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Pebble C API

  • Pebble C API
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  • Foundation
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  • Graphics
    • Draw Commands
    • Drawing Paths
    • Drawing Primitives
    • Drawing Text
    • Fonts
    • Graphics Context
    • Graphics Types
      • Color Definitions
  • User Interface
    • Animation
      • PropertyAnimation
    • Clicks
    • Layers
      • ActionBarLayer
      • BitmapLayer
      • MenuLayer
      • RotBitmapLayer
      • ScrollLayer
      • SimpleMenuLayer
      • StatusBarLayer
      • TextLayer
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Layers

User interface layers for displaying graphic components.

Layers are objects that can be displayed on a Pebble watchapp window, enabling users to see visual objects, like text or images. Each layer stores the information about its state necessary to draw or redraw the object that it represents and uses graphics routines along with this state to draw itself when asked. Layers can be used to display various graphics.

Layers are the basic building blocks for your application UI. Layers can be nested inside each other. Every window has a root layer which is always the topmost layer. You provide a function that is called to draw the content of the layer when needed; or you can use standard layers that are provided by the system, such as text layer, image layer, menu layer, action bar layer, and so on.

The Pebble layer hierarchy is the list of things that need to be drawn to the screen. Multiple layers can be arranged into a hierarchy. This enables ordering (front to back), layout and hierarchy. Through relative positioning, visual objects that are grouped together by adding them into the same layer can be moved all at once. This means that the child layers will move accordingly. If a parent layer has clipping enabled, all the children will be clipped to the frame of the parent.

Pebble OS provides convenience layers with built-in logic for displaying different graphic components, like text and bitmap layers.

Refer to the User Interface Layers chapter in the Pebble Developer Guides (chapter "Layers") for a conceptual overview of Layers and relevant code examples.

The Modules listed here contain what can be thought of conceptually as subclasses of Layer. The listed types can be safely type-casted to Layer (or Layer * in case of a pointer). The layer_... functions can then be used with the data structures of these subclasses.
For example, the following is legal:

TextLayer *text_layer;
...
layer_set_hidden((Layer *)text_layer, true);

Modules

ActionBarLayer

Vertical, bar-shaped control widget on the right edge of the window.

BitmapLayer

Layer that displays a bitmap image.

MenuLayer

Layer that displays a standard list menu. Data is provided using callbacks.

RotBitmapLayer

Layer that displays a rotated bitmap image.

ScrollLayer

Layer that scrolls its contents, animated.

SimpleMenuLayer

Wrapper around MenuLayer, that uses static data to display a list menu.

StatusBarLayer

Layer that serves as a configurable status bar.

TextLayer

Layer that displays and formats a text string.

Function Documentation

Layer * layer_create(GRect frame)

Creates a layer on the heap and sets its frame and bounds. Default values:

  • bounds : origin (0, 0) and a size equal to the frame that is passed in.

  • clips : true

  • hidden : false

  • update_proc : NULL (draws nothing)

Parameters

frame

The frame at which the layer should be initialized.

Returns

A pointer to the layer. NULL if the layer could not be created

See Also

layer_set_frame()
Layer * layer_create_with_data(GRect frame, size_t data_size)

Creates a layer on the heap with extra space for callback data, and set its frame andbounds. Default values:

  • bounds : origin (0, 0) and a size equal to the frame that is passed in.

  • clips : true

  • hidden : false

  • update_proc : NULL (draws nothing)

Parameters

frame

The frame at which the layer should be initialized.

data_size

The size (in bytes) of memory to allocate for callback data.

Returns

A pointer to the layer. NULL if the layer could not be created

See Also

layer_create()
void layer_destroy(Layer * layer)

Destroys a layer previously created by layer_create.

void layer_mark_dirty(Layer * layer)

Marks the complete layer as "dirty", awaiting to be asked by the system to redraw itself. Typically, this function is called whenever state has changed that affects what the layer is displaying.

