Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[cfc]

Maybe just add them all at the bottom, so you don't have to go down another level.

I don't think it is that hard, actually when setting up an activity I think it is quite naturally to expect where to look. The only exception is sensors. I would expect Sensor pairing to be global, but I quite like and prefer that it is activity specific. If I recall correct my garmin connect to Stryd if in range and inform me for activities, where I don't even use Stryd. Or maybe it is Polar ?. A HR-belt is another matter though (I don't have one), but I guess that is just a matter of pairing it in WatchOS settings.

All theoretically for me since I don't have an HR-belt yet (don't like wearing them, though I would like HRV), but now I just start to wonder what would happen, if you want HRV and have paired HR-belt both an WatchOS and Workoutdoors. Maybe even with an HR-belt like the Polar H10, that support dual BLE connections. ?

You could keep a global default settings for each of them, maybe below a "Activity defaults" menu-item (because I still find settings to cluttered), which is overruled by activity settings if defined. You could also add a button to the activity settings, that would reset to global default (basically clear them). Also in both places have a text telling, that you can adjust those settings for specific activity under an activity and you can define global settings in settings. You might also add a button in global settings for each of the categories, that would replace activity specific values with default for all
activities, that should require a confirmation to avoid accidents.


I agree it might require a bigger restructure of the app, but I think you underestimate how much time user spend to locate a setting for an activity, especially when there is a lot of unesserary visual noise to filer (disabled activities). Users might also not discover many features, since they simply are hard to navigate to when you are looking for them.

As an example from a me as a user. To simplify the Screens page on the iPhone app, so I easier can find the activities I use and configure them. I have entered every single other activity I don't use and cleared every single screen they had. That is a lot of work, but saves me time in the long, when locating the screens I want to adjust. They are still on list, but since they are empty, it is easy to see I should ignore them. If I ever need them, I can always restore default (but more likely, I configure a screen from scratch with just the data I want and nothing more).

Where is that? 4 is in the lower end for me. 10 would fit. But better than nothing, Maybe, Since would like to keep them fixed on the watch.

Other sports watches keep the order but start showing the last one as default selected. I don't quite know how to do it in WOD. Either scroll down the main menu to last used activity when showing or have a top level menu-item with last activity type or a button that scrolls down to it.

For some reason many people do not spot the circle icon with dots in so I do not want to hide the activity-specific settings in there.

I will bear your suggestions in mind if I have to rewrite the UI for the always on display.

 

[Significant1]

For some reason many people do not spot the circle icon with dots in so I do not want to hide the activity-specific settings in there.

I can relate to that. I know Apple uses it in their workout app, but I don't find it intuitiv, I think a Cogwheel icon is the better icon at indicating optional settings.

Just to check, I had a quick look at Polar Flow, Garmin Connect and Suunto/SportsTracker apps on the iphone and in general every time the menu-item is about settings, it has a Cogwheel icon attached.

 

[andrewstirling]

Those changes in activity type functionality are very rarely requested (if ever in some cases) but I will add them to my list and have a think about them.

The last two requests may be possible if I have to rewrite the UI in SwiftUI so that the app can use the always on display. I am hoping that Apple will announce something at WWDC that will help me avoid doing that, but I am not optimistic, so I may have to rewrite large parts of the app. If so then I will bear those changes in mind (while I am repeatedly cursing Apple).

Lol. It’s probably more likely they deprecate apps which don’t use swift AI

 

[cfc]

Lol. It’s probably more likely they deprecate apps which don’t use swift AI

I know! But I am really hoping that we are wrong.

 

[southpaw2five]

Is it too early to ask what you have planned for the next release?

 

[cfc]

Is it too early to ask what you have planned for the next release?

Top of the list at the moment is support for the always on display, followed by improved navigation (turn-by-turn etc), and then importing of schedules from other systems.

However I am not looking into any of those at the moment because I am still focussed on the current release. There are a few sensor issues that need ironing out. And then in a week or so it is Apple's developer conference, so I will re-assess the priorities after that.

 

[Maryn]

Does the latest beta release include ascent data in .FIT file?

 

[cfc]

Does the latest beta release include ascent data in .FIT file?

