Installation

Wyss DBS Annotator is available for iPadOS, Android, Windows, macOS and Linux. It is published in each platform’s app store by the Wyss Center for Bio and Neuroengineering; search for Wyss DBS Annotator.

Platform

Where to get it

iPadOS

App Store

Android

Google Play

Windows

Microsoft Store

macOS

Mac App Store

Linux

Snap Store

Installing from the store is the whole procedure: the store handles signing and updates. Every platform runs the same application.

Where your data goes

Session files are written where you choose to save them, through the platform’s own file picker or share sheet. While you record, the app also keeps a working copy of the current session inside its own storage, so a crash or a closed window loses nothing. When you leave a session, the app asks whether to keep that copy or discard it; it is only ever deleted when you choose to. Preferences (scale presets, paper size, panel order) are stored in the app’s own settings folder. Nothing is uploaded. See Privacy for the details.

Building from source

For developers who want to run or modify the code. On every platform you need Git and the Flutter SDK 3.38.4 or later, with Flutter’s bin folder on your PATH. Then get the code:

git clone https://github.com/neuromodulation/DBSAnnotator.git
cd DBSAnnotator
flutter pub get
flutter doctor       # lists anything still missing for your platform

Nothing needs generating first: the data contract and the fonts are committed. flutter analyze and flutter test check the checkout; neither needs a device.

Each platform below adds its own tools, how to run the app, and how to build a release.

Windows

  • Tools: Visual Studio 2022 (the free Community edition is enough) with the Desktop development with C++ workload. VS Code alone is not enough.

  • Run: flutter run -d windows

  • Release build: flutter build windows --release. The program is build\windows\x64\runner\Release\dbs_annotator.exe; copy the whole Release folder, since it needs the DLLs and the data folder beside it. Windows shows “Windows protected your PC” on first launch of an unsigned build: More info → Run anyway.

macOS

  • Tools: Xcode from the Mac App Store, then sudo xcodebuild -runFirstLaunch and CocoaPods (brew install cocoapods).

  • Run: flutter run -d macos

  • Release build: flutter build macos --release. The app is build/macos/Build/Products/Release/dbs_annotator.app. An unsigned build is blocked on double-click; right-click it → Open allows it once.

Linux

  • Tools (Debian and Ubuntu; other distributions have the same packages):

    sudo apt-get install clang cmake ninja-build pkg-config libgtk-3-dev zenity

    zenity provides the file dialogs; without it the app saves to a fixed folder and tells you where.

  • Run: flutter run -d linux

  • Release build: flutter build linux --release. The program is build/linux/x64/release/bundle/dbs_annotator; copy the whole bundle folder.

Android

  • Tools: Android Studio, which installs the Android SDK. Then accept the SDK licences with flutter doctor --android-licenses.

  • Run: on a device with USB debugging turned on in its developer options, or on an emulator from Android Studio: flutter run

  • Release build: flutter build apk --release. The installer is build/app/outputs/flutter-apk/app-release.apk; copy it to the device and open it, allowing installation from that source when asked. Unless a signing key is configured the build is signed with a development key, which cannot later be replaced in place by a store build: that needs an uninstall first, which removes the app’s saved preferences.

iPadOS

  • Tools: a Mac with Xcode and CocoaPods, as for macOS.

  • Signing: open ios/Runner.xcworkspace in Xcode, select the Runner target, and under Signing & Capabilities choose your team. A free Apple ID works for your own iPad.

  • Run: connect the iPad, trust the Mac on it, then flutter run

  • A build signed with a free Apple ID stops opening after seven days and has to be installed again; a paid Apple Developer account removes that limit.

Common problems

  • flutter is not found: the terminal was opened before PATH changed; open a new one.

  • C1083: Cannot open source file on Windows after switching branches: run flutter clean, then build again.

  • Errors about long paths when cloning on Windows: git config --global core.longpaths true.