  • The layer's .update_proc will not be called before this function returns, but will be called asynchronously, shortly.

  • Internally, a call to this function will schedule a re-render of the window that the layer belongs to. In effect, all layers in that window's layer hierarchy will be asked to redraw.

  • If an earlier re-render request is still pending, this function is a no-op.

Parameters

layer

The layer to mark dirty

void layer_set_update_proc(Layer * layer, LayerUpdateProc update_proc)

Sets the layer's render function. The system will call the update_proc automatically when the layer needs to redraw itself, see also layer_mark_dirty().

Parameters

layer

Pointer to the layer structure.

update_proc

Pointer to the function that will be called when the layer needs to be rendered. Typically, one performs a series of drawing commands in the implementation of the update_proc, see Drawing Primitives, Drawing Paths and Drawing Text.

void layer_set_frame(Layer * layer, GRect frame)

Sets the frame of the layer, which is it's bounding box relative to the coordinate system of its parent layer. The size of the layer's bounds will be extended automatically, so that the bounds cover the new frame.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to set the frame

frame

The new frame

See Also

layer_set_bounds()
GRect layer_get_frame(const Layer * layer)

Gets the frame of the layer, which is it's bounding box relative to the coordinate system of its parent layer. If the frame has changed, layer_mark_dirty() will be called automatically.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the frame

Returns

The frame of the layer

See Also

layer_set_frame
void layer_set_bounds(Layer * layer, GRect bounds)

Sets the bounds of the layer, which is it's bounding box relative to its frame. If the bounds has changed, layer_mark_dirty() will be called automatically.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to set the bounds

bounds

The new bounds

See Also

layer_set_frame()
GRect layer_get_bounds(const Layer * layer)

Gets the bounds of the layer.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the bounds

Returns

The bounds of the layer

See Also

layer_set_bounds
GPoint layer_convert_point_to_screen(const Layer * layer, GPoint point)

Converts a point from the layer's local coordinate system to screen coordinates.

Note

If the layer isn't part of the view hierarchy the result is undefined.

Parameters

layer

The view whose coordinate system will be used to convert the value to the screen.

point

A point specified in the local coordinate system (bounds) of the layer.

Returns

The point converted to the coordinate system of the screen.

GRect layer_convert_rect_to_screen(const Layer * layer, GRect rect)

Converts a rectangle from the layer's local coordinate system to screen coordinates.

Note

If the layer isn't part of the view hierarchy the result is undefined.

Parameters

layer

The view whose coordinate system will be used to convert the value to the screen.

rect

A rectangle specified in the local coordinate system (bounds) of the layer.

Returns

The rectangle converted to the coordinate system of the screen.

struct Window * layer_get_window(const Layer * layer)

Gets the window that the layer is currently attached to.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the window

Returns

The window that this layer is currently attached to, or NULL if it has not been added to a window's layer hierarchy.

See Also

window_get_root_layer()
void layer_remove_from_parent(Layer * child)

Removes the layer from its current parent layer If removed successfully, the child's parent layer will be marked dirty automatically.

Parameters

child

The layer to remove

void layer_remove_child_layers(Layer * parent)

Removes child layers from given layer If removed successfully, the child's parent layer will be marked dirty automatically.

Parameters

parent

The layer from which to remove all child layers

void layer_add_child(Layer * parent, Layer * child)

Adds the child layer to a given parent layer, making it appear in front of its parent and in front of any existing child layers of the parent. If the child layer was already part of a layer hierarchy, it will be removed from its old parent first. If added successfully, the parent (and children) will be marked dirty automatically.

Parameters

parent

The layer to which to add the child layer

child

The layer to add to the parent layer

void layer_insert_below_sibling(Layer * layer_to_insert, Layer * below_sibling_layer)

Inserts the layer as a sibling behind another layer. If the layer to insert was already part of a layer hierarchy, it will be removed from its old parent first. The below_layer has to be a child of a parent layer, otherwise this function will be a noop. If inserted successfully, the parent (and children) will be marked dirty automatically.

