With the addition of route choices, I think a great addition would be the ability to create routes in a format much like the workout creator.
It would then create an XML course file that is easily able to be shared like the workout files are.
This would be great for the “events”, so that people can focus on pedaling, vs trying to push buttons on their phone with sweaty fingers or reach over and grab a clunky keyboard.
I did read it real quick when I came in and glanced to see if anyone had already made the above request I made.
It’s a good idea, but as someone in a resource management position, while your idea may be quicker to implement, it would still require engagement of several of the same teams that would be required to add this other feature.
Now if you put that on a timeline, and manage the resources, would you rather be 25% time/resource wise into a fully functional feature, or would you rather be 125% away from it?
Since the ability to create/share routes would essentially override the need for your feature request (and would replace their current “course selection” screen), it would be prudent for them to go that route.
Again, strictly speaking from a resource management perspective.
Great suggestion though!
Zwift doesn’t need to be modified to follow a sequence. It already has the functionality in place. If it didn’t you’d not be able to select a direction already.
You also wouldn’t have it use a sequence of left/right. You would define it by the “segment” name.
This gives them the ability to more easily add additional options in existing intersections, and allows for an easier reverse course turnaround method.
Like I said, I look at it from a resource management perspective. What you think is a simple addition (it’s actually, going to take longer than an hour, and it will have to touch the hands of the UX/UI Designer, needs to touch various devs, QA, UA, etc.
While each of those hats may be filled by one or many people, it’s broke out as individual resources.
Even if it touches each resource for just an hour, you’re looking at between 5-10 hours (depending on testing/bug encountered, etc) just for a single addition to a feature.
That’s 5-10 hours of resource time that can be spent on a new fully functional feature, or, the way you look at it at the end of the project, is time given back to work on existing bugs or features in the pipeline. Then, and here’s the other kicker, you have to dedicate more time down the road once you launch a more inclusive feature.
In order for Zwift to be manageable, make a profit, and continue development, they are going to need to start managing their resources better.
I can already tell just from the broken continuity in the UI, that they have just been trying to rush features to make sure there’s enough changes to build and keep interest in the product.
If they had thought the feature through, they would have realized that recycling the existing UI of the workout selection (as you mention, that came before the workout creator) that uses a populated list of choices for route selection (climbing, flat, group, standard, blah blah, even Century), then they would be done with UI design.
Now they need to dedicate a resource to add a new radio button if they want to add a new option, that button needs to have additional code added to make it functional, and they need to modify how all that interacts.
Borrowed elements saves time, it also provides continuity to the user base.
This was a big update by them. It’s possibly the biggest update in terms of them showing us what Zwift can do/become and will definitely breath life into watopia.
All for this as well. Especially with future expansions coming to the Watopia island I’d say the option to create routes up front would go a long way.
Mark, you are reading way too much into what I’m writing, and taking it a bit too personal.
I’m sorry if you were offended by my requesting a feature that would solve both our requests, but again I’m going to state this.
I’m speaking from a resource management perspective. That is it.
You have an overlapping enhancement request to my feature request. I get it. You’re proud of your request, and it’s something people support obviously.
You obviously want things now, I’m obviously a bit more patient and don’t mind waiting for a more complete feature that encompasses a larger user-base.
Just seen this one, and I’m with you Mic.
In fact, I independently suggested the same thing on the other thread. =)
https://support.zwift.com/hc/en-us/community/posts/203950703-Pre-planned-Century
I’d much rather see this implemented, so we can choose from a ‘workout-like’ route (maybe even built with the workout creator as the engine?) which populates a .zrt (Zwift Route) file, which can then be shown in the drop-in list via a dropdown.
Ride/race leaders can post their .zrt files in the TeamUp calendar entry so those interested in riding can grab the .zrt, drop it into place in the data directory and then Zwift, when launched will see the .zrt files and offer those as options at drop-in time.
Right now, I’ve been hacking on parsing the logs to identify ‘segments’ and stuffing keystrokes into the app to navigate around the various parts, but it’s not that easy, given the rocks and sticks I have to work with ;)
This feature gets my vote, absolutely. Do we need screen mockups to help describe it further?
Perhaps the simplest way to implement would to be to have a “course builder” menu where you could select the route by clicking points of interest on the map in the order of desired travel. Teh Zwiftblog maps already define all the turn points by letters. It would seem straightforward enough for a user to be able to pull up a map of the days course and click on the points of interest in the desired order to build a course. Now that Watopia has grown to include the Volcano loop and climb, the number of potential courses has certainly gone up. I would think a model like this would scale well when the next Watopia expansion comes out.
Wedd, that describes exactly what I would want to see, either clicking on points of interest on a map or selecting/de-selecting zones that represent the major sections of the course map.
Still hoping to someday see a feature like this implemented for Zwift!