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MacOS App: Building your Twixl app

Twixl Support Team Updated: - Created :

    With the Twixl macOS App you can start building the app you have prepared and designed on the Twixl Platform. You can also preview your app or invite someone else to preview it.

    The steps below describe how to use the Twixl macOS App. We start by preparing the Twixl macOS App and then create your first build. You can also use the Twixl macOS App to preview and share InDesign .article and .publication files.

    Set up the Twixl macOS App

    Start by downloading the Twixl macOS App here.

    1. Add your Twixl Account

    • Open the Twixl macOS app > Twixl Publisher > Settings
    • Select Accounts > Click on the + Icon > Fill in your Twixl platform credentials and Sign In

    In order to build and preview Twixl apps via the macOS App, you need to have an account on the Twixl platform, and your app needs to be a 'production' app. There are 2 types of Twixl user account roles that will work:

    • Administrator
    • App Administrator

    For more info on how to create accounts on the Twixl platform, see this Help article.

    2. Set up Components

    You can access the components pop-up via:

    • Twixl Publisher > Settings > Components
    • Or via the warning at the bottom left of the window that appears if something is missing to build your app.

    The macOS app lets you manage extra components that may need to be installed:

    • Twixl Publisher plugin for Adobe InDesign: only required if you intend to create InDesign-based content with interactive elements
    • Twixl Publisher Helper: required to export and preview InDesign-based content, and also required to build and preview Twixl Apps
    • Xcode: required to build apps
    • iOS SDK: required to build iOS apps
    • Android SDK: required to build Android apps

    INSTALL ALL COMPONENTS:

    To avoid problems and unexpected behaviour, we strongly advise you to install all available components.

    REQUIREMENTS:

    In order to build a Twixl app, first double-check whether you have gone through the following steps first:

    Building your Twixl App

    1. Select the tab Build
    2. Select the appropriate Twixl User
    3. Select the Twixl Project you want to build an app for (only production apps will appear here)
    4. Choose the correct Build Setting
    5. Enter a Version Number
    6. Choose whether you want to build an iOS and/or Android app. More information about the different iOS platforms.
    7. Click Build

    Select where the files will be saved and wait for the process to finish.

    For Android apps, the following files will be generated:

    • the application itself, in two formats, i.e. as an .aab (Android App Bundle) and as an .apk
    • the app signing upload key (with extension .pepk)
    • the upload public key (with extension .pem)

    For iOS apps, the following file(s) will be created:

    • the application itself (with extension .ipa)
    • an index.html and a .plist file (only if you have selected over the air distribution)
    Build result

    ABOUT THE VERSION NUMBER:

    Every time you want to submit an update for your app in the stores, the version number of your app should get a bump.

    • Good example:
      • Current version: 1.5
      • Update: 1.6
    • Bad example:
      • Current version: 1.5
      • Update: 1.4.9