Watchface: Countdown!

Hi!

A brand new, re-designed and highly configurable countdown watchface was released today!

Countdown! was inspired by my first countdown watchfaces, which eventually got pulled from the ConnectIQ store.

These older watchfaces were hard-coded in the sense that you couldn't configure your own event date.
It wasn't long before I found it impossible to keep up with requests for watchfaces for all sorts of events.
This forced me to stop any further development of countdown watchfaces.

For all the new Garmin owners, and those who wish to refresh their memory, the old thread can be found here: Watchface: CountDown 2 Event

Based on the short history lesson above, it is easy to understand and appreciate the need for user configurability.
With the advent of v1.2.1 SDK, Garmin provided developers with the capability to integrate user configurability into their apps.

And so Countdown! was born!

FEATURES:
  • Time in 12 / 24 format
  • Date
  • Battery level in %
  • Bluetooth indicator for mobile phone
  • Notifications icon and count
  • Alarm icon and count
  • Sleep mode icon
  • Step counter
  • Event count down
  • Fully configurable:
    • Colors
    • Time size (normal / bigger)
    • Hide / display event date
    • Hide / display Step counter!



IMPORTANT -- PLEASE READ !!
A few bugs exist in iOS and Android flavours of Garmin Connect Mobile app, specifically with regards to the setting of an event date.
These bugs have been reported to Garmin, but until a fix is available, you have to abide to some rules to ensure a hassle free experience.
Read through the section relevant to the platform of your mobile phone BEFORE YOU GIVE ANY BAD RATINGS / REVIEWS!
I am available on email ([email protected]) and will dedicate my time to provide assistance with any problems you may encounter with this watchface.

[----- iOS -----]
When opening the settings for this watchface, you will notice that the "Event Date" picker most of the times displays an empty value, or sometimes 1 Jan 1970.
Please ensure that you always pick your event date EVERY time you open settings, even if you only wish to change another setting like a color (valid date must be between current date and 18 Jan 2038).
Failure to set the Event Date will result in the counter on the watch to reset to "0 days".
If it gets reset accidentally, just enter settings again and pick the event date and save it again.

[----- ANDROID -----]
When opening the settings for this watchface, you will notice that the "Event Date" picker may display an old value, like "17 Jan 1970".
Please ensure that you pick an event date to override this old date. Next time you enter settings, it will correctly display your chosen date (valid date must be between current date and 18 Jan 2038).

[----- GARMIN EXPRESS MAC / WIN -----]
VERY IMPORTANT: Make sure your Garmin Express version is 4.1.11.0 or higher!
Older versions cause problems with all colors resetting to black, making the watchface appear blank and empty.
Once you have the latest version installed, configuring settings with Garmin Express is the RECOMMENDED way: It provides the most stable and reliable experience in configuring this watchface. If you experience any difficulties with your mobile phone, please first try Garmin Express before giving up.

Please email me at
[email][email protected][/email]
for further assistance.
Don't forget to provide the model of your watch and the firmware version. Help me to help you :)

TUTORIAL:
Follow this link for a quick tutorial on how to use Garmin ConnectIQ settings to configure this watchface:
(TIP: Use your existing Connect account to log into the forum to be able to view the screen shots. No need for you to create another account!)
How to: App Settings

  • GCM Android - Known Issues

    Garmin introduced a bug in the latest version, 3.2.x, of Garmin Connect Mobile app.

    This bug causes Garmin Connect on Android to crash or display an error when trying to configure the date.

    Garmin has already been notified.

    If you experience the crash, you likely have the affected version: 3.2.x

    While we wait for Garmin to fix this, the only workaround is to configure this watch face using Garmin Express ( v4.1.11.0 and higher )
  • This bug causes Garmin Connect on Android to crash or display an error when trying to configure the date.


    I just downloaded the newest build that was released today, 3.2.1.1. I'll let you know Sunday or Monday if my Android crashes or not. My current countdown is for my first group training run this Sunday morning; after that I plan to put in my first race of the year.
  • I just downloaded the newest build that was released today, 3.2.1.1.


