ProCoach

Yes, just for the HD2 iOS app.

In terms of on screen displays, the +/- on the Solo DL and the predictive on the VB HD2 is another reason why a lot of older model MoTeC users add these two to piggyback...

ShakeNBake

Finished posting - thanks!

FergusH

Thanks you! Very informative 'though for me you're preaching to the converted ;-)

Couple of questions for you:

1. Are you recording video at the default medium quality or the high quality setting? If you've changed that setting, do you notice much difference?

2. I'm interested in your scene file. Do you now have brake and throttle working well? How about steering angle?

3. If you did a permanent installation on the GT4, where would you put the HD2 box? I'm thinking about under the passenger's seat. How about the OLED screen?

4. How are you doing the CAN wiring? From the fuse area on the left side, using the inductive pickup?

Thanks again.

ShakeNBake

Honestly, sometimes I find that using the Xbox screencast feature in Windows 10 is one of the better ways to do and post an analysis. You can export individual laps (soon for HD2) from Circuit tools. In general works well. Video quality is best I've seen this side of 60fps Go-pro.

As far as real-time, I don't look at it much. The feature I wish work well, theoretically VBOX can do this, but I have not figured out how, is to show you stats on the segment. So, instead of worrying about the lap as a whole with the predictive time, you would see min/max speed and time difference for that segment. I'm typically not working on the whole lap, and unless we're renting the track, there is traffic, so what I wish I had in the car was good real-time segment analysis that I could glance at right after I complete the segment. Without that I look at exit speed, and apex speed.

ShakeNBake

I have not played with the quality setting yet, I believe it's on the highest quality setting right now in those videos. I would have played with it more, but my car hit a bit of bad luck at the BMW event.

I have throttle, brake, steering angle (which looks like a steering wheel stripe moving around the tach), RPM. Working on the sport button, but I never use it, so not super motivated. I was trying to convince Racelogic to get TPMS is in there...that would be cool (and more so to see it in the data streams in circuit tools). Ask Peter about the scene file, he's convinced me to make it available. He has the details.

That is a good question. I am not 100% sure yet. It is actually in a very good position right now if you can believe it. It does not interfere with my elbow, and is very securely held on, and you can still open the armrest. It's a bit too tall to mount in the space between the metal bar and the plastic trim behind the seats.

If it fits under the seat, that's a good place too. Nice thing is you don't have to worry about accelerometers. Mostly you just need access to the SD card slot. Another place I will look is under the glovebox, and perhaps look into mounting it to the harness bar.

Yes, I am hitting CAN in the drivers fusebox area (US) hard wired (much cheaper cable!), along with switched power. You could do inductive here as well.



The screen is on a RAM mount here:

Texas RS

Spyerx,

There is a couple of seconds a lap for you if you look future down the track and less at the Aim dash. ;-)

FergusH

Thanks! This is great info. One last thing (well, for now): are you using a GT4 specific CAN database or one of the ones already on Racelogic's website? I only see a Cayman and Cayman S one there.

ShakeNBake

I don't think they have updated their website. There is a file they will give you if you ask. It's built into my scene though, I will keep it up to date as they add to it. Since I'm not technically a vendor, I will let Peter tell you about it.

FergusH

Great; thanks.

Mech33

Amazing set of posts! Very impressive review work. Thanks for taking the time to pull this together and share with everyone.

It looks like Racelogic sells a USB cable that lets you record to a USB drive instead of the SD card (probably good of youngest to bury the main box somewhere).

Is the Mac version of Corcuit Tools fully featured, or is it behind the Windows version?

DeerHunter

Great review of a nice-looking set-up. Just a note that your analogue speedo overlay is marked in mph but is actually measuring km/h.

Spyerx

The aim does this reasonably well and you can define the sectors. Must be done on the Map editor and imported to the solo and smarty. Setup to do sectors isn't really intuitive but it works.

There is truth in this statement :-)

Reality is I use it more in a sector the way similar to what shake describes below. Glance at difference and then try different sequences to see which is faster.

Jamie@dundonmotorsports

Just ordered mine, can't wait. Are the porsche specific dash overlays included?

ProCoach

What should be understood is that CAN integration in the background ("scenes") of the HD2 video is not a simple drag and drop process, nor is the assignment of the .ref file channels and ranges to the individual display components ("elements") straightforward.

The system is perfectly capable of providing basic information the the SmartyCam HD provides without a CAN stream AS-IS, plug and play. That means with the default scene loaded on the HD2, you get:

1) a built in track database that instantly "fixes" the start/finish coordinates for lap timing and lap count.

On multi layout tracks, you should verify, using the OLED, the configuration you are using for the most accurate timing.

You have automatically a map in the background.

2) GPS speed

3) GPS long g and lat g

4) Comb g or gSum, a measure of the total grip available at any point and combination of braking, acceleration and cornering

5) track map

VBOX Setup for the HD2 has multiple optional and freely included basic, default scenes included in the software. Periodically, in the Racelogic forums, people may share specific scenes that work for their cars and CAN assignments, but that is rare. The optional scenes can be modified with the downloadable, and again, free from Racelogic, CAN .ref files, which allow for proper (and VERY much more limited than AiM, but more than MoTeC) channel assignment for that particular
make and model. It is time consuming, and like AiM, some channels work and some don't.

