Visual Code Generator

The Visual Code Generator in NECTO Studio is a revolutionary AI-powered tool that allows you to graphically generate code for complex Click board™ projects and share them with the entire embedded world.
This guide walks you through the complete process - from generating code visually to uploading your finished project for others to explore.

📺 Watch the Visual Code Generator Tutorial

The Visual Code Generator enables you to:

Visually define your hardware setup (board, MCU, compiler, debugger, Click boards™).
Automatically generate embedded code tailored to your configuration.
Upload and share your project through NECTO’s Package Manager so that other developers can discover, download, and build upon your work.

With just a few clicks, you can create production-ready boilerplate code, install all required libraries, and share your project globally.

🧩 Step-by-Step Workflow

Follow these steps to create and upload a project with Visual Code Generator:

Step 1: Launch NECTO Studio

Open NECTO Studio on your development PC.

Step 2: Access the Productivity Hub

From the landing page, navigate to the Productivity Hub - a quick access area for NECTO’s most important productivity tools.

Step 3: Open the Visual Code Generator

Inside the Productivity Hub, click on Visual Code Generator to start the AI-powered graphical workflow.

Step 4: Define Your Hardware Setup

In the Hardware Setup tab:

Select your compiler, development board, MCU, and programmer/debugger.
Specify whether you will use a display or no display.

Step 5: Assign Click boards™ to mikroBUS Slots

Visualize the available mikroBUS™ slots (up to 5, depending on the chosen dev board).
Click on a slot to insert a Click board™ (the UI displays actual images of the boards).
Once complete, click Next (top-right corner).

Step 6: Choose Data Display Options

In the Display Options tab:

Select No Display, or
Choose a display-capable Click board™ (e.g., OLED C Click, IPS Display 2 Click).
If a display board is selected, a preview image of the board is shown.
Click Finish to continue.

Step 7: Select Your Next Step

A summary screen asks:

"You are all set. What's your next step?"

Choose one of the following:

Create and Configure Project (recommended)
Automatically creates a NECTO project, installs required packages, and configures the Library Manager.
Generate Code Only
Generates code without creating a NECTO project.

Click Create and Configure Project to proceed.

Step 8 (Optional): Install Required Packages

If some Click board™ libraries are missing, NECTO will display:

"The following packages are necessary to complete the setup: [Click board name]."

Click Confirm to download and install them.

Step 9: Retrieve the Generated Code

The Visual Code Generator tab (right side of NECTO Studio) will now display the generated code.
Simply copy this code into your new main.c file - or start editing the project if you chose automatic project creation.

Step 10: Upload Your Project

Navigate to the Show icon (upper menu of the NECTO Studio IDE).
Select Upload Project.
Give your project a descriptive name, assign Click boards™ to mikroBUS slots (same logic as before), review the summary, and click Finish to upload.

Uploaded projects become available in the Package Manager so that other NECTO users can find, download, and build upon your AI-generated project.

🎥 Video Tutorial

For a complete visual walkthrough, check out the official YouTube tutorial:

📺 Watch the Visual Code Generator Tutorial

This video demonstrates each step in real time - from setting up the hardware to uploading your finished project.

💡 Pro Tips

Start Simple: Begin with a single Click board™ to familiarize yourself with the workflow.
Use Descriptive Names: When uploading, use meaningful project names to help others discover your work.
Keep Libraries Updated: Ensure you’re running the latest mikroSDK v2.0 and Click board™ packages for maximum compatibility.

⚠️ Important Note

The Visual Code Generator can greatly speed up development, but always review and test the generated code before deploying it to production hardware.

✅ Why Use Visual Code Generator?

AI + Visual Workflow: Combine the ease of drag-and-drop hardware selection with AI-generated code.
Rapid Prototyping: Go from concept to a shareable project in minutes.
Community Sharing: Upload projects to inspire and help other engineers worldwide.

Visual Code Generator