APM Planner 2.0

Travis CI Build:

Support:
ardupilot.com Support Forum for APM Planner 2.0

Support is handled in the forum, we keep issues here known problems and enhancements

Developer Chat:

APN Planner 2 on ArduPilot Discord Server

ArduPilot Discord Server

Credits:

Maintainer: Bill Bonney

Contributors: Michael Carpenter, Arne-W et al.

https://ardupilot.org/planner2/docs/credits-and-contributors.html

Documentation

see https://ardupilot.org/planner2/

Mac OS X

To build on Mac OS X (10.6 or later):

Install QT

Preferred using “homebrew” https://brew.sh to install.

brew install qt@5 cmake ninja sdl2
brew link qt5 --force

NOTE: you may need to unlink qt6 brew unlink qt6

Alternatives

There are alternative ways to get Qt 5.15.x

- TARBALL, download the source from https://download.qt.io/official_releases/qt/5.15
- Qt Offline Installers - NOTE: The last one available is stuck at Qt5.15.2 :-(
- Using aqt installer - NOTE: Also stuck at 5.15.2

I suggest using the internet if you want to install this way. Brew is easyist IMHO!

Build APM Planner

Using CMake

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/ArduPilot/apm_planner.git
cd apm_planner
mkdir build
cd build
cmake cmake -G Ninja .. -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="/opt/homebrew/Cellar/qt@5/5.15.16_2;/opt/homebrew"

Using QMake

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/ArduPilot/apm_planner.git
qmake -spec macx-clang apm_planner.pro
make -j$(nproc)
open ./release/apmplanner2.app

Linux

Install the required packages:

Packages needed on Ubuntu 25.04

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git build-essential
sudo apt-get install qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev qtscript5-dev libqt5serialport5-dev libqt5svg5-dev \
    libqt5opengl5-dev qml-module-qtquick-controls libsdl1.2-dev libsndfile1-dev flite1-dev libssl-dev \
    libudev-dev libsdl2-dev

Packages needed on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

(NOTE: On Ubuntu 22.04 use only the native (ubuntu) Qt version 5.15.3 as the official Qt 5.15.2 which
comes with the Qt Maintenance tool only supports OpenSSL 1.1.1 which is not supported by Ubuntu 22.04 anymore.)

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git build-essential
sudo apt-get install qt5-qmake qtbase5-dev qtscript5-dev libqt5webkit5-dev libqt5serialport5-dev \
    libqt5svg5-dev libqt5opengl5-dev qml-module-qtquick-controls libsdl1.2-dev libsndfile1-dev flite1-dev \
    libssl-dev libudev-dev libsdl2-dev

Packages needed on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install git build-essential
sudo apt-get install qt5-qmake qt5-default qtscript5-dev libqt5webkit5-dev libqt5serialport5-dev \
  libqt5svg5-dev qtdeclarative5-qtquick2-plugin libqt5opengl5-dev qml-module-qtquick-controls libsdl1.2-dev \
  libsndfile-dev flite1-dev libssl-dev libudev-dev libsdl2-dev python-serial python-pexpect

Packages needed on Fedora (tested against Fedora 21)

sudo yum update
sudo yum install qt-devel qt5-qtscript-devel qt5-qtwebkit-devel qt5-qtserialport-devel qt5-qtsvg-devel \
  qt5-qtdeclarative-devel qt5-qtquick1-devel pyserial python-pexpect

sudo yum install SDL-devel libsndfile-devel flite-devel openssl-devel libudev-devel SDL2-devel

Building APM Planner:

Using CMake

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/ArduPilot/apm_planner.git
cd apm_planner
mkdir build
cd build
cmake cmake -G Ninja .. 
./apmplanner2 # Runs the application

Using QMake

cd $HOME
git clone https://github.com/ArduPilot/apm_planner.git
cd apm_planner
qmake apm_planner.pro
make -j$(nproc)
./release/apmplanner2 # Runs the application

Windows

NOTE: Needs Updating

Build on Windows Platform

To build on Windows there are two options:
Option 1: Visual Studio 2013 native compile Download and install Visual Studio 2013 express
Option 2: MinGW cross-compile

Install Qt with the online Qt installer: You will be presented with a list of Qt versions and compiler options to install
You can install mulitple versions and compilers beside one another and choose which to use later Select any one (or mulitple) of the following options,
Qt 5.5 MSVC2013 32-bit Qt 5.5 MSVC2013 64-bit
Qt 5.5 MinGW 4.9.2 32-bit (also select the same version of MinGW under Tools)

Configure QtCreator: The installer is pretty smart but it’s good to double check everything was setup corretly
Start QtCreator Click on the Tools menu item then Options
Select Build & Run on the left hand side Look at the Compilers tab
Under Auto-detected should be a list of compilers installed, such as: Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler 12.0 (x86)
Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler 12.0 (amd64) MinGW 4.9.2 32bit
If using MSVC there will be a few others listed as well but that is normal Look at the Qt Versions Tab:
Under Auto-detected should be a list of the Qt versions you installed earlier: Qt 5.5.1 MSVC2013 32bit
Qt 5.5.1 MSVC2013 32bit Qt 5.5.1 MinGW 32bit
If your desired Qt versions is not listed, or you installed one after the initial setup: Click Add
Find the qmake.exe for the version you want For example: c:/Qt/5.5/msvc2013/bin/qmake.exe
For example: c:/Qt/5.5/mingw492_32/bin/qmake.exe Click Apply
Look under the Kits tab: Under Auto-detected should be a list of the appropriate kits:
Desktop Qt 5.5.1 MSVC2013 32bit Desktop Qt 5.5.1 MSVC2013 63bit
Desktop Qt 5.5.1 MinGB 32bit If a kit with your desired Qt versions and/or compiler is not listed, or you installed a new Qt version or compiler after the initial setup:
Click Add, give it a nice name (like Qt 5.5.1 MSVC 32bit) Select the desired compiler from the drop down
Select the Qt version (with matching compiler) from the drop down Click Apply
- Click Ok at the bottom of the window
QtCreator is now configured for fun

