Technical News

The GGS & GSA range of golf 3D graphics software and electronic hardware is being updated with new features continuously.

New Features are being added and mods being made on a daily basis so please check here regularly for your free updates.

Currently in development

1. Portable Launch Monitor using camera technology.

2. Central desk control and billing system software for commercial multi golf simulator installations

3. Swing analysis video playback

4. Putting simulator (due Fall/Autumn 2010)

The system is designed for sports bars / hotels where a full scale golf simulator is not feasable

due to either noise levels, space and liabilities from flying balls etc.

System Updates & Development News

Please note: Updates consist of mainly just new executable files (GGSProX.exe, GSAGolfInterface.exe etc)

You only need to replace the existing .exe with the new one for the update unless otherwise instructed.

(Note: date format is dd.mm.yy)

New 2010 GSA courses

Coeur d'Alene Golf Resort, Estonia, Kingsbarns

Valley of Tranquility, Muirfield Village (updated), Blue Bayou Golf and Fishing Club

Hampton Green, Enchanted Forest, Royal Harare

Snake Pit , Driving Range Flat, Fife Golf links, La Tempete

Hidden Shoals

Go to Software page for details

30th July 2010

ProX 6.3.1 Most important update to ProX for over a year

Vastly improved smooth ball flight trajectory and ball roll.

Resolution of the ball roll after bounce or when putting is now 4 times greater.

Resolution of ball flight now double.

New option: A faster ball flight time can now be selected in the Setup Window for slower running PCs.

This version also features important camera image processing mods for customers using the BUF series of cameras.

22nd July 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.7.1

ProX 6.2.0

Improved camera line width checking.

Improved ball launch angle detection for vertical cameras triggered by a sensor mat.

A new option in GSA Golf Interface allows you to set that the window starts in "Sent Back mode".

You can then make a batch file with icon that starts GSA Golf Interface and GSA Golf in a single process. ie. both systems are started with one mouse click.

20th July 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.6.9

Improved camera ball path detection method using the new camera (overhead camera) aperature setting.

Please go to Camera Setup page for details.

18th July 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.6.6

ProX 6.1.9

Camera valid FOV borders can now be mouse dragged.

All your camera settings can now be saved to Default settings allowing easy recall.

New: A message is now shown in the camera window if the ball launch position is behind the trigger position

(see camera setup page for details of the importance of the ball launch position setting.)

7th July 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.5.5

New System Administrator lock mode. When logged on as the Sys Admin, the interface can be set in Lock Mode which prevents any other users from changing any settings.

ProX 6.1.7

2nd July 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.5.4

ProX 6.1.5

Camera launch angle is now being calculated from the Tee trigger position on the sensor mat/pad when

the Sensor mat trigger position setting is greater than the array trigger position. This is only for users that have an sensor array trigger.

25th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.5.0

Mouse clicking on any camera FOV border line now sets the border in move mode.

24th June 2010

Microphone ball strike detector.

The mic ball strike detector prevents inadavertant shots being launched in the software when taking practice swings or waggling the club over the sensor mat.

The mic is super sensitive and detects all shots including small of putts.

Note: This product is only required if using the sensor mat without a camera or ball track.

22nd June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.4.9

Camera only functionality improved

18th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.4.7

ProX 6.0.8

Various improvements.

All new camera features now also in ProX

15th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.4.2

Camera Image resolution / frame size.

This feature allows you to reduce the actual frame size of the camera image. Sizes are Full, Half and Quarter.

Decreasing the image size will substantially increase the frame rate and reduce the image processing time but the FOV will also be reduced.

Adjust only if the user FOV will fit into the reduced frame size.

Ball Line length adjustment for ball spin detection camera

Useful if using balls with only a partial line printed on them as in some Range balls.

14th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.4.1

Image XY shift.

This feature allows you to shift the camera image in the X and Y directions.

Useful for fine adjustments when lining up the cameras as physically moving the cameras for fine adjustments is difficult.

Fix: Segment screen wasn't taking the X and Y reversed settings into account.

Various other smaller improvements.

11th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.4.0

This feature allows you to assign any camera to either a vertical ball track, a horizontal ball track, a club track or a ball spin and axis tilt camera.

Camera assignments.

Improved camera image processing.

Camera segment screen now includes Center segment.

7th June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.3.6

Ball spin and spin axis tilt detection image processing improved

ProX 6.0.6

Further improved ball angle detection methods when camera image line width checking is set on.

1st June 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.3.0

Ball Spin and spin axis tilt detection camera.

The interface can now control up to 4 cameras.

Note: Ball Spin image processing is not yet completed.

