Creating Track Maps in Google Earth

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To create a Track Map for Video VBOX using Google Earth, find your track location. When you have located the track, to start drawing the circuit outline, click the ‘Add Path’ button in the toolbar, highlighted below.

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This will cause a new window will appear. You should move this to the edge of the screen so you can still see the track image. This window will remain open until you have finished tracing the track outline.

Now, right clicking on the map image will cause a sample point to be marked. Any subsequent points will be connected in the order that they are drawn.

Notes:

To select any point, left click on it. This allows extra points to be added between existing points.
To delete a point, hit the delete key when it it highlighted, or right click on the mouse.

Drawing the track outline

Step 1

From the start line, draw around the outer side of the track. The line drawn between points is the boundary of the track map, so when outlining a straight section of track, fewer points are needed, but around a corner, more points are needed to keep a curved edge to the track.

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Continue to trace around the outer track edge until the start line is reached again.

Note: Do not join these points together!

Step 2

When the outer track edge is outlined, cross over the track at the start line and repeat the procedure for the inner track boundary edge.

Continue to trace around the outer track edge until the start line is reached again.

Note: Do not join these points together!

Step 3

When you have finished outlining both sides of the circuit, zoom in on the two areas either side of the start/finish line. Click on a point to select it, and then drag the points so they are close to each other as possible without joining them together.

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This is an example of a finished track outline.

Saving the CIR file

Step 1

Name the created path in the window that appeared when you pressed the Add Path button and press 'OK'.

The path should now appear in the left hand toolbar on Google Earth as shown below.

Right click on the file and select ‘Save Place As...’ to save to your desired location.

Make sure to change the file type to .kml in the dropdown list.

Step 2

To convert the new KML file into a CIR track map file, open ‘VBOX Tools’ software. When the software is open, select ‘File’ > 'Import' > 'From Google Earth'.

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Select your KML File and once loaded go back to ‘File’ > ‘Save As’ and in the pop up box hit ‘Save’.

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Select your file save location and change the file type to ‘.cir'.

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This CIR file can now be loaded into Video VBOX Setup, VBOX Video or Circuit Tools as a new track map.

To add a circuit to our track map database, please send us any new track by attaching the file to an email and sending to support@racelogic.com.

Loading into Video VBOX Setup Software

CIR files can be loaded by selecting the Elements tab, selecting ‘Track Map’ from the top drop down list. You can then press the ‘User Defined’ button to load in your new CIR file.

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Loading into VBOX Video HD2 Setup Software

CIR files can be loaded by selecting Lap Timing from the top menu bar, un-checking 'Auto detect' and selecting 'User'. You can then click on the 'Load' button and load in your new CIR file.

Loading into Circuit Tools Software

CIR files can be loaded by selecting the 'CT' button and selecting 'Load Circuit Overlay'.