Apps WorkOutDoors: New workout features

[cfc]

There’s a sort of review here >>>

Thanks for that. It is great to see a video devoted to reviewing the app. It sounds like he wasn't a fan of some aspects of the UI, but thought that it was the only workout app for the AW that did what he needed. And it is now his go-to running app, which was good to hear.

 

[FunkyMagicUK]

As have started to really use the route following feature a lot recently, any chance of a feature request to sort routes in the phone app so the ones on the watch are listed first (and maybe slightly different colour).

And (and maybe this is the actual case anyway!?), whilst thinking, could the routes that are on the watch, when you go to the select routes screen on the watch, be listed so that the “closest route to here” is listed at the top??

 

[cfc]

As have started to really use the route following feature a lot recently, any chance of a feature request to sort routes in the phone app so the ones on the watch are listed first (and maybe slightly different colour).

And (and maybe this is the actual case anyway!?), whilst thinking, could the routes that are on the watch, when you go to the select routes screen on the watch, be listed so that the “closest route to here” is listed at the top??

Glad that you like the GPX route features. Those enhancements make a lot of sense and are the sort of thing that I will add when I improve the route functionality.

I was planning to do that in the next version but I did an AMA on reddit and features such as intervals were more popular, so I am adding intervals in the next version instead. However I plan to enhance the GPX routes in the version afterwards, possibly with turn-by-turn instructions as well.

 

[apattee]

I would love turn-by-turn!

As a side note since I haven't tried it yet: is there any feedback on the watch when a user deviates from a route? For instance, when hiking, if I find myself off of the trail, is there something that indicates I've left my route?

Thanks again!

 

[FunkyMagicUK]

I would love turn-by-turn!

As a side note since I haven't tried it yet: is there any feedback on the watch when a user deviates from a route? For instance, when hiking, if I find myself off of the trail, is there something that indicates I've left my route?

Thanks again!

As things stand no...when you select a route, all you’re really doing is displaying it as a passive overlay on the map.

Still very usable though, as long as you have a glance before any junctions etc it’s reasonably easy to follow even a pretty complex route (we don’t tend to run as quickly as we drive I guess!?).

 

[cfc]

As things stand no...when you select a route, all you’re really doing is displaying it as a passive overlay on the map.

Still very usable though, as long as you have a glance before any junctions etc it’s reasonably easy to follow even a pretty complex route (we don’t tend to run as quickly as we drive I guess!?).

I find the same. I think that turn-by-turn will be more handy for road cyclists, because just showing the route on the map is pretty useful already for most activities.

I plan to start with the easier route features to code, such as off-route warnings and metrics such as ETA and the amount of a ascent remaining etc. Turn by turn is a bit harder, and so may take longer.

 

[FunkyMagicUK]

I find the same. I think that turn-by-turn will be more handy for road cyclists, because just showing the route on the map is pretty useful already for most activities.

I plan to start with the easier route features to code, such as off-route warnings and metrics such as ETA and the amount of a ascent remaining etc. Turn by turn is a bit harder, and so may take longer.

Agreed. As a runner I’d be more than happy if turn by turn never arrived if I had access to some of the stuff mentioned above.

I suspect a happy medium for runners would be Waypoint proximity alerts.

When you’re plotting a route you could then add Waypoints just ahead of any tricky bits as a reminder to look at your wrist and/or alert of upcoming CPs etc.

 

[cfc]

Agreed. As a runner I’d be more than happy if turn by turn never arrived if I had access to some of the stuff mentioned above.

I suspect a happy medium for runners would be Waypoint proximity alerts.

When you’re plotting a route you could then add Waypoints just ahead of any tricky bits as a reminder to look at your wrist and/or alert of upcoming CPs etc.

That sounds a good idea. The app already displays waypoints, so it shouldn't be too difficult to add proximity alerts.

 

[arforbes]

I've been loving this app. However, I have one major desire for the app: being able to snip or delete time segments of a workout.

I find myself going on runs and forgetting to stop the app from recording but there's no way to delete the last "30 mins" of me walking around my house after the workout. So it shows my workout time is a lot longer than it is.

 

[cfc]

I've been loving this app. However, I have one major desire for the app: being able to snip or delete time segments of a workout.

I find myself going on runs and forgetting to stop the app from recording but there's no way to delete the last "30 mins" of me walking around my house after the workout. So it shows my workout time is a lot longer than it is.

Glad you love the app. Unfortunately there is no way to edit a workout from within it. Workouts are stored to both the iPhone app and to Apple's Health system. As far as I know it is also not possible to edit workouts in Apple's Health system by using their iOS apps. In theory it may be possible to write code to edit a workout in Apple's system, so there may be apps out there that allow it, but I don't know of any. Please let me know if you do find one though.

I am adding auto-pause for walking and cycling workouts in the next version (as well as running), so hopefully this will not be as much of a problem in the future.

Also Apple added automatic workout start and stop detection for their Workout app with watchOS 5, so hopefully they also will soon make those features available to third party apps.

