Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[Mauki]

@cfc

I have another suggestion if you include the navigation functions.

On the Garmin Fenix, in the navigation settings, there is the option of creating a data page that is only displayed when you are navigating. I have ETA, remaining distance and remaining time on it. You can also define that an altitude profile is displayed when navigating, which shows the remaining altitude metres and what has been run so far. I mean, I sent you a picture of this years ago

In other words, the data pages are only displayed during navigation and not during runs without an activated route.

That would be the best case!

 

[Bacasable]

You can either set a duration for an interval (e.g. distance, time, steps, calories, heart rate etc) or make it "manual", where you need to tell the app when you want to move onto the next interval. To do this you need to use the New Interval command, as explained in the answer to the previous question.

The new interval command will also work for intervals with a non-manual duration. So for example if you are 1.6 miles into a 2 mile interval then you can move on to the next interval by using the command.

There is also a similar "Exit Repeat" command, which moves onto the next interval after a repeat loop. For example if the schedule was "warm up, 5 x (fast, recover), slow, cool down" and you were on the 3rd fast interval then exit repeat would move onto the slow interval.

Note that the New Interval command is also used to manually create intervals for workouts where you are not using a schedule. So for example where you want to split a workout into sections so that you could analyse each section individually afterwards.

Ok tanks for answering

That’s what I understood in setting but it seems a little bit unclear.

So we have to settle 2 buttons to pass to next interval.
1 « new interval » to go to next and 1 « exit repeat » at the end of last fast/recover to do not repeat it.

Maybe one button for « next » could be easier to understand ?

 

[cfc]

@cfc

I have another suggestion if you include the navigation functions.

On the Garmin Fenix, in the navigation settings, there is the option of creating a data page that is only displayed when you are navigating. I have ETA, remaining distance and remaining time on it. You can also define that an altitude profile is displayed when navigating, which shows the remaining altitude metres and what has been run so far. I mean, I sent you a picture of this years ago

In other words, the data pages are only displayed during navigation and not during runs without an activated route.

That would be the best case!

That may be what I implement but I don't know for sure yet.

 

[cfc]

Ok tanks for answering

That’s what I understood in setting but it seems a little bit unclear.

So we have to settle 2 buttons to pass to next interval.
1 « new interval » to go to next and 1 « exit repeat » at the end of last fast/recover to do not repeat it.

Maybe one button for « next » could be easier to understand ?

You should never need to use both commands at the same time. The New Interval command will always move you on to the next interval.

The Exit Repeat command is for when you are on say repeat 6 out of 10 and want to move onto the next interval after the repeats.

Say you are doing a "Warm Up, 10 x (1 mile Fast then 5 minutes Recover), Cool Down". You are 4 minutes into the recover stage of the 6th repeat. If you decide that you are ready for the next fast mile then you use "New Interval". However if you realise that you are running late for something then you can use "Exit Repeat" to go straight to the "Cool Down".

 

[BD1]

Great app and developer.....how concerned are you that Apple 'sherlocks' your app in the future? DC Rainmaker implied that Apple is actively developing mapping/routing for the AW.

 

[cfc]

Great app and developer.....how concerned are you that Apple 'sherlocks' your app in the future? DC Rainmaker implied that Apple is actively developing mapping/routing for the AW.

To be honest I was surprised (but happy) that the app wasn't sherlocked this month! I am sure that Apple are working on adding lots of new features so that they can take on Garmin, but now those features are probably unlikely to appear for another 12 months. They rarely announce major functionality like that outside of WWDC or the September releases (although you never know).

My hope is that when they do add them then WOD will still be useful to people because of the extensive configuration options. Apple like to keep things simple, which is great, but sometimes people want a bit more flexibility.

Apple are also quite good at making any new workout functionality available for use by third party apps, so a lot of what they add could be of benefit to WOD as well. For example this year's new running metrics were easy to include into WOD.

