Access sunset / sunrise times from IQ watchface?

Connect IQ doesn't have an API to access the sunrise and sunset times, and we don't have one planned for technical reasons. It must either be calculated by the app, or obtained using a web service (which isn't available to watch faces).

Thank you very much for your reply. I am curious about this technical reason though :-)

I don't recall all of the specifics (this was discussed several months ago), but I believe it had primarily to do with most devices not having this functionality available.

Hi Brandon,

The consequence of not having the sun times available in the API is:
- calculating this function in a watch face app is a complex process (http://williams.best.vwh.net/sunrise_sunset_algorithm.htm) that depends on location
- the watch face does not have access to location data
- therefore the watch face can't calculate sunset/sunrise.

Watch face API access:
Application
Graphics
Lang
Math
System
Time
WatchUi
Sensor*

Location is only available in Activity and Location APIs


I have the sun time and moon cycle on my watch face and can't imagine not having it. It's more useful than Zulu time for me.
I imagine a number of people are in this position. If sunset and moon cycle is also the most important additional data to them, then this completely cuts possible innovation in this field, as no-one would ever select a watch face that doesn't provide at least the same data.

For me, the same applies to the status icons. Bluetooth and battery status are available but not alarm clock. This should be added to the API to make any developed watch face at least equal to the existing.

Just my two cents.

Thanks a lot for the honest reply!

That's a separate issue related to the low power mode of watch faces and decisions that have been made to ensure battery life is conserved.
For now, the compromise we have is that sunrise/sunset can be made available as a widget, which is a quick jump away from your watch face.

I actually, I don't understand this decision at all.

This should be decided by the user / developer.
I would like to have weather info on my watchface, sunset/rise, see my appointments, notifications, etc.

Yes, I do understand that if you do more complicated stuff in the watchface, it drains the battery more quickly. And if you don't, it shouldn't.

That tradeoff should be mine to make, I should be able to decide wether I take a hit on battery level for more functionality.

Besides, checking the calendar or updating weather info once an hour or so can't be draining the battery that much...
Besides, bailing out to a widget to check the calendar or update weather info once an hour drains the battery THE SAME AMOUNT, it takes just much more effort :(

Hi,

Has there been any movement on this? I’m looking for this as well.

The data seeks available to the Garmin watchfaces so the power consumption argument is out the window.

Thanks.

To be honest, I think many folks have just added their own sunrise/sunset calculation to watchfaces. There are likely a few example on github and other places, and code was posted here over time. Have you tied searching this forum for something like "sunrise sunset"?

Here's a thread with some code linked.

Yeah... though actual access would still be better and ultimately more accurate.

if they provided this on the official watch faces then it should be available to ConnectIQ watch faces.

I take it that it’s still not available then. I couldn’t see it in the SDK API.

Come on Garmin!