Speed Camera assistance

[freakish]

I'm in the process of building a speed camera file for the DC Metro area. I *believe* you should be able to see what I've done so far if you go here [I had to leave off the http]:

maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&om=1&z=12&msid=105760263437638273544.00000112461511e999244&msa=0

The problem is that, other than the fixed location cameras, everything else is "zones": several designated blocks where there may or may not be a temporary camera. What is the best way to designate this?

I'm also wondering if there's a good way to deal with cameras that only focus on one direction of traffic. For example, the fixed camera on 16th Street is only for Southbound travellers. Yet, the way POI's are normaly set up, you'd get the same warning even while northbound. Any suggestions?

Does anyone know how this is usually handled in the UK/Europe.

Thanks as always!

 

[The Spook]

What is the best way to designate this?

The TT can't handle 'zones'. You would need two separate ov2 sets, one for 'start of zone', one for 'end of zone'. You could then have a different (voice) warning associated with each.

I'm also wondering if there's a good way to deal with cameras that only focus on one direction of traffic...Does anyone know how this is usually handled in the UK/Europe.

Yes. The only way to deal handle this is to locate the POI on the correct side of the road. Then, if you check the 'warn only when on route' option, you will only get the warning if it is on the side you are traveling (if you have a route planned, and the road is separated, i.e. there is a central divider). On single carriageway roads both sides of the road are still on your 'route', so you will always get a warning.

 

[Pedro2NR]

Great suggestion Spook!

 

[freakish]

Yes, thanks so much for the suggestions! I'll see what I can work out.

 

[Pedro2NR]

If you need some help, let me know.
I can also make verbal POI warning alerts for you.

 

[digital-flex]

The only problem I see with having a 'start' and 'end' POI is that it works only one way. For example, if I take a road that has this zone going one way with having 'entering zone' warning and then exiting with 'leaving zone' warning is fine. But when I come back the other way, I would be greated with 'leaving zone' warning instead of 'entering zone' warning.

Does that make sense?

 

[Pedro2NR]

I believe it depended on the street this would be in. As Spook mention if it was a street with a divider, the tomtom would not give off a warning unless it was a street without a divider.

 

[freakish]

No, digitalflex is exactly right. That is the main problem for the speed zones. For the fixed locations, I've taken the suggestion and moved them to the side of the road and also labeled them with the direction (where I know it; I haven't driven by all of them).

I emailed a guy in the UK who has more experience with this, and hopefully he'll have some suggestions.

Ideally, of course, you'd want to build a more complex POI file with several warnings based on the type of camera and the direction you're headed (regardless of whether it's on your Route or not).

So, for instance, driving southbound on 16th Street, you'd hear, "Warning: entering mobile speed zone" when you pass 1400 16th St.

Then you'd hear, "Now leaving mobile speed camera zone," when going past 2000 16th St.

Then at 5400 16th St, you'd hear: "Warning: fixed location speed camera ahead."

However, driving northbound on 16th Street, you wouldn't hear the fixed camera at all, and you'd "Enter" at 2000 and "Exit" at 1400.

I know this may not be possible, but I figured I'd give it a shot. The main POI file that comes with the TT has more than one warning and type of POI, so part of this is *possible*, but the direction issue is probably the bigger challenge.

The only other way I can think to do it is to put a fixed marker in the middle of each zone. Problem being they vary greatly in length and you could easily enter it from either end before the 300 yard (default) warning would kick in.

 

[The Spook]

No, digitalflex is exactly right.

Only where the road is single carriageway! As Pedro indicated, this does not happen where there is more than a single lane on either side of the road, or where there is a divider. Because then the TT then sees it as two separate 'routes'. The other side of such a road is not on your route.

You can see this on your TT. When you plan a route, if the whole road is highlighted (as your planned route) it is a single route. If only half (or less) of the road is highlighted, the other side is a separate 'route' and you will not get a warning for it.

Ideally, of course, you'd want to build a more complex POI file with several warnings based on the type of camera and the direction you're headed...
I know this may not be possible, but I figured I'd give it a shot.

It is not possible. Trust me on that one. The warnings are triggered only by the position of the POI relative to yourself. Direction is not considered. The only possibility is what I have already suggested.

The main POI file that comes with the TT has more than one warning and type of POI, so part of this is *possible*, but the direction issue is probably the bigger challenge.

You can have only one warning per ov2. If you want separate warnings, you need to create separate ov2 files. The file that comes with the TT is exactly the same. One warning per category.

 

[freakish]

You can have only one warning per ov2. If you want separate warnings, you need to create separate ov2 files. The file that comes with the TT is exactly the same. One warning per category.

No, the poi.dat file has several categories and several warnings all combined into one file. I'm not saying I could build it myself, but the technology does exist to do that. So instead of Gas, ATM, Airport, etc, you'd have Fixed, Enter, and Exit or whatever.

In theory, the coding is relatively simple, it's just a serious of IF-THEN statements. I'm actually going to email TT and see if they can help if I'm willing to do all the research, etc.

 

[The Spook]

No, the poi.dat file has several categories and several warnings all combined into one file.

No, it doesn't! The poi.dat file contains several POI categories, but they remain as distinct categories. The warning sounds are in a completely different file, data.chk

However, this is beside the point. My statement was that you cannot assign more than one warning to a category (which I understood was what you wanted to do). Whether it is one of the pre-installed POI categories or an ov2 you have added makes no difference, you can have only one warning per category.

It is not possible to have an "..entering zone" and "..leaving zone" warning attached to the same ov2. You would have to have two separate ov2's, one 'start of zone' and one 'end of zone' as I already indicated. If you want to then combine the separate camera type ov2's into a single custom poi.dat, you can do that, but you would then lose the pre-installed POI's. And, you still need separate categories for 'start' and 'finish'. Furthermore, they cannot be made to respect your direction of travel.

Look, I am just trying to help you out here. You will have to trust me that I know a lot about POI's. And I know that what you want to do cannot be done without writing your own plug-in software or a complete replacement of the current system software. I would be happy to see you prove me wrong and I would be the first to congratulate you if you did....