Suggested Enhancements

[Peter Effeney]

This topic is for the discussion of possible enhancements to MapRun

[GFazekas]

From Hungarian tester team, some ideas came :
1. Server events -> Personal events, Marton Scultety
We have the option to use a kmz map on the mobile to create our own course, that is great.
What about if we made a copy for a test, for an individual run of the course file, the kml, too?
Just copy it as a draft then make updates on that, this case we should not start the planning from scratch and it would be more interesting to see challenging legs figured out by others ; )

2. Strava uploads , Zsolt Demeter
It might happen that a runner takes a gps watch or a logger next to the mobile. The track is saved on both devices. At the end the maprun application sends the track to Strava, and the other device sends it too- it depends on settings, however, Strava will recognize it as a duplicate, do not accept the second track.
It would be great to give a warning when we activate the strava upload about it, it might happen the track won't be uploaded if the other device already sent it.

3. Show results for personal events , Margit Jenei
Currently after having a personal event accomplished, we can see the details locally. We have the button, to show other results for this event, but usually it brings back an empty list. Would it be possible to see here the uploaded results from the server for this personal event? It might happen it is a training course, shared among friends, etc

4. Dots in kml file name, Gabor Vincze
We tested many extra chars in the names - for runners, mkz/kml names or folder names
I got a file from Gabor to upload, having this string in the kml name: 2.5 km xxxxxxx.kml
The upload worked, the course could be performed, however, the track was not shown for the first runner, the xml export could not be done with the result details from the old admin site, and finally the delete RG event option did not work.
I could delete simply the event, created again with file : 2500m xxxxxx.kml

[Gabriella Fazekad]

I forgot to add a question from Gabor Bejczi
Long distance events
Let'suppose we have a long dustance course, that requires
several maps in reality, and there are controls dedicated for changing the map. In Maprun implementation, there would be
several kmz files, with one kml, or kml files too, how could the map change realized?

[Peter Effeney]

Scoring Schemes
- The current options for scoring schemes are: http://maprunners.weebly.com/scoring-schemes.html
- We’ve tried to provide a spread of Score options that cover schemes being used by multiple clubs
- Remember the severity of the late-penalty in any scheme is inter-related with the control numbers you use. These are somewhat arbitrary if you are not putting out flags. As an extreme example, if your controls were 1001, 1002, 1003 and you used ScoreQ, 30 points per min penalty is insignificant. Faced with the choice of visiting extra controls and returning late … one extra control for 1000 points = 33 mins late … so you would go for the extra controls. If on the other hand you numbered your controls  11, 12, 13 - going for an extra control is equivalent of less than 1 min late… rush back home..!
- The scoring schemes are implemented within the App itself, so for any new or varied scoring schemes, a new version of the App is required and everyone in the event would need to be using that version of the App or a later version.
- Requested changes or enhancements to the App are prioritised by the needs of the Clubs who are the most frequent users of the system
- There is the potential in the future for a rules-based generic scoring scheme that allows Administrators to input a set of parameters for how scores and penalties are calculated.
         - For example, input values for A1, a1, B1, C1, D1,F1,G1 (and A2, a2, B2, C2, D2, F2, G2 etc if required) and H, J, K, L, M, N
        - Raw Score = Sum( (Id of Control punched) x A1 (rounded to the a1-th  power of 10) + B1) for time after Start between (C1 & D1): if F1 is set for Even controls and G1 is set for Odd controls)
        - Penalty = (if H is set, time is in minutes, if J is set, apply “minutes or part-thereof”, if K is set,  time is in seconds ) : time-late x L +  (time-late squared) x M + N (for a fixed penalty)
        - This is all achievable - but it may be more complex than justified.

- Of course, as an alternative, Clubs can extract the table of punches from MapRun and apply any scoring scheme they like after the event, and dis-regard the score calculated by MapRun.

Other views??

[Peter Effeney]

To do this wth the current version of the App, there would need to be two events.

For example, for an Event that has one map change, could be "My Long Event PXAC Part 1" and "My Long Event PXAC Part 2".

Upon reaching the finish of first Part (ie a punch of F1) , the runner would open Part 2 which would punch S1 for the second part.

The organiser would need to add the times of the two parts together to determine the total time.

[Peter Effeney]

Server events -> Personal events, Marton Scultety

In version 4.8.8, you can edit a course that you have created in QuickStart.

We do not currently support copying a published course from the server and allow it to be edited. There is a new setting that Administrators can use when setting up an event, to allow their map to be re-used by others for a QuickStart or CheckSites event.

We could add another setting that Administrators could use to allow their course to be copied as well.

Extra checks would need to be added to ensure that someone did not change a course, and upload results that became mixed in with results from the original version of the event.

