07 - VBOX Tools Main Graph

Zoom

Zooming in on the data in the graph or map window can be done three ways.

• Move the cursor to the beginning of the zoom area then click and hold the left mouse button and drag the cursor to the right with the mouse to the end of the zoom area (right and down for the map). Move the mouse in the opposite direction to zoom out to the limits of the data.

• Use the up and down arrow keys on the keyboard to zoom in around the current cursor position. Holding the shift key at the same time makes the zoom happen in bigger steps.

• If your mouse has a roll ball then this can be used to zoom in around the current cursor position. Holding the shift key whilst using the mouse roller ball will make the zoom occur in bigger steps.

Pan

To pan the view in the graph or map window, put the mouse over the area you wish to pan then click and hold the right mouse button and move the mouse in the direction that you wish to pan.

Cursor

The cursor position in the graph and map windows are linked and move together. The left and right arrow keys control the movement of the cursor. If the shift key is simultaneous pressed then it moves faster across the screen.  The cursor can also be placed in the graph window by left-clicking the mouse button at the desired cursor position.

Cut All Data before Cursor

This feature removes the entire file up to the cursor position in the main memory only. You can use this to select an area of the graph you are interested in and then save just a portion. 

Cut All Data after Cursor

This feature removes the main memory file from the point of the cursor onwards. 

Cut Data Between Two Points

This feature removes the main memory file between two specified cursor points. 

Selecting Channels

All values logged by the VBOX appear in the data window; all except those viewed the last time the software was used are initially greyed out, but the data can still be seen. To enable a particular channel (for example satellites) and make it visible on the screen, click in the tick box to the left of the channel name. For example, to display lateral acceleration:
 

The VBOXTools software will automatically scale the channel to its minimum and maximum values and show it in the graph window. The enabled channel will then be highlighted in its display colour.
 

The data table contains all of the logged channels from the VBOX file plus Lateral and Longitudinal Acceleration and Radius of Turn channels, calculated when the file is loaded. By default only the speed channel is enabled. The list can be accessed by scrolling up or down to find the desired channel.
 

A channel can also be found by typing the first letter of the channel, for example ‘S’ for Satellites, providing that the data table is the currently active window. If there is more than one channel that starts with the same letter then press the key again until the software stops on your desired channel.

Symmetrical

This option will cause the positive and negative maximum values on the axis to be the same magnitude. The magnitude of these will be determined by the largest positive or negative value of the channel.

Position

This option controls whether the channel Axis appears at the left or right of the Graph window.

Creating a Measure Tool Window

There are two ways to create a Measure Tool window.

• Follow the menu path “Main Graph ⇒ Graph setup ⇒ Graph ⇒ Measure Tool”, this will then guide you through the process with on-screen instructions. This process allows the use of keyboard cursor arrow keys to move the cursor, which can allow more precise positioning of the start and end points, than the mouse controlled method below.
• Move the cursor to the start of the section you wish to highlight. Then place the mouse pointer over the cursor position and press and hold the ‘shift’ key, then click and hold the left mouse button. Keep the left mouse button pressed and move the mouse cursor right to drag out a blue highlighted area. At the end of the area you wish to highlight, release the left mouse button. On release of the left mouse button a table of results for all channels in the highlighted area appears as in the screenshot above.

Clear Highlight

Selecting this option clears the highlighted run from the Main graph screen. This will only have an effect if RepGen has been run on a data set and one of the graph runs selected in the RepGen table.
 

Show Selected Channels Only

The data table channel list can be reduced to only show the enabled channels, as in the example above, by clicking the right mouse button when the mouse pointer is in the data table, then selecting ‘Graph Setup > Data > Show Selected Channels Only’. This is very useful when you are moving the cursor through the graph window and wish to see the displayed channels data at the cursor point.

Measuring Straight Line Distance

The Graph Screen provides the possibility of measuring the straight-line distance between two points (as opposed to the distance travelled, which is more commonly shown). To do this, first right-click on the main graph window and select the option ‘Measure Straight Line Distance’. VBOXTools will then prompt you to position the cursor at the point at which measuring should start. You can then move the cursor to any point on the graph as normal; the distance will be displayed at the top of the Map screen.

Set Map Window Position Cursor Type  

The cursor type of the Main run and any compared run can be changed to any one of 9 different types. This is useful if two compared runs are being replayed to compare vehicle track position on two separate runs. To change the cursor type right click anywhere in the graph screen and select  ‘Graph Setup > Map > Set position cursor type’ from the on screen menu. The following Menu will appear in which you can assign the cursor type for each of the four possible runs.

Loading Map Background Images

Right click the Mouse anywhere in the graph screen and select the option ‘Graph Setup > Map > Map background Image > Set’ to load in a background image, or ‘Graph Setup > Map > Map background Image > Clear’ to remove it.

Defining Start / Finish Lines and Splits

To define a start / finish line, move the cursor in the Graph window to the desired point, when the vehicle is at the position at which you wish to place a Start / Finish, Finish or Split line, press the following keyboard keys or Button Bar buttons to place them:

• Start / Finish – ‘Spacebar’ – 
• Finish – ‘Shift’ + ‘Spacebar’ – 
• Split – ‘S’ – 

When the cursor is moved in the Graph window the cursor in the Map window follows this movement so you can see where the cursor point relates to on the track. After setting a start / finish line a green dot will then appear in the Map window at the corresponding cursor position.

Note: It is important to try to place Start/Finish line or splits at a fast part of the circuit to reduce the effects of positional error and to get the best lap timing accuracy; without DGPS or local correction the positional accuracy of VBOX is 3m 95% CEP (Circle of Error Probable; 95% of all samples will fall within a 3m radius of the actual point), so crossing a line that has a potential 3m error at the fastest speed will take a shorter time and therefore reduce the potential time error.

Set Combined Start/Finish Line

A Start / Finish line assumes the start and finish line are in the same position, as occurs on most circuits. A Finish line is primarily used when the start and finish lines are in two separate locations, such as slalom tests or hill climb courses.

Set Separate Finish Line

A separate finish line can be placed when the start line is not also the finish line. This is used in situations such as hill climbs or data analysis along a stretch of track that does not end where it starts. Create a finish line by holding the ‘shift’ key whilst pressing the space bar at the desired cursor location or by selecting the ‘Set Finish’ button from the ‘Start / Finish & Splits’ menu.

Setting Splits

A user selectable number of split points can also be set. However the more splits that are set the more processing power is required, so the number should be kept reasonably low (< 30). To define the split points, press the ‘S’ key at the desired cursor location or select the ‘Set Split’ option from the ‘Start/Finish/Split Lines’ drop down menu, or press the ‘Set Split’ Button on the Main Graph Button Bar.

Moving Splits

Splits can be moved by pressing ‘m’ in the Graph window and entering the number of the split to be moved, or by selecting ‘Move split’ from the ‘Main Graph à Start/Finish/Split Lines’ menu.

Once created, split lines can be saved into a split file for later use using the ‘Save’ option in the Start / Finish & Splits menu.

Comparing Individual Runs

The comparing of individual runs from one or more files in the Graph Screen is achieved through the Report Generator screen. The Report Generator screen provides a quick an easy way to list runs from one or more files and then load these runs into the graph screen.

Please refer to the ‘Post Processing using Report Generator’ section of the Report Generator section of this manual.