Track Precision App
#61
I never had the prior version, but yes, V3 "looks" great", but functionality and support are broken... If Porsche would host a forum and/or beta program, there are a few of us the might test various configurations and provide feedback on issues.
I'm interested to see if Westcoast gets any response, but I'm not holding my breath. I have a hunch that Porsche just outsourced the development of this app to a 3rd party and they delivered whatever the were contracted to develop and that's it... leaving no one at Porsche who can work with this code.
[RANT]
I'm almost annoyed enough to write a highly critical letter to PCNA, that they should be embarrassed at the lack of quality and support for this PTPA app... that it does not embody the engineering precision and quality that Porsche is known for... and that a Camaro ZL1 has a much better integrated data logger and built in video in a $60K vehicle.
[/RANT]
I'm interested to see if Westcoast gets any response, but I'm not holding my breath. I have a hunch that Porsche just outsourced the development of this app to a 3rd party and they delivered whatever the were contracted to develop and that's it... leaving no one at Porsche who can work with this code.
[RANT]
I'm almost annoyed enough to write a highly critical letter to PCNA, that they should be embarrassed at the lack of quality and support for this PTPA app... that it does not embody the engineering precision and quality that Porsche is known for... and that a Camaro ZL1 has a much better integrated data logger and built in video in a $60K vehicle.
[/RANT]
#62
PTPA Video Export - The "best" I've been able to produce (so far):
Not my first time on track but these are my first laps in my GT4, actually laps 4-7, as I was only able to export the last 4 laps. Skip 30 seconds forward to bypass my "cheesy" intro titles...
Video was captured by 2 GoPro camera's externally, and not connected to PTPA in any way (more on that below). Even so, the exported video occasionally freezes while the secondary video continues to run. Also, the speeds are metric in KPH rather than MPH.
My setup and procedure:
Phone: LG G6 running Android 9 with PTPA v3.2.1
Main camera: GoPro Hero 4 Silver mounted on luggage bar between seats. Audio from external mic mounted on rear bumper to this cam.
2nd camera: GoPro Hero+LCD mounted on windshield above driver (visible in main camera view)
Post-processing steps:
Now, this is where its absolutely insane the lengths I go to to produce a "quality" video - this takes real dedication (or perhaps an obsession):
Footnotes:
Not my first time on track but these are my first laps in my GT4, actually laps 4-7, as I was only able to export the last 4 laps. Skip 30 seconds forward to bypass my "cheesy" intro titles...
My setup and procedure:
Phone: LG G6 running Android 9 with PTPA v3.2.1
Main camera: GoPro Hero 4 Silver mounted on luggage bar between seats. Audio from external mic mounted on rear bumper to this cam.
2nd camera: GoPro Hero+LCD mounted on windshield above driver (visible in main camera view)
- Reboot phone, put in Airplane mode, then turn on Wi-Fi and connect to vehicle hotspot. I think I left BT off as i didn't need it
- Launch PTPA, insure it shows vehicle connected. Then select 'homemade" track and proceed to point where it says "Start Driving"
- Turn-on both GoPro's and start recording manually.
- Click Start Driving and PTPA shows how many meters away the S/F line is...
- Drive
- Exit track and end PTPA
- Stop recording on GoPro cameras manually.
Post-processing steps:
Now, this is where its absolutely insane the lengths I go to to produce a "quality" video - this takes real dedication (or perhaps an obsession):
- Determine video sync points. Since I start both camera's manually they are not synchronized. While on the grid, there is usually a car in front of me that is visible in both videos. At some point the brakes go on or off, and this allows me to determine the "difference" given that GoPros record at 60 frames per second. I eventually determine that one camera is X.XX seconds behind the other.
- It may be necessary to use a tool like Handbrake to reduce the size of the video files. A 25 minute GoPro video can approach 5-7GB... After using Handbrake (freeware), it can compress down to 1-2 GB.
- Load video's on phone - I put them in my "Camera" folder, since PTPA seems to look there on Android (/SD card/Camera/DCIM in my case)
- Go to PTPA recording, scroll down and click the large PLUS (+) sign to add video material.
