Description:
When you package an Android project in UE 4.25.3, if you enable the option “Generate bundle (AAB)” in Project Settings > Platforms > Android > App Bundles, and then Package your Android project, it generates an AAB as expected (yay!). However, if you then uncheck “Generate bundle (AAB)” and go to Package your Android project, Android will still generate an AAB anyway.
Steps to Repro:
- Open Epic Games Launcher
- Make sure Unreal Engine version 4.25.3 is installed
- Make sure the correct Android SDK and NDK are installed ([Setting Up Android SDK and NDK for Unreal | Unreal Engine Documentation][1])
- Make sure Android device has been set up for UE development ([Setting Up Your Android Device For Development | Unreal Engine Documentation][2])
- Launch UE 4.25.3
- Create a new project with the project category “Games” and click “Next”
- Select “Handheld AR” template and click “Next”
- Change “Maximum Quality” to “Scalable 3D or 2D”
- Change “Desktop / Console” to “Mobile / Tablet”
- Give your new project a name and click “Create Project” (I’m naming mine “AR_Test”)
- In the Unreal Editor, navigate to Project Settings > Platforms > Android
- Click “Configure Now” under “APK Packaging”
- Scroll down and click “Configure Now” under “Google Play Services”
- From the default “HandheldARBlankMap” map, go to File > Package Project > Android > Android Multi
- In the Package project… window that appears, navigate to the project’s root directory and click “Select Folder”
- Wait for packaging process to finish
- Observe that the following files have been created:
- Delete these files
- In the Unreal project, go back to Project Settings > Platforms > Android
- Set “Generate bundle (AAB)” under “App Bundles” to true
- Repeat steps 14 through 16
- Observe that the following files have been created:
- Repeat steps 18 through 19
- This time, set “Generate bundle (AAB)” to false
- Repeat steps 14 through 16 again
- Observe that the .aab file is still being generated despite the setting being disabled and weirdly the date modified field shows its original creation date from before being deleted, yet the creation date is newer than the modification date:
Expected Results:
Disabling “Generate bundle (AAB)” should prevent Unreal Engine from recreating a previously deleted .aab file.
Actual Results:
Once “Generate bundle (AAB)” has been enabled and a project built, the user can never again package the project for android without also generating an AAB bundle.
This bug was reproduced 3/3 times.