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RACELOGIC Support Centre

11 - PT / DT Tools Menu

Clicking on the ‘Tools’ icon on the Toolbar will reveal a drop-down list containing a number of useful features, such as File Repair and the Exporting Data to Mapping Software facility.
 

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Arrange Windows

The use of different screen resolutions or multiple screens can cause some windows to be placed out side of the default screen size, which is then not viewable when the default screen is used.

This facility allows any windows that have been lost off the visible screen to be located back into the visible screen area.

Export Data

This option allows the location data stored on a ‘.dbn’ file to be converted into a ‘.txt’ file that may be used with Google Earth, Microsoft AutoRoute and Microsoft Streets & Trips, to show the vehicle’s path in the mapping software. This option is also used to create a file that can be used in Track Vision software.

Exporting Data to Google EarthTM

Data can be exported to Google Earth by selecting the Tools menu and choosing the Google Earth option. The resultant file .kml is recognised by the Google Earth software and allows data to be viewed on the satellite images.
 

Upon exporting the file, you will be prompted for an X and Y offset: this allows for data to be correctly aligned on the satellite images – much of Google Earth is not exactly accurate so some exported files, such as circuit overlays, may ‘miss’ the edges of the track. The offset allows for this error to be corrected.
 

Note: If your data file has more than 65,000 sample points the software will automatically sub-sample the file to ensure the entire length of the file is represented in the exported file. Google Earth cannot display files of greater than 65,000 samples.

Exporting to Mapping Software (AutoRoute or Streets & Trips)

Load the ‘.dbn’ file into PerformanceTools / DriftTools using the ‘Load All’ button from the main toolbar, then click on the ‘Export Data To Mapping Software’ option in the ‘Tools’ menu.
 

A small selection box will appear, in which the export rate can be chosen.

Importing the Mapping file into AutoRoute or Streets & Trips

Open AutoRoute or Street & Trips. Click on ‘Data’ and then select ‘Import Data Wizard’. When prompted, browse for the ‘.txt’ file you have just created with PerformanceTools / DriftTools and open it, then select ‘Comma’ as the delimiter and click ‘Next’. In column F2 select Latitude as the column name from the drop down menu. In column F3 select Longitude as the column name from the drop down menu and then click ‘Finish’. The program then generates a map of your data location and places markers on the map at every data point that was specified when the output file was, for example once every second.

Exporting To Track Vision

This option creates a csv file with the data in a format that Track Vision software can use.

Import Data

Data created in Google EarthTM as a .kml file can be imported into PerformanceTools or DriftTools. This is particularly useful for creating circuit overlays without having to physically drive the track. Only .kml files can be imported, so when saving paths created in Google Earth it is necessary to ensure the correct file type is chosen (the other option is .kmz, and is not a valid import file type for PerformanceTools.)

File Repair

If the file being loaded into the software contains dropped sample data (caused by travelling under a bridge, for example) then Performance Tools will prompt you to repair the file. This can be done by clicking on the Tools menu and choosing File Repair. Areas of dropped samples will be then repaired.
 

Once the repair has been carried out is advisable to save the file and reload it. This will ensure that all channels are correctly aligned in the Graph screen. Areas that have been repaired will be represented in the Number of Satellites channel as 0.
 

A repaired file may still display the Dropouts message upon being reloaded. This is generally due to the dropouts occurring at a time when the number of available satellites is so low that an effective repair cannot be carried out (such as travelling through a tunnel.)
 

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Radius of Turn set-up

Click this option to open the Radius of Turn setup window, in which the smoothing level and maximum radius value can be set.
 

When smoothing is applied to data, the value of an individual sample point is affected by samples around it. As the effective Radius of a straight line is infinite, the very high samples of data before and after a corner can adversely affect the values of Radius in a corner. To reduce this effect it is advised to set a maximum radius value to a fraction higher than the maximum radius of the corners you are examining
 

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