aCar - Track your vehicles

[txtinman]

Mike,

As long as your CSV file be in a standard format (one header line following by your records), aCar will import it. In the import process, it will provide you a screen to dynamically define the mappings between aCar fields and your CSV columns. So in theory it can import almost any kind of CSV file

Well, it's not quite as easy as you might have wanted it to be. There are several fields that are mandatory-not known until you try to import- one of them is the date/time field. I don't keep track of the time of my fill-ups in my spreadsheet. That requirement alone would keep me from being able to import any past data. As daweze pointed out, you must have at least two .csv files in the directory for the import process to work. Thats a strange bug. In my test file I added all of the mandatory fields, but still was unsuccessful in getting it to import. I think the problem is the date/time format. I tried several ways of entering it, but nothing worked. I would really like to see this feature work for me, but with the time field being mandatory, I don't think I can use it. I don't want to go through three years of data entering a time stamp just so I can import the data. I still like the program and will continue to use it.

 

[rlauzon]

I think the problem is the date/time format. I tried several ways of entering it, but nothing worked. I would really like to see this feature work for me, but with the time field being mandatory, I don't think I can use it. I don't want to go through three years of data entering a time stamp just so I can import the data. I still like the program and will continue to use it.

Just tack " 12:00:00 PM" on to the end of the dates to make a date/time. Then run the import.

That's what I did to get it to import.

 

[Armond]

looks to be a great app i am still holding out for the export function before making a switch.

But i do have a feature request that i would miss form my current app.
New Tire/Tires every has to buy them and granted its every few years but its big $$$ to do it. I know i can add a custom service but there is not really a appropriate place to put things like which tire or tires were replaced RF, LF, RR, LR or stems.

You may add four custom service types for "Replacing Tire LF/RF/RR/LR". And it's possible to select multiple service types for a service record.

Do you need anything specific to track for replacing the tires?

 

[Armond]

I decided to try this out so I created a test file in Excell. When I tried to import it using the plain .csv file button, aCar could see the file, but the import button was grayed-out and could not be selected. I tried it from the Mileage app screen and the import button worked, but an error message said the file was not in the correct format.

You've found a bug! Thanks for reporting this.

The good news is that I just released a new version (1.2.6) which fixes this issue. Update please and let me know if it works for you.

Thank you,

 

[Armond]

Well, it's not quite as easy as you might have wanted it to be. There are several fields that are mandatory-not known until you try to import- one of them is the date/time field. I don't keep track of the time of my fill-ups in my spreadsheet. That requirement alone would keep me from being able to import any past data.

Yes, I agree that forcing to have "time" was not good at all. I've removed this limitation in version 1.2.5 and now you have only to specify a "date format". Leave the time format on "----" which means "no time!". Hopefully this will simplify the process.

As daweze pointed out, you must have at least two .csv files in the directory for the import process to work. Thats a strange bug.

I just fixed this bug and uploaded another update (1.2.6). Please upgrade to this version and see if everything works fine.

In my test file I added all of the mandatory fields, but still was unsuccessful in getting it to import. I think the problem is the date/time format. I tried several ways of entering it, but nothing worked. I would really like to see this feature work for me, but with the time field being mandatory, I don't think I can use it. I don't want to go through three years of data entering a time stamp just so I can import the data. I still like the program and will continue to use it.

I agree that modifying your three years worth of data was not the solution. As I mentioned, v1.2.5 fixes this issue.

If after upgrading to the latest version you can not still import your data, you can email me your CSV file and I will investigate it further.

Thanks for your patience,

 

[txtinman]

OK. Your latest update did the trick and allowed me to import the test data. That's where the real trouble started. I created a test vehicle called Test. I was in the test vehicle's screen when I imported the .csv file. It imported just fine, but it wiped all of my other data from the program. The test vehicle information was gone also. The vehicle name I was using for my motorcycle data was there, but not the month of fill-ups and service records. I tried the data restore feature and that started up with a message that it would take a long time. I let it run for over two hours. I thought that really was enough time and I had to kill the process to get it to stop.