To answer the GT4 specific question, the "building" of custom scenes, similar to MoTeC's Display Creator program, is individual and unique to every vehicle.

In THIS case, for the 981 GT4, I asked ShakeNBake to make available, for a small fee, a TESTED, VETTED scene that after easily being imported into your VBOX Setup program (and/or directly loaded onto your HD2 from the top level of your SD card) can be the background for ALL videos going forward.

If you are a 981 GT4 driver with an HD2, please contact me via email or PM and I will send you the link for purchase of this scene, which represents substantial time and testing, but is the best, most expedient way to get all the information useful (above the default scene) out of a GT4.


On the recording quality, I find medium (~4.5GB/hour) perfectly adequate, but high (~6 GB/hour) is enabled by default in the latest firmware, this can be changed by altering the scene parameters in VBOX Video Setup and sending the scene again to the HD2.

The SNB GT4 scene is fully functional. Do you NEED this to use the HD2? No, but it's really nice!

I really recommend the HD2 be mounted in the open air. The unit's powerful rendering processors (and the fact that the finned case top is the heat sink) generates enough heat so I would not enclose it in a glovebox or inside a sealed area. The OLED is most useful in the lower left corner of the windscreen or lower central area of the windscreen, aimed towards the driver. It's easier to read than other backlit or LCD displays.

The preferred CAN connection IS the direct connection as used for the AIM Solo DL and dashes. I'm glad to send directions to those that purchase equipment (AiM or VBOX Video HD2) from me. You already have it!

However, for the squeamish, there is the clip-on inductive pickup, which requires no splicing, no cutting, no adapter harnesses of any kind. The lead length is short, so it prevents the VBOX Video HD2 from being located more than about 45-50" away from the connection. The hardwire cable is about 75" long.

Any addition of CAN connectivity to a system already using an OLED display will require the purchase of a Y-cable to allow connection of both to one port on the HD2. The Y-cable is $150 (three Lemo's make it that way), the hard wire CAN cable is $80 and the inductive pickup is $280


They do make a USB cable to allow for recording to a remotely accesses USB stick (make SURE the write speed is UP THERE), you need to follow their directions for use of the USB stick recording capability here:

"Video files are recorded to SD card or USB as .mp4 files. The media must be formatted in FAT32 and video is recorded in 2gb file sizes, with one associated .vbo file."

"Within the setup software there is an option for preferential recording media, meaning that if an SD card is inserted but a USB flash drive is then connected it can default to recording to USB. This is a very useful feature for drive experience companies who can use the SD card as a fail-safe recording medium. The HD2 system can now use multiple media devices – not at the same time, but one after the other. For example, if both USB and SD card are present, the unit will fill one before then moving to the other."

Again, I would not recommend "burying" the HD2 for thermal reasons. It's not a fire hazard, but let the puppies breathe!

The OS X version of Circuit Tools is slightly more limited in the options of how the information can be shown, but I feel the comparative capabilities between laps and segments MAY be a little better. Also, you cannot at the present time, excise ONE lap for upload in the Windows version, but you CAN do this in the OS X version VERY easily.

One bug. When uploading to Facebook, the FB uploader strips the audio from the native .mp4 audio codec that VBOX Video HD2 uses. No problem with Vimeo or YouTube, and it may work in the OS X version of Circuit Tools 2, but before uploading HD2 video to FB, rerender the clip using another video editor. If you don't have one, Racelogic in the UK will be glad to do that for you, using their file transfer protocol.

You can define the sectors in AiM, but it's a royal PITA. VBOX Video HD2 is much easier AND intuitive. For specific sectors on the OLED, yes, you will have to create .spl files and send them to the OLED, but I see no reason to do that. You don't sound like you're doing that, either, but rather using it like SNB and I do, as a "whole lap," "ahead or behind my previous best," "is my strategy working" way.

You'll have it Monday, via three-day Air! Tracking info sent.

No. Generic overlays are included and I recommend everyone come up to speed using the loaded "scene" or overlay. When and if you want to add vehicle-specific information AND make a physical connection TO the car, THEN you can begin to experiment with bespoke, custom and semi-custom overlays.

As time goes on, there will be some additional scenes offered in the public forum areas of Racelogic, but this system is SO new, no one has had an opportunity to do that. The only custom scene I know is the payware scene built, tested and vetted by SNB and I specifically for the 981 GT4. I'm sure that if there is a demand, we can come up with some more, as well as savvy folks building their own with vector drawing programs like Illustrator and CorelDraw. HTH.

Matt Romanowski

How much is the custom GT4 screen?

Also worth noting in the video quality portion, the SmartyCam has a global shutter, so you shouldn't see any wave in the video. It's actually a full screen picture for each frame, not a line by line scan. http://www.aim-sportline.com/eng/pro...distortion.htm

Again, great review and analysis of the system!