Short Video Tutorials on Livelox:
How to Get
Set Up to Use Livelox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urpc6pzE0f8
Livelox Troubleshooting
(12/3/2019): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1L8MPvM4sw
Livelox Video 1: Replay Demo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU2JqZv4lEE
Livelox Video 2: Single Track Analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ps_hOAGXCyc
Livelox Video 3: Using SplitsBrowser
to prioritize which course legs to study
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLpC_ejP0YE
Livelox Video 4: Choosing competing GPS
tracks to compare to yours https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2PDNjAKUms
Livelox Video 5: Importance of
Participation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFf-75REBAM
Livelox PowerPoint For Coaches and Trainers from Gord Hunter (download): Teaching Orienteering Using Livelox
What is Livelox?
Livelox is
the latest software creation from O-software developer Mats Troeng
in Sweden (the author of the excellent QuickRoute tool
for analyzing GPS tracks of Orienteering runs).
Livelox is a service that lets you record and
compare your orienteering races with family, friends and fellow
competitors. You can record your route
in real time using a mobile app, or upload it from a dedicated GPS logger
afterwards. The Livelox
web site has an interface much like that of RouteGadget,
which automatically overlays your GPS track on your map and course, and allows
you to play back your run, along with those of your friends and competitors,
synchronized on the screen as if it had been a mass start.
Setup:
In order to
participate in Livelox-enabled events, you need 2
things:
1. An account on the Livelox
web site (don’t worry, it’s free and easy to set up).
2. Some means of recording a GPS track
of your run, the easiest being the Livelox mobile
app, which will auto-sync your track with the correct map & course.
Open An Account On The Livelox Web Site:
On any web browser, go to www.livelox.com
and click on the “Create user account” button at either the bottom left or top
right:
On the resulting page, enter your first and last name and your
email address, and pick a username and password for your account. Be sure
to write down the username and password you choose – you’ll need these
credentials every time you want to view, upload, or download a GPS track. Click the “Save” button to open your
account.
Install and Set Up The Livelox Mobile App on Your Mobile Device
With your Livelox account created,
you now need a method of recording GPS tracks.
This can be done with any logging device that produces a GPS log file in
GPX format, however the easiest tool to use is your Apple or Android smartphone
running the Livelox mobile app.
To install the app, open the App Store (iPhone) or Google
Play store (Android) on your mobile device and search for “Livelox”. There should be only 1 app that answers to
that name. Click “Install”.
Tie the Livelox
Mobile App to your Livelox Site Account:
·
Open
the Livelox app on your mobile device. It will say “Recording as Anonymous” at the
top. Click on the Settings icon at the
top left or swipe right from anywhere on the screen to get to app settings.
·
Click
“Log in”, set to “Log in with Livelox”, and enter the
username and password credentials you chose for your Livelox
account above. Click the “Log in”
button.
The Livelox main screen should now say it is recording as your
username.
To Record a Track with the Livelox Mobile App:
You can record a track “casually” at any time:
·
Just
press the “Bullseye” button bottom center to start recording a track. The runtime clock and distance odometer will
begin summarizing your movements while the GPS log records.
·
Store
the phone safely in a pocket, backpack, armband, or hat holder while you run.
·
Press
“Stop” to end the track and save.
·
You
can then login to the Livelox web site and view or download
your track to use in any way you choose.
Note: Test
the Livelox app before you really need it! Start it recording, walk around outside for a
minute or two, stop the recording. Check
the provided stats to see that they seem reasonable. If you’re interested, logon to the Livelox web site and look at your track overlaid on a
Google aerial map.
However, the easiest way to use Livelox
in connection with an orienteering event is to connect to that event before you start
recording. If you do this, Livelox will automatically upload your log to the correct
repository for your event, course, and class, and overlay it on the map you
were using. You can then compare your
track to those of others on the same course!
To connect to an event:
·
Open
Livelox, and login in as yourself. Check to make sure it lists your username
under “Recording as” at the top.
·
Under
“Event and class”, click “Tap to select”
·
Livelox will look up events in its database that are scheduled for
today within a few km of your present location.
