Configure a featured template

You can create your own app with AppStudio, piecing together features from existing apps and samples, or by writing the QML code from scratch. The following illustration shows the steps to create an app from one of the Esri featured template apps and to tailor it to suit your purpose.

Step 1
1Choose a template.
Step 2
2Change settings.
Step 3
3Test on devices.
Step 4
4Generate installation files.
Step 5
5Publish to your preferred store.

Choose template

You can use featured templates to create an app in ArcGIS AppStudio.

  1. Start ArcGIS AppStudio.
  2. Click New App.
  3. From the category list, choose Templates.

    The AppStudio Player template is in the Enterprise category.

  4. Select a template app from the list, provide an app title, and click Create.

A new ArcGIS item is created containing your app, which you can then rename. This item is immediately available in the AppStudio gallery.

Change settings

Once you create an app from one of the templates, you can customize it further by adjusting the app settings. The following steps assume that you have already created an app from a featured template in AppStudio.

  1. Start AppStudio.
  2. Select your new app from the gallery.
  3. Click the Settings tool on the side panel.
  4. On the Details tab, edit the Title, Summary, and Description fields.

    The app version number automatically increments each time you update it online. You can also manually update the version number on this tab.

  5. On the Resources tab, choose an app icon and launch images.

    The app icon will be used to generate a range of app icon files of different sizes. This image should be square and designed to look good at sizes between 32x32 and 1024x1024 pixels. It is recommended to choose a 1024x1024 image. Choose an image that will scale both up and down well. The launch image is a combination of an overlay image with a background and is shown when your app launches. A preview of the launch image is available in both portrait and landscape views. The background can be a color or an image.

  6. On the Properties tab, define the properties for your app. To edit a property, select the value and do one of the following:
    • Provide the new text.
    • Use the file browser to select a new file.
    • Use the color picker to choose a new color.
  7. On the Devices tab, choose the minimum display size for desktop versions of your app, or choose to limit the orientation for your app on different sized devices.
  8. On the Capabilities tab, choose which device capabilities your app uses.

For more details on the custom properties of each of the featured template apps, see the following:

Test on devices

Once you've created your app, you can immediately run it on your desktop.

  1. In AppStudio, select your new app from the gallery.
  2. Click the Run tool.

    The app opens on your desktop.

For others to test your app in AppStudio Player on their device, you need to share the app item in your ArcGIS organization.

Test on additional devices

To test your app on another device, complete the following steps:

  1. Select your new app from the gallery.
  2. Click the Upload tool, and upload your app to ArcGIS.
  3. Install AppStudio Player on your device.
  4. Start AppStudio Player and sign in with your ArcGIS organization account.
  5. Download your app to the device and run it.

Generate installation files

To create a stand-alone app—one that does not run in AppStudio Player—you'll need to generate installation files. Installation files are specific to the operating system for which they are created, and operating systems have different requirements for certification of apps.

  1. In AppStudio, select your new app from the gallery.
  2. Click the Make tool.

    To use the AppStudio Make tool, you'll need an ArcGIS AppStudio Developer Edition license.

  3. Click the Select button under Cloud, choose the operating systems for which you want to generate installation files, and then click Analyze Build to report any further steps that may be needed.
  4. Once any issues are resolved, click Request Build to start the build process.

You'll receive emails advising you of the progress of your installation file generation. These files are delivered to your ArcGIS organization account. To learn more, see the following:

Publish to your preferred store

You can publish the installation files created by ArcGIS to your preferred app store. To learn more, see Distribute your app.