Virtual Pacer

Former Member over 9 years ago

The Virtual Pacer data field helps you achieve your goals. Virtual Pacer shows all the information you need to cover the distance in the pre-set time. It's just as if you have your own personal pacer at your wrist.

You can get the Virtual Pacer here.

*********** Features ***********
- Allows you to set the required time and distance using the new App Settings features;
- Pace or Speed required to achieve your goal;
- Sliding bar showing you the percentage of distance covered;
- Option to change background color when you're behind;
- Shows achieved time, when finished.

Depending on the size you set the field, you can also have access to the following additional features
- Time or distance you're ahead or behind;
- Estimate of you end time;
- Remaining distance.

*********** Requirements ***********
Connect IQ version 1.2 or above

*********** Feedback and support ***********
Please consider this a beta version. I've tested this app successfully on Forerunner 920XT, Vivoactive and Forerunner 230, but since it's an advanced data field that's close to the boundaries of available resources, I'd like to do some more testing before I'll consider releasing v1.0. If you have any problems using this data field, please let me know.
General information about app settings can be found here.

*********** Version history ***********
v0.2: Included a lot of extra features, as described above.
v0.1: Initial version. Only shows required pace.

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Setting up your goal time and distance in Garmin Express

Go to "Manage Apps", a list of all your apps is shown;
Look for the Virtual Pacer data field and press the "..." besides the data field name, a page is shown where you can change the settings;
Change the settings to the appropriate values:
- Distance: set the distance. The number is interpreted as Kilometers or Miles, depending on your device settings
- Time (hh:mm:ss or seconds): Set the time in seconds or as mm:ss or hh:mm:ss.
- Show Speed in stead of Pace: The data field shows required Speed if set to true, else it shows pace
- Show ahead/behind as distance in stead of time: Show how much you're ahead or behind as distance if set to true, else as time
- Switch background color when behind: If set to true, the background color changes if you're behind => This setting has been removed in version 1.0 and is always true.
Press "Save" to save the changes. The new values will automatically be send to your device.

I you want to check whether the new values are saved to your device, you can simply go to the settings page again. Garmin Express will always load the settings directly from the device.

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Setting up the zones in Garmin Connect Mobile

The following explanation is based on GCM for Android. GCM for iPhone should be (almost) the same.

In the menu go to "Garmin Devices";
Select your device from the list;
Select "Connect IQ Apps";
Select "Data Fields";
Select the Virtual Pacer data field;
Select "Settings" (if your device does not have Connect IQ 1.2 installed, you'll get a message "An error has occured");
Change the values (as described in the Setting up the zones in Garmin Express section above);
Select "Done" to save the values to your device

Same as with Garmin Express, you can check the settings by going to the Settings page again.

Former Member over 9 years ago

which devices are you targeting with this? fenix 3 and 920xt already have a virtual racer. don't the cheapter devices?

Former Member over 9 years ago

which devices are you targeting with this? fenix 3 and 920xt already have a virtual racer. don't the cheapter devices?

Not all devices have such a feature. I don't know about all of them, but at least vivoactive, fr230 and fr235 don't have anything like this.

Asuming the virtual racer on the fenix3 is similar to the one on the 920, I think my data field has a couple of benefits:

You can set it as a small field, enabling you to keep an eye on your target, while having your other metrics (like heartrate and cadence) in the same screen;
You can set any distance you like (not just the standard race distances)
It shows the pace you need to run to achieve your goal (virtual races just shows how much you're ahead or behind (which I'm planning to add in the next couple of days))

Former Member over 9 years ago

Hi
I have a question, just install in VA i have in configuration fields a selection Private PAcer and a subfield Connect IQ 1/2 and Connect IQ 2/2 but the fields are the same, shows distance target and time.
Is this correct? Or i have to see something differenti in the 2 fields?
A other ask, if i set an alert when pace is for example 5 seconds up/down to the virtual PAcer does the alert works?
Thank you

Former Member over 9 years ago

I'm not sure I understand your questions, but I'll try to answer as best I can.

just install in VA i have in configuration fields a selection Private PAcer and a subfield Connect IQ 1/2 and Connect IQ 2/2 but the fields are the same, shows distance target and time.
Is this correct? Or i have to see something differenti in the 2 fields?

I first wanted to call the data field "Private Pacer", but I decided that "Virtual Pacer" would be a better name. It seems that I missed one place when I changed the name.
You can set the field more than one time on your screen, but it since it will show the same data, that's probably not very useful. Also you can use a maximum of 2 connect IQ data fields in your running app.

A other ask, if i set an alert when pace is for example 5 seconds up/down to the virtual PAcer does the alert works?

Yes, the alert is not affected by this data field.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Hi
Yes you have undesrtand well, i have activate 2 data fields Connect IQ But both showing the same data, i suppose to see two different fields ad shown from images in app description page in IQ Connect.
But the app is a great idea for watch ad VA that doesn't have this function; if you will add improvements like remaining time and distance above/behind it will be great.
Just wait for this, Thank you for your work

Former Member over 9 years ago

Nice one

I will certainly install your Virtual Pacer on my vivoactive when the planned features are added. Could you add configurable vibration alerts too? For example when running too slow you get a vibration alert. Would be nice to set a pace range you want to stay within and if you're not the vibration will trigger. If this is possible it would be cool to somehow make one type of vibration when running to slow and another type when running to fast (slow or fast vibration for example).

Former Member over 9 years ago

I will certainly install your Virtual Pacer on my vivoactive when the planned features are added. Could you add configurable vibration alerts too? For example when running too slow you get a vibration alert. Would be nice to set a pace range you want to stay within and if you're not the vibration will trigger. If this is possible it would be cool to somehow make one type of vibration when running to slow and another type when running to fast (slow or fast vibration for example).

Unfortunately it's not possible to use alerts in a Connect IQ data fields, but the vivoactive has a build feature to set the kind of alerts. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use those while using this data field.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Unfortunately it's not possible to use alerts in a Connect IQ data fields, but the vivoactive has a build feature to set the kind of alerts. There's no reason why you shouldn't be able to use those while using this data field.

Oh didn't think of that :o
Would it be possible to set a pace range and have the screen green when in the wanted pace range and red when outside?

Former Member over 9 years ago

Would it be possible to set a pace range and have the screen green when in the wanted pace range and red when outside?

Yes, technically that's possible. In fact I've been thinking of adding something like a traffic light to this data field: a small dot in one corner that's green when faster than the required pace, yellow when just below or red if the target is getting out of reach.

Former Member over 9 years ago

Yes, technically that's possible. In fact I've been thinking of adding something like a traffic light to this data field: a small dot in one corner that's green when faster than the required pace, yellow when just below or red if the target is getting out of reach.

Seems like a valid solution. Don't make it too small though. I would prefer something really easy to notice. When pushing the limits trying to keep pace all you can muster is to quickly glance at the watch ;)