# GPS/Helmet Cam/Google Earth synch?



## D-Town (Oct 20, 2005)

I borrowed a friend's helmet cam on my last ride to test the quality of the camera. Needless to say, I was impressed. It also happened that I had my Garmin 500 recording at the same time as well. Is it possible to synch these two togther on one screen? I'm interested in having some type of dot or symbol follow my track around in google earth (or similar software) while watching the video from the helmet cam.

Suggestions?


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

I think there's a SportTracks plugin that allows to set images to points on a trail. If I remember correctly an idea was obviously to add video support but I can't tell if it's been done or not.

Edit : Out of curiosity, I checked. It does supprot video : http://www.zonefivesoftware.com/SportTracks/Plugins/plugin_detail.php?id=62
Not sure how it can really "sync" both tracks...


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

I have seen the sort of thing you are asking about. I have not even been able to find a cheap (or let alone free) solution to this.

http://www.geology.smu.edu/~dpa-www/gps_video/index.html

http://www.itsamerica.com/Files/vidsync.htm

http://rlcracing.com/synchronized-video.htm?gclid=CLHt5du_-p8CFQ1N5QodMEZMWg

The capability is there, but I can't find anything suggesting it's available for the consumer market yet.


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## Nathan Cloud (Jul 18, 2005)

This is something I have been wanting to try myself. I have been trying to get my race team to strap on a helmet cam and pack a gps, but never had any luck.

My plan is this:

1) Load up my track in Topofusion or Google Earth.
2) Load up the video in another window so they are side by side or at least arranged nice enough
3) Play the track at real time and start the video 
4) Use http://camstudio.org/ to capture everything that is going on
5) Clean up the video

Unless I can video capture each window separately then smoosh them together in some sort of video program. Video editing is not my strong point!

Does not seem overly complicated?

I dunno.

Would love some software to do it though!


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Nathan Cloud said:


> This is something I have been wanting to try myself. I have been trying to get my race team to strap on a helmet cam and pack a gps, but never had any luck.
> 
> My plan is this:
> 
> ...


That seems like it would work...but yeah, way complicated.

I would really like to see an elegant solution to this, where you could say, manually sync your GPS clock with the video clock and do a dot race on the map while the video plays.

However, one serious limitation I see is how you'd manage video editing. say, you wanted to cut a really long uphill grunt or you wanted to splice a helmet cam video with some stationary video shots your bud did, or a slow-mo replay or something like that. You'd basically need to use raw unedited video. It would also be a real pain if you had to swap memory cards or tapes or batteries mid-ride.


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## Wherewolf (Jan 17, 2004)

*Perhaps this?*

Gobandit HD Action Camcorder a new POV camera with built in GPS so you can overlay information on the video. Sounds interesting but the quality of the video they posted is terrible! Info here: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/gobandi...der-17-2-2010/

Even the video on Vimeo is terrible:


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## Nathan Cloud (Jul 18, 2005)

I do remember seeing a video of this sort on Topofusions site a while back - I can't find the exact one I am thinking of, but I did find these:

http://www.topofusion.com/forum/index.php?topic=3810.0






I imagine they took a similar approach to what I outlined?

I dunno.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Wherewolf said:


> Gobandit HD Action Camcorder a new POV camera with built in GPS so you can overlay information on the video. Sounds interesting but the quality of the video they posted is terrible! Info here: http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/gobandi...der-17-2-2010/
> 
> Even the video on Vimeo is terrible:


You aren't kidding...that vid is terrible. And it doesn't appear to be due to compression from uploading, either.



> I do remember seeing a video of this sort on Topofusions site a while back - I can't find the exact one I am thinking of, but I did find these:
> 
> http://www.topofusion.com/forum/index.php?topic=3810.0
> 
> ...


So does this one, though the problems here are typical to youtube compression.


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## D-Town (Oct 20, 2005)

This is the original movie that has sparked my interst. I'm still searching for some solution but like others have said, it will not be straight forward.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

D-Town said:


> This is the original movie that has sparked my interst. I'm still searching for some solution but like others have said, it will not be straight forward.


