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Getting started

Guide · Core Studio 3.0 · OneBox · Verified 2026-09-01

The canonical first hour with Core Studio: install, point it at your ERP’s metadata, let the index converge, build a model.

1. Download and install

Every build is code-signed — the signing certificate identifies CORE ERP BUSINESS SOLUTIONS — and ships through a signed update channel. Two flavors:

  • Installer — CoreEnterpriseStudio-Setup-<version>.exe: per-user NSIS installer. Pick the install directory; creates Start-menu/desktop shortcuts and the .xpp file association.
  • Portable — CoreEnterpriseStudio-Portable-<version>.zip: unzip anywhere, run CORE Studio.exe. Nothing is installed.

App data (settings, per-root index databases) lives in %APPDATA%\xpp-studio and survives install and uninstall.

2. Open an AOT folder

The IDE works on a D365 metadata folder — typically C:\AosService\PackagesLocalDirectory on a onebox VM. Root resolution, in order of precedence:

  1. XPP_AOT_ROOT environment variable — explicit override; wins over everything.
  2. File → Open AOT folder… — folder picker; persisted and re-indexed immediately.
  3. Default — the bundled samples/ in dev builds; an empty per-user folder in the packaged app until you pick a root.

3. Let the index converge

Opening a root indexes it in a background worker — the UI stays responsive even at ApplicationSuite scale (350,000+ files). Tiers:

  1. Descriptors & headers — the AOT explorer is browsable almost immediately.
  2. Your models fully parsed (methods, enum values).
  3. Microsoft models (Application* prefix) fully parsed.
  4. Full-text search tail — method sources drain into the FTS index.

The status bar’s AOT segment shows live progress. While tier 4 runs, global search results are flagged partial — element and method lookup is already complete; only source full-text matches may be missing.

4. Your first build

File → Build Model… (Ctrl+B), pick a model. The compile runs in the background through the real xppc toolchain and streams into the Build drawer. Click any diagnostic to open the file at the line.

Next: the user guide walks every surface, or jump to editing X++.

The status bar's AOT segment showing live indexing progress with percentage and ETA
The status bar's AOT segment showing live indexing progress with percentage and ETA

Verify it worked

  • The status bar’s AOT segment settles to a converged state (no more ETA); the log shows [aot] loaded N elements from cache in Xs on the next launch.
  • Your build drawer ends with an explicit verdict — never silence. A green verdict with zero errors means the real compiler accepted your model.

If it goes wrong

  • Full re-index on every launch — the cache fingerprint or DB is off; see the indexing guide’s recovery section.
  • Build unavailable — you’re off the D365 VM; the command’s typed state tells you exactly which prerequisite is missing. Nothing else is broken — editing, search, and AI work anywhere.
The Build drawer showing a completed first build with its verdict line
The Build drawer showing a completed first build with its verdict line