Parameters

layer_to_insert

The layer to insert into the hierarchy

below_sibling_layer

The layer that will be used as the sibling layer above which the insertion will take place

void layer_insert_above_sibling(Layer * layer_to_insert, Layer * above_sibling_layer)

Inserts the layer as a sibling in front of another layer. The above_layer has to be a child of a parent layer, otherwise this function will be a noop. If inserted successfully, the parent (and children) will be marked dirty automatically.

Parameters

layer_to_insert

The layer to insert into the hierarchy

above_sibling_layer

The layer that will be used as the sibling layer below which the insertion will take place

void layer_set_hidden(Layer * layer, bool hidden)

Sets the visibility of the layer. If the visibility has changed, layer_mark_dirty() will be called automatically on the parent layer.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to set the visibility

hidden

Supply true to make the layer hidden, or false to make it non-hidden.

bool layer_get_hidden(const Layer * layer)

Gets the visibility of the layer.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the visibility

Returns

True if the layer is hidden, false if it is not hidden.

void layer_set_clips(Layer * layer, bool clips)

Sets whether clipping is enabled for the layer. If enabled, whatever the layer and its children will draw using their .update_proc callbacks, will be clipped by the this layer's frame. If the clipping has changed, layer_mark_dirty() will be called automatically.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to set the clipping property

clips

Supply true to make the layer clip to its frame, or false to make it non-clipping.

bool layer_get_clips(const Layer * layer)

Gets whether clipping is enabled for the layer. If enabled, whatever the layer and its children will draw using their .update_proc callbacks, will be clipped by the this layer's frame.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the clipping property

Returns

True if clipping is enabled for the layer, false if clipping is not enabled for the layer.

void * layer_get_data(const Layer * layer)

Gets the data from a layer that has been created with an extra data region.

Parameters

layer

The layer to get the data region from.

Returns

A void pointer to the data region.

Typedef Documentation

typedef struct Layer Layer
typedef void(* LayerUpdateProc)(struct Layer *layer, GContext *ctx)

Function signature for a Layer's render callback (the name of the type is derived from the words 'update procedure'). The system will call the .update_proc callback whenever the Layer needs to be rendered.

Parameters

layer

The layer that needs to be rendered

ctx

The destination graphics context to draw into

See Also

Graphics

Macro Definition Documentation

  • SDK 3
  • SDK 4
#define layer_get_unobstructed_bounds ( layer)

Get the largest unobstructed bounds rectangle of a layer.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the unobstructed bounds.

Returns

The unobstructed bounds of the layer.

See Also

UnobstructedArea
#define GRect layer_get_unobstructed_bounds (const Layer * layer)

Get the largest unobstructed bounds rectangle of a layer.

Parameters

layer

The layer for which to get the unobstructed bounds.

Returns

The unobstructed bounds of the layer.

See Also

UnobstructedArea

Need some help?

Modules

  • ActionBarLayer
  • BitmapLayer
  • MenuLayer
  • RotBitmapLayer
  • ScrollLayer
  • SimpleMenuLayer
  • StatusBarLayer
  • TextLayer

Functions

  • layer_create
  • layer_create_with_data
  • layer_destroy
  • layer_mark_dirty
  • layer_set_update_proc
  • layer_set_frame
  • layer_get_frame
  • layer_set_bounds
  • layer_get_bounds
  • layer_convert_point_to_screen
  • layer_convert_rect_to_screen
  • layer_get_window
  • layer_remove_from_parent
  • layer_remove_child_layers
  • layer_add_child
  • layer_insert_below_sibling
  • layer_insert_above_sibling
  • layer_set_hidden
  • layer_get_hidden
  • layer_set_clips
  • layer_get_clips
  • layer_get_data

Typedefs

  • Layer
  • LayerUpdateProc

Macro Defintions

  • layer_get_unobstructed_bounds

Getting Help

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