    GCM 3.2.1.1 for Android has a where you can't set the date, but it doesn't crash GCM. I just tried it with a clean install. Stick with Garmin Express for now.
  • Another weird thing I had to do with Garmin Express, I had to set the date one day ahead to get it to display the right date. When I selected Sunday, April 17th, it put Saturday the 16th on the watch. Finally I had to select April 18th to get the watch to say April 17th. But now it's saying 77 days to go. According to http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown it should be 76 days (15 hours... and so on)
  • Another weird thing I had to do with Garmin Express, I had to set the date one day ahead to get it to display the right date. When I selected Sunday, April 17th, it put Saturday the 16th on the watch. Finally I had to select April 18th to get the watch to say April 17th. But now it's saying 77 days to go. According to http://www.timeanddate.com/countdown it should be 76 days (15 hours... and so on)


    Hi,

    Thanks, other users reported the same too.

    Please sit tight, I am waiting for Garmin to approve a diagnostics (beta) watchface for this issue so that I can ask you to install in order for me to test what values get sent to the watch from Garmin Express, Android or iOS.

    We'll be able to learn more once we can use this watchface that will display a diagnostics screen with values internal in the code.
  • Diagnostics watch face available

    In order to better troubleshoot the various date issues originating from different bugs in the Garmin eco-system, I have created a watch face that is an exact copy of the Countdown! face, but with an additional setting to enable / disable a diagnostics view.

    This view won't be of any value to you, but when taking a picture and sending it to me, I will be able to figure out what happens and why the countdown date does not match the expected result.

    Who should install it?
    Only users who have reported issues where the event date is out by a day or so.
    In other words, if you have set a date like 28 Feb 2016, but the event date on the watch displays as 27 Feb

    Steps:
    1) Install Beta by HermoT
    2) Use iOS or Garmin Express to configure the desired event date
    (Android versions 3.2.x.x have bugs that make it impossible to diagnose date issues with this Beta. If you still have an older version of Android, then you can try this Beta)
    3) Verify that the event date and count down is displayed incorrectly
    4) Then go back to settings and look for the setting “Show diagnostics?”
    5) Enable the diagnostics. Make sure the date in settings still reflects the date you have picked in step 2 before saving. (Important on iOS: You have to set the date every time when entering settings, otherwise it will send a wrong value to your watch).
    6) The diagnostics view will be displayed. Please take a picture of this and send it back to me, or post it here.
    7) You can go back to the normal view by going back to settings, and disable the diagnostics view. (Please ignore the incorrect text “Exit watch face to clear diagnostics”, and again make sure the date is correct before saving.)
  • 7) You can go back to the normal view by going back to settings, and disable the diagnostics view. (Please ignore the incorrect text “Exit watch face to clear diagnostics”, and again make sure the date is correct before saving.)


    I emailed you a picture of my watchface. But to "go back" I just changed my watchface back to Countdown!, I'll just leave the diagnoses in the Beta page in case it's needed again, unless that'll mess anything up further?
  • I emailed you a picture of my watchface. But to "go back" I just changed my watchface back to Countdown!, I'll just leave the diagnoses in the Beta page in case it's needed again, unless that'll mess anything up further?



    Thanks! Please leave it there for now. It won't mess up anything.
    May need you to check a fix with it later.

    The 2 watchfaces have distinct id's, so safe to have them both.
  • Terrific watch face!

    I'm using it on a 235 an I've noticed that there is a spacing issue when the time readout is set to large. On the attached photo, it appears that the "7" is being cut off.

    Also, is it possible to enlarge the font for the step count – maybe by reducing the size of the time by a bit? The step count is a bit difficult to read on the 235, though better on the fenix 3.

  • Terrific watch face!

    I'm using it on a 235 an I've noticed that there is a spacing issue when the time readout is set to large. On the attached photo, it appears that the "7" is being cut off.

    Also, is it possible to enlarge the font for the step count – maybe by reducing the size of the time by a bit? The step count is a bit difficult to read on the 235, though better on the fenix 3.




    Thanks for reporting this.
    I will take a look.

    Unfortunately the font size smaller than the "bigger" one is the same as the small one.
    I am using native built-in fonts to reduce size and memory usage.
    Cannot promise anything but will take a look.