New minor release with the following changes released today:
- Added ability to get device XML for the current device
- Added a generic method for writing binary files (GPI specific methods/fields are deprecated and will be removed in 2.0)
- Fixed bug with writing user profiles to device in the Control Demo
- Fixed Javascript error when reading GPX in the Control Demo
- More complete documentation for display options
- Improved end of progress status when writing large binary files to device
More information and the distribution file for the Communicator Plugin API available here.
Maven generated Communicator Plugin API 1.4.2 docs.
Changes from 1.3 to 1.4.1:
- Added support for the Edge 705.
- Added ability to set and get required plugin version, and get latest plugin version for version compatibility.
- Latest plugin version reported by the API is 2.3.1.0.
- Improved internationalization capabilities in DeviceDisplay.
As usual, you can access the latest release distribution and documentation from Garmin Communicator Plugin API.
Or you can access the 1.4.1 docs directly.
This version has been released for PC and Mac. Release features:
- Support Speed and Run Cadence for the Forerunner 50.
- Plugin now resolves relative URLs for file transfers.
- Added support for transferring waypoints, tracks, and routes to Garmin Mobile XT devices/application (Windows Mobile Devices, MX series, and Symbian Devices).
- Added support for file download onto SD Cards.
PC and Mac download links available here.
Mac Leopard users should also notice a drastic improvement in read transfer rate with this release.
An API release is coming up soon.
We’ve been working hard on our new web application, Garmin Connect. The 0.5 release of the site is geared for the new Forerunner 50, sporting ANT technology to wirelessly transfer and upload activities from the device to the computer to the web. Other fitness devices containing tracks and routes will be supported in our 1.0 launch.
In regards to the Communicator Plugin, we’ve been working on full Mac support. In other words, Leopard. We’ve also been working on support for our new devices, like the Edge 705, which features turn-by-turn directions, color display, and power data (from ANT + Sport™-enabled third-party power meters). We’re shooting for that release in mid-November. We’ve also made Communicator Plugin API improvements that will be included in the next release.
More info to come…
Until then, Happy Halloween! (Tracking trick-or-treat routes might be interesting…)
Communicator Plugin for Mac 2.2.1.0 has been released on the official Garmin site.
Changes made from version 2.2.0.1 Beta to 2.2.1.0:
- Added the capability to read and write courses, workouts and user profile to fitness devices such as the Edge 305 and Forerunner 305.
- Added the capability to plan trips by writing locations to SD cards without a GPS device present.
- Added the capability to allow a web site to read a directory of fitness activities or courses and then just retrieve details for individual activities.
- Added a property to allow web sites to retrieve fitness data in compressed format.
- Once a user has confirmed to the Garmin Communicator that they trust a particular web site directory, pages at or below that directory level are always trusted
- The Forerunner 50 is not yet supported on the Mac. (Support will be added in a future release when drivers become available.)
- RS232 serial devices are not supported on the Mac.
System Requirements:
- Intel-based or PowerPC G3 or later Mac
OS 10.4 or later Firefox 2.0+ or Safari 2.0+
This version has not been well tested on Leopard yet. We will re-release the plugin with Leopard support.
Geocaching.com users should be happy to know that the Geocaching.com site now supports the Mac plugin after the recent release of the Communicator Plugin API.
Inquiries and/or reports should be made on our developer forum.
We’re happy to announce new releases of the Communicator Plugin as well as the Communicator Plugin API! The Communicator Plugin is released at version 2.2.1 and the API at version 1.3. The main features we’ve added are full fitness transfers, Mac plugin support, and activity directory and detail reading. This last feature allows retrieval of specific activities and decreases the size of data transfers. More features are described below.
Download Communicator Plugin 2.2.1.0
Check out the new Communicator Plugin API
Communicator Plugin API 1.3 Documentation
New features in the plugin and the API:
- Added the capability to read and write courses, workouts and user profile to fitness devices such as the Edge 305 and Forerunner 305.
- Added the capability to plan trips by writing locations to SD cards without a GPS device present.
- Added the capability to allow a web site to read a directory of fitness activities or courses and then just retrieve details for individual activities.
- Added a property to allow web sites to retrieve fitness data in compressed format.
- Added the ability to retrieve data from the Forerunner 50.
- Fixed exception when plug-in was loaded into a browser embedded in an application.
- Once a user has confirmed to the Garmin Communicator that they trust a particular web site directory, pages at or below that directory level are always trusted.
