I'd like a notification that WatchUi.animate won't complete

I added a simple WatchUi.Text animation to my glance view. No animation updates occur when simulating a Fenix 6. The animate callback is not invoked at any time. In the simulator a Fenix 6 Pro does animate in the glance view. I released an update to my widget that included this animation for Fenix 6 Pro's only. A user wrote back that the animation aborted early.

I'd like to have some indication that the animation won't finish. A flag in the callback, or just calling the callback would be sufficient so that I can take the appropriate action.

To test this, I copied my animation code to the main widget view and it works just fine on all watches in the simulator and on my own VA4. So, I know it's not something with the code. I did see the note in the programmers guide:

Devices that have less memory [3] will start the app only when the system deems it appropriate, and calls to WatchUi.requestUpdate() will have no effect. Such a device could update the ‘Glance Page’ when it becomes visible (activated) and at least 30 seconds since last update.

Which I took to mean that the animate updates may not occur. Is this expected behavior?

My Text Drawable:

remText = new Ui.Text({
:text => REMSTR+"xxx",
:color =>Gfx.COLOR_WHITE,
:font => MFONT,
:locX => 0,
:locY => Y
});

Animation start in onShow()

Ui.animate(remText, :locX, Ui.ANIM_TYPE_LINEAR, 0, -animStop, 3.0, method(:refresh) );

draw in onUpdate()

remText.draw(dc);

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago

The Fenix 6 works differently than the f6 pro in glance mode (same with all the non-pro f6's and the pro versions).

As you see in the programmers's guide, things like Ui.reqestUpdate() aren't honored on the f6. In devices.xml you can see the difference with the

setting for a device

Diijr over 5 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

Yes, but the question remains. If the animate cannot finish, I think the callback should be invoked. This is particularly problematic for devices, like Fenix 6 Pro, that work fine on simulator, but don't complete a simple animation in glance. Might as well make a statement that animation is not supported in a glance view.

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago in reply to Diijr

What do you mean "doesn't finish"? It just stops in the sim? LIke I said, it will likely be different between the f6 and f6 pro in the sim. as the glance live_update is different between the two.

When you say it works in the sim for the f6 pro, is that when the widget in in glance view or full screen?

Diijr over 5 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

Fenix 6 performs no onUpdate's in sim, Fenix 6 Pro device performs some onUpdate's, Fenix 6 Pro sim completes animation w/ callback. The others do not invoke the callback. So, there is no indication that the animation did not complete.

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago in reply to Diijr

The lack of onUpdate calls on the f6 is expected, and it gets back to the live_update flag I've mentioned. See "Glance Lifecycle" in the programmer's Guide

The fix is really just don't do animations on devices where live_update is false.

I'm not sure how "won't finish" would be detected.

Diijr over 5 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

If the system invoked the callback when it could not complete the animation within the constraints then the controlling program can take appropriate steps. I'm suggesting that is a better flow than no indication of aborted animation. Focus more on the Fenix 6 Pro device, which should complete the animation, but does not. However, this new flow could also help all cases where the animation did not complete.

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago in reply to Diijr

If it doesn't complete, there's probably not much the app can do, as in glance mode it's about the live_updates true/false, which is defined by device. Per what you said, it runs fine of the f6 pro (live_update=true) but not on the f6 (live_update=false).

You're best solution is to not try to do it on devices with live_update=false, and using jungles, your app can tell what device it's running on.

I kind of wonder how well this will work on actual devices in glance view with live_update=true, and if it will impact scrolling. See this blog post about some glance tricks:

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

Diijr over 5 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

I understand that. That is what I did. And the real device only partially animates. That is the problem. Animate has an unfulfilled promise, i.e. the callback. I don't believe that is how it should be architected.

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago in reply to Diijr

To me, the issue isn't the lack of a callback, it's why it stalls in a glance view on the device. Per your code, looks like you have a period of 3 seconds, but how often is the screen being updated? Per the "glance lifecycle" section in the programmer's guide, you want to keep that at 1 sec or greater even if live_update=true.

You might just be doing something that's really not suited for a glance view.

jim_m_58 over 5 years ago in reply to jim_m_58

If you want Garmin to take a look at why the animation isn't completing, submit a sample app with the steps/environment to re-create it in the CIQ Bug report forum.