My plan is to keep on improving the app and see what happens!

 

[Akrapovic]

Given how extremely customisable WoD is, it appears a lot of us use it for lots of different things - as well as having our own preferred setups. I don't see Apple replacing WoD as my hiking app for example.

 

[zach471]

To be honest I was surprised (but happy) that the app wasn't sherlocked this month! I am sure that Apple are working on adding lots of new features so that they can take on Garmin, but now those features are probably unlikely to appear for another 12 months. They rarely announce major functionality like that outside of WWDC or the September releases (although you never know).

My hope is that when they do add them then WOD will still be useful to people because of the extensive configuration options. Apple like to keep things simple, which is great, but sometimes people want a bit more flexibility.

Apple are also quite good at making any new workout functionality available for use by third party apps, so a lot of what they add could be of benefit to WOD as well. For example this year's new running metrics were easy to include into WOD.

My plan is to keep on improving the app and see what happens!

Did Ray's shoutout on his Ultra video positively impact your business? I hope it did!!

 

[s273988]

watched this very positive review for WOD, which went along way to converting a AWU sceptic

 

[Bacasable]

Thanks CFC I try the schedule this evening and it works wonderfully.

I have a question for the community, not only CFC, you should be busy to answer so many time on this thread 😅

I upload my workout on Strava by your option, at the end of workout.

But now I have 2 workouts on Health app, does it count twice ?

 

[cfc]

Did Ray's shoutout on his Ultra video positively impact your business? I hope it did!!

Sales have definitely gone up since the Ultra release and I am sure that Ray's video and written reviews helped.

 

[cfc]

watched this very positive review for WOD, which went along way to converting a AWU sceptic

That was an excellent video to watch and very positive about the app (although my favourite part was the lovely dog!). It was probably the best video on the app that I have seen because he covered so many of the features, and was very knowledgable and enthusiastic about them all.

Thanks for the heads up!

 

[cfc]

Thanks CFC I try the schedule this evening and it works wonderfully.

I have a question for the community, not only CFC, you should be busy to answer so many time on this thread 😅

I upload my workout on Strava by your option, at the end of workout.

But now I have 2 workouts on Health app, does it count twice ?
View attachment 2081933

Glad that the interval session went so well. I think the Strava app has an option to automatically save workouts to Apple's health system, so you need to disable that. Otherwise WOD saves it in the health system and sends it to Strava who then send it to their app, which also saves it in the health system.

 

[Akrapovic]

I have what feels like quite a complex setup with an app in the middle called HealthKit. (Which is quite a nice app to be fair). My workflow is I finish a run/hike with WoD, which saves it to Apple Health/Fitness. HealthKit reads Apple Health/Fitness (but on some weird delay), and uploads it to Strava for me.

I don't mind this setup, but HealthKits delay in the middle can be annoying. I need to play about at getting WoD stuff to Strava, with it acting smoothly, and without Apple Health/Fitness having a duplicate.

 

[Akrapovic]

@cfc Side topic: Have you attempted to use Thunderforest maps with SwiftUI at all? If so, how difficult did you find integration? Specifically for the phone application?

 

[cfc]

I have what feels like quite a complex setup with an app in the middle called HealthKit. (Which is quite a nice app to be fair). My workflow is I finish a run/hike with WoD, which saves it to Apple Health/Fitness. HealthKit reads Apple Health/Fitness (but on some weird delay), and uploads it to Strava for me.

I don't mind this setup, but HealthKits delay in the middle can be annoying. I need to play about at getting WoD stuff to Strava, with it acting smoothly, and without Apple Health/Fitness having a duplicate.

HealthFit is a great app. I recommend it to anyone looking for more advanced analysis of workouts and also for automatic uploading to many workout systems.

 

[cfc]

@cfc Side topic: Have you attempted to use Thunderforest maps with SwiftUI at all? If so, how difficult did you find integration? Specifically for the phone application?