You know, I thought that guy was going too fast with so many walkers around. LOL.

Yeah, I am not sure how folks pull that off.


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

> You know, I thought that guy was going too fast with so many walkers around


I was amazed when I synched the GPS data to the riding track to see the speed I was going at.
You will also note a couple of meters before crashing at the 1:53 I block my front wheel - and had not much control over my bike after that. I guess that was my main mistake. A final word to the crash - Gopro camera has a large FOV (in the 960p setting) so everything appears narrower. Anyway the remarks from the walker was that I should have warned before passing - I bought a bell since so now I'll be sure to use it well ahead before passing anyone.


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

> This is the original movie that has sparked my interst. I'm still searching for some solution but like others have said, it will not be straight forward.


As to how I synchronized the GPS google earth map.
Load your GPX data into Active GPX Route Player. 
http://www.hybridgeotools.com/

Use a screen recording capture software (camstudio, fraps etc) to record the google earth playback . Be sure to record using same frame rate as your helmet cam video.

Go in your video editing software and synch the two tracks. 
If you do not know how to synch video make a search in youtube on
"multi camera editing" or the likes.

Thats about it.


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

Here's a video experimenting with a dashboard. 





Used Dashware http://www.chasecam.com/catalog/25/dashware which allows you to create your own dashboards and feed it any .csv (GPX converted) data. Very nice piece of software. But expensive.

I am searching for a cheaper alternative. Anyone know of similar software let me know!!


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## diver160651 (Jun 18, 2007)

I used my 705 to produce trail maps see the link below


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

lol, so you're the guy who crashed in the vid? That was funny, IMO, more than anything else. The path looked like it was icy (the ice that forms when snow gets packed), so that's why I thought you were going a bit fast. Were you running any studded tires or basic knobbies?

I don't think bells really do anything. A verbal warning gets their attention better, but a lot of people tend to react to "on your left" by moving left into your path. Might try something like "bicycle back" or something along those lines. Or you could go gross overkill and get an air horn to blow their eardrums.

Yeah, what you describe sounds a lot like what the rest of us seem to have expected. I think the OP was after a single program that could do it, like with geotagging static photos. Thanks for actually saying what programs you used, though.


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## Krein (Jul 3, 2004)

Nathan Cloud said:


> I do remember seeing a video of this sort on Topofusions site a while back - I can't find the exact one I am thinking of, but I did find these:
> 
> http://www.topofusion.com/forum/index.php?topic=3810.0
> 
> ...


Maybe you are thinking of this one?






GPS playback + Helmet Cam from Scott Morris on Vimeo.

Didn't take too long to put it together, but I did have to capture the TF replay using Camstudio, then combine in corel video studio.

I think keeping either the map or helmet cam video taking up the full frame (and the other in the corner) would have been better. The stats are hard to read, even on vimeo.

I'd like to do more of this, and perhaps add more support in TF, but I still don't have a helmet cam.


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## Nathan Cloud (Jul 18, 2005)

Krein said:


> Maybe you are thinking of this one?


Yup, that's the one!


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## SteelerHoo (Dec 27, 2009)

I like Dashware, have been using it for a couple of months. Dashware will give you a moving map, but without the google maps presentation.

I'm going to try some of the suggestions you guys have made to overlay google maps to my videos.

Just wish I had a power meter on my mountain bike...

race telemetry without moving map: 




ride with GPS moving map:

​


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

Hey, that Dashware is the best option I've seen yet. Surprising it won't let you choose a background for the GPS map, however.


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## SteelerHoo (Dec 27, 2009)

NateHawk said:


> Hey, that Dashware is the best option I've seen yet. Surprising it won't let you choose a background for the GPS map, however.


actually, you can choose a background and color but i chose to make it transparent. i think it would be easier to see if i had used a background.


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

SteelerHoo, thats a great dashboard design you made.
Is there a way to add a altitude versus time graph? My trial version expired and couldn't find out a way.