Completion is expecetd within the next week.

31st May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.2.5

ProX 6.0.1

Improved ball angle detection methods.

New camera setting: Camera image line width checking.

In order to further verify that the captured image is a flying ball, set this new feature on.

When on, the width of the line trace will be checked to see if any part is greater than the user definable maximum ball size.

If so, then the image processing will report false and no ball will be launched.

27th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.2.3

Bug fix in the new Max Relative club face angle feature.

Many new improvements

22nd May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.9

New: Max relative to ball club face angle settings.

When playing shots away from the club track sensor mat or camera (i.e. from simulated rough and sand panels) the club may pass over the sensor mat and give a false club face reading.

This, in turn, can cause slices and hooks due to invalid large face angles in relation to the ball path. To help prevent this, you can now set a maximum relative face angle.

Max club face angles are 5, 10, 15. 20 or 30 degrees open or closed. Set in the setup window.

Bug fix: Ball path not being correctly measured when using the camera trigger sensors to capture ball bath and not using a ball path camera.

20th May. 2010

ProX 6.0.0

New Camera Only mode for ProX.

Set on / off in Setup window

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.8 & ProX 6.0.0.

New options when not using a club track camera in camera only mode: (Set in Setup window)

1. Club Face always absolute Square: Left Shot: Face open. Ball fades right. Right shot: Face Closed. Ball draws left.

2. Club Face always relative Square: Left Shot: Face square. Ball straight left. Right shot: Face Square. Ball straight right.

15th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.7

1.New Camera Only mode.

When in this mode, you can play the system without having a serial cable connection to the PC.

Ball and club data is captured only with cameras.

The development is primarily for single sensor camera trigger mat (pad) sytems, however,

when using the new camera club tracking - or no club tracking at all - together with a sensor array camera trigger

you would only need to connect the serial cable to check that the sensors are functioning correctly.

2. New. Seperate Putting scale for camera systems.

3. Various other smaller improvements

12th May. 2010

New Tip: How can I putt when just using a sensor mat?

The problem is that when putting with just a sensor mat, you put your head over the ball and this will normally block the overhead light from reaching the optical sensors in the mat.

The solution is to move the overhead lamp further forward so that the light still reaches the sensors in the mat but your head over the ball does not cast a shadow directly down onto the sensors.

Moving the overhead lamp about 2 feet further forward (towards the projection screen) should solve this problem.

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.6

Improved sensor mat camera trigger functions and game timer

10th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.5

1. New Game Timer function in main menu window. This is used to set the amount of player time in commercial enviroments.

To activate and adjust you must be in System Administrator mode. To get into this mode press F1, F2, F3,F4 and Tab keys.

Set the time the system should be activ and press Tab key again to exit Sys Admin mode.

2. Improved vertical launch angle detection for systems using the sensor mat trigger method of triggering the cameras.

8th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.3

Bug fix: Segment screen mode not updating image

ProX 5.28.7

For camera ball tracking users only:

Bug fix: ProX system not automatically switching camera gains and exposure settings when putting.

This caused very slow and short putts.

6th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.2

ProX 5.28.6

Minimum ball speed setting for cameras.

Set this parameter in the camera window to about 5mph to prevent inadvertant shots being made

when an object that the system thinks is a ball passes over the trigger.

This is useful when walking over the trigger sensor array to pick up balls. It can sometimes occur that the system will detect

what looks like a ball - like the tip of a white shoe - and launch a shot. The setting is only active when not in putting mode at present.

The setting is optional in GSA Golf Interface (switch On/Off in the setup window) but is always on in ProX.

5th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.1.0

Faster camera window rendering.

4th May. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.0.9

New default camera settings. The update includes the CameraDefault and CameraDefaultCCD files in the Data folder.

Replace the old ones with these in your GSAGolfInterface data folder.

Bug fix : Not automatically setting the camera gains and exposures when swicthing to default values.

Various improvements

ProX 5.28.5

Bug fix : Not automatically switching cameras to putting mode when Putter selected.

New course download section on Software page

30. April. 2010

ProX 5.28.3:

Full camera integration for this software now complete

1. New Club path always Equal to Ball Path option in sensor settings window

The physics of golf dictate that the initial ball path is always the same as the club head path no matter what the club face angle is (unless schanked).

This option is to fix a problem that occurs when hitting from other simulated surfaces and the club passes over the sensor mat.

In this case the system is not sure if the ball was struck from the sensor mat or not and so possible strange looking club head paths are shown in the post shot analysis window.

