WFS Feature Requests Q3 2023

Watch Face Studio
21

It is also possible to change the font in the current version of WFS with a little trick.
Here is a link.

22

Hi, Iā€™m not sure if you read everything.

Both 12 / 24H / font change can be achieved with masking for example (switching style for mask layer). That does not mean toggle elements functionality is available within WFS.

We need simple solution implemented into WFS, to save resources and battery consumption.

23

I agree. If the mask function is applied to the watchface, the watch will stutter if it exceeds a certain number.
I hope it will be supported by WFS for more efficient use.

24

Iā€™d love to see full support of the UserConfigurations of the Watch Face Format. Right now in Watch Face Studio 1.4.13 (Beta) you cannot name the theme color palettes (they will be called 1st to 30th option on Wear OS 4). See ColorConfiguration.

BooleanConfiguration would support options like ā€œshow second handā€ or ā€œshow complicationsā€.

ListConfiguration could be used to select more complex layouts/themes. Something like ā€œlight themeā€ and ā€œdark themeā€.

Basically, Watch Face Studio must support the creation of user configs and extend the tag expressions to make use of them. Also donā€™t forget that these configurations must be localizable into all available languages (just like Text ID in WFS right now).

Edit: Also I noticed that Watch Face Studio puts a lot of junk (?) resources into the app bundle. In Wear OS 4 my face watch is 332 KB in size (just the Watch Face Format XML and some manifests I guess).

But in Wear OS 3 my face watch is 7.6 MB in size. Ok, the classes.dex takes 4.4 MB, I understand that. But why is there a 200 KB multimedia_polarbear.gif animation in my watch face bundle?
image

Why are 722 KB of Roboto fonts in there? Isnā€™t that a system font?

What is this 54 KB preview_x86.png for?
image

It looks like Watch Face Studio puts dummy development resources into each built watch face. Could you please do a cleanup on this to reduce the file size?

Edit 2: WFS doesnā€™t set the CLOCK_TYPE attribute correctly. It doesnā€™t matter if my watch face is published as analog or digital: the output is always <Metadata key="CLOCK_TYPE" value="ANALOG"/>.

Edit 3: Right now only 30 color palettes are supported but the Watch Face Format supports up to 100 color palettes:

The ColorConfiguration element can contain between 1 and 100 inner ColorOption elements.
https://developer.android.com/training/wearables/wff/user-configuration/color-configuration

Could you please increase the Watch Face Studio limit to 100?

1 Like
25
  1. 12h/24h format can be toggled in the Wear OS time & date settings. Starting with Wear OS 4 the 12h/24h format is set by the smartphone.
    As a user I would hate it when watch faces would start ignoring my system settings. :frowning:
  2. Iā€™ve used the opacity with the [IS_24H] tag expression to show/hide the AM/PM stuff. Is there a better way/best practice to do this?
26
  1. A lot of users donā€™t know this and they keep asking about how to set up 12/24H. We can set this to sync but it would be good if user could force it to different setting. I also have lot of users wanting 12H on their phone and 24H on their watches. Itā€™s similar to language settings in android apps. Multi language app will follow system language but you can also force it to use other language (my language - Slovak, system language = English, 3rd party app language = Slovak if I want it)

We are also talking about overall true / false toggle, which can be used not just for time format switching.

  1. Yes, you can use timeline - could save some battery %
2 Likes
27

Thanks for the tip! Though Watch Face Studio/Wear OS should be smart enough to realize that a 0% opacity control must not be rendered (and thus save battery).

28

I think 0% opacity image is still using some resources. Thatā€™s why proper on/off setting is so much needed.

All points from your previous reply would be amazing if theyā€™re added into WFS. Letā€™s utilize full potential of Watch Face Format in WFS :slightly_smiling_face:

1 Like
29

COMPLICATION

Can we get an analogous version for the ā€œcircular progress barā€ mostly used in range value complication?

From a design perspective, range values are mostly very simple design elements. You can do a lot with them, but ultimately itā€™s primarily for digital designs.

Analog designs are used a lot in the store, so it would be great if we could somehow get an analog progress bar with an IMG placeholder used as a pointer (0-100 value on a range of 0-360 degrees).

30

In the new version, i have some questions. Anyone exploring on this

  1. Under customization editor > how to add Text ID?
  2. Menu > Projects > Settings > Data > Text ID how to add new? Import? Export? Any idea about it? If i add new nothing happening.
31

Why canā€™t you do this now. Just make and image and have it rotate using Tags?

For example a Battery ā€œgas gaugeā€ rotate half way ([BATT_PER] *1.8) and set the start angle at 270 for example does a half circle indicator.

Or am I not understanding what you want?

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

32
  • Under customization editor > how to add Text ID?
  • Menu > Projects > Settings > Data > Text ID how to add new? Import? Export? Any idea about it? If i add new nothing happening.

Publish (build) Project
App Label you can see what your choice is there above the box.
Also you can hover over the right end of the dialog box and add it there.

The Text ID is what is shown when you long press on the Watch Face to change to a different Watch Face.
It is the Text ID minus ID_LABEL_

In WFS 1.3.13 it was listed in the build menu for Localization
Is that what you were asking about?

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

Ron

33

Hi Ron,

you talking about a fixed complication. I mean custom complications.

If the user selects Battery from the list of complications, the range value shows the percentage of the battery. If he selects Steps, the range value shows the percentage of the step goal.
Thatā€™s how it works at the moment. Right?

I would love to have an analog version of this functionality where the spinning element would be a swappable graphic.

Maybe Iā€™m explaining this too complicated but I hope you understand what I mean with that.

analog_range_value
analog_range_value571Ɨ611 40.7 KB

34

@amoledwatchfaces may be able to explain this better but Wear OS provides a template (pattern) for complications that dictate what they will be. The complication developer plugs in the data and then it is fully portable on all devices since anyone creating a ranged value complication uses a standardized template.

Watch Face studio basically allows the designer to select the space for the complication it is a space holder and can do nothing to customize it.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

35

Hi @r.liechty_SDP , @matze_styles4you

3rd party app = complication provider, so for ranged value complication, app developer provides min, max and value, plus some other optional data like text / icon / title.

Watch face is responsible for complication rendering, so in fact, something like @matze_styles4you proposed needs to be implemented in watch face apk.

Final part - implementing something like that into WFS. In theory, it should be really simple, add any image and adjust rotation based on min / max / value. It would be great to have something like this :slight_smile:

1 Like
36

@amoledwatchfaces

Thanks, Iā€™ll look into this deeper.

Ron
Samsung Developer Relations

1 Like