[Tasker] "Tasface": Flick-your-wrist shows watchface!

lssong99

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2005
343
195
63
As many of you may know, for newer version of TS (at least for 4th List, May version devices), it's NOT possible to flick your wrist to show watch face since the Accelerator is DISABLED whenever screen is OFF!!!

What an oversight! A smart watch needs you to push a button to see time? What if when you are driving or have both hand full and cannot spare even a finger!?

(My Pebble, on the contrast, works great here!)

I tried to force the screen always on with watch face, it's great, except it kills my battery in around 6 hrs (airplane mode!) Not acceptable!

Thus, Here comes "Tasface". With this, you could achieve:
1. Let TS shows you time WHENEVER you LOOK at the watch! (well, actually when the watch is face up) or when you flick your wrist (You can modify this!)
2. Reduce using your button (if you have an Shortcut supported launcher like Smart Launcher 2)

DISCLAIMER: I will not be responsible if Tasface broke/brick your TS in anyway! Since Tasface is only a set of Tasker profiles/Tasks you can read everything before decide go or not! Tasface DO mess around with system files!

Pre-requests:
===============
1. Your TS must be ROOTED!
2. You need to know Tasker basics! (It's not THAT difficult to use Tasker...)
3. Tasker (Obviously)
4. Watchface by Kurt Huwig (I didn't test other watchface app. May not work with stock lock watchface) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=de.huwig.watchfaces
5. Secure Settings (Required) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.intangibleobject.securesettings.plugin
6. Smart Launcher 2 (Optional, any Launchers supports Shortcut will work. With this you can activate Watch face without using button!) https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ginlemon.flowerfree


Set-up
========
1. Have Tasker (required), Watchface (required), Secure Setting (don't forget to install system helper) and Smart Launcher 2 (Optional) installed. DO NOT IMPORT "Tasface" yet!

2. Disable your stock lock watchface: Go to Setting/Personal & Account/Security/Screen lock/None (<-- This IS IMPORTANT)

3. Launch Watchface by Kurt Huwig, than double tap on any watchface to enter setup
  a. check "Keep screen on"
  b. Select desired watchface from "Lockscreen face"
  c. Recommended to disable all other options

4. Check if the Watchface work or not by turn off than turn on your TS by press the upper physical button. You should see the Watchface you selected shows up when screen on. Swipe to return to your launcher and launch Tasker.

5. Unrar and import Tasface into Tasker

6. Close Tasker

7. Turn off --> Turn on your TS with the upper button

8. Profit!

Notes
=======
1. When watchface is displayed:
  a. Touch screen is DISABLED to avoid accidental touch.
  b. Screen will be OFF after 8 seconds (you can setup your prefer time)
  c. Touch screen lock is achieved by putting a transparent Tasker Scene element on top of the Watchface. A small "X" on bottom right screen is used to reactivate the touch screen. You can also push the lower right button (back) to reactive your touch screen.

2. To show watchface (after automatic screen off as Step 1)
  a. Just face the watchface up. The watchface should appear for another 8 seconds
  b. There maybe a 1~2 second delay. This is due to Tasker not detecting the Watchface up event. I cannot do anything about this....
  c. You could change the watchface up to anything else, like "Sensor shake/Backware-Forward"

3. If you have "Smart Launcher 2" or any other launcher supports Shortcut, you can set a icon to task "Lock". With this TS will activate watchface WITHOUT touch physical button. (I heard horrible stories about broken button so want to avoid use them as much as possible!) It's normal the screen will off for 2 second than back on with watchface for 8 seconds!

4. You must wait for automatic screen off or use the "Lock" shortcut to turn off the screen! Tasface will NOT work if you turn off TS by pressing the upper right physical button. This DISABLE the accelerator as mentioned above. To reactive Tasface, just turn on TS by pressing the upper right physical button to show the watchface than wait for automatic screen off.

I wrote this primarily for myself so a there are a lot of bugs. You are free to modify it and make it better. Just let me know if you have any questions and need help or improvement here!

Thanks button is just a click away if I helped you! :)

Update the attached file to resolve some bugs and improve responseness
 

Attachments

Last edited:

lssong99

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2005
343
195
63
Technical stuff -- What is done here?
=================================
It's a bit technical here .... No need to read if you don't care how it works!

