Vivoactive 6 Simulator problems

Actually all CIQ devices with CIQ 3.4.0 or higher allow you to open an action menu using WatchUi.showActionMenu(), it's just Vivoactive 6 which allows Connect IQ to display the action menu indicator which the user swipes left on to open an action menu, using View.setActionMenuIndicator(). It seems likely this was done because the action menu indicator is the only option for context-sensitive menus on VA6, so they don't want devs to have to reinvent the wheel here.

For example, on FR955 / FR965 / Fenix 7, there are many native screens where an action menu is opened by pressing START (in this case there will be a button hint next to the START button, but this is just a generic hint that indicates pressing START will do something). In all of these cases, the action menu can also be opened by tapping or swiping left on the button hint.

I think what's actually unique about VA6 is:

- it has a dedicated indicator / UI element to  open the action menu

- there's no other way to open a context-sensitive menu (i.e. no universal shortcut like holding a certain button)

Ok.  Thanks for the comments/clarifications.

I have to explain to a modest number of users how to get to the main menu of my app, even when MENU is written on the bezel of the device and knowledge/use of it is required to navigate a lot of the device.  So I sympathize some with that motivation.

A quick run thru the simulator (not comprehensive) seems that VivoActive 6 is the only device to allow use of the ActiveMenu (so far) even if the device has CIQ 3.4.0 or greater and is mostly touch (like Venu3 or VivoActive5).

So as developers I wonder if we are safe to assume we will see EITHER legacy onMenu() (non-touch or mostly button devices) and onActionMenu() (touch or mostly touch devices). Therefore, based on presence of View.setActionMenuIndicator I will use ActiveMenu to build my main menu, otherwise I will continue to use Menu or Menu2.

Again I will say that I absolutely understand why Garmin has done this:

1) I know so many users of 5-button Garmins who have no idea that you hold UP for settings / context-sensitive menu

2) Garmin knows this too, as in the past few years, they have added more and more ways to access activity settings without holding UP

2a) In the FR955/FR965/Fenix 7 generation of watches, they allow the user to open settings by short-pressing UP on the first activity page that's shown before its started (and there's a visual button hint to indicate this)

2b) Fenix 8 takes this further by showing the settings label at the bottom of the first activity page, so that it's obvious you can scroll to it (by swiping up or pressing the DOWN button, afaik)

Not saying I like this move, but I understand it. I'm fairly sure it will never happen to 5-button watches; unlike Vivoactive / Venu devices, these watches are designed to be used even if the touchscreen is disabled, which means that requiring the user to swipe left on an action menu indicator is a non-starter.

But in the VA6 manual around the 2nd page under "TouchScreen Tips" it says " • Tap and hold an item on the watch face to bring up contextual information, such as glances or menus, if available."

That sounds like standard, legacy touchscreen menu behavior; i.e. tap and hold to bring up contextual menu.  But doesn't work in the VA6 simulator.

No, that's referring to long-pressing a complication on the literal watch face (the screen that displays the clock while you're not doing other things with the watch.) e.g. Long-press HR icon to open HR glance

Besides, afaik, the only Garmin watch in recent memory which used a long-press of the screen to open settings (or a context-sensitive menu) is Vivoactve 3, and that's because it only has one button. (A long press of the button opens the controls menu.)

There's lots of anecdotal evidence that onMenu doesn't exist in VA6.

- DCR's review explicitly said there's no longer a universal shortcut to open settings

The next user interface change is that you can’t get to the settings by simply long-holding the lower right button. Rather, that’s now going to set up a quick-access control (such as accessing heart rate broadcasting or other features).

Instead, to access settings you’ll need to first swipe from the right (or tap the upper right button), which brings you to the main activities page. Here you can jump to starting a workout (like in the past), or other apps:

But to access settings, you’ll swipe down till you find ‘Settings’, and tap that open:

...

- Speaking of manuals:

-- The manual for Vivoactive 3 has the following text in the overview (which usually, or always, describes all the universal button and touchscreen functions for every Garmin device):

Touchscreen

Swipe up or down to scroll through widgets, features, and menus.

Tap to select.

Swipe right to go back to the previous screen.

During an activity, swipe right to view the watch face and widgets.

During an activity, double-tap to mark a new lap, start a new set of reps, or advance to the next stage of a workout.

Hold to view a menu of device settings and options for the current screen.

-- The manual for Vivoactive 5 has the following text in the overview

Back (Menu) button

Press to return to the previous screen, except during an activity.

During an activity, press to mark a new lap, start a new set or pose, or advance to the next stage of a workout.

Hold to view a menu of watch settings and options for the current screen.

Notice how the manual for Vivoactive 6 has no such reference in the overview to any kind of "menu shortcut", either via button or touchscreen

www8.garmin.com/.../GUID-9E473CE2-392C-4A26-B803-15EF1F5DB3AD.html

- It doesn't work in the simulator

- The CIQ announcement for the SDK that was released with VA6 explicitly calls out the need for CIQ apps to support showing the action menu indicator (which is a new function for CIQ), and responding to the user swiping left on it, almost as if there's no other built-in way to open a context-sensitive menu

Any updates on this topic of the standard OnMenu() not functioning on VA6 simulator.

It seems the manual was not published until later leaving room for speculation on this topic.

But in the VA6 manual around the 2nd page under "TouchScreen Tips" it says " • Tap and hold an item on the watch face to bring up contextual information, such as glances or menus, if available."

That sounds like standard, legacy touchscreen menu behavior; i.e. tap and hold to bring up contextual menu.  But doesn't work in the VA6 simulator.