DataField: SpeedCadHRZ - The analog speedometer with features

Former Member over 9 years ago

Note: This application is suitable for Edge 520/820/1000 devices only!

https://apps.garmin.com/en-US/apps/9b0d617d-cb53-44d6-a519-6d3ca3e9056e

This app provides to the cyclist the traditional analog speedometer with large scale digits and with set of additional features:

* Analog arrow points to the Current Speed.
* Green sector or triangle index indicates Average Speed.
* Red sector or triangle index indicates Max Speed.
* The large digit in the center is used as a backup of current speed in digital representation.
* Field below analog scale indicates Current Cadence.
* First additional field from the left is used to show Travelled Distance.
* The second one - is the activity Timer.
* The box at the right indicates current Heart Rate and HR Zones. For the current zone it also shows the time-in-zone.
* Red GPS blinker appears in the lower left corner of the analog scale when the position accuracy became poor.
* Battery indicator flashing with red if battery is exhausted more than 90%.
* Using custom font provides better readability of important info.
* The field names are not visible when speed is above zero (to keep attention on the field values).

New feature: The analog scale can be configured by user. You can change the scale range, tick-marks number and the method of displaying average and max speeds. Read more
about applications configuration here:
https://forums.garmin.com/showthread.php?332843-How-to-App-Settings

Version History

v1.7
- Attempt to fix the digit orientation on the Edge1000 device, by reverting back to SDK 1.2.
- Using bold font for center indicator.
- Switched to fixed m/ft units for Ascent and Descent.

v1.6
- New HR zone indicator. The width of each zone bar corresponds the actual zone width. Added vertical arrow indicating the current HR over the zones range.
- Now using bold font for secondary data fields.
- Added new data sources: Activity Timer, Total Ascent, Total Descent.

v1.5
- Added customizable data source for the analog scale.
- Added customizable data sources for the digital fields.
- Fixed HR zone text color to be more contrast on dark colors.
- Removed useless zeros from timer data format.

v1.4
- Technical update.

v1.3
- Fixed bug with re-calculation of scale parameters when app is configured by Mobile Express.
- Improved font glyphs and size.
- Memory usage optimization.

v1.2
- Fixed Heart Zone colors to correspond Garmin standards.
- Added ability to customize the speed scale look. The user can adjust range, the number of tick-marks and indication method of average and max speeds.
- Added GPS blinker to warn about poor position quality during the ride.

v1.1
- Fixed cadence field calc.

v1.0.
Initial release.

Your comments and suggestions are welcome in this thread! Thank you!

Former Member over 8 years ago

Thank you for the wise suggestions! Some of them I've already hear before, some are reasonable and can be implemented. But unfortunately not all of them :(

1. My app uses custom fonts with condensed width. This design is coming from aviation gauges and is well suitable for the vertically oriented screens (well readable and allows to have more characters in a row). But there is downside. The custom fonts are loaded in app ram that is highly limited on the Edge520 device. In other words, I can't have more than 2 fonts loaded without affecting app functionality.

2. The arrow can be increased but the font of the center indicator - not. Because of the limitation described above. I've made it bold in the latest version 1.7.

3. :) I think, when you are riding 30 mph downhill you have NO TIME to look at your Edge at all. Not only at HR zones :) I'm agree that HRZ indicator is more suitable for statistics needs. I have a plan to make configurable the lower-right part of the screen and allow user to replace HRZ with the 2 other simple fields (like in the lower-left part).

4. I'm sorry but I dont understand you. What additional datafield you mean here?

5. Yes, I have a plan to add Grade% to the list of available data sources. I'm having problem to extract this data from the deivce. It looks unreliable at this time. I keep working on it.

6. :) This is kind of "conflicting" suggestion :) Someone other asked me to make them larger for better visibility. So, I think I should keep the current size :) I'm also thinking about make it configurable, but I'm not sure.

Sergey_Kessel over 8 years ago

Thanks for responding - will add some more comments (to your response).
1. I have not realized that there are only 2 fonts one the screen - that sounds cool, although that's really a pity you cannot use 3 fonts (I'd say ideal situation - big speed, slightly smaller HR and cadence, and then even smaller other values)>

The whole idea of my comment is to give less stress on numbers on the scale and more - on valuable data (i.e. speed value). Is it possible to make speed marks on the dial with standard font?
I would (that is not a demand, just an Idea) would prefer standard font on the dial while slightly increased font for other values.

