Data Field in the simulator with a map? (and another question)

I have my own watch face and I now want to implement a data field. I want the data field to be shown below/above the map in navigation mode on Garmin Edge Explore 2.

I created a new data field using the MonkeyC extension as described by the tutorial, however when I load the app into the simulator I can't find out how to switch to navigation mode, and add the data field to the navigation screen.

Is this possible? I will mostly use this data field in navigation mode so it's important for me to test it in navigation mode.

Another question is: if I have the same data field in the screen with only data fields (I don't know what it's called) and in the navigation screen, can those two data fields share the state? My data field will fetch information from the internet, and with a request taking 5 minutes (temporal event limitation) I don't want switching between screens to reset the state of these data fields. Is this possible?

Thanks.

Top Replies

9938694 4 months ago in reply to FlowState +1

FlowState said:
I think the point here is that the simulator supports layouts for custom data pages, but not for the navigation/map page. If in fact the data field layout is unique in navigation mode, then…

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0 flocsy🤠 4 months ago

When you run in the simulator then you'll only see your data field. When you install it on a real device (side load or [beta] app via the store) then you'll be able to add it to the layout of your preference.

When in the simulator you'll be able to test it as it was during vavigation. Go to Simulation > Set Navigation Data and Simulation > Activity Data.

Data sharing is not available between two separate data fields (or two separate "apps" with different appId). There are solutions, where one can write the data to a web service (there is at least one available, you might be able to find it in this forum) and the other app can read it.

0 FlowState 4 months ago

9938694 said:
the screen with only data fields (I don't know what it's called)

Custom data page/screen

flocsy🤠 said:
When you run in the simulator then you'll only see your data field. When you install it on a real device (side load or [beta] app via the store) then you'll be able to add it to the layout of your preference.

I think the point here is that the simulator supports layouts for custom data pages, but not for the navigation/map page. If in fact the data field layout is unique in navigation mode, then it would be useful for that be simulated (and documented). I don't think OP necessarily wants to literally see a fully-fledged navigation screen in the sim, just the parts which are relevant to data fields.

(I can't find it now, but I think there might actually a bug report / post about something like this.)

9938694 said:
if I have the same data field in the screen with only data fields (I don't know what it's called) and in the navigation screen, can those two data fields share the state? My data field will fetch information from the internet, and with a request taking 5 minutes (temporal event limitation) I don't want switching between screens to reset the state of these data fields. Is this possible?

If it's literally meant to be the same CIQ data field (same app, same settings, same execution state), then the user can add the same field to multiple screens (*) without the extra copies counting against the total CIQ field limit (2 for most watches, 2 on some Edges, 4 or 10 on other Edges.)

(* EDIT: and/or multiple times on the same screen)

In fact if you really wanted the 2 fields to have separate state, you would have to create a 2nd app with a different ID.

0 9938694 4 months ago in reply to FlowState

FlowState said:
I think the point here is that the simulator supports layouts for custom data pages, but not for the navigation/map page. If in fact the data field layout is unique in navigation mode, then it would be useful for that be simulated (and documented). I don't think OP necessarily wants to literally see a fully-fledged navigation screen in the sim, just the parts which are relevant to data fields.

Yes, this is what I want.

It's probably not a big deal that this doesn't exist, though I would certainly help to see how my data field looks below/above a map.

FlowState said:
If it's literally meant to be the same CIQ data field (same app, same settings, same execution state), then the user can add the same field to multiple screens without the extra copies counting against the total CIQ field limit (2 for most watches, 2 on some Edges, 4 or 10 on other Edges.)

Perfect!

Thanks both for answers!

0 flocsy🤠 4 months ago in reply to FlowState

FlowState said:
I think the point here is that the simulator supports layouts for custom data pages, but not for the navigation/map page. If in fact the data field layout is unique in navigation mode, then it would be useful for that be simulated (and documented).

I don't think that a DF added to the layout of a "custom" data page is different in anything but the width/height from a data field added to the layout under the map. I would be even surprised if it's a different size (meaning that one of the sizes of the fields on a custom data pages). And in case of edge devices even the obscurityFlags are always 0.

0 FlowState 4 months ago in reply to flocsy🤠

flocsy🤠 said:
I don't think that a DF added to the layout of a "custom" data page is different in anything but the width/height from a data field added to the layout under the map. I would be even surprised if it's a different size (meaning that one of the sizes of the fields on a custom data pages).

Why are you putting “custom” in quotes lol, I didn’t make up the terminology, it’s literally what Garmin uses. e.g. Activity Settings > Data Screens > Add > Custom Data. It’s not like there’s any better terminology that’s universally agreed upon and also used by Garmin. Kinda reminds me of a thread where OP was attacked by other forum members for saying “data pages” (as opposed to “data screens”), even though DC Rainmaker uses that terminology in every review, and Garmin has also used “data pages” in manuals and support documents (although they seem to use “data screens” more frequently)

Regardless of whether what you said is the case or not, that doesn’t mean that devs wouldn’t want to see (or know) what the exact layout is. I wonder why it’s so important to know all the standard field layouts for custom data (and to file bug reports when new layouts are missing in the sim), but for some reason data field layouts on the map / navigation screen are unimportant? (If obscurity flags are always 0 on edge, that’s a separate, yet related issue. I could play devil’s advocate and say that if obscurity flags are always 0, then there’s no point in knowing any of the field layouts at all, and Garmin should just remove every layout except 1 Field from the sim and docs for Edges.)

IOW, if I (as a dev) care about layouts on “custom” data pages (regardless of whether I can do anything in response to the specific layout that’s in use), then for the exact same reasons, I would also care about layouts on the map/navigation screen.

Conversely, if I don’t care about the layouts in the map/navigation screen, why should I care about layouts in custom data pages? The most likely explanation for caring about the latter but not the former is that the map/navigation screen is an edge case that devs and/or Garmin aren't too worried about.