- I start with the internal view showing the steering wheel (camera mounted on luggage bar) and take a estimate of where the video appears to cross S/F.
- Your initial guess will be off - so export one lap and watch the "real" steering wheel vs the "graphical" steering wheel - and adjust so they match. Another way to adjust is to listen to the audio for throttle blips on downshifts and match to the tach. This step is the biggest pain in the butt and most time consuming, but also most critical for getting a video that doesn't look "off"
- If you want to add a secondary video, as I did, you can follow the same steps above. First note the actual sync point for your first video, then adjust that timestamp from the "difference" you determine in step 1.
Footnotes:
- Given the extremes I went to above, I should change my ID to "Crazy-Eddie" LOL (Yes, I AM an engineer)
- Yes, it really was that foggy... first session of the weekend at 8am
- The audio is an external GoPro mic mounted in the license plate area of the rear bumper - so, that is what a GT4 stock exhaust sounds like on track.
- I "reversed" the main and secondary camera views and appended that footage - that portion starts around 10:40 in the video and the audio is natural from inside the car.
- I've made over posts "complaining" about PDK Sport upshifting early at partial throttle prior to redline when in Auto mode. An example is at 4:20 in a short connecting straight where PDK "farts" and goes into 3rd. And it wasn't consistent in that area, which drove me nuts.
Last edited by Fast-Eddie; 05-19-2021 at 05:19 PM. Reason: Added "footnotes".
#63
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Very well done, just from your posted steps I can see that is a lot of effort for this!
So, curious, you talk about the 2 main camera's, does this mean that you are still recording video with the camera's phone, or is what we see above the video from the Hero4 Silver and the overlay is on it? If yes, how did you sync the overlay to it if you didn't have video on the app to see or is this all done after you add the external video?
Another place I think Porsche missed the boat on this was the PTPA should be an app on the PCM (which is essentially a computer any way), that way the screen is there and mounted, no external WIFI to worry about between the app and PCM, heck the PCM can display the back-up camera, it would be simple to allow a connection for a front mounted camera to the PCM... I did this on my 981 for both front and rear cameras and I put a front can in on the Spyder via the Android Box too.
So, curious, you talk about the 2 main camera's, does this mean that you are still recording video with the camera's phone, or is what we see above the video from the Hero4 Silver and the overlay is on it? If yes, how did you sync the overlay to it if you didn't have video on the app to see or is this all done after you add the external video?
Another place I think Porsche missed the boat on this was the PTPA should be an app on the PCM (which is essentially a computer any way), that way the screen is there and mounted, no external WIFI to worry about between the app and PCM, heck the PCM can display the back-up camera, it would be simple to allow a connection for a front mounted camera to the PCM... I did this on my 981 for both front and rear cameras and I put a front can in on the Spyder via the Android Box too.
#64
So, curious, you talk about the 2 main camera's, does this mean that you are still recording video with the camera's phone, or is what we see above the video from the Hero4 Silver and the overlay is on it? If yes, how did you sync the overlay to it if you didn't have video on the app to see or is this all done after you add the external video?
If you are able to use the phone's internal camera, I think the synchronization there might be easier, but I couldn't obtain a good quality video. My phone is about 3 years old and perhaps not powerful enough to handle both video and PTPA (???).
Another place I think Porsche missed the boat on this was the PTPA should be an app on the PCM (which is essentially a computer any way), that way the screen is there and mounted, no external WIFI to worry about between the app and PCM, heck the PCM can display the back-up camera, it would be simple to allow a connection for a front mounted camera to the PCM... I did this on my 981 for both front and rear cameras and I put a front can in on the Spyder via the Android Box too.
Last edited by Fast-Eddie; 05-19-2021 at 06:32 PM.
#65
Is it possible to connect the Track Precision app (on iPhone) linked via CarPlay on the PCM to a GoPro?
I have no problems connecting the app to CarPlay and using the camera on the iPhone but cannot connect to the GoPro.
Had anyone got this to work?
I have no problems connecting the app to CarPlay and using the camera on the iPhone but cannot connect to the GoPro.
