Uno Platform has announced the Uno Platform Studio, a comprehensive suite of tools aimed at enhancing developer productivity for cross-platform .NET application development. Among its standout features is Hot Design, a visual designer enabling real-time design-to-code transformations for .NET apps across various platforms. Introduced on November 14, the Uno Platform Studio seeks to streamline the entire development life cycle, from initial design handoff to app creation. In addition to Hot Design, the suite offers a Figma plugin for converting designs into code and a Hot Reload feature for live code updates during development. While Hot Design is slated for release in the first half of 2025, developers can already access Hot Reload and the Figma plugin or join a waitlist for early access to Hot Design.
Hot Design introduces a seamless workflow where any changes made within the designer instantly update the underlying XAML code, and vice versa. This two-way synchronization ensures consistency between design and implementation, simplifying iterative development. Additionally, the feature is compatible with popular development environments such as Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Rider IDE, making it highly versatile across operating systems like Windows, Mac, and Linux. The tool enables developers to build rich user interfaces for platforms ranging from desktops and embedded systems to iOS, Android, and web-based applications using WebAssembly.
The flexibility of Hot Design extends to its support for custom and third-party UI components, making it a powerful solution for developers working with intricate design systems. Its ability to work with real data further distinguishes it from traditional design tools that often rely on mock data. This capability not only accelerates development but also ensures that the final product aligns closely with real-world use cases, reducing the need for significant adjustments later in the process.
Uno Platform’s approach aims to empower developers by reducing friction in the design-to-code pipeline while supporting a broad spectrum of devices and platforms. By enabling dynamic and interactive development workflows, tools like Hot Design and Hot Reload provide developers with the agility to innovate rapidly, making cross-platform .NET development more accessible and efficient than ever before.