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

SteelerHoo said:


> actually, you can choose a background and color but i chose to make it transparent. i think it would be easier to see if i had used a background.


I meant an actual map for a background.


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## SteelerHoo (Dec 27, 2009)

luap said:


> SteelerHoo, thats a great dashboard design you made.
> Is there a way to add a altitude versus time graph? My trial version expired and couldn't find out a way.


a guy on the Dashware forum was able to add one. i haven't tried it yet, but will get to it sometime.


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## SteelerHoo (Dec 27, 2009)

NateHawk said:


> I meant an actual map for a background.


gotcha


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## ukbloke (Sep 20, 2007)

Here's my approach to merging video, GPS and power data:






The application has all the features that I want, so now I'm working on the user interface.


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## jroar (Jul 18, 2008)

Awesome. Any plans to sell your application or distribute via shareware / freeware? If the solution exists, I'd rather spend my time doing something else - like riding my bike.


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## LoIQ (Apr 26, 2007)

Check out this site http://www.gpvsystems.com/index.htm The only way I can find to get this software is to buy a helmet cam from this company 
http://hoyttech.com/


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## OldMTBfreak (Apr 8, 2006)

Hi UKB, I like your interface. If you would like to sell a copy, I'm your boy. I'm very impressed with your HR and power out. I would like to see cadence also.


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## slocaus (Jul 21, 2005)

LoIQ said:


> Check out this site http://www.gpvsystems.com/index.htm The only way I can find to get this software is to buy a helmet cam from this company
> http://hoyttech.com/


There is a "Buy Now" button on the lower right.


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## ukbloke (Sep 20, 2007)

OldMTBfreak said:


> Hi UKB, I like your interface. If you would like to sell a copy, I'm your boy. I'm very impressed with your HR and power out. I would like to see cadence also.


Thanks for the compliments! Cadence is already there - it is the RPM number and bar chart, next to power.

I'm working on the product version now. My partner is going to work on the business side. I'll post back when we have something to announce.


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

slocaus said:


> There is a "Buy Now" button on the lower right.


\

But it is just a scheme to get you to the hoyt's site where you must buy a cam i gather to get the software. I think i saw this whole setup reviewed somewhere else--and the image quality received about half a star as i recall--hard to say if the software, if it could be procured somehow separately, is proprietary to work only with Hoyt cams or not.


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## SteelerHoo (Dec 27, 2009)

Here's a link to a free ap that adds telemetry. doesn't have a moving map though, but i'm sure people can figure out how to add that functionality.

pretty cool, in the span of several months, there are at least 4 guys that I know of that are writing (and already using) overlay software.

hopefully it's only a short amount of time until we see footage like this on live broadcasts of pro events.

http://sites.google.com/site/verymadmart/cyclecam


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## ArmySlowRdr (Dec 19, 2003)

Thanks for the link !



SteelerHoo said:


> Here's a link to a free ap that adds telemetry. doesn't have a moving map though, but i'm sure people can figure out how to add that functionality.
> 
> pretty cool, in the span of several months, there are at least 4 guys that I know of that are writing (and already using) overlay software.
> 
> ...


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

Haven't had the time to try it yet but seems google has just added the gps synch feature in google earth.
Hope to have some time to try it out soon!
Any one tried it yet?
http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/06/announcing-google-earth-52.html


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## PissedOffCil (Oct 18, 2007)

That looks cool!



luap said:


> Haven't had the time to try it yet but seems google has just added the gps synch feature in google earth.
> Hope to have some time to try it out soon!
> Any one tried it yet?
> http://google-latlong.blogspot.com/2010/06/announcing-google-earth-52.html


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## Harold (Dec 23, 2003)

PissedOffCil said:


> That looks cool!


indeed, looks like there are some nice add-on features there.


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## luap (Dec 15, 2009)

Tried it and its nice event hough has not all the functions I was hoping for.
In case anyone is interested there is a site showing live telemetry data of racers in google earth of the Tour de Suisse race. 2 stages left today and tomorrow.
http://www.athlosoft.com/tds/


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