Safety Camera Database

obriens · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2003 8:04 pm Post subject: Safety Camera Database

The review mentions that the retail version of the CoPilot Live comes bundled with April's version of the safety camera database and talks are in progress to enable regular updates of this database. Has there been any developments on this topic.

Regards

Simon

Dave · Posted: Mon Oct 20, 2003 11:06 pm Post subject:

Yes we have been in discussions with Alk, and we are told that future versions of CoPilot will natively support the database and allow for both addition and deletion of cameras.

stuart · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 5:51 pm Post subject: CoPilot Live - PPC 4

I am still waiting to see this take place with ALk. The CoPilot site seems to be either stuck, or there is no one else interested in it. So have we purchased something which is almost dead. i need to update my Copilot4 the same way as those more fortunate owners of TomTom can already do.

Dave · Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2003 8:29 pm Post subject:

The basic issue with CoPilot Live is that although we worked with ALK in the early days prior to release, we didn't get a copy of CoPilot Live until after it was released.

We had originally requested that a converter program be made available and that this can both add and delete records in the POI group. Why the need to delete ? Because cameras move or get removed whether by choice, vandals or fire.

Unfortunately ALK were at a rush to get Speed Cameras added, and we're still waiting for the converter program, and also the ability to be able to remove the cameras. Currently you cannot remove cameras in the current category that ALK have made available rendering the database pretty useless. In theory there is nothing stopping you adding cameras to the Custom group and having the ability to remove them, but every single time we try it on 4 different PC's we get no data being imported. We have received several new release versions above the public release and still have the problem there.

The latest information is that this will be resolved for CoPilot Live - Laptop 7 and that there will be many more custom groups where you can add and delete cameras or POI's. This will then be added to the next release of CoPilot Live - Pocket PC (poss 5), which I would guess means it won't make it into the current release.

That's it, all the info I have to hand. We have been promised a preview copy of Laptop 7 in which to test the speed cameras, but still no converter program available. The ball has lied fairly and squarely in ALK's court since March this year and they have known this! If we are given the tools and the means to do so, we'll get updated cameras into CoPilot Live, but until we're given these, there's very little we can do. Crying or Very sad

I have been using CoPilot Live a lot recently and really wish we could get further and get this sorted, so you're not alone.

Thud · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 9:00 pm Post subject:

To load the latest camera database into the CoPilot desktop software (so that I could download it to my iPAQ) I did the following.
1. Download the latest camera database and unzip the .csv file.
2. Open the file in Excel and remove the last two lines which contain information that is not required but stops the file from being loaded. Save the file. (I also opened the file in a text editor and deleted all the duplicate "" but that isn't essential.)
3. In the desktop CoPilot software, click on Tools > Import Custom Places
4. Select "Import from existing file", click next
5. Browse for the .csv file, click next
6. Select comma delimiter, click next
7. Click on Name and select Longitude, click on Address and select Latitude, click on City and select Name, click next
8. Click Finish

The file is then scanned in and you are given several options but if you just want to load them all in click Add. The custom POIs just loaded can then be transferred to the pda in the usual way.

clarem · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 10:13 pm Post subject:

Followed the exact procedure stated by Thud and it worked just once! Crying or Very sad

Have since upgraded to 4.0.4.105 on the Pocket PC. The upgrade to 4.0.4.86 as suggested on www.alk.eu.com for the desktop version didn't install the 29 files as stated but only 4 files and left the version at the original 4.0.4.62, although the About splash screen text is no longer corrupted. No combination of custom POI import works now. Tried downgrading and reinstalling from stratch but now the POI groups in the Edit->POI Download Options are always corrupted with subcatagories in the wrong categories, two lots of Custom catogories which select and deselected by just clicking on one, etc. Anyone else seen this strange behaviour. Tried emailing Alk / Travroute several times with no response. Sad

Clearly there are bugs with the advertised custom POI import functionality and it would seem incredibly unfair to have to wait for version 5 or indeed have to pay for functionality that never worked correctly. Also the text to speech now pronounces "))" in directions as "right parenthesis right parenthesis" whereas it didn't previously say them (and doesn't say "((" either). How strange. 8O

Mike.

Dave · Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2003 11:36 pm Post subject:

This is the problem we've been facing all the time because we've been running newer beta releases than actually out in the public. We have had several later beta's sent to us to fix the problem, but still no joy.

I will be meeting with ALK within the next month and will re-emphasize the requirement for this.

Thud · Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2003 12:34 am Post subject:

I'm using 4.0.4.62 and haven't tried any of the upgrades since the issues they fix haven't been causing me any problems. After your comments I'll be sticking to what I have until I hear that it has all been resolved.

Thud · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2003 2:40 pm Post subject:

Dave,

What has happened that has allowed you to publish instructions on how to load the camera database?

http://www.pocketgpsworld.com/uksafetycameras-copilot.php

You said that you were having problems with your version. Have you had a CoPilot update?

stuart · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2003 7:33 pm Post subject: CoPilot4----Updates

Thanks Dave and Team for getting this far. But what a procedure, has anybody done it yet. i think I'll give it a miss until there is an easier way to update POI's etc... Surely there must be a simple way to do it.

Dave · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2003 10:59 pm Post subject:

Dave · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2003 11:00 pm Post subject: Re: CoPilot4----Updates

Easygeezer · Occasional Visitor Joined: Jan 13, 2004 Posts: 23

The whole safety camera issue is a total waste of time and effort anyway, it randomly alerts you with no fixed distance, even if it is set to 3 miles etc, sometimes it pops up an alert that says "camera in 0.0 miles" real helpful that one, when you are moving you can not view the points of interest so can not see the Camera icons which would be somewhat helpful rather than waiting to actually see a camara in the specified distance only to keep travelling and there not be one, a half a mile count down might be a sensible idea or even an alert to say when you had reached the camera location, if you ask me the whole software package is so flawed with faults it's just a waste of money, they should of concentrated on getting the simple things right rather than trying to add all the "live stuff" 3.5 worked well for what it was produced for, a map upgrade would of been a nice option...

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