Export embedded GUIs to an Android device
If you simply need to show off your new GUI prototype (or close to final project UI) to other stakeholders, doing so is straightforward with Storyboard. Exporting it from Storyboard as an Android APK enables you to run it on an Android device (running Android version 2.3.3 and above) allowing for a truly hands-on user testing experience.
Selecting the Native Android Application (APK) option within Storyboard’s Export menu creates an Android package in the project directory that can be transferred to the Android device. Now you can test, validate, and obtain feedback on the embedded project at an earlier stage in your development cycle, such as before the final embedded hardware is acquired, to improve the overall performance of the product’s user experience.
Also to note, the APK that was created executes directly to the Android NDK leveraging OpenGL ES rendering to provide the best performance.
Make the GUI part of a Custom Launcher for Android
While Android may sound like a strange choice of OS for embedded devices, it can be the right choice for devices that require multimedia capabilities within its user interface (UI). In situations like this, making the Storyboard application part of a custom launcher enables several advantages for your embedded project.
First, it allows for several different Storyboard applications to be accessible through the main menu or custom launcher screen providing users with a multipurpose experience through the device. Second, it allows for the device to take advantage of native Android apps and the larger Android ecosystem all through the device’s custom launcher screen.
