WatchApp: pmTriathlon

Former Member over 10 years ago

pmTriathlon

pmTriathlon is a multi-sport app for triathlons. Designed to record a swim, a cycle and a run, with a transition inbetween (although the transition doesn't seem to create a FIT file, I'm assuming this is something to do with ConnectIQ).

IMPORTANT NOTICE
All this application does is start and stop events in the order that you do them in a Triathlon. This application has no control over data accurracy, that's handled by the watch. The swimming discipline seems to suffer the most problems.

These issues might be down to running on a Vivoactive (or other likewise watch); so if you're super-serious about your Triathlon data, you might want to consider a better watch designed for triathlons.

If you're happy with getting times as a minimum, then you'll be okay with this app.

Usage
Once started, the GPS will try and connect, the red bar above and below the phase chevrons indicates GPS signal, and will turn yellow or green when a signal is acquired.
To start your triathlon, press the "Enter" button (physical button on the right side of the vivoactive). Press this at the start and end of each discipline.

Press the button a final time at the end of your triathlon, and you will be presented on-screen with the total time, with phase split times.

Onscreen Data
Currently the only information available to display are:

Event (Total) Time
Discipline Time
Pace (time per mi/km based on watch setting)
Distance (mi/km based on watch setting)

Watch Support
It has only actually been tested on a Vivoactive, but should support all square screen watches

Downloads
https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/e68063aa-d8b9-4801-9a26-633619f72a9a

Source Code
https://github.com/pmprog/pmTriathlon (MIT Licence)

History
v1.0
Initial Release

v1.1

A settings menu is now available in the pre-event screen by pressing the menu button. At the minute, the only option you are able to change is whether you are doing a Triathlon, Reverse Triathlon, or a Duathlon (Run/Cycle/Run); The data fields will hopefully get added soon
The screen is now locked during an event, and the only buttons that should do anything are the Power button (for enabling the backlight) and the Record button (for advancing)

Former Member over 10 years ago

Does the app work with the Live Tracking feature part of Garmin Connect?

Former Member over 10 years ago

Thanks, I had a swim today in the lake.
After 20 minutes the swim part and the whole pmTriathlon App stopped without touching the Garmin vivoactive. Getting out of the water, the Garmin vivoactive was back in the watch page.
The postive thing is, that the swim was recorded and afterwards uploaded to Garmin Connect. Distance indicated was 1.5 km but is was max. 800 m. (I do not know yet if/how vivoactive can measure the open water distance.)

Thanks for the feedback. I'll see if there's anything I can do about about the crashing. I'm not even sure if there's anything I can do about the distance; did you let the GPS connect? Can you see a route if you view on Garmin Connect?

Does the app work with the Live Tracking feature part of Garmin Connect?

I'm afraid I don't even know what that is, sorry.

gubrist over 10 years ago

did you let the GPS connect?

yes :-)
amazing: with pmTriathlon you OVERCOME the standard swim app of Garmin vivoactive, which just turns the GPS off.

Can you see a route if you view on Garmin Connect?.

yes :-)
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/801943383
amazing: the track on the map is accurate; you see that it has GPS connection from time to time, which is sufficient.
strange: it turns out that the swim program stopped 100 m before reaching the shore; this might be a watch issue.

Former Member over 10 years ago

Disabling the touch screen during swim?

This app has a chance to be very useful given the watch's current limitations with the auto-multisport. I haven't used it during a race yet, but I am planning to use it in a race tomorrow. In looking at it today, I noticed that if you touch the lap/back button on the touch screen you are exited from the app. This is what could be causing the issues during the swim portion of the watching freezing or exiting back to the clock. The water could be affecting the touch screen.

For the developer, is there a way in the code that you can disable the touch screen during the swim? Similar to the built-in app for swimming, by doing so, the only way to exit the activity would be to physically press the button on the right side of the watch. Or, can you create the code so that it links all 3 built-in apps together?

Former Member over 10 years ago

yes :-)
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/801943383
amazing: the track on the map is accurate; you see that it has GPS connection from time to time, which is sufficient.
strange: it turns out that the swim program stopped 100 m before reaching the shore; this might be a watch issue.

It won't let me look at the map; but is strange that it stopped 100m before the shore.

This app has a chance to be very useful given the watch's current limitations with the auto-multisport. I haven't used it during a race yet, but I am planning to use it in a race tomorrow. In looking at it today, I noticed that if you touch the lap/back button on the touch screen you are exited from the app. This is what could be causing the issues during the swim portion of the watching freezing or exiting back to the clock. The water could be affecting the touch screen.

For the developer, is there a way in the code that you can disable the touch screen during the swim? Similar to the built-in app for swimming, by doing so, the only way to exit the activity would be to physically press the button on the right side of the watch. Or, can you create the code so that it links all 3 built-in apps together?

That's an interesting theory I hadn't thought about. I think we can hook all of the input, so I will look into handling screen/buttons

gubrist over 10 years ago

Designed to record a swim, a cycle and a run, with a transition inbetween.

Thanks for the overall screen at the end of the triathlon, indicating als well the transition time.
- Is there a way to store the transition time as separate activity (to be displayed at Gramin connect), as well?
So far "only" swim, a cycle and a run are stored.

gubrist over 10 years ago

pmTriathlon Designed to record a swim, a cycle and a run, with a transition inbetween

Thanks for the overall results screen at the end of the Triathlon, including transition.
- Is there a way to recorad the 548as seaparte activiy as well (to be displayed at Garmin Connect afterwards)?

Former Member over 10 years ago

Thanks for the overall screen at the end of the triathlon, indicating als well the transition time.
- Is there a way to store the transition time as separate activity (to be displayed at Gramin connect), as well?
So far "only" swim, a cycle and a run are stored.

I ask it to record as a transistion, but I believe ConnectIQ will not save them. The only way around this is to maybe save them as "Walk" or "Generic Sport", I guess?

I was also thinking about adding some feature to save the summary screen so you can load them back post-event though time is against me at the minute

gubrist over 10 years ago

The only way around this is to save them as "Walk" or "Generic Sport", I guess?

Thanks. - Yes, "Walk" would pretty much meet it for transition.

gubrist over 10 years ago

Swim Part stopped again

Thanks for the feedback. I'll see if there's anything I can do about about the crashing.

Once again:
after 585 meters / 8 minutes the swim part and the whole pmTriathlon App stopped again without touching the Garmin vivoactive.
It was back in the watch page, the app must have crashed without any warning message. :(

Today, I swum exactly the same track using the orginal swim App of of the Garmin vivoactive.
It did not stop (approx. 1.6 km / 36 minutes). To stop the swim App, you have to press the right metal button (Start/Stop) for some seconds.
- This might be an imporvement for the pmTriathlon App.

With the current version, I cannot use the pmTriathlon for my next olympic Triathlon as it is not reliable.