Great idea and maybe it is already implemented in next version. Till then I just tried enabling auto-pause when running and it paused the workout right away.
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Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features
- Thread starter cfc
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That is a good idea. As mentioned auto-pause offers similar advantages but it would not be difficult to add an option to start in paused mode.
It is too late to add it for the next version but I will bear it in mind for the future.
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A command to initiate the Water Lock mode will be in the new version that will be released later this week.
Thanks for that. It confirms that the magnetic straps will probably be an issue. I will see how it works with both strap types and may make the app continue to default to using the synthesised compass. Those users who want the physical compass will need to specifically turn it on and the switch to do that will have a big warning about using the compass with magnetic straps.
That will hopefully minimise the App Store reviews from users with magnetic straps who mark the app down because the map is incorrectly oriented!
You probably won't do any sophisticated workout where you ”need” the compass with one of the magnetic bands anyways.
Are you able to use the always-on feature with this app? If so I am very curious as to how bright the screen will be in that mode as I use a sapphire display and it is just about readable in direct sunlight on my S4 so any dimmer is not going to be great for me for workouts.
It's uncertain how 3rd party apps in general work with the always-on display. We probably know more in a couple of days.
This may have been mentioned before, but I would love to be able to record a GPS tracklog in view map mode without running a workout. I geotag all photos taken with my camera, and for short outings I’d like to leave my handheld GPS device at home and I don’t want to drain my phone battery. Great for walking around town doing some photography.
I realize that this would probably be at the very bottom of the priority list if it even makes it on to it at all. Just wanted to make a case for it.
I realize that this would probably be at the very bottom of the priority list if it even makes it on to it at all. Just wanted to make a case for it.
I have heard reports that it does not work with 3rd party apps. My hope is that this is just a default and that such apps can tell watchOS that they are ok to run as always-on (after lots of testing and probably a bit of tweaking).
However I haven’t seen anything in Apple’s latest documentation that indicates this yet. Hopefully they will add it before watchOS 7.
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I will add it to the list, but as you say it is quite specialised.
I will add a way to create waypoints in the future, although the next version will have an indirect way to do this. The GPX Export function will have the ability to save the beginning of each lap or interval as a waypoint in the file. So if you start a new lap or interval when you take a photo then you will be able to export the lat/long later. If you use laps then be sure to switch off auto-laps.
So you would still have to run a workout but it may make the geotagging procedure a bit easier.
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One thing I saw on a clip is that the first party Workout app behaves differently when screen is dimmed.
The time only updated every second where normally it shows tenths and hundreds whizzing by (at least until you’re measuring longer time anyway).
Here’s my question (as a non developer) which might drive out an answer....
If I start the first party workout app, and then bring up the dock, I can see the workout screen updating (whilst docked).
If I start an activity via workoutdoors, and then look at dock, the screen is frozen with the time as per the last time the app was foregrounded.
Is it technically possible to do something which refreshes the display seen in the dock (without having brought the app to full screen in the meantime?). If so...then maybe that’s the mechanism for a lower periodicity screen update supporting the dim mode??
If not..maybe the dim mode will have a similar “depends if you are apple or not” approach and be a bit useless for 3rd party apps ?? ☹️
I suspect it will be the “depends if you are Apple or not” option, at least at first, although we shall see.
I don’t think apps can tell if they are in the dock or not. There may be a mechanism for updating what is shown in the dock every second but it may hit battery life to do it. I may investigate that approach if that image is what is shown on the screen but I suspect it will just be a dimmed version of the current watch face. Again, we will hopefully find out soon.
Wow what an update! Can’t wait to delve into the all the new stuff.
Glad you like it! I will post the full details here when I get a chance.
Thanks to everyone who has helped during the beta testing, not just for testing the app, but also for the incredibly useful feedback about the new features, and for generally guiding me in the right direction.
Now off to the nearest Apple Store to (hopefully) pick up my Series 5. Looking forward to seeing how the always on screen works and to integrating the compass into the app.
Read through all the stuff on Workoutdoors.net yesterday afternoon and was refreshing for an update rabidly before I went for a run last night!!
Had to make do with IOS and WatchOS updates last night (broken Watch reminders grrrr) but, it’s arrived overnight.
LOVE the big green start button, and will be no doubt spending the next few days building multiple interval schedules!!
It would be really good if clicking a lap or segment row in the table (in the phone app) highlighted (and zoomed to fill the screen with) the segment on the map and shaded the little graph at the bottom ???
What’s next?!
Sorry that there was a slight delay in releasing the app. There was a bug with Apple's development system that meant that I had to rebuild the app and resubmit it again, but luckily they were very fast to accept the new build.
I may improve the analysis in terms of selecting laps or segments on the iPhone app. It's the sort of thing that I do as light relief in-between the more major stuff, so it will probably happen at some time.
In terms of what is next, in the short term I will be integrating the compass in the series 5 (which I am currently setting up). So I will probably put out a version soon with that, which will also include fixes for any bugs found in the new release. I may also sneak in a couple of new features, depending on how quickly a bug fix release is required. The lack of swimming looks a bit odd now that I have added indoor workouts, so I may look into including that.
