# Empty calculation on distance formula for geotrace with overlapped points

**URL:** <https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696>\
**Category:** Support\
**Tags:** odk-collect\
**Created:** [August 18, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696 "2022-08-18T16:04:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Gabriel\_Riano](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/gabriel_riano/32/18483_2.png) [@Gabriel\_Riano](https://forum.getodk.org/u/Gabriel_Riano)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:04pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696/1 "2022-08-18T16:04:11Z")

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Greatings!

During data collection, there are some times that distance is not calculated at all even when the geotrace captured acceptably the desired field shape.  
Then I discover that usually it happens when some points are overlapped and/or the line cross itself. To reproduce this behavior you can capture a geotroce in the same position for some minutes.  
Of course, one way to avoid this situation is to set input parameters that allow points to be more separated from each other (e.g. longer recording interval) but I wonder if there is something that I can do from the XLSForm to force the calculation or avoid/erase the overlapped points.

Thanks in advance.

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**Author:** ![yanokwa](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/yanokwa/32/1695_2.png) [@yanokwa](https://forum.getodk.org/u/yanokwa)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696/2 "2022-08-18T16:16:53Z")

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What version of ODK Collect are you using?

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**Author:** ![Gabriel\_Riano](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/gabriel_riano/32/18483_2.png) [@Gabriel\_Riano](https://forum.getodk.org/u/Gabriel_Riano)\
**Post date:** [August 18, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696/3 "2022-08-18T19:54:44Z")

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Hi!  
I'm using the version v2022.3.2 on Galaxy Tab A7 lite.

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**Author:** ![Grzesiek2010](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/grzesiek2010/32/2881_2.png) [@Grzesiek2010](https://forum.getodk.org/u/Grzesiek2010)\
**Post date:** [August 24, 2022, 7:41am UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/empty-calculation-on-distance-formula-for-geotrace-with-overlapped-points/38696/4 "2022-08-24T07:41:09Z")

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Could you attach your form so that we can check if there is everything fine there?