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Welcome to the Blackburn Motivator Digital Interactive Training System!
This product is the first to use the new
patented Exerscape physio-interactive
digital video technology.
Click here to
go to the latest updated FAQ and software (Internet access required.)
To play the Setup Video, select the Help Menu, then the Play Setup Video menu item.
Alternatively, right-click on the Start Button, and Explore to the
rides/setup directory on the Motivator DVD. Double-click on the setup.vob file (.vob files are MPEG2 digital video files). It should
run in the Windows Media Player MPlayer2 if you are setup to run MPEG2 video.
You may have to select the MPlayer2 choice if Windows asks you which
file to use to open setup.vob. In this video US Professional Cycling Champion Marty Jemison takes you
through the hardware installation step by step. Similar printed instructions
are also enclosed in the packaging.
Insert the Motivator DVD into the DVD drive, navigate to the DVD directory and
double-click on the Setup.exe application program to install the Exerscape software.
The installation process will install the necessary software on your
computer, normally in the C:\Program Files\Exerscape directory. It will
also create a Program Menu item and a Desktop Icon. Click the Desktop
Icon to start Exerscape. The Motivator DVD must be in the DVD drive for the Ride Video
to play.
The first time you use the Motivator you must enter basic New User information. The New User
data entry screen is accessed in the File Menu.
This includes a User Name, Height, Weight, Age, and Gender. You can enter as many users
as you want, for example one each for several household members. After a User record is entered,
it is immediately opened and shown in the Window Title Bar. Users already entered
can be opened from File Menu. The current
Open User's name is always displayed in the Exerscape window Title Bar, along with the
current Equipment Choice.
Using the Exerscape software:
- Click on the Start/Programs/Exerscape/Exerscape icon to start the program. The DVD should
be in the DVD drive.
- Click on the File menu and enter your New User information or Open your User record. When you enter
a New User, the User is automatically opened and the User Name can be seen in the Window Title.
- Click on Options, Equipment Setup, and choose "Exerlink on COMx". The Exerscape software
will automatically locate the Exerlink hardware if it is plugged into a serial port and powered on.
- If desired, click on Options, Preferences and set the Full Screen and
Dashboard preferences.
- Choose which ride you would like to go on and click on that picture icon.
- The length of each ride, if ridden at "full speed" (25 mph), is displayed
when you roll the cursor over the picture icon for that ride.
- To end a ride early, press the CTRL and E keys at the same time.
After your ride is finished Exerscape will show you your workout performance
data in the Show Graphs screen.
You may do as many rides as you want in any order that you wish. Exerscape
automatically saves all of your ride data onto your hard drive. After a ride
you will automatically be shown the latest workout graphs for that ride. You may view
different rides by double-clicking on the different ride dates shown in the
small window in the Show Ride Data screen (the one with the graphs). This screen
is also available directly by clicking on the Exerscape.com button in one
of the ride choice screens.
The current User and Equipment are displayed at the top of the window, in the Title Bar.
You can create multiple users, so different members of your household
can track their workouts separately. Simply create a New User and
Open the desired user record before starting a ride.
[1.2.1] Installed File Structure
The default installation creates and copies program files to a C:\Program Files\Exerscape folder.
Ride video files are streamed off the DVD disc, so the DVD must be in the DVD drive to ride Exerscape.
The structure of the files in the C:/Program Files/Exerscape folder is as follows:
../Exerscape Folder
- exerlink.ini
- Exerscape.exe
- Exerscape.ini
- IXRClock.dll
- IXRMultiFile.ax
- Uninst.isu
- Equipment Folder
- gif Folder
- jpg Folder
- back_off.jpg
- back_on.jpg
- bblogo.jpg
- carmen_shafer.jpg
- exergate.jpg
- exergate_bb1.jpg
- exergate_bb2.jpg
- exergate_bb3.jpg
- gear.jpg
- gear_back.jpg
- Users Folder
A folder is created in here for each user entered.
If you download updated software from the Exercape.com
web site, you can refer to this structure to install the
new files in the correct place.