After that it is a bit up in the air. I have been promising to improve the maps and navigation features for a while, but a lot of the more interesting features would cost me money (topo maps, satellite maps, turn-by-turn etc). This means that I may have to add a subscription for those features, which I am trying to hold off on because I know that it puts people off buying the app at all. If I did add a subscription then all the existing features would still be included in the one-off price. Only the features that cost me more money would require the subscription.
The route navigation also needs improving in terms of showing how far along a route you are. I could then add metrics for how far there is to go (in terms of time, distance, ascent etc). It would also allow graph metrics, such as a profile of the route with an indication of where along it you currently are.
On the workout side of things I want to look into connecting to external sensors. I will start with Stryd, because that is the most requested, and because it is the only one that I own. If that goes well then I will look into cycling power/cadence sensors. I will also look into adding multi-activity workouts (e.g for triathlons).
These are only the major features that I am considering. There a plenty of other minor things on my To Do list that still need adding, but hopefully the app is heading in the right direction!
Good stuff!
Don’t know if it’s me or a bug, but the one thing I’ve noticed so far is if I create a schedule, then delete it without pressing remove first, I don’t seem to have any way to get it off the watch?
Also...when creating schedules if you have a schedule that’s about one screen in length or longer, if you edit the title, you can no longer press the buttons at the bottom to add a next segment without saving back out and coming back in again,
And definitely not a bug, but more of a feature suggestion...I like how it’s possible to just manually “next interval” to next step even it’s a timed or measured interval, but it would be good if there was a “exit loop” type function.
I’m thinking of scenario where I build a schedule that is something like...
WARM UP
DRILLS
Repeat [ 1000m, Recover ]
COOL DOWN
where it’s not a strict schedule or pyramid or whatever, I just want to turn up and rattle out a few threshold KM’s, but I don’t know if I’m going to do 5, 7 or 10 of them before I’ve had enough and want to skip to the warm down.
As things stand I’d probably just stick a 100 multiplier on the repeat and then not bother adding the warm down into the schedule...but...it would be kinda nice to be able to!
Or is there a better way to build this kind of workout schedule using the existing functionality?
I hope so. At the moment it is an advantage for the native workout app that it can be displayed and update when dimmed, but hopefully they will add the ability for third party apps to do the same.
Thanks for the feedback. I can't reproduce either of those issues so there must be something different about what we are doing. Are you running the watch app at the same time? Are you using any special keyboard software? It's probably best to go through that process offline by email if that is ok (info@workoutdoors.net)?
A couple of people have asked for an "exit repeat loop" type command. It should be easy enough to add so I will try to include it in the next version.
So not sure if it’s a bug on I’m just being silly, but I can’t drag new workouts into the interval.
I’m trying to move the recovery into the repeating three?
So managed to do this. I think it’s just a bit temperamental.
Another thing is we can’t use , in interval naming. Any reason?
I’m trying to move the recovery into the repeating three?
So managed to do this. I think it’s just a bit temperamental.
Another thing is we can’t use , in interval naming. Any reason?
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I spent like hours to go through all the settings on the watch, just wow.
Also already did the first run with the new version. Nothing to mention here, which is a good thing ??
The accuracy option seams not to have an impact, I think you already mentioned that you expect it to be like this.
My biggest wish next to the Stryd integration would be that you take the time to upgrade the user guide ?
Very well done
Also already did the first run with the new version. Nothing to mention here, which is a good thing ??
The accuracy option seams not to have an impact, I think you already mentioned that you expect it to be like this.
My biggest wish next to the Stryd integration would be that you take the time to upgrade the user guide ?
Very well done
The dragging of intervals is a bit fussy I'm afraid. I will try to improve it in the future.
You can effectively change the name of an interval by setting the Notes field below the type. If the interval has text for that field then that text is used to describe the interval. So for example if it is a Fast interval and the notes say "Go For It!" then that is what will appear on the screen and what will be spoken by the watch.
Glad you like it and that the first run went well!
You are right that I need to improve the user guide! My plan is to convert the release notes that I produce for beta testers (which are quite detailed) into pages for the website. I have started doing that but there are so many things that the app is capable of that I still haven't documented properly yet.
Another quicky...I’ve found the “Estimated Time” which works in conjunction with a “fixed length” workout.
Is it possible to explain how it estimates the time??
Is it as simple as using the overall average pace so far in a distance x pace calculation OR does it do something clever like use more recent pace work out the time for the remaining distance and add to the time already taken??
Not sure if this makes sense...but for example if I’m running a marathon and there’s 10k to go, I want the estimated time to be based on my pace maybe over the last kilometre or so rather than the average pace I’ve maintained for the previous 30ish k?
(I realise using overall average pace the estimated time would gradually home in to be accurate the closer to the end I got, but knowing the expected time based on the pace I’ve invariably faded to would be more useful from a running point of view).
Is it possible to explain how it estimates the time??
Is it as simple as using the overall average pace so far in a distance x pace calculation OR does it do something clever like use more recent pace work out the time for the remaining distance and add to the time already taken??
Not sure if this makes sense...but for example if I’m running a marathon and there’s 10k to go, I want the estimated time to be based on my pace maybe over the last kilometre or so rather than the average pace I’ve maintained for the previous 30ish k?
(I realise using overall average pace the estimated time would gradually home in to be accurate the closer to the end I got, but knowing the expected time based on the pace I’ve invariably faded to would be more useful from a running point of view).