Connect IQ Data Field — Navigation Data remains null in FR165 Simulator (SDK 9.2.0)

Dhani 4 days ago

Hi Garmin Connect IQ developers,

I'm developing a navigation Data Field for the Forerunner 165 using Connect IQ SDK 9.2.0.

The goal is to display navigation guidance from a Garmin Course that the user imports through Garmin Connect and starts using the watch's native navigation.

I'm reading these properties from Activity.Info inside compute(info):

distanceToNextPoint
nameOfNextPoint
distanceToDestination
offCourseDistance

All four properties are supported for the Forerunner 165 according to the SDK documentation.

However, when I use Simulation → Set Navigation Data, enter values for the next point and destination, and start the simulated activity, all four properties remain null.

I'd appreciate clarification on three questions:

Is there a specific procedure to make simulated navigation data available to a Data Field?
When navigating an active Garmin Course, can a Data Field access the next turn direction (left/right), or only the next point's name and distance?
Is there any supported API for a Data Field to access the active Course's route geometry or coordinates?

I'd like to use Garmin's native Course workflow without requiring users to import their route a second time.

Thanks for your help!

mcinner1 4 days ago

I can only speak for Edge devices:

Basically, all the navigation data I’ve set up works on my simulator with SDK 9.2.0:

1) There’s no special procedure. It works exactly as you describe.

2) On real device: when a loaded course is active and turn-by-turn navigation is enabled, the time and distance to the next point refer to the next turn points. Additional course points such as “Water,” “Restaurant,” etc., are not available. They are available when turn-by-turn navigation is disabled.

3) No. There is no access to the coordinates or elevation of track points.

Seems that the simulator is not working as it should for your watch…