Android Auto Interface Update

[Joe Da Silva]

Thank you all for joining my test group. 

I am trying to implement the 2x2 grid tire display that some of you requested. I agree that it would be a much easier way to see which tire is at what position on the vehicle, but I am encountering limitations on what the Android for Cars App Library allows me to control.

For Android Auto (Android for Cars App Library “templated” apps), the key limitation is that I do not control the layout the way I would in a normal Compose screen. The host (Android Auto / car OEM) owns sizing, columns, typography, and “driving state” restrictions. No custom drawing / absolute positioning: I can’t place icons exactly “on top of a vehicle image” like the phone UI; I can only choose a template and fill data.

Also, you'll notice that the phone UI displays tire information much faster than the Android Auto interface. This is annoying to say the least, but it seems to be out of my control. The Android Auto host can throttle the UI template refresh. Unlike the phone UI, the car host decides when to re-render tire data information.

For best results: open my app on your phone (leave it running in the background), select the vehicle profile that you already configured the sensor tire positions, and then open my app in Android Auto right at the beginning of a drive. Once the vehicle starts moving, the sensors "wake up" around 40km/h and send data right away. You should see this data on the Android Auto UI within minutes.

Thanks again and let me know your feedback.