Command Center Questions, Beefs, and Bugs

[brian]

I figured it was a good idea to start a new thread for this since there's going to be a lot of this as everyone gets their cars.

My question for the day is this:

Has anyone figured out how to change the volume of the voice of the Nav Lady? She appears to be tied to the stereo volume, but if you're listening to the radio at normal volume then the Nav lady volume is just a whisper. In order to hear her at all you have to crank the radio volume way, way up. Then, when she needs to say something, the radio goes silent and you hear her at an acceptable volume. Then the radio returns to the ear-bleeding volume it was at. Surely there is a way to set the Nav lady's volume? Anyone found it?

-Brian

[Dutch]

Might the answer to that question be software version 6.11? Or does your car already have that update?

[LonePalmBJ]

Brian,

On my MB COMAND system you adjust the nav lady's volume using the same controls as the stereo volume, but you can only adjust it while she's actually speaking. That way you can configure her volume indepenent of the stereo volume. No idea if it works that way on the Fisker, but you might experiment with *when* you fiddle with the knobs.

I assume this isn't covered in the Touch Screen User's Manual?

BTW, I'm sure you're read everything through by now. Any interesting discoveries in any of the documentation outside of the Owner's Manual?

[brian]

The owners manuals are leaflets brochures at best. They don't have any details on anything. I guess they're waiting on a more detailed manual for when the software gets out of beta. The Nav System manual for my Lexus is 2x as thick as all of the manuals for the Fisker combined.

Another question: There's a setting on the interior lighting screen called "Parade", but the docs saying nothing about what that is. The only other options are to select the interior lighting brightness 1 thru 10. Touching the Parade button appears to do nothing that I can tell. Any ideas?

-Brian

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(12-20-2011 06:58 AM)LonePalmBJ Wrote:  On my MB COMAND system you adjust the nav lady's volume using the same controls as the stereo volume, but you can only adjust it while she's actually speaking. That way you can configure her volume indepenent of the stereo volume. No idea if it works that way on the Fisker, but you might experiment with *when* you fiddle with the knobs.

I just tried your suggestion of changing the volume when she's talking... no luck. It just changes the global stereo volume so the music blasts me when she's done talking.

-Brian

[LonePalmBJ]

(12-20-2011 07:04 AM)brian Wrote:  Another question: There's a setting on the interior lighting screen called "Parade", but the docs saying nothing about what that is. The only other options are to select the interior lighting brightness 1 thru 10. Touching the Parade button appears to do nothing that I can tell. Any ideas?

Per the power of Google (regarding a different vehicle):
Parade Mode allows you to turn on your headlights or parking lights while keeping your radio display, overhead console display, and vehicle information display fully lit (unlike when your headlights are on at night)

Sorry the nav lady volume method didn't work. One of the (few) things I like about the MB COMAND nav system is the ability to adjust her volume or mute her until I want to hear from her again. (I know how to get out of my own neighborhood, thank you...)

[Fabulist]

Many of us assumed that Fisker's infotainment system is running on Windows based on this error message Brian posted.



Turns out that we were wrong. Visteon makes the infotainment for Fisker and they claim that the system is based on the "Visteon's advanced infotainment platform" This platform, according to Visteon is developed "using open architecture and open source software to GENIVI standards." GENIVI claims to be "a non-profit industry alliance committed to driving the broad adoption of an In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) open-source development platform." According to GENIVI's FAQ, "The GENIVI open-source platform consists of Linux-based core services, middleware and open application layer interfaces."

Yes, I know that Visteon is providing the user applications such as NAV, but at least the system core is Linux-based and the APIs are open so if someone wanted to develop their own custom Apps, they can interface to the system.

So we can't beat up on Fisker for using Windows, just for releasing buggy and unreliable Linux-based software.

-- Fab.

[LonePalmBJ]

Thanks Fab.

I was going to comment that it wasn't Windows, but a Linux-core OS using a Windows-like presentation layer, but I was too lazy to explain what all that meant or how I could tell Your answer is perfect.

The subtle but important aspect is that since there is or could be an exposed API, it's theoretically possible for third party developers to alter the current behavior or introduce new functionality.

Brent

[ct-fiskerbuzz]

(12-20-2011 08:50 AM)Fabulist Wrote:  ... This platform, according to Visteon is developed "using open architecture and open source software to GENIVI standards." GENIVI claims to be "a non-profit industry alliance committed to driving the broad adoption of an In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) open-source development platform."

Oh, good! GENIVI is just a "base", so this would be Visteon's own system (or perhaps whatever they have bought from someone else), but at least it's not WinCE.

[kabalah70]

If my experience with the military is applicable, having people design middleware always leads to bugs. It is better, IMHO, to have one company design the entire interface. Perhaps, the fact that it is open-source will make this less of a problem as I believe much of the issue with the military is that the middleware designers have to work interfaces between proprietary applications.

[brian]

Something interesting that I've observed is that when the battery level meter indicates 1/4 full the electric range readout says it's about empty (1-3 miles left) which in reality it should have around 13 miles remaining. Is this because the battery always maintains a 25% charge, and the IC kicks in around 25% then to maintain it? It's a little confusing because when I see that battery meter I assume I've got plenty of charge left, but then realize I'm about to kick into gas mode.

-Brian