4.1. Get Started View

First time users of CCStudio IDE™ should start with the aptly named Get Started view. The Get Started view is the first screen that is visible when CCStudio IDE is launched for the first time. The view can also be explicitly opened via the Help → Get Started menu item.

The purpose of the Get Started view is to provide fast access to common actions and tasks, especially those that are relevant when first starting to use CCStudio IDE. This includes browsing examples and documentation, importing example projects, changing the IDE theme, configuring an AI assistant, and so forth:

If you have a valid TI kit (such as a LaunchPad Development Kit) connected to your computer, the Getting Started view may be able to autodetect it. If autodetect is successful, it will be displayed under the Get started section of the view along with other relevant links for the target. If no target is autodetect, one can be manually selected by using the dropdown menu under the Get started section. Text can also be manually entered in the associated field to filter the options in the dropdown list.

4.2. Resource Explorer

The Resource Explorer helps you find all the latest examples, libraries, demo applications, data sheets, and more for your chosen platform.

Hint

The CCStudio™ IDE Academy is available from Resource Explorer. Explore the CCStudio IDE Academy for additional resources on CCStudio IDE.

The Resource Explorer can be opened by selecting Browse Software and examples under Start exploring in the Getting Started view or from the View → Open Resource Explorer menu item.

Filtering by device, or by TI LaunchPad Kit, the interface enables you to filter the content to only what is relevant to your chosen platform.

Use the Filter by Board or Device filter field to search and select the device or TI LaunchPad Kit that you are using. For example, if you are using the LP-MSPM0G3507, you can starting typing "G3507" in the search field to filter the list to easily find your LaunchPad:

If you have a valid TI kit (such as a LaunchPad Development Kit) connected to your computer, Resource Explorer may be able to autodetect it. If autodetect is successful, you can select the USE MY BOARD option to specify your kit:

Once your device or TI LaunchPad Kit is selected, the filter will be applied and only content relevant to your selection will be displayed. You can now browse through the displayed content to learn more about your device, board, relevant tools, and available software packages. Note the additional filters to display examples based on Kernel, Compiler, etc.

The best way to get going with software development on your target is to start with some existing examples for your target. Many examples are included with the software package with supports your device, and many of these software packages are accessible right from Resource Explorer.

Note

Not all devices are supported via Resource Explorer.

4.3. Importing a CCStudio IDE Project

CCStudio IDE projects must be imported into the current CCStudio IDE workspace before they can be used. For new users, it is recommend to The most convenient way to import an existing example SDK project as mentioned in the Creating a New CCStudio IDE Project section.

Existing local projects can also be manually imported using the Import Projects wizard:

1. Go to menu File → Import Projects....

2. Use the Specify Search Directory button browse to the location of a project or project specification file, or use the Open Archive File button to select a project archive file (e.g. .zip file). CCStudio IDE will automatically search the specified location or archive for CCStudio IDE projects and display them in the Discovered projects section of the wizard.

3. Select the desired project(s) from the list of Discovered projects.

4. (Optional) Use the Settings button to specify additional import settings such as whether to Append unique suffix to names of projects created from .projectspec files, if identically named project exists in the workspace and whether to Suppress automatic opening of project files on import (affects imports from Resource Explorer as well).

5. For the Import destination, select if the project should be copied to the current workspace folder or left in the original location and add the project folder itself to the environment (creating a Multi-Root Workspace environment).

There is also an option to Open the Resource Explorer Wizard to search and import SDK example projects. This option is the same as the Creating a New CCStudio IDE Project option to Create New SDK Example Project.

An alternative way to import a project is to drag it from the system file explorer and drop it directly into the CCStudio IDE Explorer. Once the project has been imported into the workspace, it will be visible in the Explorer.

Warning

Importing a project of the same name as one that already exists in the workspace is not allowed.

Note

CCStudio IDE can import projects that are created with CCStudio IDE versions 4.x and greater. However, bear in mind that the greater the variance in CCStudio IDE version used to create the project vs. the version used to import the project, the more error-prone the import process could be.

If a project created with an older version of CCStudio IDE is imported into the workspace of a newer CCStudio IDE version, the project may be migrated to support the newer version of CCStudio IDE. This may prevent the project from being imported or opened again with the older CCStudio IDE version. This is more likely for major CCStudio IDE revision number differences while minor revision number differences are typically not impacted.

The same rule can also apply when a project created with a newer version of CCStudio IDE is imported into an older version of CCStudio IDE. CCStudio IDE projects are typically not backward compatible in cases with major revision number differences. If you want to use a newer CCStudio IDE project with an older CCStudio IDE version, it is recommended to create a new project in the older CCStudio IDE version and copy over the source files and settings.