This version of the API supports the Mac plugin. We’ve also updated the official Garmin Test Page to detect the Mac plugin.
A quick way to try out these features after installing the plugin is to use our Control Demo Page. More feature-specific demos will be added to Garmin Developer documenting how to integrate features into your own site.
We advise web developers to use our versioned API when linking to the code on developer.garmin.com to maintain consistent functionality throughout our new releases.
We’ve received various inquiries concerning the XML schemas for formats used by Garmin devices. This is understandable as we realized there is no central location for developers to find this kind of information. So now we’re providing it.
The Garmin Formats site is a sub-project of Garmin Developer and provides access to the official XML schemas as well as additional information on the formats and their use. Also provided for each format are instructions for those using Maven to integrate the formats into their projects with ease. Formats included on the site comprise of Garmin-created formats (i.e. TCX, AXM) as well as ones created outside of Garmin (i.e. GPX, KML ).
Currently, the following formats are available:
A brief note on the version formatting. Garmin-created formats have the ‘v’ prefix and lack of decimal notation.
This site will continue to be a work in progress and be updated and added to as necessary.
Great news, Mac users! As promised, we’ve now made available the Communicator Plugin 2.2.0 for Mac. This plugin supports Firefox and Safari. Developers are advised to work with Firefox for this plugin. The plugin matches the features available in the Communicator Plugin 2.2.0.1 Windows beta version.
Such features include course, workout, and user profile fitness transfers, as well as GPX data transfers to SD cards.
Developers, we’ve provided a preview release of the Communicator API to support the Mac plugin. It is a snapshot release, so please play around with it and give us some feedback as we improve it for the official release.
8/9/07 update: This is an early release meant for developers, before we release the next version of the API to the public. The plugin will not work on sites using the older API, and this includes the Garmin Communicator Plugin Test Page that is typically used after the installer.
Instead of using the official test page to test the plugin, use our demos. The control demo is a good one, and more demos for the Mac plugin can be found on the 1.3-SNAPSHOT API page.
8/15/07 update: Also, for now it seems that the required OS X version is 10.4.10.
A new beta version of the Communicator Plugin is released at version 2.2.0.1. This version supports course, workout, and user profile fitness transfers, as well as GPX data transfers to SD cards.
Communicator API 1.2 currently supports course writing to work in conjunction with the beta plugin. Full fitness support in the API is in the works.
Mac plugin is on its way!
Great news! You can now download courses from the web to your Garmin fitness devices!
This functionality requires the use of our new release of Communicator API 1.2. Read more about the new send courses functionality. This version of Communicator works with Communicator Plug-in 2.1, however course download functionality requires Communicator Plug-in v2.2 Alpha. Feel free to play around with it and let us know what you think! Please note that the alpha version is not meant for production.
A friendly reminder for developers: Because modifications are made in each new release, we suggest linking to our specific versioned URLs rather than the unversioned one, as that ensures consistent functionality. For example, if you are using version 1.2, use http://developer.garmin.com/web/communicator-api-1.2/… instead of http://developer.garmin.com/web/communicator-api/…
Stick around for updates, as grabbing courses from the devices is also coming up.
Also, good news for Mac users: We are working on a Mac compatible beta version of the plug-in, for Firefox and Safari. Yay! I’ve actually been testing an alpha release here in the office. It’s not quite ready to share with you all yet, but stay tuned and we’ll let you know once it is ready for prime-time.
It seems like everyone else in the office is chattering about web services so I know they are working hard on getting a test server for developers to preview the upcoming Web Services release later this year. These web services should be a great compliment to the Communicator API for those of you that want to store GPS data on the web without having to write your very own MotionBased.
On the administrative front I’ve been battling the spam-bots on the forum to keep the conversations clean. We are also considering launching a bug tracker that will allow you to report bugs and browse bugs that others have reported while showing the road map. Even better maybe you developers out there may fix a bug or two and help out with the open source effort.
Since the recent release of the Communicator Plug-in API, various sites have customized it to their sites in different ways. The plug-in allows data transfer between websites and Garmin devices, and plenty of options are available to developers to integrate the plug-in seamlessly into their sites.
Some ways developers can customize the plug-in:
- Use the CSS stylesheet to customize the look and feel of the plug-in to match their site
- Allow users to select individual activities to transfer
- Disallow/allow duplicate entry transfer
- Integration of Google Maps to display locations
- Progress bar status
- Route, track, and waypoint transfer
- One-click automated transferring
- Plenty more…
Options are easily turned on or off by setting variable values accordingly.