Had anyone got this to work?
#66
don't think that's possible
#67
What I do is copy the video I want over to my Iphone later then add it from the device and synch it manually which is a right pain in the ***, but rewarding once you get it.
If you do want to try controlling your GoPro with the PTPA then click "start", then the cog wheel on top left, where you will then be able to click "External camera" and then select your GoPro. But as mentioned there is not really any benefit to doing this as you still have to import the video manally later, the PTPA is not clever enough to do it for you.
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joerg65 (05-21-2021)
#68
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You can do this and the PTP App/Carplay will start the GoPro recording when you cross the line but it is a little unreliable and you still have to import the video later. Which in any case you may as well manually start the gopro before you go out. Then under recordings, scroll down the bottom and you can click "+" to add video, then select "External camera", then your GoPro, then you can select the relevant video to import from the gallery, if you can recognise it! It is a easy way to getting the video(s) on your eye phone.
What I do is copy the video I want over to my Iphone later then add it from the device and synch it manually which is a right pain in the ***, but rewarding once you get it.
If you do want to try controlling your GoPro with the PTPA then click "start", then the cog wheel on top left, where you will then be able to click "External camera" and then select your GoPro. But as mentioned there is not really any benefit to doing this as you still have to import the video manally later, the PTPA is not clever enough to do it for you.
What I do is copy the video I want over to my Iphone later then add it from the device and synch it manually which is a right pain in the ***, but rewarding once you get it.
If you do want to try controlling your GoPro with the PTPA then click "start", then the cog wheel on top left, where you will then be able to click "External camera" and then select your GoPro. But as mentioned there is not really any benefit to doing this as you still have to import the video manally later, the PTPA is not clever enough to do it for you.
#69
You can do this and the PTP App/Carplay will start the GoPro recording when you cross the line but it is a little unreliable and you still have to import the video later. Which in any case you may as well manually start the gopro before you go out. Then under recordings, scroll down the bottom and you can click "+" to add video, then select "External camera", then your GoPro, then you can select the relevant video to import from the gallery, if you can recognise it! It is a easy way to getting the video(s) on your eye phone.
What I do is copy the video I want over to my Iphone later then add it from the device and synch it manually which is a right pain in the ***, but rewarding once you get it.
If you do want to try controlling your GoPro with the PTPA then click "start", then the cog wheel on top left, where you will then be able to click "External camera" and then select your GoPro. But as mentioned there is not really any benefit to doing this as you still have to import the video manually later, the PTPA is not clever enough to do it for you.
What I do is copy the video I want over to my Iphone later then add it from the device and synch it manually which is a right pain in the ***, but rewarding once you get it.
If you do want to try controlling your GoPro with the PTPA then click "start", then the cog wheel on top left, where you will then be able to click "External camera" and then select your GoPro. But as mentioned there is not really any benefit to doing this as you still have to import the video manually later, the PTPA is not clever enough to do it for you.
I outlined my steps above in the post. Synching an external video is painful, but you can estimate the sync point by looking at when you first cross start/finish, then do an export and watch the tach versus the audio for downshifts blips. If the video (sound) is lagging, you need to ADD to your sync point to bring the video forward. Conversely, if the data is lagging, that means the video (sound is coming in early), you SUBTRACT from the sync point to have the video arrive later. It seems backward, but that's how I do it. You can apply the same "logic" using the steering wheel versus the graphical steering, if your video was from inside the car. For a windshield mounted cam, I use the engine audio and match to the tach.
Last edited by Fast-Eddie; 05-21-2021 at 11:29 AM.
#70
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@Fast-Eddie So are you confirming that I can continue to leverage my investment in the Hero3? No real need to upgrade at this time (with respect to use with the PTPA)?
***Question*** I was hoping that the "External Camera" option in the PTPA would bring in the GoPro video and sync it to the app data and video all at the same time...?
***Question*** I was hoping that the "External Camera" option in the PTPA would bring in the GoPro video and sync it to the app data and video all at the same time...?
Last edited by Westcoast; 05-21-2021 at 01:05 PM.
