Feature Request: Using Back/Lap button in WatchFace mode

Hard to say, as watch face run in the FW's low power mode all the time (the concept of low/high power in the watch face itself is different).  Also there already is a delegate used in watch faces (for exceeding the power budget when doing onPartialUpdate).

"back" wouldn't be available when the watchface is accessed by way of the widget loop from an activity, and up/down/start/menu are also used by the FW when runing a WF.

Nothings really changed from what I posted in this thread 5 years ago.

jim_m_58 said:

Hard to say, as watch face run in the FW's low power mode all the time (the concept of low/high power in the watch face itself is different).  Also there already is a delegate used in watch faces (for exceeding the power budget when doing onPartialUpdate).

there's already a delegate, which makes this easier to implement, it's only extra event handlers that need to be exposed.

jim_m_58 said:

"back" wouldn't be available when the watchface is accessed by way of the widget loop from an activity

it's perfectly acceptable to ignore the onBackPress handler in this case

jim_m_58 said:

up/down/start/menu are also used by the FW when runing a WF.

nobody mentioned exposing these buttons to connect iq watch faces

jim_m_58 said:

Nothings really changed from what I posted in this thread 5 years ago.

Jim, it's perfectly fine to be a fan of simple watch faces that don't allow for user interaction.

Everybody is entitled to their own opinion and most likely your "no vote" will stand and these event handlers will not make it to connect iq as we all know that Garmin rarely comes back on made decisions.

But, I don't agree with your view and I do think it's a mistake not to implement the event handlers as watch face interaction would provide a much greater richness to the connect iq world.  

The use of watch face should be simple, even if it displays complex data, IMHO.  Widgets or device apps can do the complex interface

Here's a post by HermoT that talks about using a widget for data related to a watch face.  Widgets are really useful and can be just a single button press away from a watch face.

https://forums.garmin.com/developer/connect-iq/b/news-announcements/posts/widget-glances---a-new-way-to-present-your-data

I am afraid you missed the point Jim. Widget times out. That renders whole idea useless with exception of quick look at something.

Of course it would a very useful feature. I want to change the HR graph, elevation or steps graph with a press of button. Imagine my watchface Activity Graph, it is currently very limited. I could simplify the design. I can se much more possibilities with other types of data, the weather, stocks info...

You cannot share data between the watchface and a widget, and you can call the background service from a widget only once per 5 minutes. That's the main issue why it cannot be used as a "second screen" to the watchface. Widgets are very limited.

And this functionality is perfectly normal on other platforms and makes sense :) On Gear S3 you can click on the hand of the watch, it starts a stopwatch directly on the watchface. On Galaxy Active you can start/pause a sport activity with a button on the watchface. The Android Wear watchfaces have also similar cool interactions.

Allow this and you will see many new ideas. I vote for this feature.

I already had similar ideas: the watchface that switches to white contrast with big text when you press a button. A funny "labyrinth" watchface, where the time is revealed when you press a button. The watchface where you can switch between the current HR and the daily statistics.

This would be possible with the button interaction. It's not more CPU intensive, it would fit into memory, it's usable and there is no technical problem. When the watchface is is displayed from an activity, the back button can work as usual.

Maybe look at onEnterSleep()/onExitSleep() so things change with a gesture?  Gestures can be a bit problematic on some devices, but maybe try that.

There's noone with a sensible mind that likes turning up and down his watch like crazy in order to simulate user input. 

I'm not going to write a long post, but I'm in agreement with Tomas and I have stumbled on similar roadblocks and idea blockers.