Support for indoor training

Good day,

thanks, I'm glad you and others like it ;). I have an solution for this task in mind as I agree it may be useful. Anyway because of amount of various useful ideas, please be patient. Thanks for understanding.

Locus is perfect app for outdoor activities. I use Locus for outdoor training on MTB. I would like to use Locus as training diary where I will record indoor activities, workouts.... It means time & notes.

Hello Dan. Can you imagine how this should practically look like in Locus?

Because currently there are only "tracks" that may store such information. To be true, I can't imagine to create some separate screen for some "virtual tracks" for this case.

Currently it is already possible over simulation of GPS by any external program or Locus itself. With enabled track recording with this simulated GPS, you should be enable to record faked track but with real measured indoor values. Not best, but working.

Hi Menion, could you please elaborate on how exactly to fake GPS for Locus indoors?

As to describe my needs so that you have a broader statistics:

My problem is only to record heart rate indoors.

I don't need any organization on the Locus part -- one can export the recorded tracks to other programs. I personally download them automatically and do some data-analyses myself. So I appreciate that they are simply stored in a fixed folder and easily accessible.

For that sake -- it would be helpful if you could include the information about the "recording profile" into the gpx file (in any form) so that one can infer the the sport-type. (Or maybe you could point me to another way how to store that info into the file.) But that is a different matter.

And thank you for the excellent application, regular improvements and for discussing it with the users!

Good day Pista,

personally I think, that just for recording your heart rate values, is Locus Map little bit ... overpowered. Isn't on Google Play any more simple application that is able to simply record your HRM values?

Anyway usable method for indoor training consist of few steps. First part, more complicated, is needed to do only once. Then for every training, you will do just second part.

1. recording a NMEA file

• in settings > GPS & location > Record NMEA > Track recording
• then went out for a while and record short track with "Track recording" function. Even an kilometer will be fine
• in Locus/data/nmea directory will be created file with this record
• now thanks to some file browser in your device, copy this file into Locus/cache/nmea directory

2. starting simulation

• now simply open "GPS screen" in Locus Map
• tap on "GPS on" button to start GPS in Locus. If is already running, just tap to disable it and then enable it again
• now you should get small dialog with option to use "NMEA" file as source for location, so choose it.

And that's all. Now Locus Map simulate GPS with this recorded NMEA file. So now you may simply start track recording, connect your sensor(s) and record a faked track, but with real indoor values. Suggest to set in recording profile 1m/1s values, so it will record as much values as possible.

Hope this won't be too complicated for your and temporary helps.

1. Isn't on Google Play any more simple application that is able to simply record your HRM values?

Yes, there are plenty of apps for monitoring HRM sensors but those that are nearly as useful as Locus (with regards to being able to customize dashboards etc) are crappy in actually getting data exported to e.g. Strava.

I tried your fake GPS approach and it's a good solution! Worked right away and now I can track indoor workouts in Strava. It's great that I can store several NMEA files in the cache directory and am presented with a chooser dialog. Love that! I will build myself NMEA files for different workout locations ;-)

Michael, thanks for a feedback.

As a temporary solution you may use what I wrote a while ago here: http://help.locusmap.eu/topic/heart-rate-recording#comment-38830

Good day Andreas,

understand your point of view, unfortunately such settings does not make sense now. All users, expect few who read this discussion, won't have no extra usage from this new settings. So for most, it will be only useless option. Thanks for understanding.

That's okay, you're right. There won't be many users making use of this. I had just hoped it could be implemented for completeness just like the list of activity types. In the activity types there are all Strava options including "stepper", "virtual tour", "weight training", "workout" and "yoga" which are also stationary. But then again I have no clue on how difficult or time consuming it is to manage all those features in Locus. So if it's too much hassle just leave it out.

If there isn't separate idea for this task, please remind me this request once, this "indoor training" idea will be completed. Thanks

You may want to have a look at Sports Gear Tracker (SGT)

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pnn.android.sport_gear_tracker

to track heart rate over time and export as tcx (could be imported to locus then or works well with Runalyze, too).

I use that for indoor training like bodyweight exercises or hang workouts/campus board (climbing)

👍 great

Why I have in new version 3.29. in GPS simulation only one item/option + indoor training? On website in news on screenshot is more item - nmea, track record.

Good day Dan,

sorry for small confusion. Michal probably used Beta version for creating screenshots. These two options are only in Beta version for really testing purpose. They have no usage in real Locus Map usage I believe.

Indoor training doesn't work 😔 Problem with indoor training are:

Locus doesn't record heart rate. After recorded track, heart rate is not recorded only time of activity is recorded.

Dashboard doesn't show max heart rate, avg heart... during recording track. Because it is not track?

Nmea doesn't work too. I have nmea file in cache but Locus doesn't see it. Before update it works.

Best for indoor training would be to work it like nmea.

Edit ... Once more problem. Not every indoor training recorded activity is saved. I have automatic save after stop recording and twice *Locus didn't save activity during testing*

Doesn't work, hmm...

What I do:

• open GPS screen and start indoor training. This close this screen and I see red GPS icon in toolbar
• open track recording panel and start recording like for outdoor activity
• enable some dashboard with heart rate values

In side track recording panel and also in dashboard, I correctly see time & heart rate values.

Are you using latest version from Google Play 3.29.0? Also what mean "Nmea doesn't work too."? NMEA files in cache/nmea directory are only allowed in Beta version for testing ... same as years before.

And not save recording? Only in case, no point is recorded, then recording won't be saved. What about your recording profile? Try to create a new profile and set recording every 1 sec. This should work!

I do the same as you but I see only actually heart rate, not avg or max heart rate ... see screenshot

I used 3.29 version from GP today actualized

Nmea I used for indoor training a few days before. Tip from your post of this topic.

Activity with GPS simulation - indoor training - is sometimes automatically saved sometimes not.

I have recording profile 10 m or 4 sec.

Your tip:

2. starting simulation

now simply open "GPS screen" in Locus Map

tap on "GPS on" button to start GPS in Locus. If is already running, just tap to disable it and then enable it again

now you should get small dialog with option to use "NMEA" file as source for location, so choose it.

Edit ... If I set in record profile save point without moving then activity is saved (I had set saving only with moving). I thought GPS simulation set recording yourself.

With not showing dashboard is still problem

Hello Dan,

ah sorry with NMEA support, you are correct of course. Anyway with new "Simulation" system, is NMEA support useful? For me it doesn't look so.

Your screenshot ... wasn't here really a problem also in settings you found: record only when moving? I'll fix this in Locus, so this settings will be ignored. Anyway if app records points with values, it should really work.

Anyway please wait on next version within few days and we will see. Thanks!

Ok. GPS simulation is better than nmea support, it's true.

I set two profiles, one for biking (record when moving) and second for indoor (still record). Now it works correct.

If in new update will Locus ignore "record when moving" during recording with GPS simulation even if in the profile will be "record when moving" it's perfect.

Thanks Dan, fixed.

Sorry but bug is still. When graph of heart rate is zoomed then graph disappears or shows wrong data.

First screenshot graph is zoomed, second screenshot graph is only moved a small bit to the left (same zoom as first screenshot)

"Fixed" now! , so please wait on next version :).

Ok, thanks. 👍

I have version 3.29.1