#71
@Fast-Eddie So are you confirming that I can continue to leverage my investment in the Hero3? No real need to upgrade at this time (with respect to use with the PTPA)?
Additional Notes:
- For some reason, I could never get an export to work when I had the "Include Driver Name" option enabled in the export dialog. When I un-checked that option, the export completed. I have no idea why, as it seems such a simple thing. Try this if your exports are not completing.
- In some of my records, I was unable to export the complete session, but I was able the select every lap and export them individually. This is another pain-in-the-@$$, since if your have 10 laps you get 10 exported videos, which you can then stitch together with a video editor if desired to get a full session video. UGH.
- I have my GoPro camera set at 1920x1080 and 60fps. Even after re-rendering these to reduce size, the video maybe be too much for PTPA, or perhaps it was my phone. The way I got my export to work a "little" more reliably was to render down the GoPro footage to 1280x720 at 30fps. There is freeware called HandBrake which I use for this.
Last edited by Fast-Eddie; 05-21-2021 at 01:58 PM.
#72
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Well it is good to know that I don't have to buy a new GoPro just yet, the new ones look nice but truly there is nothing wrong with my Hero3, In fact I was able to get some decent footage on the last track outing with the camera mounted up front... negligible wind noise and it picked up the exhaust sound very well considering! Still I might buy an external stereo microphone so I can mount the mic out back to capture a cleaner sound track.
#73
Total Ball-Ache... I'm just so pi$$ed the Porsche just don't appear to have put the effort in here to deliver something complete....
Ref the above issues....
With Racechrono & HLT it picks up the GPS data from your Go Pro - and directly auto-matches it to your app recorded data within a few milliseconds and fine tuning in the apps is a cinch.
You can even just not record session data in RaceChrono or HLT, and can just import the video and it will create a data overlay based up the GPS data from the video.
You can add multiple videos into a session as Go-Pro break up recording into 11:48min/4GB max so if your out for a long run you need to stitch multiple files together... RaceChrono and HLT just handles this.
Rendering out is also so easy and quick.
Porsche should literally just white-label or partner with one of these products and add their extra data channels (via gateway sensor integration) and Porsche graphics... that'd be perfect..
It'd be a win for Porsche, customers and the partner... even charge $20-50.... game over.
Ref the above issues....
With Racechrono & HLT it picks up the GPS data from your Go Pro - and directly auto-matches it to your app recorded data within a few milliseconds and fine tuning in the apps is a cinch.
You can even just not record session data in RaceChrono or HLT, and can just import the video and it will create a data overlay based up the GPS data from the video.
You can add multiple videos into a session as Go-Pro break up recording into 11:48min/4GB max so if your out for a long run you need to stitch multiple files together... RaceChrono and HLT just handles this.
Rendering out is also so easy and quick.
Porsche should literally just white-label or partner with one of these products and add their extra data channels (via gateway sensor integration) and Porsche graphics... that'd be perfect..
It'd be a win for Porsche, customers and the partner... even charge $20-50.... game over.
Last edited by TDT; 05-21-2021 at 12:40 PM.
#74
Porsche should literally just white-label or partner with one of these products and add their extra data channels (via gateway sensor integration) and Porsche graphics... that'd be perfect..
It'd be a win for Porsche, customers and the partner... even charge $20-50.... game over.
It'd be a win for Porsche, customers and the partner... even charge $20-50.... game over.
[RANT] I think the main reason that PTPA is such crap, is that Porsche does not provide a forum and beta group to work out the bugs and improve the app. Hence, most of us get pissed off, abandon PTPA and go back to using AIM, or TrackAddict, or Garmin, or Laptimer, or RaceChrono, etc. The result is PTPA never truly improves, and it has such potential.
Last edited by Fast-Eddie; 05-21-2021 at 02:02 PM.
#75
I do same in the license plate area to tape the mic right next to the backup camera, and run the cable along the bumper, then up alongside the spoiler and into the trunk, where I connect it to my GoPro that is mounted on the luggage bar between the seats. Putting the mic in this area has very little wind noise and its protected somewhat from rain.