There isn’t a beta at the moment but should be some time next week. I haven’t looked at that yet so it depends on how easy it is.

 

[Michael Haas]

Apple smooth the GPS track after the workout, whereas 3rd party apps like WOD do not. It doesn't affect any of the metrics during the workout.

Since the last update the tracks with WOD look much more "wonky" than before (Attached files: Same track, from today and from March 22). Did you change something?
Beside that: Great work again! This App is awesome!

 

[Michael Haas]

The new map options are nice. Just noticed, that the default map has no less or no tracks in the woods and other outlook in the streets. No more street names, instead of bulidings sometimes just a grey area.

 

[Maryn]

Since the last update the tracks with WOD look much more "wonky" than before (Attached files: Same track, from today and from March 22). Did you change something?
Beside that: Great work again! This App is awesome!

My hiking tracks look much worse

 

[cfc]

Nothing has changed in that area. The app still uses the raw data supplied by watchOS.

 

[cfc]

The new map options are nice. Just noticed, that the default map has no less or no tracks in the woods and other outlook in the streets. No more street names, instead of bulidings sometimes just a grey area.

The new maps are generally more detailed than the default maps.

 

[grrbb]

No - you can only choose to get the pace from the sensor or from the watch. I may allow both in the future, but am starting relatively simple.

Hi - I have paired a zwift runpod, which gets recognised for cadence & pace, but when set as the source doesn't seem to show any cadence or pace (doubled checked using my Polar watch and ismoothrun which do report pace & cadence) ?

When starting an activity with the footpod it shows a 'cancel / start anyway' screen with the cadence & pace showing as 'available' with a green circle to the right... but shows 'start anyway', as if I should wait for something else before starting?

Also - it seems that during a run the raise to wake is rather unresponsive in workoutdoors - I don't recall that prior to the update - but whilst running it seems to take much more exaggerated movement to try and get the display to come back on - often needing the screen to be tapped ? Have I missed a setting to disable raise to wake whilst running ?

 

[TheMixam]

Since the last update the tracks with WOD look much more "wonky" than before (Attached files: Same track, from today and from March 22). Did you change something?
Beside that: Great work again! This App is awesome!

Do you have your iPhone with you and normally use airplane mode to use the Watch gps instead of the iPhone gps? If so: check if Bluetooth is disabled in the airplane mode settings. Every WatchOS update it enables itself again.

 

[cfc]

Hi - I have paired a zwift runpod, which gets recognised for cadence & pace, but when set as the source doesn't seem to show any cadence or pace (doubled checked using my Polar watch and ismoothrun which do report pace & cadence) ?

When starting an activity with the footpod it shows a 'cancel / start anyway' screen with the cadence & pace showing as 'available' with a green circle to the right... but shows 'start anyway', as if I should wait for something else before starting?

Also - it seems that during a run the raise to wake is rather unresponsive in workoutdoors - I don't recall that prior to the update - but whilst running it seems to take much more exaggerated movement to try and get the display to come back on - often needing the screen to be tapped ? Have I missed a setting to disable raise to wake whilst running ?

The raise to wake is controlled by watchOS and completely out of the control of the app.

I don’t think anyone has ever tested a Zwift pod, so there may be issues. There were about 200 testers but there were always going to be some sensors that weren’t tested. There are now thousands of people using the sensors so I will look into fixing any outstanding problems and probably put out a bug fix release in a few weeks.

You may find that connecting and starting quickly helps. watchOS complicates things by not allowing apps to maintain a connection to a sensor if you drop your wrist when a workout is not running. This makes the app need to reconnect if you drop your wrist whilst the connection screen is visible. It then shows “Available” until it has reconnected but it looks like some sensors don’t seem to like being disconnected and reconnected so quickly so I probably need to work around that.

 

[Mac1211HR]

Hi @cfc,

This is my first forum post and registered here just to thank you for creating such great workout app.

But since we are here, one small request regarding alerts. Is it possible to add option for "silent" alert. To be able to turn off ding sound. Just haptic feedback. This can be enabled on all alert types.

Thanks in advance!

