Release 1.2.3

[Rapsodo]

Hi All,

This is another update from us. We are releasing a new version which is 1.2.3. This version is identical to the one you get out of the box, so all changes around club length etc. are reversed. This is a temporary solution to get you guys going again. We are still unable to reproduce the problems you see and there are several people out there that have no problem with the release 1.2.1. (The problematic one).

Thanks for your patience and please stay tuned for 1.2.4 which brings back all the improvements as soon as we have the wrinkles ironed out.

We also disabled the auto upgrade, if you are not upgraded to 1.2.1, skip 1.2.3.

The link to the 1.2.3 is here: http://rmotion.rapsodo.com/download/R-Motion.exe

Please let us know if problems continue. Once again, a big apology to the crowd here which suffer from 1.2.1

[rrobinson]

Since I feel partly responsible for pushing so hard for the changes I'd like to offer if you want to remote into my machine and do some debugging, etc.. I am available today/tomorrow from now until 3:00 pm (just watching the Masters all day!).

FWIW, I am running Windows 7 Home edition (since it sounds like it may be an environmental thing perhaps?)

[HeMan]

EDIT****** I want to clarify I did NOT update to 1.2.3 My review was using update 1.2.1

So a quick update from me.

ProTee United Rapsodo First, a question for anyone. Once I create profiles for me and my daughter and adjust club specs, how do I choose the golfer in TGC? I am the main user but how do I select my daughters profile in the game so it knows to use her club specs?

I went through the instructions to enable full control for TGC and ensured only one instance of server.exe was running.

Now I didn't play a round or anything but I was able to hit around 30 shots with my 7 iron to test it. Not one no read and all the readings were spot on as far as distance, swing path, and club face. Prior to the update my 7 iron was traveling around 155 carry and around 165 total. My swing path was always outside in path and I had a 17 degree closed face. After the update I am carrying 170 (which is spot on), consistent 82-84 mph clubhead speed, inside out path by 1-2 degrees, and a club face within 1-4 degrees closed. Consistent over all 30 shots.

My daughter hit around 15-20 shots with her 7 iron. Read all but one and I am pretty sure that was because she didn't wait long enough. Since I am pretty sure it was calculating for my club specs, the distance were a little funny but it read each shot.

Maybe I didn't play long enough for it to fail but it appeared to work as it should. Very cool and I hope I have the same results when I play a round.

[Chuck]

I think I have everything to install TGC on a fresh clean machine. I hope to be able to report success tomorrow. As I've learned more about the game itself, I have a kind of Elephant in the room kind of question. Why does it cost $500 to upgrade to the full version of TGC when the PC full version of the games sells for $22 on Amazon? TGC VR is $24. And for our $300+ we get a "Compatible Lite edition of The Golf Club game"? Is there a way to go-online and play people, do tournaments, try other courses? I really expected something more... Instead, I'll be playing Optishot's "Sweet Magnolia" while watching the Masters.

[HeMan]

This version is SIM software, not a PC video game. TGC for other systems (Pro Tee, Skytrak, ect.) runs $900-1K.

The TGC game you are referring to is a controller based video game for PC and consoles.

I guess it depends on what you want out of it. To me R Motion is far more accurate and consistent than Optishot plus much less of a hassle as far as set up. R Motion was packaged as an all in one SIM that uses TGC for $300.

An upgrade to the full SIM software gets you all of TGC's course plus whatever else is created and online play. My understanding is we will either be allowed to compete on the existing TGC Tour or possibly have one for R Motion.

[Chuck]

HeMan, Go to Youtube and search for "The Golf Club". It's the same game! The only difference added is R-motion's software for the game inputs (The SDK) but they gave us basically a cripple-ware version of "The Golf Club"! A 24$ game!!?? Course creation and ALL! And want to charge $500 for the uncrippled version of "The Golf Club?" that uses their input device? That's just gouging. Very uncool.

