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Apps New version of WorkOutDoors, the Workout app with a Map
- Thread starter cfc
- Start date
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There is currently no way to view the stats for old workouts on the watch. It is currently only possible on the phone. However you do not need to press Done straight away because the workout is saved when you press End. So you could just leave the stats from the last workout on display until you start a new one (or until watchOS decides you haven't used the app for a while and kills it off to make space for something else to run).
I may make it possible to view the stats for the last workout from the main menu, but unfortunately not in the next version. Sorry about that.
Another possible future release suggestion which would make this app even better for me is to add “double tap” into the short cut settings if possible.
As it is, locking the show full screen map to double taps makes having “toggle full screen map” a bit of a spurious option for the 3 and 4 tap shortcuts.
As it is, locking the show full screen map to double taps makes having “toggle full screen map” a bit of a spurious option for the 3 and 4 tap shortcuts.
You are right that toggle full screen is an unnecessary option so I will remove it in the future.
Double tap is actually used for quite a few things. In most cases it shows or hides a full screen map, as you say, but if you double tap the controls on the map then you can hide them. For example double tap one of the compasses and then it will disappear, then double tap that area again to make it re-appear. The same happens for the GPS meter, the battery meter and even the darkened background behind the time. This allows you to hide the controls that you rarely use.
You can still use the controls by single tapping that area, but they will not be obscuring the map. For example you can still tap the bottom right of the map to switch between a rotating map and a north-up map, even when the red compass has been hidden.
Having said that I have thought about making those functions available when triple tapping or quadruple tapping and allowing double tapping to be configured as something else, so I may do that in the future.
Great new update!!!! Nice to be able to scroll between screens! Look forward to trying it out properly 
Great new update!!!! Nice to be able to scroll between screens! Look forward to trying it out properly
Thanks! Glad that you like it. I will post about it properly on the forums tomorrow, but the main improvements are:
- Compatibility with Apple Watch Series 4, including the larger screen and complications for the new watch faces;
- Compatibility with watchOS 5, iOS 12 and the new iPhones;
- Direct uploading to Strava;
- Access to the Now Playing music controls from within the app (by configuring a button or a gesture);
- Ability to swipe between screens (as long as it is not on the map, which pans if swiped);
- Ability to hide activity types that you do not use (currently only in the watch app);
- Ability to configure the length of time that a button needs to be touched (including just requiring a tap);
- Lots of other minor changes and bug fixes.
@cfc
I linked the app on the phone to Strava (authorization) but the upload isn’t direct. Have to go in the workout list and export.
My BPM is not picking up since the new update. Although the green led’s are on under the watch.
The bpm works with other apps.
And I’m stuck on the “saving” screen at the end of the run. Although I can find the run in the workout list.
May be I’m doing something wrong
?
Oli.
I linked the app on the phone to Strava (authorization) but the upload isn’t direct. Have to go in the workout list and export.
My BPM is not picking up since the new update. Although the green led’s are on under the watch.
The bpm works with other apps.
And I’m stuck on the “saving” screen at the end of the run. Although I can find the run in the workout list.
May be I’m doing something wrong
?
Oli.
Attachments
Previously uploading to Strava required exporting as a GPX file and then going to the Strava website and uploading that file, or by using a third party app to export from the Health system. With the latest version you can now export directly to Strava from the app. Do you want every workout to be automatically uploaded so that you do not need to press the export button? I will implement this in the future but I wanted to make sure it worked first before doing it automatically.
The lack of a BPM sounds like a permissioning issue. Please check the Settings app on the iPhone and go to Privacy and then Health, and check that all the switches are on for WorkOutDoors. If they are on then it could be an issue with the watch app installation so please try uninstalling the watch app (not the iPhone app), rebooting both devices, and then reinstalling the app.
How long did you wait for the "Saving" message to change to read Done? It can take several seconds to save longer workouts on older watches.
I would make that a user option. I quite like the ability to select what goes up. I'm not really bothered about uploading some 1-2mile dog walks but would upload the 5+ ones. Of course, all mountain biking, hiking and climbing would go up but the ability to be selective one what goes is a nice feature, IMO.
Thanks for that. I was going to make automatic uploading to Strava an on/off option, but it sounds like some logic based on the length and type of the workout may be useful.
Wow, it’s surprising what difference using that extra bit of screen does! Seems even better!!