In short, the translucent blue box goes on your top tube or stem; the long wire
goes towards your PC, where one side is plugged into a power outlet and the
other is plugged into a serial port on your PC; the short wire goes to
your rear wheel stay, near the axle; and the spoke magnet goes on your
spoke, close to the speed pickup at the end of the short wire. A small
bladed screwdrive is all that is required for installation. And, of course,
your bike on a training stand. We recommend the Blackburn
RX-9 TrakStand Defender; any mag, wind, or fluid trainer will work, as
will rollers. Spinning bikes are easily adaptable with
a small round stick-on magnet. We will make these available as necessary.Most Radio Shack
stores stock suitable magnets, about the size of a dime, which can be glued in place
on the flywheel with epoxy or similar adhesives.
Hardware testing checklist:
- Unplug Motivator Exerlink hardware power, wait five seconds, plug back in. You should
see the red and green LEDs (small lights) flash for one second.
- Turn the rear wheel until the spoke magnet is lined up with the speed pickup.
The green LED should light up. Adjust the speed pickup placement until the
green LED lights up. It should be almost touching the bottom half of the pickup.
- Put the Polar chest belt around your chest, directly on skin, with the Polar logo away from your body.
The two pulse pickups, which
can be seen just inside the strap holes at each end of the chest transmitter,
should be moistened and placed on the lower half of your pectoral muscles,
just below your nipple line. Lean close to the Motivator hardware (closer than
three feet) and the red LED should flash with your heartbeat.
The heart signal is very sensitive to a lack of moisture and conductivity
between the sensor and the skin on your chest, and also very prone to interference
from flourescent lights, computer monitors, etc. If the red light flashes on
and off regularly without a Polar transmitter close by, it is probably picking
up noise from such a source. Move potential sources away from the Motivator
hardware to prevent spurious signals. These become obvious in the workout graphs.
If the video seems unresponsive, especially at higher speeds,
watch the flashing green light to make sure that every magnet pass is being
picked up as the rear wheel spins. Adjust the position of the speed pickup as needed. The ideal
position is almost touching the bottom half of the speed pickup.
When you select the Exerlink equipment using the "Options/Equipment Setup..." menu choice,
you will see something called the "Lazy Equipment". This is a handy software interface that
you can use to test the video playback. To use the Lazy Equipment:
- Select the Lazy Equipment.
- Choose a ride as normal, by clicking on a Ride Picture Icon.
- Pressing the "s" key increases the speed by one-half mile per hour, Shift-s decreases the speed.
- Other keys:"h" and "Shift-h" increase/decrease the Heart Rate, "d" and "Shift-d" the Distance.
The Lazy Equipment makes it easy to see if the Motivator Exerscape software is installed and working,
or to demonstrate the system when you are too tired to ride, or your bike is in the garage
and you don't feel like setting up the hardware.
The most likely problem you are facing is that the window comes up
white when you start Exerscape. This is because Exerscape uses the
latest Microsoft Internet Explorer("IE") technology to enable
high quality MPEG2 digital video from the DVD to play inside an IE window. Unfortunately,
no PCs come with this technology preloaded.
The necessary missing component, the IE Webbrowser Control, is included on
the Motivator DVD.
- Right click on the Start Button (lower left corner of your screen).
- Right click on Explore and navigate down to the DVD in the left half of the Explore Window.
- Right click in the DVD and then on the "IE 5 Update" folder.
- Right click on "ie5setup.exe" to start the update setup program.
After agreeing to the Microsoft Licensing Agreement, choose the
"Install Minimal..." option and click Next.
A list of options will appear. UNCLICK ALL OPTIONS EXCEPT the first two:
- Internet Explorer 5 Web Browser
- Offline Browsing Pack
Then click Next. The new Webbrowser
control will be installed. Restart your PC and start Exerscape,
where upon the Ride Choice screen will magically appear!
If you don't have IE 5, you can upgrade for free through the
Windows Update feature on the Start Menu. If you have any
other Internet Explorer related errors, you should upgrade
to the latest version. IE 5 is a very nice piece of software.
For the technically inclined, Exerscape uses the IWebbrowser2 interface in the
Visual C++ 6.0 API, which is supported in the Version 4 and later of Internet Explorer.
Why it is not included in the current OEM versions of Internet Explorer 5 loaded on
brand new Windows 98 PCs is a very good question for Microsoft.
Exerscape also requires Microsoft DirectX 5.1 or later. You can update to the latest version at Windows Update.
Generally, if your PC can play DVD Videos, it is probably fine.
