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Android Debugging

Taking a look at how to debug your UE4 project using Android Studio.

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Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) enables you to use Android Studio to debug the C++ and Java code that is used in your UE4 project. In the following how-to, we will take a look at getting Android Studio set up so that it can be used to debug your UE4 Android projects.

Steps

In the following section, we will go over how to download and set setup Android Studio so that it will work with a UE4 project.

  1. If you have not already done so, download and install the version of Android Studio that is compatible with your current build of Unreal Engine. Refer to the Development Requirements page for information on which version to use, and the Android SDK and NDK Setup guide for information about how to set up your environment.

  2. Build the apk that you want to debug and then deploy it to your Android device you will be using for debugging.
    package_menu.png

  3. Open the Android Studio Launcher and from the displayed options, then select the Open an existing Android Studio Project .
    AndroidDebugging_01.png

  4. From the Open File or Project menu, navigate to C:\YourProjectName\Intermediate\Android\APK\Gradle and select the Gradle directory, then press the OK button.
    AndroidDebugging_02.png

  5. Once Android Studio is open, go to the Run Menu and select the Edit Configurations option.
    AndroidDebugging_03.png

  6. Click on the Debugger tab and set the debug type to Dual .
    AndroidDebugging_04.png

  7. Next, go to the LLDB Startup Command tab, press plus icon (+) and then input the following line, pressing the OK button to complete the process. 

    command script import "C:\PathToYourUE4EngineInstall\Engine\Extras/LLDBDataFormatters\UE4DataFormatters_2ByteChars.py"

    Note that TEXT("string") should be used instead of L("string") in your C++ code.

    AndroidDebugging_05.png

    Make sure to press the Enter key or the command will not take.

  8. Now, open up any of your project's .cpp files and add breakpoints to items you want to debug.
    AndroidDebugging_10.png

  9. From the main menu, select Run > Debug 'app-app' .
    AndroidDebugging_06.png

  10. When the Select Deployment Type windows is displayed, select your device from the list and press the OK button.
    AndroidDebugging_07.png

End Result

Once all of that has been completed, wait for the debugger to attach to your Android Device.
AndroidDebugging_08.png

Depending on the size of your project, it could take some time for the debugger to attach. This also does not install the data on the device if you don't use the Package data inside APK option. Doing so will make the redeploying for debugging slower since the APK will be larger. Another option is to first do a Launch on in the editor before using Android Studio for debugging to install the current level on the device. Alternatively, you can package and install the OBB on the device if you need more than the current level data.

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