09 - Circuit Tools Start/Finish Wizard
You can access the Start/finish wizard by clicking on the highlighted buttons below or by using the keyboard shortcut (CTRL+G).
This wizard lets you define desired points on your driven circuit. If the logged data is from a circuit included in the Racelogic track map database, the circuit outline should appear, with the start line defined, when the file is loaded.
You may need to define specific split points - if they have already been loaded into the scene setup and into a Video VBOX unit, they will be embedded in the data file and will appear automatically when loaded.
When a circuit from the database is detected, the name of the circuit and the number of laps will appear in the wizard. If the circuit is unknown, lap and sector numbers will only appear after they have been set.
When you have set the points, click Yes under the Continue to data analysis? section. This will cause the new points to be used in the session window. Select the Save track in file option to save the circuit layout and split points into the .vbo data file. They will automatically load whenever the specific data file is reloaded.
Note: .dbn files from DriftBox or PerformanceBox units do not allow this option.
Selecting Back will cancel any changes.
Splits
This is the function Sector by max. speed in the Wizard. It creates a new sector at the start of a braking point and at the end of a straight.
This setting not only gives a useable number of splits but also ensures that the Ideal lap is realistic. This is because it takes into account the slowing down and acceleration out of each major corner.
By using the Sector Generation menu, you can edit or turn off the automatic split generation.
If you want to increase the number of splits, you can use the Sector by accel / decel option or manually define them by using the right mouse button as described below.
You can also set the splits to be equally spaced around the track by using the Equal Sectors option. Click on Sector count for Equal Sectors to edit the number of splits that will appear when you select Equal Sectors.
Saving / Loading Start and Split Files
Start and split files can be loaded or saved in the Start/Finish Wizard.
Selecting the Splits menu option allows you to:
- Save out defined points (both .spl files for VBOX and .dsf files for DriftBox can be saved)
- Load previously used points
- Clear all the points shown on the map image
- Clear only the split points shown on the map image
Manually Setting Points
In the Start/Finish Wizard, you can define points by using the mouse buttons as described below.
Start/ Finish point
Set a start/finish point by clicking the left-hand mouse button. This will appear as a green dot, as pictured below.
Split point
Set a split point by clicking the right-hand mouse button. This will appear as a blue dot, as pictured below.
Clear a split point by clicking the right-hand mouse button while holding down the Shift+Control keys.
Separate Finish point
Set a finish point by clicking the left-hand mouse button while holding down the Shift key. This will appear as a red dot, as pictured below.
Gate Width
It is possible to change the width of the start/finish line gate used in the software by selecting the Gate width option. The default setting for this is 20 m.
This is particularly useful if the software is not detecting the correct number of laps. When racing at a very narrow circuit, where the pit lane is right next to the start line, it could be possible to trigger lap timing in the pit lane, which will result in an incorrect number of laps.
Note: The gate width value is the width on either side of the central gate point, meaning that for the default value of 20 m, the total gate width is 40 m.