This section provides high-level information and guidance related to using the Kit App Template repository, along with troubleshooting tips for common issues.
The build and package tooling provided in this repository is designed to capture all code and assets contained within the /source directory. Each time the template new command is executed, a new application or extension is created within /source.
For purposes of experimentation and initial development, housing all working assets within the /source directory is reasonable. However, as the project matures or requires deployment, it is recommended to segregate projects (typically a single .kit file and any required custom extensions) to minimize build times and reduce the size of the resultant package.
From the perspective of the Omniverse Kit SDK, everything is considered an extension. The .kit files that define applications are simply a convenient method to assemble and configure a set of extensions for specific functionalities, while extensions (and combinations thereof) can act as modular components fulfilling particular tasks.
For additional information on the Kit SDK and how to create applications and extensions, refer to the Kit App Template Companion Tutorial.
The templates and tools provided in this repository are designed to be extendable.
Templates consist of a directory structure and boilerplate code containing variables configurable at the time the templates are applied. The templates.toml file, located in templates/templates.toml, specifies which templates the tooling recognizes.
Most tooling is not stored directly within the repository; it is instead downloaded from a remote registry upon the initial use of the tooling. This design allows the tooling to be updated independently of the repository. The framework used for the tooling also supports the definition of custom tools.
To see this extensibility in action, explore the local tooling defined within tools/repoman, specifically the launch tool. Configuration for this tool within the repo is delineated in the repo_tools.toml file at the root of the repository.
This section outlines potential issues that may arise when using the Kit App Template repository.
When launching an application that requires the RTX renderer, the first launch may take considerably longer than subsequent launches due to shader compilation. The initial launch can take between 5 to 8 minutes. Subsequent launches of RTX-enabled applications will be faster as the renderer caches the compiled shaders.
The template new tooling ensures that any created application is properly configured to build. However, extensive manual changes can occasionally cause the configuration and /source directory contents to become unsynchronized. The specifics of any given build are determined by three main factors:
-
The state of the top-level
repo.tomlfile, especially the.kitfiles listed in theappsarray within the[[repo_precache_exts]]section. -
The state of the
premake5.luafile, particularly which.kitfiles are set to build viadefine_app()(e.g.,define_app("my_company.my_service.kit")). -
The state of the
sourcedirectory, specifically which.kitfiles are present withinsource/apps.
To ensure a build proceeds as intended, verify that the same .kit files are listed or defined in all three locations.
For a clean build, use the command ./repo.sh build -c or .\repo.bat build -c to clean the build directory before building.
Due to path length limitations on Windows it is recommended to place repository artifacts in a location closer to the root of the drive. This will help avoid issues with the path lengths when building and packaging applications.