Task Output - conformity and heartbeats

“Task output” is the only information from the system to the user while a job is running. This works well when we’re working with jobs finishing within a couple of hours. With the right hardware and proper settings OpenDroneMap we can now process a couple of thousand images without submitting to the dreaded error code 1. Processing still takes time.

I am fine with a task taking a day or more. I have a spare computer. Stable electricity is not an issue. I also have other things to do in-between. Still I get nervous - the lack of information is a problem. Therefore I would like to see more heartbeats in the task output. I would…:

  • rather see more than fewer
  • like two levels; nerd and observer
  • like the logs to be predictable
  • like to see a consistent use of time stamps
  • like the reporting to be clear on different processing steps
  • a standardised ways of displaying timestamps, progress, processing steps/substeps and more.

OpenDroneMap delivers on many of the above. Being one of it’s users I still managed to start this thread.

I suggest that logging in “Task output” is given some extra focus. Informed users are good ambassadors.

How can we move forward on this issue?

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