Hi all! Old returnee to this site. I hope someone can help me with this question because trying to contact Bkool is impossible. I have recently begun making videos of routes where I live, near Boone NC in the Appalachian Mts. using a Garmin Virb Elite video camera. One of my videos is on the Bkool site now. It is called Big Flatts Church Rd. Fleetwood, NC. Ride it if you like. Anyway, my question is this. The Bkool video editor, in my opinion is terrible, mainly because the documentation doesn't fully explain how to do anything. For example, a message says "there are zero speed segments in the gps track. You must crop them before continuing." But, it doesn't tell you how to do this. Anyway, here is my question.... Is it possible to export an MP4 file of a video route, to Bkool, created on a Garmin Virb Elite Edit program? And have this file validated, approved, and published on the Bkool site? If this is possible, it would be wonderful. Please let me know it this is possible and anything about the procedure. Thanks a lot. --- Jason
Making Bkool Videos
- Thread starter jabrash
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
Have you seen Bkool's video editor manual?
It confirms that MP4 files are acceptable, and gives some advice on how to edit parts out of the route.
It's not the easiest editor to use, so using Garmin's editor might be a better bet. If Bkool reject the file, you can re-import it into the editor to correct the faults.
I don't have a Virb, but I have cropped videos in third-party software to get rid of stops and had Bkool accept the result, so it should be possible.
That Big Flatts ride looks nice, but it's a bit steep in places!
It confirms that MP4 files are acceptable, and gives some advice on how to edit parts out of the route.
It's not the easiest editor to use, so using Garmin's editor might be a better bet. If Bkool reject the file, you can re-import it into the editor to correct the faults.
I don't have a Virb, but I have cropped videos in third-party software to get rid of stops and had Bkool accept the result, so it should be possible.
That Big Flatts ride looks nice, but it's a bit steep in places!
gbrown
Geoff on Bkool
- Location
- South Somerset
I did all my videos on a virb elite and always did the editing in the garmin virb editor, rather than bkools! Then I would attach the full GPS from my garmin 1000, so as to have the full GPS trace, and only then import to bkools editor! Finally I would fix any issues the bkool editor threw up, usually by smoothing the gradient, and publish to bkool!
Last edited:
Thanks for the response. The Bkool editor is terrible, and I don't think it is the software itself, as much as the horrible lack of any specific directions as how to use it. The direction I love is the one about the difference between the video time and the gps track. It says, basically, if the time difference is small, continue on. But, if the difference is large, you will have to find out why. ????????? Are you kidding?
One more thing... Is there a good site for documentation or explanations of the Virb Editor software? I have version 4.2.2. Thanks a lot.
I just rode the Big Flatts ride for the first time tonight in 45 minutes. It's a nice ride because there is just as much downhill as uphill. It's an out and back and when you come back, there is a steep hill to get up with some 13-14 % grades, but it is not long. I think you will like it. Tell me what you think. I'm making a lot more videos from the Appalachian Mts. near Boone, NC, US. The videos will be prettier when the leaves start to come out in the spring.
Hey Geoff ! Thanks for the reply. I just have a couple questions. My Virb Elite sometimes records the GPS altitudes and sometimes, it either doesn't or the Bkool editor can't find it. Anyway, when the GPS is recorded, it is linked with the video track. There is no way to adjust the GPS, as it was with older versions. So, I assume on the bkool editor, I would put the (Video+GPS) in the Bkool software where it asks for the video, and put in the GPS track, where it asks for the GPS. And then post it to bkool. Does this sound right? I have 2 videos on Bkool now, but quite honestly, using the Bkool editor, it was just dumb luck if I got it right.
This has been asked before, and Bkool supplied some extra information:
It still isn't included in the video editor manual, though.
Handbrake allows you to manually set all sorts of parameters, and works well, but the reduction in quality needed to fit a 3 hour ride into less than 2.5 GB might be a problem.
PittCaleb
New Member
- Location
- Central NJ
I am brand new to BKool, but custom rides, with video, are what I am looking for. The recorder in this thread is a Garmin which I presume intentionally inserts GPS data.
I am thinking of recording with either my Android phone or GoPro mounted to the dash or outside the window (I have rock solid mounts). If I capture GPS data separate from the video, can I (easily) stitch them together to create a video-enabled route? Is there an android app that will do this automagically or a Windows App that will combine GoPro + GPS data?
Many thanks,
PittCaleb
I am thinking of recording with either my Android phone or GoPro mounted to the dash or outside the window (I have rock solid mounts). If I capture GPS data separate from the video, can I (easily) stitch them together to create a video-enabled route? Is there an android app that will do this automagically or a Windows App that will combine GoPro + GPS data?
Many thanks,
PittCaleb
Panoguy
New Member
- Location
- Upstate NY
Agreed - the Bkool edit is really, really awful, & it's the software. I have a GoPro Hero3 black (no GPS), so I'm forced to use my phone to record GPS. Syncing is a nightmare in Bkool editor... so here's what I do:
1) I first do any cropping/cleaning/coloring in Adobe Premiere (I have access to Premiere, this may not be necessary for your videos) - I don't trim head/tail of the video at this time, just make the video look good in Premiere. I export out of Premiere in 1080i, & let the Garmin/BKool tools "dumb it down" later.