Since TS turns off the accelerator whenever screen off, so it's not possible to activate the screen once it's off by external conditions. (You can still set a timer to wake the screen, but it's meaningless)

Thus we need to disable the power hungry backlight while keep the screen on!

I found out that it's possible to control the backlight by doing
Code:
echo 0 > /sys/class/leds/lcd-backlight/brightness
Thus, I set up a Task profile which fires whenever Watchface is activated and TS is face up, to activate the backlight then turn off the backlight again after 8 seconds, but KEEP the TS screen wake! (Only backlight is turned off to save battery!)
Code:
echo 1 > /sys/class/leds/lcd-backlight/brightness
You can change "1" to anything from 1~255. I just found 1 bright enough for me

Since screen/system is always wake, to avoid accidental touch, a transparent Tasker Scene on top of the screen is add to disable the touch screen. A small "X" is on the bottom right to disable this transparent scene if anything goes wrong. (And it does, Tasker is laggy sometimes and too slow to remove this scene automatically!)

I also lower down the CPU cycle to the lowest possible to further saving battery. CPU returns to normal frequency when leaving watch face (into launcher, etc...)

That's all! Folks!
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Gawis

Piw

Member
May 24, 2014
19
5
0
Shake

I was able to use application Shake from ADL Dev (com.adl.appshaker) to switch screen on with shake/twist of wrist. You just have to enable "activate when screen off" option - and it is little battery hungry.
Of course I have version 20140513.

I also strongly suspect, that you can force sensors to work when face is off, by switching into "Sports mode" (Run Settings->SMART MODE->Sports Mode)
 
  • Like
Reactions: lssong99 and LeighR

lssong99

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2005
343
195
63
I was able to use application Shake from ADL Dev (com.adl.appshaker) to switch screen on with shake/twist of wrist. You just have to enable "activate when screen off" option - and it is little battery hungry.
Of course I have version 20140513.

I also strongly suspect, that you can force sensors to work when face is off, by switching into "Sports mode" (Run Settings->SMART MODE->Sports Mode)
Thanks for the advice.... I just think since I already have Tasker on my TS, I want to find a way to not to use additional SW which always runs in background to monitor things... Since its battery hungry, maybe Shake also use the same trick as me......

As for Smart mode settings, I tried bdefore but none of them work for flick wrist to wake up... Maybe I missed something?

Sent from my HTC_One_max using XDA Premium HD app
 

dragonfly1113

Senior Member
Apr 7, 2009
633
60
0
Hopatcong
might give this a shot since shake was waking up watch at wrong times and was destroying battery life, and i already have tasker on the watch and running so hopefully that will avoid the battery loss that shake had.
 

Piw

Member
May 24, 2014
19
5
0
As for Smart mode settings, I tried bdefore but none of them work for flick wrist to wake up... Maybe I missed something?
I was just guessing, because it suppose to leave GPS and accelerometer working with screen off, to enable sport trackers and pedometers.
If it works? - I haven't tested yet...
 

lssong99

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2005
343
195
63
I was just guessing, because it suppose to leave GPS and accelerometer working with screen off, to enable sport trackers and pedometers.
If it works? - I haven't tested yet...
Wow! It seems you are right! The watch DOES allow sensor to work on Sport mode after screen off, but the response from Tasker become very sluggish when screen-off!

I made a simple profile to detect shake action (if shake than beep), and when screen on, the watch beep in less than one second after shake began, but when screen-off (sport mode), It took Takers 5~6 seconds of continuous shaking to detect the shake event. Not very practical for a watch solution...

With my Backlight solution, although sometimes still hiccup happens, but my feeling is about 90% of time the watchface wakeup correctly...
 

pashka79

Member
Jun 9, 2008
47
6
0
tasker problems

Wow! It seems you are right! The watch DOES allow sensor to work on Sport mode after screen off, but the response from Tasker become very sluggish when screen-off!

I made a simple profile to detect shake action (if shake than beep), and when screen on, the watch beep in less than one second after shake began, but when screen-off (sport mode), It took Takers 5~6 seconds of continuous shaking to detect the shake event. Not very practical for a watch solution...

