ACCEPTED ANSWER (posted by Admin so you don't have to read the entire thread).
Make sure that you include the Serial Number and the Software Version as well as the correct Garmin Device when you export your FIT file from Strava tools. Doing this will ensure that your activity gets counted towards Garmin Challenges and Badges
How to ensure that your Activity counts towards Garmin Challenges
Original Thread (started by RienSte):
today I observed, that when I combine two walking activities und re-upload them to Garmin-Connect, the activity type is always set to "other" (which is ok I think and also your tooltip says so).
But here comes the but:
When I change the type to "hiking", it is changed and also the hiking symbol appears on top of the activity. But somehow it is not added to the "global" (cant find a better wording) hiking counter - neither distance, nor time. I am in a hiking challenge right now, where I have to get a certain amount of hiking time. My watch (Garmin vivoactive 4) only gives me "walking" but no "hiking", so I always have to change my recorded files from "walking" to "hiking" after uploading them to Garmin Connect. Which always works for the single files. But obviously not for the merged files from your site.
The way Garmin encodes activity type in a FIT file is that they simply submit a number. For example, 1 is running, 2 is biking, 3 is Transition, 5 is Swimming, 6 is Basketball, 7 is soccer.... you get the idea...
In a TCX file, Garmin accepts "Biking" or "Running" or "Other", and that is pretty much it. The problem is that my tool allows the user to export both TCX and FIT File types, and while Garmin will accept a rich variety of activity types for FIT files, it will not accept very many options for TCX files (and for Garmin, it is impossible to specify an activity type in GPX. Strava has implemented a work-around for that).
I like the idea of having a "clean" single drop down list that keeps it simple for users. That is why I have been simply submitting "Other" and only giving users 3 options for Garmin oriented uploads (These tools are primarily intended for Strava use). My list of activity types comes straight from Strava's options, not Garmin's.
I may consider having a second javascript drop-down changer... so if the user selects FIT, the dropdown list changes to include more activity types. If the user selects GPX or TCX export, the drop down list will have to stay as it is. If you try to put "windsurfing" in a TCX file exported to Garmin (for example), Garmin will reject it.
Hope that explains why things are the way they are. I'm going on a bikepacking trip for 3 weeks starting today... so I won't be able to get to this for a bit.
thanks for your reply.
I totally understand the reason that there are only limited options to choose. I would be pretty happy with those 3, as they match 99% of my activities. That is not the point...
The point is, that for some reason the merged file out of your tools is not accepted by Garmin Connect Challenges (they ones you get the badges for). When I choose "other" as type for the merge file output (which is fair enough!) and I upload it to Garmin Connect and then I change it back to "Hiking" (in Garmin Connect) it doesn't count for the Hiking Challenges. Same behavior with "Running" and "Biking".
I know, that Garmin Connect is pretty strict with imported activities in terms of Challenges. I think also Strava exports don't count for Challenges, afaik.
I compared the merged FIT file with the original FIT file (with FIT file viewer) ans also with output files of other tools and it seems, that in your output file there are a couple of generic fields either missing or look completely different. My idea is, that Garmin Connect somehow recongizes, that it is a manipulated FIT file and doesn't accept it for the Challenges.
With other tools, the output files look a bit "cleaner" or let's say: more original.
So maybe there is way, to produce an output file, which looks pretty much like an original Garmin FIT file..?
Ok, I see! This sounds like it is not an "Activity Type" issue, but something else. The files my tool builds are "bare bones." The files are built from scratch, not by just splicing together existing files.
Because they are built from scratch, I only insert the information that Strava actually displays. This helps keep file size and processing time down.
In the SDK, I do see that in the sub sports, they have a "challenge" option (#24). I wonder if you select ahead of time that the activity is for a challenge on your device? If so, maybe that is what triggers an activity as being for a challenge. I could have a checkbox that submits it as a challenge activity - in other words: if a user checks the "for a challenge" box, my tool could put "Challenge" (#24) in the sub-sport field.
thanks Brian, for the deeper discussion via Email.
To the rest out there:
I forgot to enter Serial No and SW Version in the fields at the bottom section of the options page.
Now it works, my merged activities count for the challenges!!
The serial number and software version of your device also show in the table view (assuming they are present in your file). They are colored blue like a link and if you click on them, they will automatically be inserted into the corresponding fields. Seeing the importance of these fields for Garmin Connect, I may automate the insertion in a future release of the tool.
To get an activity to count towards a Garmin Challenge, you Must: 1) Export as FIT, 2) Insert Serial Number, 3) Insert Software Version - these values must come from a Garmin Device.
I am trying to achieve a similar result as you but by combining data from a TCX file and the Fit file from Garmin.
The TCX file is generated on a stationary spinning bike, which has an app that can only upload to Strava, from where I can download it in tcx.
As I only have a ANT+ HR monitor and would like for the HR data and achievements to be collected in Garmin connect, I have tried recording HR data on my Garmin Fenix watch, and use the Tool to combine the Fit file from that recording which has a serial number and software version present in the file with the .tcx file that includes the cadence, power and distance, which counts towards the challenges in Garmin.
The .tcx file has GPS type as "unknown device", but I don't see any way to change that.
In Garmin connect I have the gathered data, it is just not counting towards the challenges. How did you manage to sort this out?
The key element to see what you want to see in Garmin Connect is that Garmin Connect Requires the following:
1) A Device ID. This is the number that identifies the model of the Garmin device used. For example, a Garmin Fenix.
2) A Serial Number for the device.
3) Only the FIT format supports embedding this type of information.
If you supply this info (and it matches a valid device) then Garmin will show your activity on the challenges.
So, to get it to work, you will need to export from the tool as FIT. Next, you will need to make sure that the Serial Number and Software Version are being inserted into the final file.
