This FAQ describes functionality available in the Trackman Baseball App version 1.35 or higher (November 2020). 

Overview

The Trackman Portable system allows you to control a separate iPhone or iPad to automatically record video of your pitching or batting sessions alongside Trackman data.

Your Trackman iPad App serves as the main device for viewing and tagging ball data, while the secondary iOS device runs the Trackman Camera App, capturing video automatically without user input. This camera device is fully managed through the Trackman Baseball App, and all videos are transferred and displayed within the app for each pitch or hit via the B1 Wi-Fi connection.

For best results, we recommend mounting the secondary iOS device on a tripod. If you plan to record for more than an hour, connect an external battery pack or charger to ensure continuous operation.

Start a session and view video during a session

1. Tap the green "new session" button.
2. On the session-type toggle the "Setup external camera" to ON which will then instruct the app to guide you through camera connection steps and communicate with the external iOS camera to capture and transfer video while tracking data.
   
   
   
   

3. On the next screen, select “Trackman Camera App” and follow the on-screen instructions to download and launch the camera app on your secondary iOS device. Then, connect that device to the B1’s Wi-Fi network. Once connected, the Trackman Baseball App will automatically detect the camera, and the status will change from “Searching for Trackman Camera Application” to “Camera Connected.”

4. Next, set your preferred video clip duration using the timeline handles in the lower-right corner of the configuration screen. The Trackman App will automatically record video from X milliseconds before release/contact to Y milliseconds after release/contact.

   All other video parameters — such as frame rate (fps), quality, and more — are configured directly in the Trackman Camera App and appear as read-only within the Trackman Baseball App.
   
   

   
   
   

5. Keep in mind that using a longer clip duration or higher frame rate (FPS) will increase the time it takes for videos to transfer and appear in the app during a session. We recommend starting with 120 FPS and a clip duration of –50 ms to +500 ms. If you’re recording indoors, make sure to toggle “Fast Shutter” ON.

6. When you’re ready, tap “Next” in the upper-right corner. Your system is now ready to capture both data and video — indicated by a green video camera icon and a green wave.

7. Go to the Video Dashboard and throw a pitch. Once the B1 detects the pitch, it will trigger the iOS device to record the video and automatically transfer it to the app. During the transfer, you’ll see a progress indicator in the video section.
   
   

   
   
   
8. A few notes to the above screenshot. There are two parts to the experience:
   • First, the video is captured and processed by the external iOS device. During this time, the camera status will turn orange and the system will NOT be able to capture any subsequent videos. Once the video processing is complete then the camera will be ready for the next recording and the status will turn green.
   • Thereafter, the video is then sent to the app. During this time the system CAN capture a subsequent video even if the previous video is still transferring. When the video is received it will automatically display in the video section of your dashboard. You will also see a small green video icon in the pitch-list on the left sidebar in the app.
   • Anytime before, during, or after capturing a pitch you may tag the pitch.
   • The B1 system will always prioritize capturing data over video. This means even if the camera is busy when a player throws a subsequent pitch the system will capture data for that pitch. If the camera was not ready then the pitch will not have any video associated.
   • During a session you may make adjustments to video settings: Simply tap on the green camera icon to bring up the video configuration dialog and make necessary changes to clip duration and/or make adjustments on the iOS camera app.
     • Be aware while the video configuration dialog is open the system will not capture videos.

After a session

1. After ending a session, you can back up and synchronize videos to the cloud, making them accessible to other iPads used by remote coaches, players, or analysts within your organization.

2. Whenever your iPad is connected to the internet, it will automatically sync both data and videos to the cloud.

   • Please note that video synchronization takes additional time — typically 5–10 seconds per video, depending on clip length and frame rate (FPS).

3. You can track the upload progress by opening the session sync details: Tap the cloud icon next to the desired session in the left-hand side pane of the app, as shown below.

   
   

Download videos to other iPads

Coaches, analysts, and players with iPads and account access to your organization can download and review videos directly on their devices.

By default, videos are not automatically downloaded — they are fetched on demand when viewing a pitch or hit. To do so, open the Video Dashboard and tap the button to download a single video or all videos in the session.

• Keep in mind that downloading all videos from a session may take some time.

The video icon in the left-hand pitch/hit list indicates download status:

• Orange – the video is currently uploading or downloading.
• Green – the video has been successfully downloaded to the device.