[Peter Effeney]

Duplicate Strava Uploads.

MapRunF should already give a message to say that a Strava Upload failed because it is a duplicate.

We only know that there is a potential duplicate when Strava can examine the second track uploaded and compare it with others.

Let me know if I am misunderstanding the suggestion.

[Peter Effeney]

See the post regarding the Philosophy of MapRun Personal Events vs Club Events: http://maprun.250607.n8.nabble.com/Club-Events-vs-Personal-Events-tt2.html

In a personal event, results are not automatically uploaded. But a runner can still do a manual upload.
However, because the event is not published, the server does not have a RouteGadget event set up to display the results.... and so only a very basic list of results is provided and no tracks are displayed.

With Personal Events, anyone can change any of the settings ... punch tolerance, time allowed etc and so we need to be careful when comparing results for personal events.

If you want to run a training event where you do want to compare results and tracks - ask your local MapRun Administrator to publish this as a Club Event.

[Peter Effeney]

Thanks for that.

The system uses a "Regular Expresssion" (RegExp) in matching results to events. A RegExp is a pattern matching methodology ... but certain characters have special meanings eg ^, *, +, (, ) , [, ], . etc.

Some of these are valid in filenames so the system does not reject them... but then fails to work correctly.

I will add better checking on filenames/event names.

[GFazekas]

Yes, that was the idea of Marton, somehow convert the server event into a new / separated local event, to use it as a template for a brand new personal event.

[GFazekas]

It is OK : )
Is there a procedure , some similar, to handle crossing of roads, aided with traffic lights, or with other temporary solution to cross over safely, but not losing time?
We try to avoid these legs, but might be required rarely.

[GFazekas]

It is Ok and logical absolutely.

"Show all results for this event" - in case of a personal event, would list all the time split details that were uploaded into the server, manually, form the given mobile.
Track is not available.
If I share my kmz/kml and it is copied to another mobile, that would be another locally stored personal event, but its result records would not be listed together with my results.

[Peter Effeney]

It would be possible to enhance MapRunF to have legs that are marked as not counted in the total time.

In the past when using SportsIdent, our Technical Officer would edit the results to remove the time taken for that leg... as a manual process.

This is what would need to be done currently with MapRun ... and then if this became a common issue for Clubs, an enhancement could be made to do this automatically.

[GFazekas]

If some unwaited event happens with the mobile i.e. a small water drop, or a sudden movement could make the map displayed incorrectly, with a weird zoom.
Would that be possible to add a reset button to restore the map/kmz to the mobile screen, without cancelling the current course being run?

[Peter Effeney]

Good idea - I'll include it in a future version

[Michael]

You've talked about a rules-based method for scoring/penalty systems, there's one system which would be appreciated in the meantime. That's the Queensland system (points based on the decade of the control number) with 10 pts/min (or more generally a user-specified pts/min). I've been rogaining for a little while and this is by far the most prevalent scheme I've come across. (PS I don't expect my mobile to last for a 24hr event but the same points scheme is often used for shorter score events and we have a lot of 3hr events round here.)

[GFazekas]

We talked about a help option that would be useful for  beginners to see their current position for some seconds only not for the whole course.
This step could be logged or shown within the track, informing the coach what happened.

We got a repeated question from Zsolt Demeter, drawing attention to gps issues. When we cannot decide what's going on, feeling there must be a gps issue, and we need to continue with next points not waiting for punching the current one, this temporary position information would help again. If it shows an unlikely position - it confirms we should continue without forcing to find the position where the punching would happen.

[Peter Effeney]

Yes I agree this would be a useful feature and I have added it to the list.
We need more discussion on how it should be controlled.
I'm thinking:
- there would be a setting the Admin could control to allow or disallow this for an event.
- there would be a button that displayed the runners location for say 30 seconds.
- this could be used multiple times.
- the number of times it was used would show in an extra column in the results table(?).

Suggestions welcome.

[GFazekas]

We would agree with your points, Peter.
Tibor Erdelyi suggests to show somehow these actions on the track, where they asked it. It would help a lot for the coach (there are technical skills missed by the runner, or just simply tired)
for the mapmaker -- gps issue or map problem arose

I think the RG track visualization cannot be touched, or maybe. Could the system mark the location where the runner ask this option? Could these auxiliary points somehow shown additionally on the track?

Thank you!!

[GFazekas]

With MapRunF, we have a new option to see the total time and punched controls in a separated tab from the map window.
Here the Start/ Finish are included, however, on map tab only the real controls are counted.
For a beginner it might be disturbing. I.e. we have seven controls, on map tab we have x/7 counter,
on clock tab x/9 counter.

Another question from Adam, is it planned to rename MapRun -> MapRun Classic, and MapRunF to MapRun or MapRun xxxx?