How to implement new material BottomAppBar as BottomNavigationView

Question

I was trying to implement the new BottomAppBar that usually looks like this: material BottomAppBar as a BottomNavigationView like in the Google home app that looks like this.

My problem is that since I can fill the BottomAppBar only with a menu resource, I can't understand how to align my buttons to look like a BottomNavigationView (but with the "cut" for the Fab button) instead of align everything to one side of the BottomAppBar.

How can I add a custom layout inside this new Material BottomAppBar?

Or instead, is there any way to implement a BottomNavigationView with the "cut" for for the Fab button (keeping cool default animations like the new BottomAppBar)?

Answer 1

SOLVED

Basically, instead of trying to force the menu resources to the layout that i needed, i used this solution instead, i just put a LinearLayout inside the BottomAppBar using the "empty" element as @dglozano suggested.

Using ?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless i'm also able to achieve an effect that is really similar to the BottomNavigationView.

<com.google.android.material.bottomappbar.BottomAppBar
    android:id="@+id/bar"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:layout_gravity="bottom"
    android:gravity="center"
    app:layout_anchorGravity="start"
    app:hideOnScroll="true"
    app:fabAnimationMode="scale"
    app:fabAlignmentMode="center"
    app:contentInsetEnd="16dp"
    app:contentInsetStart="16dp"
    app:backgroundTint="@color/colorPrimary">

    <LinearLayout
        android:layout_width="match_parent"
        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
        android:weightSum="5">
        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_home_white_24dp"
            android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless"
            android:tint="@color/secondary_text"/>
        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_map_black_24dp"
            android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless"/>
        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            android:background="@android:color/transparent"/>
        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_people_white_24dp"
            android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless"/>
        <ImageButton
            android:layout_width="0dp"
            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
            android:layout_weight="1"
            app:srcCompat="@drawable/ic_account_circle_24dp"
            android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless"/>
    </LinearLayout>
</com.google.android.material.bottomappbar.BottomAppBar>