ARCtive Studio enables you to overlay your workout metrics and route on your photos. I built it as a companion to Be ARCtive, but it works independently and doesn't require the Be ARCtive app to function. If you've recorded run or walk workouts connected to Apple Health using your Apple Watch or another app like Garmin Connect, you can use ARCtive Studio to compose workout overlays for your photos.
Why I Built This
I wanted to give users a way to visualize their workout metrics in a creative format they could share. Social media has become a place where people celebrate their fitness milestones, and I thought a dedicated tool for creating these visuals would be useful. The challenge was making something that felt intuitive and didn't overcomplicate the process. I wanted users to have creative control without feeling overwhelmed by options.
What You Can Do With It
The Overlay Composer is the heart of ARCtive Studio. You choose any photo as your background, then add one or multiple overlays showing your workout stats. You can drag, resize, and rotate overlays to position them exactly where you want. Change colors and opacity to match your aesthetic, and edit text on pure text overlays to create your perfect design.
What I Like Most About It
The flexibility of the Overlay Composer is what stands out to me. Being able to layer multiple overlays and customize each one individually gives users genuine creative freedom. I also appreciate how the clipboard feature integrates with apps people already use daily, like Instagram Stories. It removes friction from the sharing process.
To Conclude
Building this tool taught me a lot about balancing creative freedom with simplicity. The process of designing the Overlay Composer was similar to what I experienced with Be ARCtive's route map, challenging but rewarding. It's a small tool that does one thing well.