docs/html/training/wearables/watch-faces/index.jd

page.title=Creating Watch Faces

@jd:body

<div id="tb-wrapper">
<div id="tb">
  <h2>Dependencies and Prerequisites</h2>
  <ul>
    <li>Android Studio 1.0.0 or later and Gradle 1.0 or later</li>
    <li>Android 4.3 (API level 18) or higher on the handheld device</li>
    <li>Android 5.0 (API level 21) or higher on the wearable device</li>
  </ul>
</div>
</div>

<!-- design guide box -->
<a class="notice-designers wide" href="{@docRoot}design/wear/watchfaces.html">
  <div>
    <h3>Design Guide</h3>
    <p>Watch Faces</p>
  </div>
</a>

<a class="notice-developers-video wide"
    href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK38PJZmIW8">
<div>
    <h3>Video</h3>
    <p>DevBytes: Watch Faces for Android Wear</p>
</div>
</a>

<p>Watch faces in Android Wear leverage a dynamic digital canvas to tell time using colors,
animations, and relevant contextual information. The <a
href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.wearable.app">Android
Wear companion app</a> provides watch faces with different styles and shapes. When
users select one of the available watch faces on the wearable or on the companion app, the
wearable device previews the watch face and lets the user set configuration options.</p>

<p>Android Wear enables you to create custom watch faces for Wear devices. When users install a
handheld app that contains a <a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/apps/index.html">wearable
app</a> with watch faces, they become available in the Android Wear companion app
on the handheld device and in the watch face picker on the wearable device.</p>

<p>This class teaches you to implement custom watch faces and to package them inside a wearable
app. This class also covers design considerations and implementation tips to ensure that your
designs integrate with system UI elements and are power-efficient.</p>

<p class="note"><strong>Note:</strong> We recommend using <a
href="{@docRoot}sdk/index.html">Android Studio</a> for Android Wear development as
it provides project setup, library inclusion, and packaging conveniences that aren't available
in the Eclipse Android Developer Tools. This training assumes you are using Android Studio.</p>


<h2>Lessons</h2>

<dl>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/designing.html">
Designing Watch Faces</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to design a watch face that works on any Android Wear device.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/service.html">
Building a Watch Face Service</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to respond to important events during the lifecycle of your watch face.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/drawing.html">
Drawing Watch Faces</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to draw your watch face on a Wear device screen.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/information.html">
Showing Information in Watch Faces</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to incorporate contextual information into your watch face.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/configuration.html">
Providing Configuration Activities</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to create watch faces with configurable parameters.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/issues.html">
Addressing Common Issues</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to fix common problems when developing a watch face.</dd>
<dt><a href="{@docRoot}training/wearables/watch-faces/performance.html">
Optimizing Performance and Battery Life</a></dt>
<dd>Learn how to improve the frame rate of your animations and how to save power.</dd>
</dl>