: $20 for HLT Pro.

GPS: Bad Elf. This unit offers quick lockon, much better precision than the internal GPS of the phone, and a 10hz update rate. HLT supports it natively.
Cost: $100

For video overlay, I looked at Dashvision, RaceRender, and TrackVision. TrackVision had the advantage of having a specific supported export file format from HLT, and seemed very powerful, but was the most expensive by far. Dashvision seemed focused on cyclists of the pedaling variety. Racerender supports multiple input data files, multiple input video files, can do PIP, etc. Also it was the least expensive for the full featured version.
Racerender.
Cost: $35.

So after a couple of hours fiddling around tonight, here are the results. Criticize my driving if you wish - note several things, please: 1) it's 55 degrees 2) it's wet wet wet 3) I am on four year old RS2's, and they liked heat when they were young, and did I mention it's 55 degrees? Traction was hard to find.

Also, the G Meter is inaccurate due to my not having calibrated the position of the phone in its cradle. HLT has an option to replace all of the recorded acceleromoter data with derived values calculated from the GPS data, but I have not done that yet.

Run 3:


Run 4:


Some time savers for anyone else considering doing this:

* for 10hz GPS update rate, you have to set it 10 hz in the settings for both HLT and the Bad Elf app

* calibrate your phone position in the cradle, so your accelerometer readings are accurate

* OBDII data had some dropouts.

* when defining the autocross course within Harry's Lap Timer, use your first run. The docs say to do it when you're walking the course. I had the set screen time out on me. Perhaps I did something wrong, but setting it using a run worked fine.

* running HLT and the Bad Elf gps dongle simultaneously is a huge power drain.
Old Jul 2, 2012 | 09:25 PM
  #2  
hustler's Avatar
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
Default

I use RaceRender with my G2X.

I've had so many problems with my G2X that I want to switch to phone-only data. The problem is finding a mount that doesn't vibrate to hell.
Old Jul 3, 2012 | 12:54 AM
  #3  
Mobius's Avatar
Thread Starter
Elite Member
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 3,469
Total Cats: 365
From: Portland, Oregon
Default

This is what I use: VSM mount for miatas

It screws into the "frame" or whatever you call it that surrounds the console area openings for the radio/hvac/etc.

It's a two piece system, the base mount, and then a cradle to fit your particular device, which for me is an iphone 3gs

You are android though, right? Haven't researched those options.
Old Jul 3, 2012 | 07:16 AM
  #4  
muoto's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 414
Total Cats: 69
From: Finland
Default

I use racerender as well
Old Jul 3, 2012 | 09:21 AM
  #5  
hustler's Avatar
Tour de Franzia
iTrader: (6)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,085
Total Cats: 375
From: Republic of Dallas
Default

Originally Posted by muoto
Any tips for syncing?
Old Jul 3, 2012 | 09:43 AM
  #6  
muoto's Avatar
Junior Member
 
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 414
Total Cats: 69
From: Finland
Default

Originally Posted by hustler
Any tips for syncing?
An hour of free time and about 6 beers
Old Oct 23, 2012 | 12:06 PM
  #7  
m2cupcar's Avatar
Elite Member
iTrader: (5)
 
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,486
Total Cats: 372
From: Atlanta
Default

fwiw- Harry's Lap Timer Pro iPhone now has data overlay on video recording.

Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Full_Tilt_Boogie
Build Threads
84
Apr 12, 2021 04:21 PM
Quinn
Cars for sale/trade
6
Oct 23, 2016 07:58 AM
Frank_and_Beans
Supercharger Discussion
13
Sep 12, 2016 08:17 PM
mx592
Suspension, Brakes, Drivetrain
1
Oct 1, 2015 12:45 AM
Voltwings
Cars for sale/trade
0
Sep 27, 2015 06:40 PM




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 03:57 AM.