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Garmin watches (Fenix 3, Forerunner and others)

Josef Wenigr shared this idea 8 years ago
Completed

Hello Locus team,

would you consider to extend your Locus SW to cooperate with the watches, like Garmin Fenix 3 and others?

Tracking data from watch, showing the route on-line in your map, would be great idea...

Thank you

Josef

Replies (7)

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Hello Josef,


seems there will be some way for developers to create extra extensions for these watches, but I'm worried that:

1) creating extensions will be quite complicated

2) and mainly, amount of users with these watches, that will be also using Locus and not some Garmin product, will be really really low.


I'll keep topic open for voting, but to be true, do not expect it will be ever completed.

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1) They call their extension language Monkey C, which implies it is as easy that even an monkey can do the extension:) (joking). There are already apps showing Google Maps and OSM, but they are sluggish because they render the map in the watch instead to rely on the phone.

2) The app can reach other Garmin devices as well (like Epix, Forerunner, VivoActive), check the links above for compatibility. Garmin's market share is definitely not small: with 3.3 millions units sold in 2015. It is #4 in wearables. That is not small comparing to 30M SmartWatches sold in 2015, giving the fact, that 75% of Q4 was taken by Apple watch which you don't support.

Disclaimer: I selfishly intervene for Garmin because I bought their Fenix 3, which is just great:)

I'll create a separate topic for the map for Garmin for others to vote, because there is the most of the value. Other things can Garmin watch handle by itself.

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Hello, thanks for a feedback, appreciate it.


But please, now new topics, it's already too much of them :). I'll rename this one to something more "general", as suggested Christoph.

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To allow hiker navigate outdoors stream Locus Map to Garmin SmartWatch (like Fenix, Epix, Forerunner, VivoActive).


  • stream center of the screen to the SmartWatch
  • zoom in/out to explore when off-course or find alternative route or POIs around
  • show scale to give sense of distances
  • adding new POI might help, but it can be covered by the watch independently

There are already apps showing Google Maps and OSM for Garmin devices, but they are sluggish because they render the map in the watch instead to rely on the phone. The apps are created in Monkey C.

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BTW: This is how easy it is to create an easy app watch face: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRQyA4BeqqE

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I would formulate this more general and target the garmin appstore / connect IQ.

It would be interesting to combine this with Locus on your smartphone.

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I bought my Fenix 3 yesterday and found it great watch except one think - ability to load gpx track from phone (neither Garmin Connect Mobile nor from Mobile Chrome via Garmin Connect site, it throws error). I think it would be great to create routes from Locus (e.g. for hiking - you created route from pc before the trail, loaded to watch, but in process you need to change the direction - you will simply do it in Locus with offline navigation) and load them to device. I read some intro about Garmin Connect IQ platform and I'll try to develop such think after a while. And as for me such Locus extension will be great addition for the Fenix 3 (and to other devices which support IQ).

About the popularity of such plugin - IMHO Connect IQ contains very small amount of really useful apps and developers underestimate its abilities. Top apps have about 15k downloads, which isn't small amount. Demand for apps is present, but platform is raw and requires a lot of work yet. But in result we can get a real smart watches.

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I think about buying the garmin fenix 5 watch, locus supportvia external modul would be nice.

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Hello,

maybe I'm going to repeat some info already mentioned here, but to have a plugin in locus which would be able to provide maps for garmin fenix 3 (and compatible devices) in OFFLINE mode would be great.


One app does it already (dwMap from r.485) but the problem is it requires to be constantly connected to internet, which in some cases is not possible (roaming, weak signal, battery usage during hiking...), and based on a fact that locus is able to provide maps OFFLINE it would be THE cherry on a top of the cake.


I think this would not only boost the downloads of locus pro (let's say only accessible in payed version) but could also make the garmin fenix 5 more attractive. This could also be in someway a cooperation with garmin providing you the watch for free in exchange of developing the plugin. Just some thoughts.


Nevertheless thats for great apps.


Cheers,

Jano

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You have a Garmin Fenix watch, a device with a GPS receiver.

You have a phone, a device with a GPS receiver.

You don't want to use the watch's GPS, you want to use the phone's GPS and display the results on the watch.

Why?

Didn't you buy the Garmin Fenix because it has its own GPS and you can use it without a phone?

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Well the idea is that I use my watch's gps for tracking my location etc. and this could send the position to locus pro app addon to request a small portion of a screen as a picture at specified zoom.

This fenix 3 watch has a limited space and cannot save maps, it can on the other hand show pictures, and if I already have a offline map from locus, it could be send through bluetooth to my watch.


Well it's only an idea, it is definitely something you could live without.

J.

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Ah! Now I understand. The Fenix 3 does not have enough memory to store a map so you want Locus Map to continuously refresh the Fenix's screen with small map tiles. Effectively, Locus Map becomes a "map server" for the Fenix 3.

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This is quite general topic discussing various tasks how Locus Map and Garmin watches can cooperate. We just released Locus Map for Garmin addon (https://help.locusmap.eu/topic/locus-map-for-garmin-new-app-for-garmin-devices) which is implemented while taking into consideration, that user might want to have control on which device's GPS is used for particular tasks with this combo. In case there are some features which this new app doesn't cover, please create new "idea" post.

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