 

[FunkyMagicUK]

In a future release, is there any reason why the font size of Waypoints included in routes (as opposed to those that happen to be on the map anyway) couldn’t be displayed by default at the larger size that they currently grow to when you touch them? (And grow larger still if touched).


On S4 it’s very difficult to read them just at a glance at the default size, and especially for night runs I’m finding Waypoints to be really useful to tag instructions such as “GO LEFT” for a quick look just ahead of junctions.

Maybe a configurable setting?

 

[cfc]

In a future release, is there any reason why the font size of Waypoints included in routes (as opposed to those that happen to be on the map anyway) get displayed by default at the larger size that they currently grow to when you touch them? (And grow larger still if touched).


On S4 it’s very difficult to read them just at a glance at the default size, and especially for night runs I’m finding Waypoints to be really useful to tag instructions such as “GO LEFT” for a quick look just ahead of junctions.

Maybe a configurable setting?

In theory waypoints should be drawn at the same size as other POIs on the map. As you say they will temporarily increase in size when tapped, but should start from the same size.

So it sounds like this is a bug. I can't reproduce it so could you email me the GPX file at info@workoutdoors.net and I will take a look. Thanks.

 

[FunkyMagicUK]

Maybe me confusing you....Waypoints ARE shown at same size as regular POIs.

My ask is that Waypoints that I create I’d prefer to be bigger.

 

[cfc]

Maybe me confusing you....Waypoints ARE shown at same size as regular POIs.

My ask is that Waypoints that I create I’d prefer to be bigger.

Ah sorry. I will add it to my To Do list!

 

[Capeto]

Wow, this app looks fantastic and I’m about to finally start my New Year’s resolution of training for a 10K. I’m going to download it and see how it goes!

 

[cfc]

Wow, this app looks fantastic and I’m about to finally start my New Year’s resolution of training for a 10K. I’m going to download it and see how it goes!

Thanks! Please let me know what you think and if you have any questions or suggestions.

 

[nunolopes]

Hello there
when do you think you´ll make all the exercises and settings backup to the iCloud?

many thanks

 

[cfc]

Hello there
when do you think you´ll make all the exercises and settings backup to the iCloud?

many thanks

I am not sure about settings, but Workouts are stored in the app's "Documents" directory, which should mean that they are backed up to iCloud automatically. The files are also available via iTunes File Sharing if you want to manually backup and restore them.

 

[nunolopes]

I am not sure about settings, but Workouts are stored in the app's "Documents" directory, which should mean that they are backed up to iCloud automatically. The files are also available via iTunes File Sharing if you want to manually backup and restore them.

About the documents i don't tried yet but the file sharing in my case it doesn't work when i´ve tried to restore the previous files

 

[nunolopes]

About the documents i don't tried yet but the file sharing in my case it doesn't work when i´ve tried to restore the previous files

And using the file share what Folder must i use to put it back again?

 

[mgmooij]

I am not sure about settings, but Workouts are stored in the app's "Documents" directory, which should mean that they are backed up to iCloud automatically. The files are also available via iTunes File Sharing if you want to manually backup and restore them.

When I look in my documents folder in iCloud I can't find files / folders for WOD? Did I miss some setting?

 

[cfc]

To be honest I have never used iCloud because the 5Gb limit makes it pointless for me. However no-one has ever complained about it before so I assumed that everything in the Documents folder of the app was being copied to iCloud like Apple say it should be. I will investigate.

I use iTunes File Sharing instead. If you connect your iPhone to a computer then this means that the WorkOutDoors documents can be copied to the computer and copied back later.

 

[mgmooij]

To be honest I have never used iCloud because the 5Gb limit makes it pointless for me. However no-one has ever complained about it before so I assumed that everything in the Documents folder of the app was being copied to iCloud like Apple say it should be. I will investigate.

I use iTunes File Sharing instead. If you connect your iPhone to a computer then this means that the WorkOutDoors documents can be copied to the computer and copied back later.

I checked a little further, and it looks like there is something in the iCloud backup for WOD, but without restoring the backup I'm not able to see what it is besides that it is 3,2MB in size. So, when restoring a backup it would probably restore something.... This is only via iCloud (backup), not the file sharing you mentioned, I will try that also

 

[cfc]

I checked a little further, and it looks like there is something in the iCloud backup for WOD, but without restoring the backup I'm not able to see what it is besides that it is 3,2MB in size. So, when restoring a backup it would probably restore something.... This is only via iCloud (backup), not the file sharing you mentioned, I will try that also

Thanks. That sounds too small to be workouts, but it could be settings.

 

[nunolopes]

Thanks. That sounds too small to be workouts, but it could be settings.

The last time and only time i did a file sharing backup and restore it again using the same way, it didnt work. At the time i have only 2 runs just for test and none of them was restored.
I think the more reliable way its using somehow the native icloud backup system.
I dont want to start make runs, and after of 1 year of recordings, all of the history was gone.
I didnt know if using the file sharing, what folders must we restore from our MAC to the iphone. All of them? only the workouts folder?

thanks