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garmin-decimalface/IMPROVEMENT_IDEAS.md
Gyuri Horak 7803d440ea
"second" hand
2025-11-04 17:49:07 +01:00

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Decimal Day Watchface - Improvement Ideas

This document contains potential enhancements and features to improve the decimal day progress watchface.

Note: This watchface implements French Revolutionary/Decimal Time, not "metric time" which is a different concept.

Visual Enhancements

1. Better Graphics & Styling

  • Proper launcher icon - Replace placeholder with actual designed icon
  • Sub-divisions/minor tick marks - Add marks at 0.5 intervals for finer precision (/)
  • Color themes
    • Dark mode / Light mode
    • "Metric blue/orange" scheme
    • Customizable user-selected colors
  • Multiple hands - Add a second hand showing "decidays" or "centidays" (0-100 subdivisions)
  • Visual polish
    • Gradient backgrounds
    • Geometric patterns
    • Anti-aliasing for smoother lines
    • Different hand styles (classic, modern, minimalist)

2. Lean Into the Joke

Make it more obviously a "decimal time" novelty:

  • Decimal branding - Labels like "decidays" or "centidays" for units
  • Display branding - "DECIMAL TIME™" or "REVOLUTIONARY TIME"
  • Conversion helper - Small text showing "5.2 decimal = 12:28 traditional"
  • Easter eggs at specific times
    • At exactly 5.0: "PEAK EFFICIENCY" or "HALFWAY THERE"
    • At 0.0/10.0: "DECIMAL MIDNIGHT"
    • At 2.5: "DECIMAL BREAKFAST TIME"
    • At 7.5: "DECIMAL EVENING"
  • Motivational messages - "You're 73.4% through the day!"

Functional Improvements

3. Practical Additions

Make it actually usable as a daily driver:

  • Small actual time display - For when you really need to know (corner or bottom)
  • Date display - Consider metric format:
    • "Day 307/365" (day of year)
    • Traditional date as fallback
  • Battery indicator - Show as decimal percentage (0.0-1.0 or 0-100)
  • Fitness data
    • Steps/goal as decimal progress (e.g., "0.73/1.00")
    • Heart rate
    • Calories burned
    • Active minutes
  • Connection status - Bluetooth, notifications indicator
  • Weather integration - Temperature, conditions

4. Advanced Time Features

  • Sunrise/sunset markers - Show on the decimal scale where sunrise/sunset occur
  • Work hours highlight - Shade/highlight the 9-5 equivalent zone (3.75-7.08)
  • Alarm indicators - Show alarm time positions on the face
  • Multiple timezones - Other locations shown in decimal time
  • Calendar events - Mark upcoming events on the time circle
  • Do Not Disturb - Visual indicator when DND is active

Technical Refinements

5. Device Optimization

  • Screen type detection
    • MIP display: Optimize for lower refresh, higher contrast
    • AMOLED: Optimize for always-on mode, prevent burn-in
  • Screen shape handling
    • Round displays (most watches)
    • Semi-round displays (Forerunner 645)
    • Rectangular displays (if applicable)
  • Low power mode
    • Update less frequently (every minute instead of every second)
    • Simpler graphics when in sleep mode
    • Hide second hand in sleep mode
  • Memory optimization - Support older devices with limited memory
  • Performance tuning - Ensure smooth rendering across all devices

6. User Settings

Implement on-device settings menu:

  • Display options
    • Toggle digital display on/off
    • Show/hide actual time
    • Show/hide date
    • Enable/disable easter eggs
  • Visual preferences
    • Choose color theme
    • Select hand style
    • Toggle minor tick marks
    • Adjust font sizes
  • Complications
    • Select which metrics to display
    • Position preferences for data fields
  • Power options
    • Update frequency
    • Sleep mode behavior

Alternative Display Modes

7. Different Variations

Create alternative interpretations of the concept:

  • Pure decimal mode - No traditional time reference at all, fully commit to the joke
  • Hybrid mode - Show both decimal and traditional time equally
  • French Revolutionary Time - Implement the actual historical 10-hour decimal system
  • Percentage mode - Show day progress as 0-100% instead of 0-10
  • Swatch Internet Time - Alternative decimal time system (.beats)
  • Hexadecimal time - For the true nerds (0x0-0xF, or 0x00-0xFF)

Implementation Priority

Quick Wins (Low effort, high impact)

  1. ✅ Create proper launcher icon
  2. ✅ Add minor tick marks at 0.5 intervals
  3. ✅ Add small actual time display
  4. ✅ Add battery indicator
  5. ✅ Improve visual polish (colors, spacing)

Medium Effort

  1. ⏳ Implement user settings menu
  2. ⏳ Add color theme options
  3. ⏳ Date display
  4. ⏳ Fitness data integration
  5. ⏳ Screen type optimization

Advanced Features

  1. 📋 Sunrise/sunset markers
  2. 📋 Multiple timezone support
  3. 📋 French Revolutionary Time mode
  4. 📋 Advanced complications
  5. 📋 Easter eggs and branding

Fun Additions

  • Better "decimal time" branding/labels
  • Easter eggs at specific decimal times
  • Conversion helper text
  • Motivational messages

Community Ideas

Add ideas from users here:

  • [Space for future ideas]

Technical Debt

Track technical improvements needed:

  • Replace placeholder launcher icon PNG with actual image
  • Optimize polygon drawing for hand rotation
  • Add error handling for edge cases
  • Write unit tests for time conversion

Resources

Links to helpful references: