Using C3 to build C2 mobile exports

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Published on 15 Oct, 2017. Last updated 4 Mar, 2019

Construct 3 has its own mobile app build service to build Android APKs and generate Xcode projects from Cordova exports. You can also use Construct 3's build service to build Construct 2 Cordova exports! This means you don't need to import your project in to Construct 3, which can be useful if there are third-party addons that are not ported to Construct 3 yet.

Steps

Follow these steps to use Construct 3 to build a mobile app exported from Construct 2.

  1. Export from Construct 2 and select the Cordova option, and proceed with the export as normal.
  2. Once the export finishes, open the resulting folder. Add all the files to a zip file. You can do this on Windows by selecting all the files, right-clicking and selecting Send toCompressed (zipped) folder. Make sure the files config.json and config.xml are at the root level of the zip, and not inside a subfolder in the zip.
  3. Open the Export Manager in Construct 3, via MenuViewExport Manager.
  4. Click the Add button in the toolbar of the Export Manager and select your zip file. It should add it to the list in the Export Manager, with the Exporter listed as C2.
  5. Select the row in the Export Manager with the C2 project, and click the Build button in the toolbar.
  6. Follow the steps to build the project with Construct 3's mobile app build service.
  7. Once the build completes, you can download the resulting files from the Build finished dialog.

Next steps

For more information about testing and releasing Android APKs, see the sections Testing a debug APK and Signing a release APK in the tutorial Building Android apps (APKs) in Construct 3. For information about using Xcode to build and publish iOS apps, see the tutorial iOS application development and publishing with Xcode.

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  • for do that need buy construct 3... is a joke???

  • It doesn't make any sense that I need to buy a subscription for C3 just to be able to build an app that I made using C2. Especially since you have to buy a year minimum!

      • [-] [+]
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      • Ashley's avatar
      • Ashley
      • Construct Team Founder
      • 3 points
      • (0 children)

      You can also use the Cordova CLI as a free option to build C2 mobile apps, but it is more complicated. There are also other third-party build services out there, but since they are expensive to run, they generally charge a subscription fee too - and sometimes more than the total cost of C3, which also includes a full game development editor.

  • Too bad I am just seeing this! I have already gone thru so much to try to get some of my old plugins in C2 ported over to C3. But in any event, I can't see why people are complaining about this deal. When you look out there and see other complicated platforms that allow you to build, you have to appreciate how simple and straight forward this process is, especially now that Phonegap is obsolete!