First check to make sure the Motivator DVD is in the DVD drive. Try playing
the Setup Video by clicking on the Menu choice Help, then Play Setup Video.
If a window comes up asking you what program you want to use to open "setup.vob",
select "mplayer2".
If the Setup Video does not play, you probably need an MPEG2 video decoder. We have included
a 5-day demo version of the Ligos LSX Player video decoder on the Motivator DVD. To install it:
- Right click on the Start Button (lower left corner of your screen).
- Right click on Explore and navigate down to the DVD in the left half of the Explore Window.
- Right click in the DVD and then on the Ligos folder.
- Right click on "lsxpdemo.exe" and install the MPEG2 decoder/player software.
You can purchase the full version for about $30 at the
www.ligos.com web site (click here to go there).
Specific decoder issues:
Ravisent Cinemaster decoder--This has been very problematic, occasionally it works, but usually
it fails in one of several different modes, and Ravisent has not been very helpful. We are continuing
to try to get Exerscape to work with The Cinemaster 2000 decoder and may very well
have a working version by the time you read this.
Click here check at
the latest updated FAQ and software (Internet access required.)
An option is to try the Ligos decoder (see above) as this usually solves playback problems.
Cyberlink PowerDVD decoder--This has a failure on the second ride, after the first ride works fine.
We may very well have this problem solved by the time you read this.
Click here check at
the latest updated FAQ and software (Internet access required.)
An option is to try the Ligos decoder (see above) as this usually solves playback problems.
The Mediamatics DVDExpress and the Ligos LSX Player are the most compliant with the
Microsoft DirectShow programming interface and we have had the best results with them.
You must have an Internet connection and be online to Save To Server.
After a ride, the Show Graph Window opens up, with the latest workout loaded.
If a Script Error appears, click "Yes" to continue running the Javascript code.
Other workouts may be accessed by double-clicking on the workout list in the
small window near the bottom center of the Show Graph Window.
The Ride Name, Elapsed
Time, Miles, Calories, Average Mph and Average Heart Rate are displayed, along with
the Time And Work Graph and the Power Graph. When you register online with the
Exerscape.com server, you are automatically put on the list to recieve
updated workout information screens. As we learn more about what people
want to see and learn about, we will create new ways to review your workout
data, and e-mailing you updates to notify you of their availability.
There are two graphs for each workout. The Time and Work Graph has a green
line for speed and a red line for heart rate running across the time axis.
You can determine your heart rate range and your speed over the course of
a ride. You can also see the results of intervals performed as part of a
planned workout program.
The Power Graph compares speed to heart rate over the course of a ride.
If the speed moves up at the same heart rate and same resistance
level, you are becoming fitter!
We plan to create new Workout Data screens using the stored information,
and may even publish the external data calls so users may create new data
summaries and share them with each other.
By clicking the Save to Net button you may store a copy of
the currently display Exerscape workout data to the Exerscape.com Internet Server.
You may then share this data with others or review your data at other
PCs running Exerscape software. You must have an Internet
connection to signup and use this option.
This option allows you to specify other users, coaches, doctors,
or even your Mom to see your workout data, and for you to see
your own and others "Exerscapes". Workout data must be stored
on the Exerscape.com server with the "Save To Net" option to be
made available.
You can also e-mail users on your sharing list to notify them
that new workout information is available for them to review.
We hope this enables long distance coaching and rehabilitation
to become easier and more useful.
As we gain experience and feedback from users, we will create
useful new training, fitness and weight loss tools based on saving
and sharing Exerscape workouts. We are also exploring ways to save
workout data from mobile and other sources on the Exerscape.com Internet server.
Plus, we are very interested in setting up online feedback loops with
famous riders and coaches to help you reach your fitness goals.
If you have any questions, comments, problems, etc. please contact
me directly at bewert@exerscape.com
The Exerscape interactive exercise
system has been a dream of mine for several years and I will do everything
I can do make it work for you now and make it better and better for everyone in
the future.
Enjoy!
Bruce Ewert,
Founding Chairman/CEO, IXR, Inc.
and the Inventor of the Exerscape Technology
Company contact information:
Phone 801-947-9607 (Utah, Mountain Time)
3210 E. Little Cottonwood Road
Sandy, UT 84092
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