Note - On the new “bottom line” display, when adding two fields they are both labelled as “edit field 1” on the watch?
[doublepost=1540896835][/doublepost]Is there any advantage / difference to exporting to Strava from the app or exporting to Strava using HealthFit or similar?
Note - On the new “bottom line” display, when adding two fields they are both labelled as “edit field 1” on the watch?
[doublepost=1540896835][/doublepost]Is there any advantage / difference to exporting to Strava from the app or exporting to Strava using HealthFit or similar?
The larger screen does make a massive difference to the app. It is apparently over 30% larger, although I am not sure if that takes into account the space lost by the rounded corners.
I will change the text for configuring the second metric on the bottom line. Thanks for spotting that!
The exporting to Strava option is identical to exporting a GPX file and then uploading that GPX file to Strava's website. In theory this should be equivalent to using HealthFit to pull the workout out of Apple's Health system, but recently I have seen occasions where Apple seem to massage the workout data slightly when it passes through their system, so there may be small differences, but nothing major.
GPX export.
Thanks for the explanation. All good with that.
BPM issues.
Yep, it was on me. Played with settings and actually removed persmissons by mistake. Put them back on and it worked.
Saving screen.
I have series 4, it was instant up until now.
The issue I mentioned is now gone. I removed and re-installed the app (on the watch only) and it is all ok now.
It would stay on the saving screen indefinitely. I would kill the app (press side button on the watch and slide the app to the left to shut it down), and restart the app, and it was still on that screen.
This issue is gone.
Thanks again for your quick and efficient support. Sorry for lack of knowledge... Apple Watch is new in my tech world
Thanks for the explanation. All good with that.
BPM issues.
Yep, it was on me. Played with settings and actually removed persmissons by mistake. Put them back on and it worked.
Saving screen.
I have series 4, it was instant up until now.
The issue I mentioned is now gone. I removed and re-installed the app (on the watch only) and it is all ok now.
It would stay on the saving screen indefinitely. I would kill the app (press side button on the watch and slide the app to the left to shut it down), and restart the app, and it was still on that screen.
This issue is gone.
Thanks again for your quick and efficient support. Sorry for lack of knowledge... Apple Watch is new in my tech world
GPX export.
Thanks for the explanation. All good with that.
BPM issues.
Yep, it was on me. Played with settings and actually removed persmissons by mistake. Put them back on and it worked.
Saving screen.
I have series 4, it was instant up until now.
The issue I mentioned is now gone. I removed and re-installed the app (on the watch only) and it is all ok now.
It would stay on the saving screen indefinitely. I would kill the app (press side button on the watch and slide the app to the left to shut it down), and restart the app, and it was still on that screen.
This issue is gone.
Thanks again for your quick and efficient support. Sorry for lack of knowledge... Apple Watch is new in my tech world
Glad to hear that everything is working now. The Saving issue is a bit worrying. Previously the save happened in the background but I found that AW2 and earlier users were having problems with watchOS 5 locking the app whilst it saved the workout, which was confusing. To get round this I now show the Saving message on the button until it has finished saving, so that it is clear what is happening.
Hearing your problem makes me worry that for some reason watchOS failed to tell the app that it had finished saving, so I may need to adapt the logic to cater for that. Thanks for letting me know.
I think the "saving" screen issue was just a glitch resulting of my own mismanipulation with the phone and watch.
I have used the watch and app a few times now and everything is instantaneous.
Question for you ? I had the same for Strava actually when I found this out just after I bought the AW4 with cellular. I thought the app would be able to use the cellular connection to do the upload and not having to require the iPhone app.
Do you plan to develop such a feature ? End of a ride, run .. no phone, direct upload using cellular.
Aslo I notice a yellow dot on my map during my run today. I know the green is where I started, but what is the yellow one ? Could it be someone else using the app in the same area ? I think I spotted it a different location throughout my run.
Thanks.
Oli.
I have used the watch and app a few times now and everything is instantaneous.
Question for you ? I had the same for Strava actually when I found this out just after I bought the AW4 with cellular. I thought the app would be able to use the cellular connection to do the upload and not having to require the iPhone app.
Do you plan to develop such a feature ? End of a ride, run .. no phone, direct upload using cellular.
Aslo I notice a yellow dot on my map during my run today. I know the green is where I started, but what is the yellow one ? Could it be someone else using the app in the same area ? I think I spotted it a different location throughout my run.
