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ShapesDemo

README.md

RTI Shapes Demo For Android

Installation and Setup

These instructions are for a Windows development host.

  1. You need to have Eclipse and the Android ADT plugin installed. The Android ADT plugin depends on the Android SDK. You can:

    1. Install the Eclipse ADT Bundle, which has Eclipse with ADT in a single installer.

    Use this if you don't have Eclipse on your computer yet. Look for the Download the SDK ADT Bundle for Windows link and follow these instructions.

    1. Install the ADT plugin and Android SDK separately.

    Use this if you already have an Eclipse installation that you want to use. Look for the "Use an existing IDE" link and follow these instructions.

  2. Use the Android SDK Manager to install the Android platforms for which you want to build (e.g., Android 4.1.2, Android 4.2.2, Android 4.3, etc.). Make use that you run the Android SDK Manager with Adminstrator Priviledges if on Windows 7.

  3. Install RTI Connext DDS development platform (and Connext DDS target libraries for Android)

NOTE: RTI offers the Android target platform only for RTI Connext 5.1.0 and higher.

You'll need to get this from your local RTI representative. Contact info@rti.com to find out who this is.

  1. Generate the type support code for Java

    (assuming that you have RTI Connext DDS properly installed and with the NDDSHOME environment variable set to the installation directory of RTI/ndds.5.x.x)

    1. Open a shell/command prompt to the ShapesDemo project directory

    2. cd to src you should see the file ShapesType.idl in the current working directory

    3. run the following command

        $NDDSHOME/scripts/rtiddsgen -replace -language Java -package com.rti.android.shapesdemo.idl ShapeType.idl

      you may need to also use -ppdisable if you're developing on a Windows host

  2. Open ShapesDemo project in Eclipse

    1. Start Eclipse
    2. Use File -> Import -> Existing Android Code into Workspace
    3. Select the directory where you have installed the ShapesDemo project

  3. Add nddsjava.jar and supporting shared libraries to project

    1. Open Properties for the ShapesDemo project
    2. Select "Java Build Path", and in the "Libraries" tab, use "Add External JAR" to add nddsjava.jar from $(NDDSHOME)/class/
    3. Copy "libnddsjava.so", "libnddsc.so", and "libnddscore.so" from $(NDDSHOME)/lib/armv7aAndroid2.3gcc4.8jdk into the project directory libs/armeabi-v7a

  4. To generate the APK, with the ShapesDemo project selected in the Project Explorer, you will need to select "Run" from the "Run" menu.

    You may need to use "Run As" --> "Android Application"

    (at this time, your Android device should already be attached via USB in debug mode, or you can have Eclipse start an emulator.

    Please consult the Android eclipse SDK documentation for further information.

Getting Started

  1. Installing ShapesDemo.apk on a real Android Device

    1. Attach your Device via USB

    2. Enable your Device to install apps from unknown sources. On Device, use Settings -> Security -> Unknown Sources, check the checkbox

    3. Optional, enable your Device to allow debugging over USB On Device, use Settings -> Developer options -> USB debugging, check the checkbox NOTE: You may need to enable the Developer options menu option on some devices. e.g., on Nexus 7, use Settings -> About tablet -> Build number, select Build number 10 times (or so)

    4. Installing the .apk

      1. Using Eclipse

      Use Run -> Run or Debug. This will automatically build the project (so project must successfully build).

      The dialog, Android Device Chooser, should popup and show your device. If your device is not shown as "online", you probably need to go to the Device itself which has popped up a dialog asking you for permission to allow your computer to connect via USB for debugging. Confirm (you may want to select the checkbox so that you never have to confirm again for your computer). Select your device. The ShapesDemo.apk will automatically be installed and started.

      1. Using the ShapesDemo.apk directly

      If you have built the ShapesDemo via Eclipse or you want use the .apk that came prebuilt with the installation located in bin/ShapesDemo.apk. You install the ShapesDemo.apk by either

      • Copying ShapesDemo.apk to your Device's filesystem mounted via USB. Use a file manager app (which you'll need to install from Google Play, many free ones available) to select and install the .apk on your Device. Select the installed ShapesDemo icon to run.

