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Learn MoreThe main task of an Android developer is to migrate UI elements from Figma to Composable features in Android Studio. This process can be done either manually or with the help of specialized plugins. One such tool is Relay for Android Studio, which significantly simplifies the work and speeds up the development process, allowing developers to quickly implement layout designs from Figma in applications based on Jetpack Compose.
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- What is Relay and what is it for?
- How to install it
- How to set up a project
- How to create a news application using Relay
Lead Mobile Developer at Usetech. Specializes in developing native iOS applications using Swift and Objective-C, as well as Android applications using Kotlin and Java. He also has experience creating cross-platform applications using Xamarin, Xamarin.Forms, and Kotlin Multiplatform. He has 10 years of experience in mobile development and has held team lead and mentor positions. He is a Kotlin expert and a certified MBE. He works as a Skillbox expert in the field of mobile development.
The author of articles on the Habr and Medium platforms, actively shares his knowledge and experience. He speaks at conferences and meetups, and is also a member of the program committee of such events as Mobius, CodeFest, and Strike. In his free time, the author studies Chinese and German, which emphasizes his desire for self-development. He also enjoys painting and participating in exhibitions, which allows him to express his creative ideas.
What is Relay and what is it for?
Relay is a unique tool that transforms design into code. It allows you to convert UI components from Figma into Composable functions for Android apps. While this may seem complicated, let's take a closer look at its capabilities. Relay simplifies the development process, allowing designers and developers to work more efficiently. With this tool, you can significantly reduce the time it takes to transform mockups into working components, which contributes to faster project delivery and higher quality of the final product.
Jetpack Compose is a framework from Google designed for declarative development of Android apps. It simplifies the creation of user interfaces by allowing developers to describe the UI as functions. By leveraging Kotlin, Jetpack Compose delivers cleaner, more understandable code, speeding up development and simplifying app maintenance. This framework makes it easy to manage UI state and integrate various components, making it an ideal choice for modern Android developers.
Composable features are key elements for declaratively developing user interfaces in Android apps using Jetpack Compose. These features allow you to describe both the visual design and data dependencies between interface components. With Composable features, developers can create flexible and reusable UI elements, significantly simplifying the development process and improving code maintainability. Using Jetpack Compose and Composable features helps you create more intuitive and efficient Android apps.
The Relay plugin allows you to import UI components from Figma and convert them to Compose code, significantly simplifying the interaction between developers and designers. With this tool, developers can update the application in real time, including design changes that are automatically converted and integrated into the code. This significantly speeds up the development process and improves coordination between design and programming teams, allowing you to implement ideas faster and adapt to changes.
Installing the Plugin
For Relay to work successfully, three key components must be installed. These components ensure the correct functioning of the system and enable effective data management. Installing each of them is important for achieving optimal results in app development using Relay.
- Plugin for Figma;
- Plugin for Android Studio;
- Relay Gradle plugin.
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To use Relay, you must install Android Studio version 2022.2.1 or later, as well as Java Runtime. Jetpack Compose version 1.2 or later and Gradle version 8.0 or later are also required. Make sure all of the listed components are updated to the latest versions to work correctly with Relay.
Installing the Relay for Figma plugin
Register on the Figma website or log in to your account if you already have one.
To add the plugin to your account, visit the Relay for Figma page and click the "Try it out" button. Once the installation is complete, open the plugin in developer mode by selecting the "Open in Dev Mode" option.
A window for selecting a team for your account will open on the screen. In this window, click the "Run" button.
Installing the Relay plugin for Android Studio
Open the Android Studio main menu to access all the main features and tools. This menu allows users to manage projects, customize the development environment settings, and use various tools to optimize the app experience. To get started with Android Studio, it is important to master navigating the main menu to effectively use all the available features for mobile app development.
- For macOS, select Android Studio → Preferences, and for Windows and Linux, File → Settings.
- Open the Plugins tab, then Marketplace. Find Relay for Android Studio and click Install. Once the installation is complete, click Restart IDE.
To verify successful installation, open the settings and go to the Plugins tab. In the Installed section, The Relay plugin for Android Studio should appear.
