Generate, Modify and Deploy a MATLAB App for a Simulink Model

The simulink.compiler.genapp enables you to automatically generate a MATLAB^® app for a Simulink^® model. You can compile and deploy the automatically generated app using the mcc command. This example generates an app for a model, compiles and deploys the app, and shows how you can customize the app using the App Designer.

The MultiSimPaneApp is the default template used for app generation. With this template, the generated app works for and is customizable. This template also allows you to pause a simulation, tune parameters in the middle of a simulation, and configure an app for deployment.

This example shows you how to use the simulink.compiler.genapp function to generate a deployable app for the mode f14. You can use the generated app to tune the parameters of the model and run simulations with different parameter values. You can also customize the app in the App Designer and deploy the generated app for use outside of MATLAB.

Open the Model

The simulink.compiler.example.AppGeneration command loads the example project on your path. This project contains all the files required for this example, including the model. Open the model f14.

simulink.compiler.example.AppGeneration;
open_system('f14')

Generate a MATLAB App for the Model

To generate the app, the SaveFormat for the output data must be Dataset or Structure with time. To change SaveFormat for the f14 model, in the Modelling tab of the Simulink Toolstrip, go to Model Settings. In the Data Import/Export pane, change Format to Dataset.

You can generate a MATLAB app for the model from the Simulink toolstrip. On the Simulink toolstrip, under Save, select Export Model to Simulation App. Enter the app name as f14app and browse to choose a destination folder.

Create simulation app for model dialog. Options include Template, with MultiPaneSimApp selected, App name, with text as f14app, and a Destination folder which has a browse button.

Alternatively, you can use the simulink.compiler.genapp function to generate an app for the f14 model. Running the simulink.compiler.genapp function with the model name as an argument generates an app named f14app, which is specified as an argument. The default name of the generated app is modelName_SLSimApp. Simulink Compiler™ uses a default template to generate the app. You can tune the parameters and simulate the model for which the app is generated. The generated app also provides a plot of the simulation results. All these files are generated into the f14app directory.

simulink.compiler.genapp('f14', 'AppName', 'f14app');

Picture of the generated app

After generating the app, Click to simulate the app.

On the right side of the model image, you can tune the parameter values and run simulations with different values.

Use the arrow at the bottom to display the plot for the simulation output. The Plot Layout controls allow you to add multiple plots. By default, there is one axis shown in this pane. You can always add/remove axes using Plot Layout controls.

Use the arrows on the left side of the plots to open the Logged Signals pane. To display the signals in the plots, first select the plot and then check the signals in the signal pane. Repeat this process for all the plots. This functionality allows you to compare results and modify the app as needed.

Plot Layout display in the app

Click Load on the toolstrip of the app to load parameters and input signals from external files. The setting Configure For Deployment configures the app so that it can be deployed and used independently from MATLAB. Deployment options are a standalone desktop app or a web app.

Once the app is generated, three folders are created in the app folder:

AppHelper — Contains almost all the code that is used by the generated app. You can use this folder to navigate through the app, to understand how the app works, and potentially customize it.
Assets folder — Contains all the assets the app uses, such as images, styles, HTML, JavaScript, model data, and some metadata
AppUtils — Contains scripts to help you deploy the app as a standalone desktop app or a web app, test the deployed standalone app in MATLAB, and run the generated app directly from MATLAB.