2. Nothing to add to #1.

3. You might be surprized - I do look to check my speed (yes, I am curious, and do that on trails I know very well). Unfortunately cannot read anything more then the first digit (I am going 4? kmh kmh, might be 41 and might be 49). Btw - I'd say - it is not possible to read even first digit on the standard garmin screen, so your screen is much better :)
But I also want to check while riding flat/ uphill. And while having many roots - I cannot see nothing more then HR value (because the bike shakes). I really don't see even "Z2/ Z3/ Z4" indicator, and cannot see color clearly because it is too small.

4. I actually mean what you mentioned in your remark to #3 - replace HRZ with 2 small datafields.
Although I'd prefer "replace it with 1 small datafield" - please put HR value (ideally color-coded somehow) somehow separated from other fields - so you can focus on it easily (I think many people control HR while riding, so it is more important then time/ km/ etc).

Actually I'd make it this way - replace HRZ with HR value + colored box on the right (just box or with "Z1/Z2/ on it) + configurable field below (where HR is located now).

5. -
6. I swithed to "arcs" - in this configuration it takes less attention.

PS: I treid the field in 2 races as of today (2 hours and 3 hours), I must say I stick to it.
You really did great work - all connectIQ fields did not last longer then 1-2 rides (I tried myedge, another one from the same developer, and one more field).
It is really easier to read while your HR is high and you're tired.
So keep up good work.

PPS: If you want me to draw what I mean (in paintbrush) - I will do.
And if you want - I am available for testing (although I will do much less riding after next wednesday).

Sergey_Kessel over 8 years ago

... a picture is worth a thousand words.

1. That's what I propose to make instead of HRZ
- HR value up + color code of the current zone (according to Garming coding (grey-blue-green-red-..)
- custom field below, with right intend (to make HR above more readable)

2. That's what I'd call an ideal one
- values on the speed dial with standard font, but smaller (I used arial, assume the one in Edge is different)
- HR value bold + color code around it
- below is customizable field

Note how focus is drawn on speed value (I'd still propose to make it slightly bigger) and how the whole field looks "cleaner"
Maybe it'd be a good idea to make cadence bold as well (just value, not "rpm")

Former Member over 8 years ago

Thank you, Sergey, for providing more details!

Regarding using of fonts:
I must note that the limitation is not the exact number of fonts. The lmitation is available memory. I can load more than 2 custom fonts, but this will lead program fail at runtime with "out of memory" error.

Actually, if we'll fall back to the standard font it can save some memory for code. Because the standard font does not need to be loaded in app's ram. This is good!

But in my opinion it looks less balanced. I should make some tests to prove the concept that is shown on your second picture. Note: the standard font requires more space on the screen for every character, than the custom font. This should be also taken into account.

I'll try to build test version and post it here if it will be worth to try. Thank you!

Sergey_Kessel over 8 years ago

Open for testing (if I don't need anything special except the device and PC).
What you mean by "balanced" - look or anything different?

For me "balanced" is that you focus on most important things first (which for me personally is speed, then cadence and HR) and you have to make an effort to get secondary data.

PS: It is really wierd to have in 2015 (release year) memory limit on $300 device (and have 100Mb (!) for maps).

Former Member over 8 years ago

Open for testing (if I don't need anything special except the device and PC).

Thank you! The Edge device should be enough for testing. Nothing special is required.

What you mean by "balanced" - look or anything different?
For me "balanced" is that you focus on most important things first (which for me personally is speed, then cadence and HR) and you have to make an effort to get secondary data.

Yes, I mean how it look :) This is why I want to build test version for experiments with fonts.

PS: It is really wierd to have in 2015 (release year) memory limit on $300 device (and have 100Mb (!) for maps).

Actually this limit is such a low on 520 device only. The 820 an 1000 has much more available RAM. But my own device is 520 and I want to keep it compatible :)

Sergey_Kessel over 8 years ago

Hi!
Thanks again for the datafield.
Is it possible to make it available for 920XT (want to try it as a spare device)?
If you want I can try and test on mine.

Thanks!

Former Member over 8 years ago

I don't think it's possible because the 920XT watch has much smaller screen. The application's layout should be completely re-designed to fit in the screen like 920 has. I'll try to found a way to implement part of features for 920 but can't say when it will be done.

Sergey_Kessel over 8 years ago

Thanks!
I though there is auto-resize algorithm.
In case you need a special build - no reason to do that (I think there will be little interest to that).

Thanks!

Former Member over 8 years ago

layout unallowed!

Hi,

When I put SpeedCadHRZ in field 1 of a screen that has 4 fields and then I selec Layout Preview, there is the message layout unallowed in Field 1.

I am running Software Verson 11.10, which is the latest.

Please can you tell me what I have to do to get this working?

Thanks,
Rick