- I use Garmin VIRB editor to embed the GPS data into the video, then trim the video in VIRB edit, BUT, before I do that, I
2) have to convert my GPS from GPX 1.0, to GPX 1.1 - this is easy with a free standalone program called RouteConverter.
3) need to smooth-out my elevation data! I use an online tool that can be found at http://www.potter.ca/biking/smoother/gpxsmoother.html
...Without smoothing, the ride seems to be almost impossible, very difficult & steep, these 3 tools are real life-savers!
4) NOW I embed the GPS data into the video with Garmin VIRB editor, and trim the head/tail.
5) Finally bring the finished product into BKool edit for upload to their site.
I spent days trying to use the clunky/buggy BKool editor without success, but with plenty of frustration - so I use the BKool to as an upload tool only - which seems to work alright.
Hope this helps!
Aleman
Knees are FUBAR but I don't like to mention it
- Location
- Blackpool UK
I'm fairly new to videos with BKool, but the editor really sucks, BIG TIME!
FWIW, I use a Cyclic Fly12 to capture my videos (in 5 minutes chunks), and an Edge 1000 to capture the GPS track.
First job when I get in is to import the clips into Virb Edit, (and the GPS Track into the Fit File Repair Tool). I then top and tail the video, remove any breaks, and edit the GPS track. once I have it roughly sorted I export the video clips into a single 1080p video (80-180GB). The GPS track is exported as a new FIT file.
Second stage Import the video into virb (temporary video), and the GPS track, and align everything using GMetrix etc, tighten up all gaps in the GPS track, export it as a GPX file.
Thirdly, open the video in BKool Editor, and load in the track. Ignore the message about video size, check lengths of video and GPS track match and there are no Zero Speed errors - My latest has one, 1 second zero speed error , but in 14000+ rows its proving elusive
.
OK, now fire up AVIDEMUX, apply the crop filter to remove Cycliqs Branding while maintaining the aspect ratio (50 pixels off the bottom, 60 off the sides), and the resize filter to reduce it down to 1080 by 720. Configure the Video output codec to Encode it to a max size of 2.25GB - the two pass algorithm works well to preserve a lot of detail even in a 4 hour ride!!
Finally, back into the BKool Editor load up the cropped and resized file (ignoring the fact that it says it's over the 2.5GB limit when it is only 2.25GB!!), and the cleaned GPX file, quick comparison to check nothings gone awry, and the profiles match OK, then post it to BKool.
It's a long process (for the 4 Hour ride I mentioned it's taken 3 days, I normally allow the video to render overnight), but yields good results (take a look at the 5 videos I've uploaded so far - Username Ale Man. I'm waiting for confirmation that my latest (the one with a 1 second zero speed error), is accepted, In the meantime I'm off for a nice flat Zone 1 Recovery Ride along the virtual Promenade here in Blackpool
Regards
Tony
FWIW, I use a Cyclic Fly12 to capture my videos (in 5 minutes chunks), and an Edge 1000 to capture the GPS track.
First job when I get in is to import the clips into Virb Edit, (and the GPS Track into the Fit File Repair Tool). I then top and tail the video, remove any breaks, and edit the GPS track. once I have it roughly sorted I export the video clips into a single 1080p video (80-180GB). The GPS track is exported as a new FIT file.
Second stage Import the video into virb (temporary video), and the GPS track, and align everything using GMetrix etc, tighten up all gaps in the GPS track, export it as a GPX file.
Thirdly, open the video in BKool Editor, and load in the track. Ignore the message about video size, check lengths of video and GPS track match and there are no Zero Speed errors - My latest has one, 1 second zero speed error , but in 14000+ rows its proving elusive
.OK, now fire up AVIDEMUX, apply the crop filter to remove Cycliqs Branding while maintaining the aspect ratio (50 pixels off the bottom, 60 off the sides), and the resize filter to reduce it down to 1080 by 720. Configure the Video output codec to Encode it to a max size of 2.25GB - the two pass algorithm works well to preserve a lot of detail even in a 4 hour ride!!
Finally, back into the BKool Editor load up the cropped and resized file (ignoring the fact that it says it's over the 2.5GB limit when it is only 2.25GB!!), and the cleaned GPX file, quick comparison to check nothings gone awry, and the profiles match OK, then post it to BKool.
It's a long process (for the 4 Hour ride I mentioned it's taken 3 days, I normally allow the video to render overnight), but yields good results (take a look at the 5 videos I've uploaded so far - Username Ale Man. I'm waiting for confirmation that my latest (the one with a 1 second zero speed error), is accepted, In the meantime I'm off for a nice flat Zone 1 Recovery Ride along the virtual Promenade here in Blackpool
Regards
Tony
Realizing that this post is pretty old, I hope someone is still following this thread. My question relates to slope. I've found that with ALL user created routes (even those without video) Bkool seems to ignore user slope data. I've found that I have to altitude correct the GPX file (usually using the FitFileRepair Tool) to consistently have the ability to generate a 3D route in the Bkool website. Nevertheless, the slope that ends up in the Bkool processed file is often greater than what I've uploaded, and certainly different than the real world road. Additionally I can't get the Slope Reduction slider in the Windows or Android Bkool app to work on user loaded routes. The result is slopes that change drastically and quickly ruining the ride and making the ride unrealistic.
Maybe this is something that changed in the past few years in the Bkool environment. But if there are any tricks I've missed please reply.
Thanks!
