Suggested feature - Manual lap insertion

Hi,

I'm wondering if it's possible to have the option to manually add laps to a video. I've used the 'set activity start time' option quite a bit, but I find the auto lap feature to be very unreliable (works <50% of the time). Instead, I'm wondering if it would be possible to manually add laps to a video to guarantee correct lap data. I see 3 types of data to be added:

1 - First lap - Initiates the first lap data at the current point in the video. Any footage prior to this would have lap data blank.
2 - Next lap - Increments lap counter and resets lap timer (ie the current next lap behaviour). Has to be added for every new lap.
3 - End lap - Inserted at the end of the event. Holds final lap data. Used when finishing an event but the video rolls on a bit.

My specific use case would be cyclocross racing. The auto lap can't handle travelling next to, and in the opposite direction, without incrementing the lap data even though it's not a new lap. If the auto lap included a check of the heading it could make a more sensible decision as to whether a new lap had started or not.

For what I do, the manual lap feature would be very easy to use and much more reliable.

Cheers,
Brett

0 mmi16 over 8 years ago

Another piece of electronic data collection that I use with my race car has a setting for 'track width' so as to define where the S/F line is when the continuation of the track may be in near proximity to the actual S/F line.

Maybe Garmin could incorporate such at option in the Activity Set Start function.

0 Brettkp over 8 years ago

That could be another way to assist in determining laps. I don't think it'd work for cyclocross though as the track often runs right next to the start line. Therefore if you lap to the side where the other track is and then apply a start line width algorithm, it would cover the reverse direction track.

Just another thought though, perhaps there could be a way to remove laps from the auto lap feature? Ie let it do it's thing and have a tag in the timeline where the laps have been placed and let the user remove them (or add as a possible extension of the capability). This would get the reliability up a bit.

I did note that on my most recent video I set the activity start time to when i crossed the start line at the beginning of the race, it had some weird behaviour. Firstly, the lap timer commenced with the start of the video, not when I crossed the start line. The first lap was fine (ie it thankfully didn't autolap when i crossed the line at the start), but subsequent laps didn't lap on the line, it was more like 50m later which is just weird.

I still think the manual option would be the most reliable, but a combination of auto and manual would be perfect!

Cheers,
Brett