Installing the Relay Gradle plugin
To successfully transfer components from Figma The application requires integrating the Gradle plugin from the Maven repository into the Android Studio project. Android Studio automatically executes Gradle operations referenced by the project, downloading and installing all required dependencies. This simplifies the project workflow and ensures that design elements from Figma integrate correctly into the application.
To install the Relay plugin, you must update the app/build.gradle file by adding an entry indicating the latest version of the plugin in the plugins section. This will integrate Relay functionality into your project, ensuring optimal data handling and improving application performance.
To add mavenCentral to the list of repositories, you must make the appropriate changes to the settings.gradle file. Make sure you have opened the settings.gradle file in your project. After that, add the following line of code to specify mavenCentral as one of the repositories:
«`groovy
repositories {
mavenCentral()
}
«`
After saving the changes to the settings.gradle file, your project will be able to use the dependencies available in mavenCentral. This will allow you to easily integrate libraries and frameworks, which will simplify development and improve the functionality of your application.
After that, click the «Sync Gradle» button to install the plugin. This action will update your development environment and ensure that the plugin is correctly integrated with the project. Make sure all dependencies are loaded correctly for optimal performance of your app.
Setting Up a Figma Project
Now let's establish a connection between your Figma account and the Relay plugin in Android Studio. This will allow you to seamlessly integrate your Figma design into your Android app development workflow. First, make sure you have the Relay plugin installed. Then, open Android Studio and go to the plugin settings. Enter your Figma account information to log in. Once successfully connected, you will be able to sync all design changes directly with your Android Studio project, significantly simplifying the development process and increasing its efficiency.
To complete this task, you need to obtain a Figma personal access token. This token is used to integrate third-party services, plugins, and other tools that require access to your Figma account. Obtaining a token will allow you to effectively manage integrations and automate workflows, improving your interaction with Figma.
To use it, follow these steps Steps:
- Open your browser and sign in to Figma.
- Click your account icon and select Settings.
- Scroll down to the Personal access tokens section and open it.
- Enter Relay, generate, and copy the token.
- In Android Studio, from the main menu, select Instruments → Relay Settings.
- Paste your Figma access token in the Existing Figma Access Token field.
Launch Android Studio. This is an integrated development environment (IDE) designed for creating applications on the Android platform. In Android Studio, you will find all the necessary development tools, from writing code to debugging and testing applications. Make sure you have all the required components and SDKs installed to work effectively. Once Android Studio opens, you can create new projects or open existing ones, use emulators to test apps, and integrate version control systems.
- Create a new project: File → New project.
- Select Empty Compose Activity and click Next.
- Accept all defaults, including the Kotlin language and the minimum SDK API 21: Android 5.0 (Lollipop).
- Click Finish.
Editing the Gradle build file is an important step in the process of developing applications in Java and other languages that support Gradle. This file, typically named build.gradle, defines the project dependencies, plugins, and configurations needed to build and manage the project. To edit the file correctly, open it in a text editor and make the necessary changes. Make sure you've added all required dependencies, specified the correct plugin versions, and configured the build tasks according to your project's requirements. Correctly editing the Gradle build file can significantly streamline the development process, improve performance, and ensure compatibility with other libraries and tools. Remember to check the file's syntax and structure to avoid errors when building your project.
Open the build.gradle file located in the Hello_Figma.app module. This is a module-level Gradle build file, and its name may change depending on how you named the project when you created it. Make sure you are editing the correct file, as it contains important settings for building your app.
Add the Relay plugin to your file by updating its version. Make sure the version you're using meets your project's requirements to avoid potential conflicts. This will allow you to integrate the plugin and use its functionality in your project. Check official sources for updates and configuration recommendations.
Click the "Sync Now" button to begin the synchronization process. This step is necessary to update data and ensure that the information is current. Synchronization prevents data loss and ensures that all changes are reflected in the system. Don't miss the opportunity to save and update your settings.
Now everything is ready to start working.
Creating a News App with Relay
Let's look at a practical application of the plugin using the example of developing a news app. We recommend using the NewsScreen project, which includes a ready-made component design. Download the project and open it in Figma for further work.
Open the file browser. The + icon will appear at the top of the interface. Click it to begin the project import process.
Create a component for import by selecting the necessary elements and clicking the Create Component button. This will allow you to effectively manage and reuse elements in your project, which will significantly simplify the development process and increase its productivity.