2. New sensor and florring layout image in sensor settings window

28. April. 2010

New GSA Golf Update:

Go to Software page to download

Added a 10' Gimmie option

* Stats now recorded when gimmie's taken

* Always showing distances in feet when on the green

* Max players now 8

* 3 Green Grid Options: Always On, Always Off and On Green

* Added a new "Side Hill Lie" option to the game options dialog

* Shortcut keys:

G to toggle putting grid

Left/Right Arrows change aiming direction

Up/Down Arrows move camera back and forth

P toggle pin in cup

M take mulligan

F view flyby

3 great new courses

Fife Golf Links ( Great Scottish Course)

La Tempete (Canadian course)

Hidden Shoals (A fantasy course)

Go to Software page to download

23. April. 2010

ProX 5.28.1

New:

All GSA Interface camera updates now also in ProX

23. April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.0.5

New option for Vertical camera users: "No ball launch if camera vertical launch angle not detected"

Set on/off in Setup Window

Bug fix: Not all cameras were being correctily initialized in multiple camera setups

21. April. 2010

BUFCCD Camera Firmware update:

If you have purchased GSA BUFCCD cameras before 20. April 2010 you should install the new camera firmware.

The update greatly increases the camera's sensitivity so that extra LED lighting is not required.

Go to camera setup page for download link.

GSA Golf Interface 5.0.3

Bug fix: Segment screen mode not functioning

20th April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.0.2

New: Many important improvements to camera interface

17th April. 2010

ProX 5.28.0

New:

All GSA Interface camera updates now also in ProX

16th April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 5.0.0

New:

1. Camera angle calibration settings can now be reset to 100% so that the calculated angle will be equal to the measured camera angle.

This is suitable when the camera's zoom is high and there is little or no lens bend and thus no calibration is required.

2. Camera angle calibration settings can now be manually adjusted using the keyboard arrow keys.

15th April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.9

New:

1. ccCamera interface. ccCameras are new cameras we are currently testing and will be supplying this month.

At pesent tests show that these cameras a more sensitive than the our standard cameras and thus don't require so much light.

Note: The update requires the new ccCamera dll file which is only included in the full GSA Golf Interface update

2. Valid pixel count (VPC) can now be user adjusted.

3. When moving the cursor in the camera image, the gray scale value at the cursor position is displayed.

This helps in setting the minimum gray scale for ball detection.

4. Adjusting gray scale level for putting now easier

9th April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.7

Bug in ball spin calculation for left handed players fixed.

New option in Sensor Settings: "Always use club data even if reported as not detected"

If the "Club-data not Used" is being displayed in the Post Shot Analysis Window,

then club path will be set to ball path and club face angle will be set to zero (square).

The relative club face angle will then be dependant on the ball path which may not always be desirable.

ie you may get ball flight curve that is not typical of your shots.

With this new setting switched on, club data will be used anyway.

In this case, even if you made the shot away from the sensor mat, the last club data stored will be used.

6th April. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.5

Camera images can now be shown in the after shot window while playing GSA Golf.

Camera sensor array trigger.

Possible bug in trigger wiring. Pulse width of trigger may not be wide enough with very fast shots.

This will cause ball trace image to appear darker.

see Camera Trigger page here for new wiring details that solve this problem.

1st April. 2010

GSA Golf

5 new GSA Golf Courses plus new Driving range now available.

Total number of GSA Golf Courses now 52!

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.2

Soft Trigger Mode (designed for users using only a sensor mat) has been removed as this was found not to be reliable due to the fact that it is not Real Time.

It has been replaced by a new Sensor Mat Trigger mode. This is a hardware trigger extracted from the sensor mat. (see camera installation instructions for more info)

A new seperate gray scale setting is now featured for putting.

30th Mar. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.1

Mods to Camera interface.

Extracting camera triggers from XD ball tracks and/or sensor mat instructions now on the Camera Trigger page.

Go here for details.

As of today all XD ball tracks and Sensor mats shipped have the camera trigger output cables attached.

If you wish to update your existing products for use with camera ball tracking systems these small modifications are required.

We can do this work for you free of chagre (excluding shipping) but to save time and shipping costs you might want to get a technician to do this work locally.

24nd Mar. 2010

GSA Golf Interface 4.9.0

ProX 5.27.2

New Camera interface.

Bugs for Left handed players fixed

19th Jan. 2010

Sensor mat bug.

A series of sensor mat circuit boards were manufactured recently with a chip from a new manufacturer that doesn't behave the same as the original one.

This can cause the Mat Reference code not Verified - Not polling Port - Not ready for swing - messages to appear.

Should you be experiencing these problems then please read the Tech Help page on this site for solutions.

Go here for technical news 2009.