Garmin CSV to GPX Converter

Kremmen · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 7:04 am Post subject:

Opinions wanted.

The way the Garmin works is that it uses the @xx (xx=30,40,50,etc) text in the description field to produce the continual warnings or not to produce any warning if it deems you don't need one.

Currently, by using the alternative test field(s) this replaces the current text with whatever you choose at the time of processing. Because of this it has to ignore the Overspeed column or you would get 2 back to back approach warnings for every camera, and, it stops the RedSpeed conversion because by the time it assesses the text it's already been changed away from 'Gatso'.

Would it be acceptable to move the alternative text feature to a standalone process that is run manually after the normal process has completed or leave it as is with the limitations?
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Allan_whoops · Frequent Visitor Joined: Feb 18, 2006 Posts: 369

If I understand it correctly, moving it to a manual process allows the overspeed function to be back to a single warning. If so, then I would welcome that.

Kremmen · Posted: Fri Oct 16, 2015 8:50 am Post subject:

Sort of.....

The approach and overspeed function relies on me writing 2 almost identical lines in the gpx files.

At the moment that is one line that contains Gatso10#50 and the other contains Gatso10@50.

The # line forces the approach warning to always occur.
The @ line will continually produce a warning from the time distance you set if you are on or over the camera limit.

To keep the 2 separate functions I would need to retain the @50, or whatever speed in the overspeed line.

So if you opted for Fixed Camera to replace Gatso then the line would have to include Fixed Camera@50. That will be subject to the Garmin allowing a space. May have to be FixedCamera subject to testing.

Because the Merc needs it all to be alpha characters I need to introduce some options.

Hope that lot makes sense Smile

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Nemesis1 · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 24, 2005 Posts: 170

Makes sense to me mate.
And could work even better for us in Mercs. I found after much testing (as you know as you contributed and helped me greatly) I found that the best results alert wise are proximity only. Any kind of speed sensitive alert in the Mercedes is very hit and miss. I used to spend hours manually editing the files at each release, carefully removing all numbers and speed info and inputting a proximity only parameter.

I then made a decision to use your program, and the enhancements you have made have made my life so much easier. If another enhancement stand alone or not, make it possible to further replicate the heavily edited files I had a relative success rate with, that would be awesome.

I currently work with no on screen icons, these are suppressed by Mercedes, and an approximate 80-85% hit rate for alerts. Even given your programs various settings to force an alert, these have no affect for me. Absolutely not the fault of your software Kremnen, Garmin have repeatedly confirmed that Mercedes specifically requested the suppression of many of the Garmin functions.

:-)

Kremmen · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2015 4:42 am Post subject:

Ta

The routine to replace the text is a bit cumbersome and restricted by doing it during processing.

What I'll do is take the processing bit back to what it was and then work on the text change screen to have a few more options to really customise what is output. That will allow the recent RedSpeed to be allowed.

All it will do is open each gpx file and make the requested changes. There will still need to be some restrictions like if you remove the @50 then duplicate approach and overspeed lines in that file will have to be removed.

I'll get started next week.
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Kremmen · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 10:00 am Post subject:

Have I missed anything?

The yellow fields are where you enter your option and the blue fields are the result. The result is changed dynamically.
I've included 2 examples where I've changed the test.

Final job, if I haven't missed anything is the write the processing routine.
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M8TJT · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 11:57 am Post subject:

Hi kremmen. I find the overspeed information a bit difficult to get my head around as to what exactly does or doesn't happen if you change the text. It's probably because I don't realise the significance of the # and @ symbol. A bit more explanation would help I feel.

Kremmen · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject:

The OverSpeed function needs to have a @50 (or whatever speed) symbol in the text field of the GPX file.

If that is removed then that line will be treated by Garmin as a mandatory warning so the overspeed functionality will be lost and both limits (Approach and OverSpeed) will both produce a warning.

So changing the text to say 'Fixed Camera - Fifty Mph' in both existing lines would produce 2 warnings, always.

For them both to work as intended you would need one of the lines to be 'Fixed Camera-@50'

Can be done if all that is required to be changed is 'Gatso', 'Specs', etc.

If it's any consolation, I know what I mean Smile

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M8TJT · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:33 pm Post subject:

I'm pleased about that.

Kremmen · Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2015 6:47 pm Post subject:

It all circulates around the reports we used to get about cameras we know that are in the database but not being reported by the Garmin.

Garmin uses to @30 @40 @50 etc to check against the GPS speed to make this decision.
Having a line without the @xx forces its hand.

By allowing a text change this will more than likely remove the @xx so a second possibly unwanted warning will be produced.

By definition I should only be delivering an overspeed warning when you are.
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Nemesis1 · Regular Visitor Joined: Aug 24, 2005 Posts: 170

Could the overspeed be made to work against a number in the file name?
If there are no number against an individual entry in a file, but the file itself is called xxx_20 Garmin sets every entry in that file to 20 I believe?

Just a thought mate, I know nothing of how it would all work but that just popped in my head. I remember experimenting with all this while trying to get mine working even a little bit. Numbers in file names don't seem to mess it up like numbers in the description field does in the Mercedes system.

:-)

Kremmen · Posted: Wed Oct 21, 2015 4:49 am Post subject:

Ta for the feedback.

That is exactly what I've had to do in the latest, in testing, version with the Redlight file as there is no speed in the filename. The new version uses this where previous versions ignored it. Unlike the other files though Garmin uses the keyword 'Redlight' to make its decisions so the character within the fiie is the # throughout.

The problem is that Garmin gets its instructions from the data in the .gpx file as there is no overriding 'number' in the filename. In your case where you can't have internal numbers you're scuppered because Garmin needs it.

If you have say a 15 second approach and a 5 second overspeed, both just containing alpha characters and no say @50 then you will always get a warning at 15 and 5 seconds from the camera. With an overspeed containing the @ symbol, if you have slowed down (on a Garmin PND) then you will not normally get the overspeed warning which is ideal.

On the latest version I have changed the wording of the top screen warning, plus I am not ignoring the overspeed setting. What it does now is just say that if you do set an overspeed time with an alpha character warning prompt then you will get 2 warnings. You will have to let me know how it goes when you get it.

The new version, not published yet, does give you more options. I'm sure once released you will see how it goes.
Because the warning banner text is now a separate process it's easier to enhance.
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M8TJT · Posted: Mon Nov 16, 2015 8:49 pm Post subject:

Your link on page 1 is broken Kremmen. Since you re-organised I guess.
(I was loooking for a link to D/L sox.exe. and I know it's in your converter)

Kremmen · Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2015 5:28 am Post subject:

Ta

I'll sort that this morning.

(Just checking you were on the ball)
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tankerman10 · Lifetime Member Joined: Feb 28, 2006 Posts: 26

Thanks for all your hard work, Kremmen.

I've just been playing with the converter and getting it set up. It's mostly working OK but there are no warnings for the variable speed cameras on the M42, although the gatso_var.gpx/bmp/wav files appear in the file list. The warnings, icons etc appear if I use Ash10 Camera Manager.

Any idea what I might be doing wrong?

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