Select the element, then right-click. In the context menu, select Plugins, then click Relay for Figma. Next, click on the "Start" button.
In the window that opens, select the option «Create a UI package».
Setting component properties is an important step in the development process. Select the desired element and, in the Parameters section, click the + button to add the required properties. Be sure to specify the Name and Type for each property. This will allow you to correctly configure the component's functionality and ensure its proper operation in the system.
After completing the component configuration, click «Share with Developers. A dialog box will appear indicating the keyboard shortcut for further actions. For example, for macOS users, this might be Cmd + L. Use the specified combination to continue working.
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When implementing independently, it is important to correctly configure the adaptive parameters of components to ensure high-quality display on various devices. In this example, when working with images, it is recommended to use fixed sizes, while other interface elements should adapt and stretch to the screen width. To achieve this, configure the design in Figma, taking into account the principles of responsive layout and user experience.
- Enable AutoLayout, Fill Container, and set the parameters of the main Row component responsible for displaying information.
- For elements that should have a fixed size, set Fixed, and for responsive ones, set Hug or Fill.
We have developed a project for our application, which is available for download on GitHub. Simply download it and open it in Android Studio for further work.
Make sure the Relay plugin is already included in your build.gradle file. If it is missing, please follow the instructions on the official website. This will allow you to successfully integrate Relay into your project and use its capabilities to optimize work with graph data.
In the previous step, you created a UI Package. Now return to Figma, select the desired component, and from the context menu, select Plugins → Relay to switch to Figma Relay. Then, select an existing component, click "Share with developer," and use the suggested keyboard shortcut to complete the process.
Launch Android Studio and select File, then New, and Import UI Package. In the window that appears, enter the URL obtained in the previous step. Be sure to check the option to convert Figma styles to Compose. Configure the Material 3 Design configuration to ensure proper conversion of Material-enabled styles.
After successful import, you will receive a window with information about the created component. This window will present detailed information, including the component name, its characteristics, and settings. This will allow you to quickly familiarize yourself with the main parameters and start working with a new element. Make sure you carefully review all the data to optimally configure the component to your needs.
Click the button "Create."
To successfully generate code, you must build the project by selecting Make Project from the Build menu. Before doing this, ensure that SDK version 34 is specified as the target SDK in the build.gradle file. Specifying a lower version will result in a compilation error. Compliance with these conditions ensures the correct operation of your project and prevents problems during the build stage.
Generated elements can be found in the app → build directory → generated.
The code for the elements is in the NewsItemRow.kt file. This file contains the key components responsible for displaying news items in the application. Pay attention to the code structure and styling, as they play a crucial role in the user interface. Optimizing the code in NewsItemRow.kt will help improve the app's performance and provide a more user-friendly experience. When working with this file, it is important to ensure that the data is relevant and displayed correctly on the screen.
Changing generated components in Android Studio is not possible directly. To make changes, you need to edit them in Figma and then re-import the changes. Afterwards, you'll need to rebuild the project.
The Relay code is stored in JSON files located in the ui-packages directory. These files contain the necessary data for working with Relay, ensuring efficient interaction between the client and server parts of the application. Proper organization and structure of these JSON files contribute to optimized performance and simplify the development process.
We can create components for the news detail screen and re-import the necessary packages. In this case, it will be the NewsItemView component. This approach will allow for efficient code usage and improve the readability of the application, while providing convenient access to news information.
Let's move on to creating the news list screen. To do this, we need to implement a @Composable component called NewsListScreen. Use a LazyColumn as the main list element, and use a ViewModel to manage the data state. This will allow for efficient display of news items and provide convenient application state management.
This example uses the Retrofit network client to retrieve data, and the NewsAPI as the API. Be sure to add permission to access the internet in your app manifest to ensure the correct operation of the app and loading of news data.
Save the project and Run it. Make sure all changes are saved before initiating the launch. This will prevent data loss and ensure the correct functioning of your application. After saving, you can start testing and debugging to make sure the project works without crashes.
Our application is completely ready for If you're looking to deepen your knowledge of Relay, we recommend checking out the official guide, which contains practical examples of using this plugin. This will help you better understand its functionality and integration into your projects.
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