With my Backlight solution, although sometimes still hiccup happens, but my feeling is about 90% of time the watchface wakeup correctly...
i can not import to tasker tasker do not see it
 

death_entry

Senior Member
Nov 23, 2006
300
28
0
London
How much does this cost in battery? If I don't use my watch I can get about 4 days out of it.... I know Shake stops the TS going into deep sleep, won't this do the same and annihilate battery??
 

funky0308

Inactive Recognized Themer
Aug 27, 2012
7,029
5,681
0
Osijek
How much does this cost in battery? If I don't use my watch I can get about 4 days out of it.... I know Shake stops the TS going into deep sleep, won't this do the same and annihilate battery??
Don't know for tasker but I'm using shake app from market and I even I thought it'll drain my battery very fast - it didn't...

It's almost like I don't have it...

My battery can't hold on more then 24hours but I really use my watch and it's constantly connected to wifi and BT.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
 

death_entry

Senior Member
Nov 23, 2006
300
28
0
London
Don't know for tasker but I'm using shake app from market and I even I thought it'll drain my battery very fast - it didn't...

It's almost like I don't have it...

My battery can't hold on more then 24hours but I really use my watch and it's constantly connected to wifi and BT.

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
Ah that's prolly why you don't notice it running down... what do you use your watch for? Tbh i haven't used it for more than a watch lol/...
 

funky0308

Inactive Recognized Themer
Aug 27, 2012
7,029
5,681
0
Osijek
Ah that's prolly why you don't notice it running down... what do you use your watch for? Tbh i haven't used it for more than a watch lol/...
Well as I have Z1, which is quite big, I'm using TS mainly to receive notifications (using swapplink).
I'm receiving many emails (I'm using Z1 as my business phone) so it's great that I can see on my TS subject of email and decide what will I do.

I have sim card in TS and I use it all the time, when I'm alone in a car (and that's 6 hours per day ;) )

I found TS quite practical for companion ;)

BTW...from today, I'm using this app to help me save my battery power on TS and Z1

http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=53078670

Sent from my C6903 using Tapatalk
 

jeremy.chan

Senior Member
Jan 7, 2008
340
34
0
Here's a workaround for those having issues seeing the xml file in Tasker

Using a file manager, navigate to the location of the xml file
"Open with.." and choose Tasker
You will then see a toast notificaiton saying "...can be opened in Tasker" (or something like that)
Open Tasker -> Preferences -> UI -> Untick "Beginner Mode"
Back to main Tasker screen
In the HOME icon (bottom left) -> Long press, and choose "Import", then look for the XML file, wherever you put it
Boom


Note: Make sure you have the correct app from the Play Store, and not from the Ostore (same app, different names)
 

lssong99

Senior Member
Jul 15, 2005
343
195
63
How much does this cost in battery? If I don't use my watch I can get about 4 days out of it.... I know Shake stops the TS going into deep sleep, won't this do the same and annihilate battery??
I am afraid that this will have an impact your battery. Basically to make TS responsive (light up as soon as you raise your hand), the screen/CPU is kept wake. Only LED backlight is disabled.

Although in my implement I put the CPU is slowest frequency and sleep Governor, but battery is around one day usage without radio on....

We need kernel tweak of this to achieve good battery life... Tasker is only... Tasker...
 

nbarm2

Member
Apr 11, 2011
24
4
0
Here's a workaround for those having issues seeing the xml file in Tasker

Using a file manager, navigate to the location of the xml file
"Open with.." and choose Tasker
You will then see a toast notificaiton saying "...can be opened in Tasker" (or something like that)
Open Tasker -> Preferences -> UI -> Untick "Beginner Mode"
Back to main Tasker screen
In the HOME icon (bottom left) -> Long press, and choose "Import", then look for the XML file, wherever you put it
Boom


Note: Make sure you have the correct app from the Play Store, and not from the Ostore (same app, different names)
Thanks I see it now.
 
Our Apps
Get our official app!
The best way to access XDA on your phone
Nav Gestures
Add swipe gestures to any Android
One Handed Mode
Eases uses one hand with your phone