What is AppStudio?
AppStudio for ArcGIS allows users to build native apps and deploy them across several devices and platforms including Android, iOS, Windows, OS X, and Linux. Simply choose your template, adjust settings, test it out, generate your installation files, and finally publish to the store of your choosing.
Deployment Options
– Build (cloud make/local make)
– Appstudio player
– Custom player
AppStudio Player | Deployment
Deploying your app on AppStudio Player means it’s immediately ready to use on all devices including desktops, phones and tablets. This deployment option is ideal for developers, app testers, contractors, clients, and to garner stakeholder feedback.
Custom Player | Deployment
This deployment option is also ready to use for all devices, just like deployment via AppStudio Player. With source code available within AppStudio Desktop, this option is fully customizable and configurable to meet your exact needs. Brand the app to match your organization, and distribute your app directly to your enterprise, with no need to go to the app stores.
This method gives you control over exactly how users sign in, which portal they have access to, and what they see upon opening up the app. Allowing for the most customization, the Custom Player deployment method is ideal for distributing apps within your enterprise, and for leveraging one container to run your web and mobile apps with little maintenance required.
Custom Player | Configuration
Configure your Custom Player with your organization’s colors, custom fonts throughout the app, set your apps to automatically update, and set your portal server URL as the default app connection. Further capabilities include hiding or showing items for end users, like a QR code scanner, diagnostics menu, remote console options, and sample apps.
Distribute new Apps with a few simple clicks
Simply create a new app with AppStudio, and upload it to your ArcGIS organizational account. Sharing works just like sharing a web map, simply click share and spread the word on your new app.
Stand Alone App distribution with AppStudio gives you the ability to build and distribute focused apps, and target them to certain devices or platforms. Or distribute your app via desktop. Distribute your app via intranet websites, shared folders, USB, or with enterprise tools. Build executables like EXE, DMG, or RUN files.
Mobile App distribution via app stores or the Enterprise. Build and submit your app to app stores, making your app easy for users to discover. You can target specific countries or deploy your app worldwide. Or make your app available within your enterprise, and skip the app stores altogether. Leverage a website, side-load, or mobile device management (MDM) for the enterprise deployment of your app.
MDM | Mobile Device Management
What is MDM?
MDM stands for Mobile Device Management. This acts as part of a larger solution called Enterprise Mobility Management, which is used to control, secure and enforce policies on smartphones, tablets and computers. Popular providers include VMware AirWatch, Microsoft Intune, MobileIron Cloud, and Samsung Knox Manage.
MDM provides a single management console for your IT department. With a global architecture for sign in, MDM offers easy device enrollment, automated compliance, real-time dashboards, and custom device profiles.
Why use MDM with mobile apps?
- Per app VPN – when the app is launched on the device, VPN automatically connects to access an internal portal.
- AppConfig – apply settings to the app upon install, which could include the PortalURL, font styles, and enabling/disabling of features.
- File/content sharing – manage and deploy files or data to the device, including offline basemaps, CSV files, and other GIS data.
AppStudio Licensing Changes
With the upcoming release of AppStudio 4.0, the template based app building tools on https://appstudio.arcgis.com/ will be shutdown on August 15th, 2019. To configure AppStudio apps in the future, you’ll leverage the tools in AppStudio Desktop with the standard template options of Map Viewer, Map Tour and Quick Report.
The shift to AppStudio Desktop will offer various extra settings for each of these templates, giving you more control over the exact look and feel of your app without writing a single line of code. Configure the app color scheme, customize fonts, provide a feedback email option, offer offline map packages, and much more.
AppStudio for ArcGIS 4.0 Beta
A new licensing model has changed the license level names, which are now AppStudio for ArcGIS, and AppStudio for ArcGIS Developer Edition. Previously requiring a full standard license, by default AppStudio now includes the ability to make changes to any app, sample or template, and upload to the player.
New Features
3D Scene Viewer Template – published as a configurable app template, the 3D scene viewer has been upgraded with new features, enhancements, UI interface and more.
Visual Studio Code Extension – a new and simplified process for opening your AppStudio project within Visual Studio Code, along with the ability to adjust your AppStudio preferences to determine your default code editor.
Permissions Dialog Prompt – the permission singleton can query the permission status, providing the ability to open a dialog prompt to ask for the camera, microphone, storage, location, or background location permissions on mobile devices.
Previewing and Sharing Files – as one of the most requested features, users can now preview and share files including PDF, image, audio, video and more.
Learn More
Visit these great resources for more information on AppStudio updates and capabilities. And get the AppStudio Desktop edition here.
- https://appstudio.arcgis.com
- https://community.esri.com/groups/appstudio
- Twitter – @AppStudioArcGIS
- https://github.com/esri/arcgis-appstudio-samples
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