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Section 6: Opening the FTC Project in Android Studio

Step 6.1 — Open the Project​

In Android Studio: File → Open

Navigate to the FtcRobotController folder you just cloned. Select the folder itself (not any file inside it). Click "OK."

Android Studio will load the project and immediately begin a Gradle sync. A progress bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Do not click anything until it completes.

Step 6.2 — What a Successful Sync Looks Like​

In the bottom "Build" panel, you will see a sequence of messages ending with:

BUILD SUCCESSFUL in Xs

If you see BUILD SUCCESSFUL, skip to Section 7.

If you see BUILD FAILED, continue to Step 6.3.

Step 6.3 — Common Gradle Sync Errors and Exact Fixes​

Error A — "Could not resolve com.qualcomm.ftcrobotcontroller"

Gradle cannot download the SDK libraries.

Cause: No internet connection, or a corporate/school firewall blocking Maven repositories.

Fix: Connect to a different network. If you are on a school network, try a mobile hotspot.

Error B — "Unsupported Java. Your build is currently configured to use Java 21"

The Gradle JDK was not set correctly in Section 4.

Fix: Return to Step 4.2. Verify that the selected JDK shows version 17, not 21.

Error C — "The minCompileSdk (34) specified in a dependency's AAR metadata"

This is expected on a fresh SDK install and resolves itself. If it persists after one sync, verify your build.gradle settings in Section 7.

Error D — "Android Gradle plugin requires Java 11 to run"

Android Studio is using its bundled JRE to run Gradle, not the JDK you configured.

Fix: In Settings → Build, Execution, Deployment → Build Tools → Gradle, check both the "Gradle JDK" dropdown and the "Use Gradle from" setting. Both must point to JDK 17.

Error E — "SDK location not found. Define location with sdk.dir in the local.properties file"

Fix: This file is not in the repository (it is in .gitignore). Android Studio creates it automatically on first sync. If the sync failed before creating it, run File → Sync Project with Gradle Files once more.

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