Thanks.
Oli.
I'm glad that the Saving issue has gone. I have come to the conclusion that it is a symptom of when there is a fundamental problem with the watch, rather than a problem itself. I guess that rebooting the watch fixed it.
I do plan to add the option to upload to Strava automatically from the watch in a future version, but wanted to start simple with manual uploads first.
The yellow dot sounds like the target pace icon. This is an indication of where you would be if you were traveling at a configurable target pace. Were you looking at a screen with the "Target" profile, or did you change the Target Pace settings to always show the target pace icon on the map (rather than just when the Target profile is shown, which is the default)?
The target pace feature is useful for maintaining a consistent pace. It provides several metrics, such as your time or distance ahead or behind the target pace, and you can also show the yellow dot on the map to indicate the difference graphically. I find this is a great motivator: there is something about seeing the icon slowly catch me up or pull away from me which is much more of an incentive to speed up than just seeing the difference in numbers!
It would be good if the “bottom row” stats could pick up the correct colours.
For example, if I choose distance v target, it currently always shows in green, even if I am behind target where it would normally show as red in a regular field?
Also...if one of the bottom row stats is set to blank, it doesn’t go actually blank, but is displayed as a yellow “:”.
For example, if I choose distance v target, it currently always shows in green, even if I am behind target where it would normally show as red in a regular field?
Also...if one of the bottom row stats is set to blank, it doesn’t go actually blank, but is displayed as a yellow “:”.
Ah yes I forgot about the distance vs target and time vs target fields. They are the only 2 metrics out of the 180 available that change the background colour according to their content. I will fix this in the next version. I will also fix the ':' when setting a bottom stat to blank. Thanks for spotting those.
To be honest the bottom row stats were a last minute addition. Originally it was just going to show the screen number and profile name, as it does by default. But several testers felt this was wasting valuable space, so I added the ability to change it to show something else, including the ability to show a couple of metrics. One of the advantages is that it allows you to show the same metrics in the same place on every screen without editing each screen.
I still feel the line is a bit small for metrics, which is why I don't make it the default. I sort of hid it away as a fun easter egg for people to find if they like looking through the settings!
To be honest the bottom row stats were a last minute addition. Originally it was just going to show the screen number and profile name, as it does by default. But several testers felt this was wasting valuable space, so I added the ability to change it to show something else, including the ability to show a couple of metrics. One of the advantages is that it allows you to show the same metrics in the same place on every screen without editing each screen.
I still feel the line is a bit small for metrics, which is why I don't make it the default. I sort of hid it away as a fun easter egg for people to find if they like looking through the settings!
Yup I agree...in fact because it’s small is why I immediately thought, “let’s display a metric that changes colour”!
Does heart rate change colour according to zone too? That would be another good one to stick down there.
I did come across another weird situation when I’d been fiddling around with settings and creating little test activities to see what the screens look like...not 100% sure how I got into the state, possibly force touching on the “start” screen and going into route or POIs and selecting or deselecting a route had an effect, but I ended up in a situation where my start screen is just “map” and “running” (I’ve disabled all other workout types, and enable them as and when required, to help with “crossing the start line in a crowd”), but BELOW in what should be the blank space, I somehow ended up with a map screen that I could triple tap and navigate around some other screens as though I was in an activity...
This map screen seemed to be inserted into the activity select / start screen menu somehow, ie I could scroll up to get it on screen in full view if I wanted.
Rebooted watch and it’s gone away.
(Love this version, it’s so much clearer to glance at, and it was already very good).
Does heart rate change colour according to zone too? That would be another good one to stick down there.
I did come across another weird situation when I’d been fiddling around with settings and creating little test activities to see what the screens look like...not 100% sure how I got into the state, possibly force touching on the “start” screen and going into route or POIs and selecting or deselecting a route had an effect, but I ended up in a situation where my start screen is just “map” and “running” (I’ve disabled all other workout types, and enable them as and when required, to help with “crossing the start line in a crowd”), but BELOW in what should be the blank space, I somehow ended up with a map screen that I could triple tap and navigate around some other screens as though I was in an activity...
This map screen seemed to be inserted into the activity select / start screen menu somehow, ie I could scroll up to get it on screen in full view if I wanted.
Rebooted watch and it’s gone away.
(Love this version, it’s so much clearer to glance at, and it was already very good).