I use the vector data supplied by Thunderforest and draw it using Scene Kit. SwiftUI can display Scene Kit objects so hopefully I won't need to change any of the map drawing code. 🤞

 

[Cowboy8467]

Hi @cfc , I've noticed an issue when I use WOD for an outdoor run where it doesn't seem to show my average cadence properly when I'm looking at the information after the fact in the Fitness app on my phone. It seems to be tracking the information correctly and I've double checked my permissions but for some reason it keeps showing my average as 0 as seen in screenshot below. Have you come across this before? This doesn't happen when I use the native app.

 

[Fthree]

very nice thread!

Quick question - If i am using a stryd pod and I start a workout in WO does it show me my power metrics?

 

[cfc]

Hi @cfc , I've noticed an issue when I use WOD for an outdoor run where it doesn't seem to show my average cadence properly when I'm looking at the information after the fact in the Fitness app on my phone. It seems to be tracking the information correctly and I've double checked my permissions but for some reason it keeps showing my average as 0 as seen in screenshot below. Have you come across this before? This doesn't happen when I use the native app.

View attachment 2082243

Someone else mentioned that. I assume that it is a bug in the Fitness app for third party apps, because it clearly has the cadence data because that is shown in the graph. So it should be able to calculate an average.

The average is not specifically stored in the health system as far as I know. It is just a series of data "samples", which are visible in the graph, so the Fitness app should be able to calculate the average from them.

 

[cfc]

very nice thread!

Quick question - If i am using a stryd pod and I start a workout in WO does it show me my power metrics?

Yes, as long as you pair the Stryd footpod with the app by using the Sensors screen in the settings. You should only need to do that once before you first use it.

If you want to see the power metrics during the workout then you will also need to tell the app which metrics you want to see. So either add a screen using the Power profile or modify the contents of one of the existing screens to show one or more of the power metrics.

 

[maxmillian]

Hi all. First of all, thanks for a great app, cfc. I love the features for pretty much every activity I want to record!

One small request though - any chance to have "squash" added to the list so I'd have it sorted correctly. It would be the same like indoor tennis or so. I just want to be able to filter it out.

Thanks!

 

[cfc]

Hi all. First of all, thanks for a great app, cfc. I love the features for pretty much every activity I want to record!

One small request though - any chance to have "squash" added to the list so I'd have it sorted correctly. It would be the same like indoor tennis or so. I just want to be able to filter it out.

Thanks!

The next version will include Squash (& Pickleball, Martial Arts & Jump Rope). I have already added them to the code so it’s just a matter of coding the Ultra action button (still waiting for official documentation on how to do that).

I try to add a few new activity types with each release, chosen according to the number of requests.

Glad you like the app!

 

[rbart]

Like you … looking for developer documentation for the action button …
Except using app intents, I haven’t found any information

 

[cfc]

Like you … looking for developer documentation for the action button …
Except using app intents, I haven’t found any information

I am beginning to wonder if they will publish anything at all. They produce some fantastic videos about how to use the new watchOS 9 and iOS 16 features at WWDC in June, giving devs 3 months to include them in apps. However they rarely publish anything in September when devs only have a few days between features being announced and devices being released.

I understand why they can't mention anything in June that would give away the hardware in September. But the Ultra was announced 3 weeks ago and has now been in people's hands for 5 days and yet they still haven't even published an article on how to code for it, let alone a video or sample code.

I found this blog, which is useful for how to do it via App Intents, but it isn't official and seems overkill just to detect a button press:

Adding Support for Apple Watch Ultra Action Button

Apple recently announced the Apple Watch Ultra, which adds an additional button to the Apple Watch. One of the primary uses for this button is to control (start / pause / resume) workouts. We've recently added this functionality into Streaks Workout [https://streaksworkout.app], so this...

crunchybagel.com

App Intents is also Swift-only, which won't be a problem for most developers but will probably make it harder for apps like WOD, which is written in Objective C.