How to create an APK watch pack

So you have created an awesome watch with WatchMaker and you want to distribute through Google Play? Well, from WatchMaker 3.3.0 this is now possible!

The watches you sell will be available for users with Android Wear, TicWatch2 or even Tizen watches (Samsung Gear S2/S3)!

You can create “WatchMaker Watch Packs” with one or more watches inside. The APK will contain the Pack Name and will contain the embedded watch file(s) which in themselves, will contain embedded images and fonts.

Take a look here to see what WatchMaker designers have already built!

Please note users who wish to use the exported APK require a premium version of WatchMaker to run the APK.

• WatchMaker v3.3.0 or above
• Google Play developer account
• Eclipse or Android Studio

So you have already created your masterpiece in WatchMaker? All you need to do now is create a watch file, which you probably know how to do already.

• Make sure you are on the watch preview screen (hit back if you are already on the edit screen).
• Hit Export / Share
• You can use protected watch files if needed
• A watch file has now been created at BeautifulWatches/export, e.g. steel-green.watch
• Send this file to your PC / MAC as you will need this in the next step below.
• Please do not use any copyrighted watch designs or well known brands e.g. Disney / Marvel, otherwise Google will likely remove your apk's and possibly ban your developer account.

• Download sample project from HERE
• Uncompress this project to a new folder in your workspace
• Rename the folder to your “WatchMaker Watch Pack” name
• Remove the sample “steel-green.watch” from the “assets” folder
• Copy your watch file(s) into the “assets” folder
• In Eclipse / Android Studio, select “Import Existing Projects into Workspace”
• Browse to the project folder and select Finish

• You are almost there, you need now to just configure the last few files!
• Change “package” name in the AndroidManifest.xml and set it to your package name
• If you want to come up in future searches please use “wmwatch” somewhere in the package name, e.g. “fred.wmwatch.steelgreen”
• Do not change the line in AndroidManifest.xml as this is needed for WatchMaker to detect your Watch Pack: <meta-data android:name=“watchmaker.watch” android:value=“1” />
• Change app_name in res/values/strings.xml to your “WatchMaker Watch Pack” name
• Change application launcher icons (res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_launcher.png) to your icon (96×96)
• If you use Android Studio you will also need to edit the Gradle Script - build.gradle (Module: app), making sure that you update the applicationId to your package name.

• Please do not use the WatchMaker icon for your templates
• Please do not use WatchMaker package namespace “slide.watchFrenzy”, just use your own package name adding “wmwatch” somewhere, e.g. “fred.wmwatch.steelgreen”
• You can use “WatchMaker” in the app name, so “Steel Green Watch for WatchMaker” is fine!
• Please remember to mention in the description that APK skins works only with WatchMaker and use this link http://goo.gl/FMxUfY or you may get complaints

That’s all, you can now build your project and test it in WatchMaker.

• If a user installs your apk, it will display as a watch in “My Watches”
• If you need to make changes to your apk, you can re-publish and WatchMaker will keep the watch up-to-date
• If a user uninstalls your apk, it will be removed from “My Watches”

• Feel free to make paid watches - in fact many of the most popular APK examples are paid!
• You will not need to pay any commission / license fee to WatchMaker
• You will of course have to follow the normal Google Play distribution rules - i.e. one-time $25 payment to Google to get a developer license and 70/30% revenue split with Google.

• Go to properties of project with the build error (right click > Properties) View the “Libraries” tab in the “Build Path” section
• Find the “JRE System Library” in the list (if this is missing then this error message is not an eclipse bug but a mis-configured project)
• Remove the “JRE System Library”
• Hit “Add Library …”, Select “JRE System Library” and add the appropriate JRE for the project (eg. 'Workspace default JRE')
• Hit “Finish” in the library selection and “OK” in the project properties and then wait for the re-build of the project
• Hopefully the error will be resolved …