Install ArcGIS AppStudio

To create an app either from scratch or a pre-existing template, as well as to further customize your app, install ArcGIS AppStudio.

To test your app on a device, see the Install AppStudio Player section below to install AppStudio Player on a device.

Install ArcGIS AppStudio

Note:

The following steps assume you'll only use the cloud Make service provided by Esri to create stand-alone apps. To create stand-alone apps on your machine, you'll also need to install development tools for local Make.

Download the AppStudio installation file for your operating system: Windows (x86 or x64), macOS, or Ubuntu from the AppStudio Resources page.

Double-click the file to install, and do the following:

  1. Click Next.
  2. Choose the install folder (the default is preferred).
  3. Accept the license agreement.
  4. Nominate the start menu name.
  5. Click Install.

Once the installation is complete, the following two shortcuts are added to your desktop:

  • ArcGIS AppStudio—For configuring and managing your apps
  • Qt Creator (ArcGIS AppStudio)—For editing your apps

The application files are located in the user folder under /Applications/ArcGIS/AppStudio. On Windows, this is as follows:

C:\Users\<username>\Applications\ArcGIS\AppStudio

On macOS and Ubuntu, this is as follows:

Home/Applications/ArcGIS/AppStudio

Typically, you will not edit the AppStudio application files. If you want to uninstall AppStudio, browse to the application file folder and choose Uninstall AppStudio.

Apps, templates, and data files are located in the user folder under C:\Users\<username>\ArcGIS\AppStudio (on Windows), or Home/ArcGIS/AppStudio (on macOS and Ubuntu).

The folders contained in the user folder are as follows:

  • Apps—Contains apps that are either created locally in Qt Creator or AppStudio or downloaded from ArcGIS. Downloaded apps are contained in a folder named with the ArcGIS item ID.
  • Data—Contains data used by apps. The same data can be referenced by multiple apps.
  • Modules—Add your own QML libraries that can be used by different apps.
  • Settings—Contains properties for each app.
  • Templates—Contains template apps that are either created locally in Qt Creator or downloaded from ArcGIS. Use these template apps to generate your own apps. Template apps that are downloaded are contained in a folder named with the ArcGIS item ID.

Install AppStudio Player

AppStudio Player is available from Google Play, the App Store, and the Microsoft Store. You can install Player directly onto your device from these stores.

AppStudio Player installation files are also available for Windows, macOS, and Ubuntu and can be downloaded from the AppStudio Resources page and installed in the same way as AppStudio.

Once the installation is complete, a desktop shortcut named AppStudio Player is created. The installation location for all Player files on the desktop is the same as for AppStudio.

Apps, templates, and data files are located in the following places:

  • WindowsC:\Users\<username>\ArcGIS\AppStudio
  • macOS and UbuntuHome/ArcGIS/AppStudio
  • iOSOn My iPad/Player/ArcGIS/Player or On My iPhone/Player/ArcGIS/Player
  • AndroidAndroid/data/com.appstudio.player/files/ArcGIS/AppStudio
Note:
On Windows, if a previous version of AppStudio Player is already installed, you will be prompted and asked if you want to continue. On Android and iOS, previous versions of AppStudio Player will automatically be overwritten.

Unattended installation and uninstallation

When you install AppStudio or AppStudio Player on Windows, you're also provided with script files to help perform future unattended installations or uninstallations.

To prepare for these actions, follow these steps after first installing the app on one device, using AppStudio Desktop as an example:

  1. Browse to the location where the app was installed, which, by default on Windows, is C:\Users\<username>\Applications\ArcGIS\AppStudio.
  2. Copy the following files to another location on your device, a network folder, or USB drive; for example, create a folder named InstallScripts on your desktop:
    • silent-install-controller.qs
    • silent-uninstall-controller.qs
    • silent-uninstall-install-AppStudioforArcGIS
  3. When the time comes to install a new version of AppStudio, copy the app installation file to your created InstallScripts folder, and rename the file to a name that will remain constant, for example, AppStudioInstallFile.exe.

Once this location has been established, the .qs and script files don't change. To perform unattended installations and uninstallations, only the installation files will need to change.

If you have multiple apps that are based on AppStudio on your computer, you only need one copy of silent-install-controller.qs and silent-uninstall-controller.qs. Copy only the different silent-uninstall-install-appName script files to your created InstallScripts folder alongside the .qs files.

By default, the unattended installation and uninstallation will be performed in the background, with no user interface to show progress. To display a user interface for these unattended installations and uninstallations, add the command line parameter showui=true when running the script files.

Uninstall only

To uninstall the app using these scripts, browse to your created InstallScripts folder in a command window and enter the following command:

Windows:

silent-uninstall-install-ArcGISAppStudio.bat .

macOS or Ubuntu:

./silent-uninstall-install-ArcGISAppStudio.sh .

The period at the end is important, as it indicates that nothing will be installed.

Install only, or uninstall and install

To install the app, browse to your created InstallScripts folder in a command window and enter this command:

silent-uninstall-install-ArcGISAppStudio.bat AppStudioInstallFile.exe

The same command uninstalls all existing versions of the app before installing the new version, allowing you to upgrade the app with one command.