4.4. Creating a New CCStudio IDE Project

Creating a new CCStudio IDE executable project purely from "scratch" is typically not recommended. Instead, it is strongly recommended to start with an existing SDK example. There is often a very minimal SDK example which often serves as a template for users wishing to start from "scratch".

1. Go to menu File → Create New SDK Example Project... or open the Getting Started view and select the Create a new project option under the Common actions section of the Get Started view. This will open the Project Wizard.

2. In Project Wizard, specify the board or device under Device and Board. Once a board or device is specified, a list of available projects appears.

3. (Optional) Use the additional filter and search fields to further filter the list of available projects.

4. Select the desired project to import. Most SDKs provide some sort of empty type example which serves as a basic template for new projects.

5. Press IMPORT to start the import process.

6. Select the desired toolchain for the project if multiple toolchains are supported. Press NEXT to continue.

7. Select the name and specific target for the project. Press NEXT to continue.

8. If the associated product(s) for the selected project is not already installed, an additional step will appear to install the required product(s). Follow the instructions to install the required product(s) before continuing. If the associated product(s) is already installed, this step will be skipped.

9. The project will now be created/imported and visible in the EXPLORER view.

Warning

The Project Wizard is based on Resource Explorer and will allow a user to select from a rich variety of device-specific templates from an available online SDK for the device in Resource Explorer. Internet access is required for full access to all the online templates/examples. If internet access is not available, then the user has the option to manually browse for examples from SDKs already installed locally (and detected by CCStudio IDE).

4.4.1. Creating a New Empty CCStudio IDE Project

Creating a new "empty" CCStudio IDE project are for advanced users and requires a bit of prior knowledge about the device. Hence, it is recommended to always start with an existing SDK example project first - assuming an SDK exists for your device. Once some experience is gained working with the existing example, one can look to creating a new CCStudio IDE project from scratch. There are also rare cases where an SDK example does not exist for a particular device. This is also another scenario where one would want to start with creating a new CCStudio IDE project.

Other use cases from creating an new empty project is to create Static Library and System projects.

To create a new empty CCStudio IDE project, follow the steps below:

1. Go to menu File → Create New Empty Project....

2. In the Create a new empty project wizard:

   • Type in a Project name.

   • Type or select the Target device.

   • Optionally select a Connection type if it is not auto-populated (or the auto-populated value is incorrect).

   • Select the Output type. Defaults to Executable but you can select between creating an Executable project, Static Library project, or System project. An Executable project generates an executable file (.out) that can be loaded and executed on a target device. A Static Library project generates a library of object modules. A System project is a special type of project designed to simplify management of multiple projects that are associated with different individual cores of a multicore device.

   • The Compiler version will default to the latest version of compiler tools that CCStudio IDE has discovered for that device family. You can change the Compiler version if there is more than one version in the drop-down list.

   • Select from the list of Project templates and examples as a starting point.

   • Optionally de-select the Use default location check box and set the project storage location.

   • Click Finish to create the project. By default, the project will be created inside the workspace directory.

   

3. The new project will appear in the EXPLORER view.

4. Depending on the template selected, some source files are added to the project by default to ease the process of building and loading the program to the target device. You may add your own source files to the project and customize it further using the Properties dialog.

Warning

Projects created with the Create new empty project wizard are very basic and and often need additional files and setup before it can be successfully built. Hence, this wizard is for advanced users who have some expertise on the device and what additional configuration is needed. Beginners should always start with existing SDK examples, which should be properly configured to successfully build right "out of the box".

4.5. Building and Debugging Your Project

Once your project has been created/imported and any necessary manual changes completed, the project can then be compiled and loaded to the target for execution/debug. There is one easy option to do all this - by selecting the project in the Explorer view and selecting Debug Project in the context menu (or select Run → Debug Project in the top menu bar). This option will automatically do all the below steps by default:

• Save source files (if necessary).

• Build the project (incrementally).

• Start the debugger (CCStudio IDE will switch from the Explorer to the Debug view in the Side Bar).

• Connect CCStudio IDE to the target.

• Load (flash) the program on the target.

• Run to main.

4.6. Using AI Code Assistants

AI-powered coding assistants are rapidly becoming indispensable for developers - providing suggestions and automated features that help in writing code more efficiently and accurately. As popularity for these features continues to increase, so does the demand for development environments that can provide such functionality. AI code assist functionality is available with CCStudio IDE using functionality bundled with the IDE, as well as numerous third-party AI code assist extensions available on Open VSX. CCStudio IDE also offers MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers that enable AI assistants to interact directly with the CCStudio IDE project and debug servers, allowing for more integrated and context-aware development workflows.

Please see the AI Coding Assistants chapter for more information on how to configure and use AI coding assistants with CCStudio IDE.