[Chuck]

Many people had glowing reports of the R-motion and how well it measure ball strikes when compared to something like Optishot. Better graphics and no missed swings was the promise. So I bought in to it and dropped my $318 into this device. I have a Zepp 1 golf swing analyzer that uses the same technology as the R-motion that I bought on e-bay new for $30. The Zepp was awesome, and it's android app is one of the best golf improvement tools I've seen. I also have an Optishot, so I have things to compare. I also have a background in physics and electrical engineering on devices just like this, happen to be a programmer and graphics guru too. And I live next to a public golf course! Basically the R-motion, like the Zepp is a bluetooth enable microcontroller with a 6 degree of freedom (6-DOF) motion tracking system consisting of a 3-Axis gyroscope and 3-Axis Accelerometer, just like a iPhone or Samsung has. If we are lucky, the R-motion might be a full 9 degree with a X,Y,Z magnetometer. With all of those parameters in one chip, you get nearly all of the parameters one needs to track a swing motion. If you have the location of the tracker at a know distance from the club head, you should be able to track every aspect of the club motion through the strike. Even the ball strike location might be inferred from the torque imparted on the club at ball strike with some fancy physics.

I don't know what chip the R-motion is using, but if it's a fast and full 9-DOF device, it should be very accurate, and cheap for golf. It certainly should be better than the Optishot's IR recorder in strike performance and cost to manufacture. So R-motion is a great idea engineering-wise. Making a product though is something else entirely and supporting it is something else too. I really hope R-motion is taking a grab at the brass ring and that this is version 0,1(beta).

Is it a 6DOF sensor or 9DOF sensor or simply a 3-axis accelerometer (eyes roll)? Why you would sell a crippled piece of common game software as "Simulator" software blows my mind. Where is the value? What did we just spend $300 on? If it's TGC's fault overpricing then they deserve the scorn, but that's not the impression I get.

Add to all of that, the fact; the R-motion product just doesn't work reliably. I think the forced "Update Firmware" in 1.2.1 munged the microcontroller and now it's wedged. Misses are 100% unless I do a soft light strikes. It's not cool that you "can not reproduce the problem" when we are all seeing it.

[Cdnewmanpac]

To be clear, the r-motion did work reliably. I hit several hundred shots pre-upgrade and it didn't miss one. It was only when some of us started asking for the ability to customize clubs or add junior clubs that things got wonky. And then, only for some. This is the risk a company runs when they try to be responsive to the consumer. Another company might have done nothing, or waited months to add a feature. Rhapsodo tried to do it in days. I was originally saving for a skytrak and have watched how that platform has evolved in response to consumer feedback. I'm pretty confident the r-motion will evolve similarly.
So what did you pay $300 for? A sensor (similar sensors that don't integrate with simulation or predict ball fight, such as the skypro and swingbyte sell for $150 pre-discount), an algorithm (to predict ball flight they had to invest a decent chunk of money recording thousands of strikes, etc.) and software. You call it a hobbled pc game, but the engine for responding to keystrokes is both well defined and infinitely repeatable. Not so a golf swing. The interface has to make calculations in near real time from a much broader set of inputs. That is why the full version for most simulation products runs around $1000. In that context, the $500 upgrade is the cheapest way to get into one of the top simulation products I'm aware of.
If your clubs are reasonably close to the defaults, you have a fully functioning sim (using 1.2.3) that creates a more realistic ball fight than any I've seen south of 2k. Yes, you only have 15 courses, but I play the same two real courses every week and haven't gotten bored yet.

[HeMan]

You're mistaken bud, it is not the PC game. There is a simulator version of TGC (I play the game version quite regularly on both XB1 and PC) and we got the light version of that.

If if you are that unhappy just return it.

[Chuck]

Well let me just say, so far the thing just doesn't work. It's certainly not meeting the expectations I had hoped for. I was hoping for something better than optishot (and it's old-school graphics). Instead sensor is fickel, working only when it wants to.. and "The Golf Club" *game part* of "the simulation" is crippleware so you can't even play on-line and the *game part* is like 25 bucks on Steam! But for us people who have already dropped $299 + shipping, the R-motion want's us to pay an addition $499 so my sim can play the same stuff that a $25 PC game can??? Is it fair?

I hope and would certainly think that Rapsodo understands that value needs to be part of this package.

That said, what I really want to see is the device working well and it's kinks worked out. Rapsodo, I would really like to help. I'm even willing to help on my own time. There isn't much I can add except for my experience with the device. If there was a way to debug the signaling between the device and the PC, that may be a way to help. I hope you are working hard on this issues.