The import feature still has a few wrinkles to iron out. I only lost a month's data and I can easily put it back, but if I had lost several months to a year or more of data, I would really be miffed.

Keep at it, you have a really good program with aCAr.

 

[Armond]

OK. Your latest update did the trick and allowed me to import the test data. That's where the real trouble started. I created a test vehicle called Test. I was in the test vehicle's screen when I imported the .csv file. It imported just fine, but it wiped all of my other data from the program. The test vehicle information was gone also. The vehicle name I was using for my motorcycle data was there, but not the month of fill-ups and service records.

You've not donated and not registered your copy of aCar to go for Pro feature (let me know if I'm wrong). In non Pro mode, the import data functionality has some limitations which you'll be warned for before the "Import". Here is the exact text you've been shown but perhaps have not read it carefully:

"Full data import is available only to people who have donated. You can still import your data but with the following limitations:

1. Only the first ten lines of your file will be processed.
2. All your existing records will be wiped out.

Go to aCar website and donate if you want to fully activate this feature."

As you can see the second limitation, it will delete all your currently entered records before importing.

I tried the data restore feature and that started up with a message that it would take a long time. I let it run for over two hours. I thought that really was enough time and I had to kill the process to get it to stop.

You've found a bug here! Thanks a lot for reporting The bug is that "Start Restore" will bring up a never ending wait dialog (as you've already stated) instead of the warning dialog that says "Full Restore is only available to those who have donated... bla bla".

The good news is that I just released a new version (1.2.8) which fixes this problem.

The import feature still has a few wrinkles to iron out. I only lost a month's data and I can easily put it back, but if I had lost several months to a year or more of data, I would really be miffed.

Keep at it, you have a really good program with aCAr.

In Pro mode you have the option to leave the current records untouched while importing some new records. So far I haven't got any data loss report for import or restore.

Best Regards,

 

[txtinman]

I guess I should've read the fine print.

 

[Armond]

Guys, I've recently added first-class support for importing from Road Trip and Auto 3in1 applications. And I would like to have your feedback on them and whether those features works fine for you.

Thank you!

 

[ZPrime]

It would be nice if we could define gas "Brands" ourselves in the options and turn that into a drop-down, or even better make it a drop-down with an option of "Not Listed" and allow a one-off hand entry in a separate text field (that only appears when "Not Listed" is chosen).

For "location," can you pull the GPS Lat/Long, or at least pull the approximate ones (so you don't have to invoke the actual GPS receiver and use more power) and either drop those into the location field, or use it to run a map search and spit out an address? The "Mileage" app for Android already is pulling Lat/Long when you do a fillup and while I initially didn't care about the feature, it is actually a really good idea and would allow you to map your fillup history, which could be cool for stats nerds.

One more thing - when importing from a CSV, the option to choose which "car" to apply to would be helpful. I only track a single car as I never drive my wife's car, so my old logs have no vehicle information in them. I can fudge the CSV to make it apply to the correct car, but it would be nice if we were offered a choice of car to apply to if the data has no car info in it.

FWIW, I'm using the pro version, donated a week or two back.

 

[Armond]

Hi Armond
Been using the app for awhile and really like it. The one thing that bothers me though is that the keyboard pops up every time I open the app. If I'm opening the app to add a service/gas record or check when something is due, I don't really need the keyboard popping up.

I just released aCar v1.2.11 and I've also included a fix for the keyboard issue. Unfortunately my Android devices do not have any such issue at all so I can not test the fix here! I just "hope" that it will fix the problem. Please download the update and let me know. The update may not be immediately available on all countries as it usually takes a while for Google to distribute the updates.

Best Regards,

 

[nicracine]

I just released aCar v1.2.11 and I've also included a fix for the keyboard issue. Unfortunately my Android devices do not have any such issue at all so I can not test the fix here! I just "hope" that it will fix the problem. Please download the update and let me know. The update may not be immediately available on all countries as it usually takes a while for Google to distribute the updates.