That will typically zero in on the one event you’re participating
in. Pick the appropriate event.
·
Next,
choose your “class”:
o
For
a simple event in which results are broken down only by course run (called a
“color” event), the classes will simply be the list of courses offered (e.g.,
WHITE, YELLOW, ORANGE, GREEN, RED, BLUE).
Pick the course you plan to run.
o
For
complex or championship events, we break down results by Civilian/JROTC and
Male/Female in addition to course. (At
really huge national events, results may be further broken down by age bracket
as well, but this rarely happens at local FLO events.) These are called “class” events. For FLO, class is a 3-letter code:
§ C/J for Civilian/JROTC.
§ M/F for Male/Female
§ First letter of course name (e.g., W
= WHITE, Y = YELLOW, O = ORANGE, G = GREEN, R = RED, B = BLUE)
§ So for example, if you were a
civilian female running GREEN course, your class would be CFG.
§ Choose your class and click “OK”.
·
Your
Livelox screen should now say it is recording as you,
at your chosen event, in your chosen class.
You’re now ready to record your track, and when you end it, Livelox will know exactly where to put it, and what course
map to overlay it on!
·
NOTE: Continuous use of the
GPS chip can drain your phone’s battery at an accelerated rate. Start with a full charge, shut the screen off
while running, and have a charger or backup battery at the ready when your
course is done. There will be a
multi-port rapid charger available at the SI download station at the finish
table.
If You Have Any Trouble
Recording Tracks
Make sure the app has access to the phone’s GPS service to
pick up your location, and access to the file system to write the log
file. This should happen automatically,
but it’s wise to double-check it, as different phones and user settings can
impact how tightly controlled the location service is on your device.
o
For iPhone:
§ Open the iPhone’s Settings app.
§ Tap “Privacy”.
§ Tap “Location Services”.
§ Set the Locations Services Switch to
the ON position.
§ Scroll down on the same screen and
tap the Livelox app.
§ Set “ALLOW LOCATION ACCESS” to
“Always”.
o
For Android:
§ Note: Different manufacturers have
different implementations of the Android OS, so your screens may vary from the
samples shown below.
§ Swipe down from the top of the home
screen to display device settings. Make sure
the “Location” setting is turned on (tap until green).
§ In the Settings app, choose
“General”, “Application Manager”, and tap the entry for Livelox.
§ Make sure that The options for access
to “Location” and “Storage” are turned on.
Getting the best GPS signal:
·
Your
body has a tendency to block GPS satellite signals. Although the Livelox
app will work with your smartphone stuffed into a pocket or backpack, your GPS
fix will be better if the phone is higher up and away from the core of your
body.
·
One
easy method of doing this is to carry the phone in an armband holder designed
for running. These can be purchased for
just a few dollars. Search for
“smartphone armband” on Amazon or other retailer.
·
The
best GPS lock is obtained by carrying your phone on top of your hat, where it
has an unobstructed view of the entire sky all the time with no body
shadow. Accomplishing this can be a
challenge with a large phone, but it can be done simply, if unfashionably, by
duct-taping a Ziploc baggie to the top of a hat.
·
NOTE: Continuous use of the
GPS chip can drain your phone’s battery at an accelerated rate. Start with a full charge, shut the screen off
while running, and have a charger or backup battery at the ready when your course
is done. There will be a multi-port
rapid charger available at the SI download station at the finish table.
Viewing and Replaying
GPS Track on the Livelox Web Site
To view your
track after the race, use any device with internet access to log into your
account on the Livelox web site, www.livelox.com. Use your username & password credentials.
Click the
“My Sessions” tab at the top, choose your track, and click either the “Show
Session Information” or “Replay” button.
Session
Information will show you a summary of your track, a map overlay, and
moment-to-moment speed graph:
The “Replay”
option will show you a movie of your run overlaid on the map. The playback can be customized with the
setting pull-out on the right side of the screen.
For detailed
analysis of your run, use QuickRoute, which can give
you detailed stats on your split times, speed and direction at each point on
your route, and much more!