If the problem can't be solved, I would like to return it for a full refund.

[Chuck]

I gave it another go today. I really don't want to give up on the R-motion. I really like the Idea that you can setup a net, a PC and have a sim to practice with. After watching the Master's I gave it one more try. Simple 50% power swings seemed to be captured and reproduced poorly in "the game" at nearly 7 of 10 swings. Hard to fair over 50% of my power swings never record. I charged the device prior to play. My experience is just horrible. Is anyone else seeing this? I've never gotten beyond 3 holes.

[Jb50]

I attempted to do a video of the Rmotion tonight, just now actually, and had nothing but issues with the unit. I started recording and tried to connect with the sensor and it would only connect for a second. Off and on off and on. So I stopped recording and closed and reopened the Rapsodo software. Now it connected fine and stayed connected. I set up to record again and the sensor had shut off. So I double tapped and it connected fine. I hit play, TGC opened and I picked a course to play. Hit my driver and nothing. Tried again with driver and it now read the swing. Grabbed an iron for my second shot and nothing. Hit three different shots and it didn't read any. Sensor was red. I tried double tapping and it would go blue for a second but then back to red. I quit recording and decided to try hitting another shot. It read my iron fine then it read my chip fine and two putts no problem. I played the next hole and it read every shot. So I was a bit confused. It's getting late and I have to get up early so I shut it down. Then I got to thinking that maybe something is interfering with the connection. I was using a Sony action cam and had it connected wirelessly to my iPad while recording. I also Bluetooth turned on for the iPad. Anyone think that it's possible one or both of these were interfering? I haven't tested this theory yet but will next time. I'm thinking that possibly the iPad Bluetooth was causing issues with the Rmotion?

[HeMan]

Did you guys update to 1.2.3 via the link in the first post? If you're still using 1.2.1 that may be why. It shouldn't be interference, I run my iPad as well.

[Jb50]

Yeah. I am running 1.2.3. Strange because I haven't had any no reads except a couple of chips that I think were my fault for not waiting the full second. I'll try again and eliminate one by one to see if that was the issue. Just strange that it worked fine after I stopped recording.

[HeMan]

Yeah, I suppose if you started recording and then had issues, turned it off and it worked fine, the recording was probably the problem.

With chips and putts, if you don't take the club back far enough, it won't sense a backswing and it won't read it. Just take it back a little further and it should read everything fine.

[rhart]

I have had zero problems with mine. Mine reads all shots, other than the occasional very short 4 yard chip, which I now just putt and it takes care of the problem. I find the ball flight and shapes to be dead on and my distances to be very accurate. I have probably played 20 rounds or so and like I said haven't had any problems. I think it is a great unit and Rapsodo appears that they are trying to make improvements based on consumer feedback.

[rrobinson]

Good the hear! Just curious about your setup. What version of Windows are you running? How is your network set up (Wifi, wired, speed, etc.)?

[rhart]

I am running windows 10 and network is wifi. Pretty basic setup.

[rrobinson]

Ok, I am running an old Windows 7 desktop with wired ethernet with a bunch of other programs on (old Optishot, other sim software, etc.). I was thinking of a doing a a clean Windows 10 installation (on another drive) and reinstalling R-Motion and see if that would help.

Anybody else (who is having problems) running a version of Windows that is not version 10?

[wbond]

I was out of town on vacation last week and just got mine yesterday when i got home. I installed software last night, but i already had tgc so I didn't go through anything with that. I connected it for a few swings to see if it would work. i run windows 7, computer is hardwired to wireless router. Took about 20 swings or so, picked up all but 2. PW and 7 Iron seemed fairly accurate, driver no way. Plan to do my testing and review this week.

It auto updated to 1.2.3.

[rhart]

It has to be something with that update. I didn't turn my computer on at all when I heard there were problems with the update, so I'm still just running the original version and I have not had any problems, like I've said. Hopefully they get this corrected and get the full version of TGC up and going so we can get some online competition going.

[Thundergolf]

Im having pretty decent results with my r-motion. Still running 1.2.1 The only problem I have,seems like the physics are backwards for a lefty. If I hit my natural draw to the right it fades on tgc,if I hit a fade to the left it will draw to the right on tgc.