Learning the SDK requires a Mac!?

[kmpm]

I was trying to figure out how the gui components worked and looked but the supplied sketch file requires a software only available on Mac. 

What about Linux and Windows developers, aren't they supported.

I would consider that a fail when so much work has gone into creating a cross platform development environment. 

[qooApps]

You've developing using the Fitbit Studio.
It just needs a desktop browser to run in - it's a web frontend.
I'm using it with Firefox and Chrome on Windows 10. And I'm pretty sure, that it runs under Linux too.

Within this Studio there are running project templates, so you can start without any knowledge of the SDK. But you need a connected Ionic to run on. There is no Simulator.

[kmpm]

To quote the UI Components part of the guides. "All of these components are available in a Sketch file in Downloads."

I know I can develop and learn from examples but it would be nice if the documentation was platform independent as well.

[qooApps]

All you need to know is collected here:

https://dev.fitbit.com/reference/#overview

Needs only a browser to show.

[kmpm]

Yes, most of the documentation is reachable using a web browser, but not all.

Some of the documentation linked to requires a Mac. Like the Sketch file described in UI Components (https://dev.fitbit.com/guides/design-guidelines/ui-components/#overview).

If the rest of the guides were complete, the need for looking at the Sketch file would not be as important. What I miss most is the missing "Component" documentation for all components mentioned in "UI Components"

So no, everything you need is not documented in the reference (https://dev.fitbit.com/reference/#overview). I would say almost none of the UI stuff is in the reference at all. Part of it can be found under guides (https://dev.fitbit.com/guides/#overview) but the guides refers to a Sketch file that requires Mac. Just the thing I wanted the fitbit staff to know.

I just found a third-party freeware that can read Sketch files and that seems to render it fairly good. Enough for me to get some more clues about the UI components anyway.

It is called Lunacy and can be found at https://icons8.com/lunacy

[SunsetRunner · Accepted solution]

@kmpm: you have a good point, we need to provide another format than Sketch only file for the design guidelines. They aren't required to build anything, but it's a helping design file and important everyone can access it: let me ask the designer in charge to make it happen, thanks.

As for the UI Component, we are currently updating the documentation and will have an update soon with new components. They are widgets created to make your life easier, but nothing preventing you to build applications or clock faces.