HoloLens Development Gets Easier with New Build Tools

HoloLens application development just got a smidgen easier thanks to new build tools incorporated into Microsoft’s open-source HoloToolkit.

The tools were merged into the toolkit’s main branch a few days ago, meaning they were generally made available for developers to pull down and use. And when imported into an existing Unity project, a new Build Window now appears. (You can turn this on/off via HoloToolkit > Build Window.)

This window centralizes and automates the tedious manual build tasks you normally execute while working on a HoloLens app. A single click can build the Unity project, build the resulting Visual Studio solution, package that output in an appx, and deploy it to the HoloLens emulator or a device.

Hallelujah!

To get these tools, check out the HoloToolkit and HoloToolkit-Unity GitHub repositories. If you’re new to Holographic app development, be sure to check out the Holographic Academy first.

We’ll keep you updated on any additional goodies added to the toolkit.