Build APM Planner 2.0: Start QtCreator (if not already)
Click on File then Open File or Project Find qgroundcontrol.pro, then click Open
The first time will ask you to configure project Select the desired version (same list of Kits from above)
Click Configure Project Go to Projects tab on the left hand side
Select the “Shadow Build” checkbox Browse to a location where you want the application to build to
From the Build drop down select Build Project qgroundcontrol (or Ctrl+B) Run the generated apmplanner2.exe and enjoy!

Installing this compiled version:
* To Do

Alternatives:

NOTE: Needs Updating

Permanent installation

Permanent Installation
———————————————————————————————————————————————-

NOTE: (optional, if you’d like to install APM Planner in a fixed location)

There are two ways to do this:

a) Using Debuild:

cd ~/workspace/apm_planner/debian
./gitlog-to-changelog.pl > changelog

cd ..
debuild -us -uc -d

Then install the deb via
dpkg -i ~/workspace/apmplanner2_2.0.XX_YYYY.deb
Where XX is the version number, and YYY is your architecture. This method should add it to your launcher too.

If it does not install due to dependancies, you can resolve them with

sudo apt-get install -f
````
Then attempt to install again.

b) Using make:

cd ~/workspace/apm_planner
sudo make install
```
This will place the binary in your /bin/ folder and corresponding files in /share/

OpenBSD

To build on OpenBSD 6.2
—————————-
1) install dependencies

pkg_add qt5 libsndfile sdl sdl2 flite py-serial py-pexpect openssl git

2) Clone the apm_planner repo

git clone git@github.com:ArduPilot/apm_planner.git

3) Build the project

cd apm_planner

qmake-qt5 apm_planner.pro

make

If the project compiled without errors you will find the binary in ./release

Repository Layout

(2014-3-28: out-of-date, needs to be fixed)

File Layout

qgroundcontrol:
    demo-log.txt
    license.txt 
    qgcunittest.pro - For the unit tests.
    qgcunittest.pro.user
    qgcvideo.pro
    qgroundcontrol.pri - Used by qgroundcontrol.pro
    qgroundcontrol.pro - Project opened in QT to run qgc.
    qgroundcontrol.pro.user 
    qgroundcontrol.qrc - Holds many images.
    qgroundcontrol.rc - line of code to point toward the images
    qserialport.pri - generated by qmake.
    testlog.txt
    testlog2.txt 
    user_config.pri.dist - Custom message specs to be added here. 
data: 
    Maps from yahoo and kinect and earth. 
deploy: 
    Install and uninstall for win32.
    Create a debian packet.
    Create .DMG file for publishing for mac.
    Audio test on mac.    
doc: 
    Doxyfile is in this directory and information for creating html documentation for qgc.
files: 
    Has the audio for the vehicle and data output. 
        ardupilotmega: 
            widgets and tool tips for pilot heading for the fixed wing.
            tooltips for quadrotor
        flightgear:
            Aircraft: 
                Different types of planes and one jeep. 
            Protocol: 
                The protocol for the fixed_wings and quadrotor and quadhil.holds info about the fixed wing yaw, roll etc.                     Quadrotor. Agian holds info about yaw, roll etc.
        Pixhawk:
            Widgets for hexarotor. Widgets and tooltips for quadrotor.
        vehicles: 
            different vehicles. Seems to hold the different kinds of aircrafts as well as files for audio and the hexarotor             and quadrotor.
        widgets: 
            Has a lot of widgets defined for buttons and sliders.

images: 
    For the UI. Has a bunch of different images such as images for applications or actions or buttons.
lib: 
    SDL is located in this direcotry. 
    Msinttypes: 
        Defines intteger types for microsoft visual studio. 
    sdl:
        Information about the library and to run the library on different platforms. 
mavlink: 
    The files for the library mavlink. 
qgcunittest: 
    Has the unittests for qgc
settings: 
    Parameter lists for alpha, bravo and charlie. 
    Data for stereo, waypoints and radio calibration. 
src:
    Code for QGCCore, audio output, configuration, waypoints, main and log compressor.
    apps - Code for mavlink generation and for a video application.
    comm - Code for linking to simulation, mavlink, udp, xbee, opal, flight gear and interface.
    Has other libraries. Qwt is in directory named lib. The other libraries are in libs.
    lib - qwt library
    libs - eigen, opmapcontrol, qestserialport, qtconcurrent, utils.
    input - joystick and freenect code.
    plugins - Qt project for PIXHAWK plugins.
    uas - Ardu pilot, UAS, mavlink factory, uas manager, interface, waypoint manager and slugs.
    ui - Has code for data plots, waypoint lists and window congfiguration. All of the ui code.
thirdParty: 
    Library called lxbee.
    Library called QSerialPort.