      • or from a command line, running:

          adb install ShapesDemo.apk

        See http://developer.android.com/tools/help/adb.html

  2. Using a Device Emulator

    1. Create a Virtual Device via Eclipse Use Window -> Android Virtual Device Manager -> New

    2. In Eclipse, use Run -> Run or Debug This will automatically build the project (so project must successfully build). You may get dialog, Android Device Chooser, if you have a real Device connected via USB. Select your virtual device, or use Launch a new Android Virtual Device. The ShapesDemo.apk will automatically be installed and started.

Running

  1. ShapesDemo is configured to work using Android's WiFi network interface, so your device should be connected to a WiFi network.

  2. Run ShapesDemo.exe on your computer. Your computer should be on the same WiFi network (on the same subnet).

  3. By default, multicast discovery is used.

    1. Windows 7 users should make sure that their WiFi's network location is set to either Home, Work, or Domain. If the network location is set to Public, the Windows 7 firewall may prevent full discovery...so in that case, either change the network location or disable the firewall.

    2. If the computer and Android device on are different subnets or multicast is not supported on the WiFi network, then you should use NDDS_DISCOVERY_PEERS environment variable to set the IP addresses of the computer and/or device as the initial peers for discovery. The Android device's IP address on WiFi can be found using Settings -> WiFi -> < whatever WiFi network is connected >. You can set the computer's IP address in the Peer List for the ShapesDemo application on the Android device using the "..." -> Settings -> DDS Peer List preferences menu option.

  4. In ShapesDemo.exe (on your computer), you MUST change the Liveliness Kind of your shape publishers (datawriters) to MANUAL_BY_TOPIC for the Android subscriber to receive the data.

  5. Notes: ShapesDemo on Android is configured by default to publish/subscribe using BEST_EFFORT_RELIABILITY and MANUAL_BY_TOPIC Liveliness kind.

  6. See Troubleshooting section below if you can't get the two ShapesDemos to exchange data.

File Description

Java

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/ShapesDemo.java - The main Activity for ShapesDemo. Handles all of the button actions and has a periodic event to redraw the canvas.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/DrawView.java - Class that manages shapes that have been published and subscribed to as well as the canvas on which the shapes are drawn.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/ShapesObject.java - Class that implements the behavior of an shape.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/ShapesDDS.java - Class that manages how RTI Connext DDS is used for the ShapesDemo.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/ShapesSetting.java - Android Activity used to create "Settings" option.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/util/Vector2d.java - A mimimalistic implementation of a 2-D vector class with some helpful functions.

  • src/com/rti/android/shapesdemo/util/EditTextPreferenceWithValue.java - Useful class so that when a preference (setting/option) is changed by the user, the new value is automatically reflected in the preferences menu.

Android Application Files

  • AndroidManifest.xml - Main definition file for ShapesDemo app including which Activity to start on startup

  • res/layout/activity_shapes_demo.xml - main layout of the graphics elements of the ShapesDemo application

  • res/layout/preferences_with_value.xml - utility used to define a layout where the current value of a preference are displayed on the same line as the preference.

  • res/menu/menu.xml - defines the layout of the Android options menu

  • res/xml/settings.xml - defines the preferences that can be set by the Settings option submen

Troubleshooting

  1. ShapesDemo can't publish or subscribe to host?

    1. Make sure that the Android device and your host are on the same WiFi subnet. If not, you'll have to configure the NDDS_DISCOVERY_PEERS on your host or DDS Peer List in the settings menu of ShapesDemo to the actual IP addresses.

    2. On Windows 7 (and Linux) check your firewall, you may need to turn it off.

    3. Get data to Android but not from Android, probably because your host computer has too many active network interfaces (NIFs). Disable all but your WiFi NIF and rerun RTI Shapes Demo.exe.