Lots of fields change text colour according to their content, including heart rate zone, but those two fields change are the only ones that change their background colour.
I have heard of someone else having the map visible in their main menu, so I will see if I can reproduce it. It shouldn't stop you starting a workout but just looks odd! I must have missed a situation where it hides the map when going back to the main menu. Sorry about that.
Glad to hear that you like new the version despite the odd glitch!
Thanks again for the reply. I actually gave you a glowing review on the App Store lol.
I understand you are testing the upload feature before implementing the fully automatic one. My question was just a little different. I was wondering if the upload (manual or automatic) can be done through wifi or cellular withOUT the phone around, just using the app on the watch, not the app on the phone.
Thanks.
Oli.
I understand you are testing the upload feature before implementing the fully automatic one. My question was just a little different. I was wondering if the upload (manual or automatic) can be done through wifi or cellular withOUT the phone around, just using the app on the watch, not the app on the phone.
Thanks.
Oli.
Many thanks for the review. I don't have a marketing budget so I rely on word of mouth and reviews, so I really appreciate you taking the time to do that.
Sorry I misunderstood the question. I do plan to offer the automatic uploading from the watch (using whatever data connection it has), so it should work fine without the phone. At least that's the plan!
@cfc I’m loving this app and have just happily posted a 5 star review in the App Store.
As a recent convert from a Fenix 3 there are a few tweaks I’d like to put out there. These are really all about how I’ve used Garmin products in the past and miss
1. Custom stats at the end of a run/exercise (watch only). I’m happy to go to the phone/Strava to look at the detail but at the end of a run the immediate stats I want to see are a subset of what’s gathered, distance, time, calories burnt, vo2max and some sort of recovery adviser. I know these last 2 are indicators only, but they can be helpful for relative comparisons
2. Inverted text is a great feature, could this be a settings toggle so we don’t have to long press to activate once the run has started?
Thanks again, great app, great support - well done.
Owain
As a recent convert from a Fenix 3 there are a few tweaks I’d like to put out there. These are really all about how I’ve used Garmin products in the past and miss
1. Custom stats at the end of a run/exercise (watch only). I’m happy to go to the phone/Strava to look at the detail but at the end of a run the immediate stats I want to see are a subset of what’s gathered, distance, time, calories burnt, vo2max and some sort of recovery adviser. I know these last 2 are indicators only, but they can be helpful for relative comparisons
2. Inverted text is a great feature, could this be a settings toggle so we don’t have to long press to activate once the run has started?
Thanks again, great app, great support - well done.
Owain
@cfc I’m loving this app and have just happily posted a 5 star review in the App Store.
As a recent convert from a Fenix 3 there are a few tweaks I’d like to put out there. These are really all about how I’ve used Garmin products in the past and miss
1. Custom stats at the end of a run/exercise (watch only). I’m happy to go to the phone/Strava to look at the detail but at the end of a run the immediate stats I want to see are a subset of what’s gathered, distance, time, calories burnt, vo2max and some sort of recovery adviser. I know these last 2 are indicators only, but they can be helpful for relative comparisons
2. Inverted text is a great feature, could this be a settings toggle so we don’t have to long press to activate once the run has started?
Thanks again, great app, great support - well done.
Owain
Many thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
The watch shows quite a lot of stats at the end of a workout, including distance, time and calories, as well as maps, profiles and splits for most metrics. Sorry that the app doesn't show VO2 Max at the moment. I had a look into it and Apple only provide the figure when the user really pushes themselves to extremes. This is understandable but it does mean that the field would be blank for most people for most workouts, which I thought may be confusing. I may revisit it at some time though. I plan to look into recovery metrics at some time as well.
You are the first person to even mention the inverted text on long press feature, so it's good to hear the someone is using it! The idea was that it was a temporary state to allow you to focus on a particular metric, but I may make it remember the settings between workouts in a future version.
Thanks again for the review!
Had a quick test of the new app yesterday, everything seemed to work ok and the scrolling the screen is excellent. One thing that did happen afterwards (only on the AW4 my wife has), is the iPhone WorkOutDoors app did not show the workout that had been saved. It was showing up ok in Apples Activity app as a WorkOutDoors workout, just not in the WorkOutDoors app itself.
Mine was fine, showed up in all the right places. Might just be a one off!
Mine was fine, showed up in all the right places. Might just be a one off!