Best Regards,

Works perfectly. No more keyboard popping up.

Thanks Armond!

Nicolas Racine

 

[Armond]

It would be nice if we could define gas "Brands" ourselves in the options and turn that into a drop-down, or even better make it a drop-down with an option of "Not Listed" and allow a one-off hand entry in a separate text field (that only appears when "Not Listed" is chosen).

I just added this feature request to my list.

At the moment, as you create more and more fillup records, you will get suggestions for your next entries as you type. For example, if you've once entered "Shell" as the brand, the next time you start typing "S" you'll see a popup open and "Shell" option already there.

But after all, I like how iPhone handles such cases, you have a list which can be edited as well and there is inline facility to add more records. I may implement a similar mechanism for Fuel Brand, Location, Payment Type and other such fields.

For "location," can you pull the GPS Lat/Long, or at least pull the approximate ones (so you don't have to invoke the actual GPS receiver and use more power) and either drop those into the location field, or use it to run a map search and spit out an address? The "Mileage" app for Android already is pulling Lat/Long when you do a fillup and while I initially didn't care about the feature, it is actually a really good idea and would allow you to map your fillup history, which could be cool for stats nerds.

Already in my list. Even your location (repair center or gas station name) could be looked up using this feature!

One more thing - when importing from a CSV, the option to choose which "car" to apply to would be helpful. I only track a single car as I never drive my wife's car, so my old logs have no vehicle information in them. I can fudge the CSV to make it apply to the correct car, but it would be nice if we were offered a choice of car to apply to if the data has no car info in it.

Useful addition it would be. Just added to my list.

FWIW, I'm using the pro version, donated a week or two back.

Thanks for your support!

 

[txtinman]

Great program. I just donated and am using the pro version. I can import my fuel data with a csv file. I would like to be able to import my service records in th same way.

 

[Armond]

Great program. I just donated and am using the pro version. I can import my fuel data with a csv file. I would like to be able to import my service records in th same way.

You can already do that!

If you're trying to import your service records from "Auto 3in1" or "Road Trip" applications, there is a built-in support for importing service records as well. Go to their corresponding sections and import from there. No need to do any further configuration.

Or if you just want to import your records from a plain CSV file (in your own format), just go to "Import from Plain CSV" section, configure your CSV parameters there (the date/time format you've used, the column mappings, etc) and import from there. There is a "Help & Usage Tips" button which will give you some information and tips on how to use that feature.

[Recommendation] Now that you're using the "Pro" verison, please take a full backup from your current set of data before importing any new set, just to be on safe side!

Best Regards,

 

[txtinman]

You can already do that!


Or if you just want to import your records from a plain CSV file (in your own format), just go to "Import from Plain CSV" section, configure your CSV parameters there (the date/time format you've used, the column mappings, etc) and import from there. There is a "Help & Usage Tips" button which will give you some information and tips on how to use that feature.

[Recommendation] Now that you're using the "Pro" verison, please take a full backup from your current set of data before importing any new set, just to be on safe side!

Best Regards,

Hey that's great Armond, thanks.

 

[txtinman]

On the statistics screens you can choose to view all, 1y, 6m, 3m, 1m, and 1w. Suppose I have 3 years of data and I want to view only data from year 2. How would I do that? I can click on the 1y button, but I haven't found how to choose which year.

 

[Cadamus]

Awesome app, but I had a few things I wanted to find out about.

First, Some of the cost calculations seem to be off by a penny or so. In other words, when I fill up, and I enter the price per gallon and the amount of gas purchased, the final cost seemed to be off by a penny every time. Are you possible only using 2 decimal places in your cost calculations? Or for the price of the gas, and thus rounding up by a tenth of a cent per gallon?

Also, I wanted to put in another vote for some sort of sync, even if it is manual. My wife just got a hero, and I told her she needs to get this app. Finally, for families like mine, I don't suppose there is any "volume discount" for making 2 copies of acar pro?