 

[cfc]

Hi @cfc,

This is my first forum post and registered here just to thank you for creating such great workout app.

But since we are here, one small request regarding alerts. Is it possible to add option for "silent" alert. To be able to turn off ding sound. Just haptic feedback. This can be enabled on all alert types.

Thanks in advance!

I don’t think that is possible. The app just asks watchOS for a haptic and the haptic includes a slight ding. Sorry about that.

Thanks for buying the app!

 

[Mac1211HR]

I don’t think that is possible. The app just asks watchOS for a haptic and the haptic includes a slight ding. Sorry about that.

Thanks for buying the app!

NHF, I understand.

 

[super.sjimmie]

I don’t think that is possible. The app just asks watchOS for a haptic and the haptic includes a slight ding. Sorry about that.

Thanks for buying the app!

Is that perhaps solved by turning off sound on the Watch?
I found that ding-sound anoying but I think it went away when I placed my Watch in Silent mode.

 

[Mac1211HR]

Is that perhaps solved by turning off sound on the Watch?
I found that ding-sound anoying but I think it went away when I placed my Watch in Silent mode.

You are right, it is. But I don't want to silence all notifications. That's why I was asking if it's configurable so I can for instance, still have sound alert for high heart rate but not for distance.

 

[Mac1211HR]

I don’t think that is possible. The app just asks watchOS for a haptic and the haptic includes a slight ding. Sorry about that.

Thanks for buying the app!

One more thing; is it possible to set maximum zoom level when starting outdoor workout? I had couple of miss turns during hiking because initial map view is set to 200m. It would be nice if I could set it to 50m from the beginning.

 

[portland]

Hi @cfc ! So great to finally get to use my Stryd with WOD—thank you for adding this!
I know importing structured workouts is in the pipeline, and that's really something I'm looking forward to.
One small change (I think it would be small?) in the meanwhile would be really nice:
* add the ability to enter CP/FTP, much like you can add resting and max HR, and use it as a reference value when building interval schedules.
This would add a lot of functionality and reduce manual data entry for power-based workouts. For example, if my critical power (right now) is 250w, and I create a 45 minute recovery run interval schedule in WOD where I want to keep my power between 70-80% of my CP, I need to manually enter values (175w low bound to 200w high bound) when I create the interval schedule. If my critical power goes up or goes down, though, I'll need to change these values in my recovery run schedule (and in my fartlek schedule, and my long run schedule, etc.) But if I could enter my CP in one spot in WOD, then set thresholds with %s or zones or similar for power, then I would only need to edit a single value when my CP changes.
I hope that makes sense—thank you again!!

 

[sam3k]

One more thing; is it possible to set maximum zoom level when starting outdoor workout? I had couple of miss turns during hiking because initial map view is set to 200m. It would be nice if I could set it to 50m from the beginning.

I'd quite like this too! I've taken advantage of one the new features in the update and switched to using the crown to switch screens (even on map screens) as swiping on a map screen drove me a bit crazy!

I've added zoom in/out to the command menu, but an initial zoom amount might be nice.

 

[cfc]

Hi @cfc ! So great to finally get to use my Stryd with WOD—thank you for adding this!
I know importing structured workouts is in the pipeline, and that's really something I'm looking forward to.
One small change (I think it would be small?) in the meanwhile would be really nice:
* add the ability to enter CP/FTP, much like you can add resting and max HR, and use it as a reference value when building interval schedules.
This would add a lot of functionality and reduce manual data entry for power-based workouts. For example, if my critical power (right now) is 250w, and I create a 45 minute recovery run interval schedule in WOD where I want to keep my power between 70-80% of my CP, I need to manually enter values (175w low bound to 200w high bound) when I create the interval schedule. If my critical power goes up or goes down, though, I'll need to change these values in my recovery run schedule (and in my fartlek schedule, and my long run schedule, etc.) But if I could enter my CP in one spot in WOD, then set thresholds with %s or zones or similar for power, then I would only need to edit a single value when my CP changes.
I hope that makes sense—thank you again!!

Power (and pace) zones are in the plans for the future. They will work in a similar manner to the existing heart zones, where you define configurable percentages of a configurable minimum and maximum.