Last, for service records, would it be possible to add a Miscellaneous option with a text box. I would love to track all the expenses for my car including work I do myself, minor things like wiper blade replacement, etc, and even car washes.

Thanks!

Cad

 

[Armond]

On the statistics screens you can choose to view all, 1y, 6m, 3m, 1m, and 1w. Suppose I have 3 years of data and I want to view only data from year 2. How would I do that? I can click on the 1y button, but I haven't found how to choose which year.

While you are on the main screen in portrait mode (seeing your list of records), follow these steps:
1. Tap on magnifier icon at the top bar to get the inline search bar.
2. Tap on ". . ." icon to go to "Advanced Search" page.
3. Tap on "From Date" and later on "To Date" text fields to see date/time chooser dialog and set your desired dates/times.
4. Tap on magnifier icon at the top bar to submit your search query.
5. Now you're back to main screen seeing your desired result.
6. Tilt your phone to go to landscape mode.
7. Whatever charts you see now is based on your search result you've seen in portrait mode (year 2 in your case)!

"all" is equal to "your entire search result" in charts mode.

Let me know if you need anything further.

Cheers,

 

[Armond]

First, Some of the cost calculations seem to be off by a penny or so. In other words, when I fill up, and I enter the price per gallon and the amount of gas purchased, the final cost seemed to be off by a penny every time. Are you possible only using 2 decimal places in your cost calculations? Or for the price of the gas, and thus rounding up by a tenth of a cent per gallon?

Price of gas and volume of fill-up have 3 decimal places but the total cost has 2.

Also, I wanted to put in another vote for some sort of sync, even if it is manual. My wife just got a hero, and I told her she needs to get this app. Finally, for families like mine, I don't suppose there is any "volume discount" for making 2 copies of acar pro?

Okay! One more vote for online sync ;-)

Last, for service records, would it be possible to add a Miscellaneous option with a text box. I would love to track all the expenses for my car including work I do myself, minor things like wiper blade replacement, etc, and even car washes.

You can add your desired service types if the current service list is not what you expect. From the main screen, just launch the options menu (press hard MENU button on your phone). Select "Manage Services" item, and you'll get forwarded to services list where you can add your custom service types or edit the existing ones. Notice the ADD icon at the right side of top blue bar on "Manage Services" screen. Tap on it to add a new one. Now go back to add a new service record. You'll notice that the newly added service is on the list.

Let me know if you need anything further.

Regards,

 

[gavoid]

Since downloading the latest update to "Acar", I am unable to view any mileage data on the graph. I have entered 8 partial and full tank fill ups and still no data...I have been unable to find the area to enter the full volume of my gas tank since the update. Can you help please?
Thank you!

~Gav

 

[daweze]

I have moved from my palm and went pro. I have not found something i though was handy. i had an option to click to show the next service reminder for a car. So instead of waiting for the automatic reminder or digging threw the list i could see say when my next future oil change is due. Am i missing somethings/feature request ?

Thanks

 

[IamDanno]

I may be alone in this, but I cannot seem to enter any decimal points when inputting dollar amounts or gallons for fuel. Any ideas?

 

[rlauzon]

I may be alone in this, but I cannot seem to enter any decimal points when inputting dollar amounts or gallons for fuel. Any ideas?

I filled up this morning and recorded it in aCar. I had no problems entering decimal points.

 

[Armond]

Since downloading the latest update to "Acar", I am unable to view any mileage data on the graph. I have entered 8 partial and full tank fill ups and still no data...I have been unable to find the area to enter the full volume of my gas tank since the update. Can you help please?
Thank you!

~Gav

aCar has never had any such field for car tank. You can only enter the volume of your fill-up when entering a fill-up record!

The reason for not seeing fuel efficiency could be the records marked as "partial" or "missed-previous-fillups". According to fuel efficiency calculation formula there must be at least one full tank (non partial and non previous-missed-fillups) record after those partial ones to calculate the fuel efficiency correctly. Just enter a sample full tank record and see if it works.

Best Regards,