Can't build with multidex enabled

Hi there,

I've been struggling for multiple days now trying to enable Multidex in order to build my project with Appodeal (which breaks the 64k methods limit) with Unity 2019.3 (betas 7 to 10). I've been through many issues, that I'm going to try to quickly describe here, as I'm sure it could spare some users some tears!

What I've done

1) I've created a cutsom mainTemplate.gradle file, in which I've added 'multiDexEnabled true' in the default config, and 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3' as a dependency.
When doing that, I've hit the issue described in this post: "More than one file was found with OS independent path 'androidsupportmultidexversion.txt'". cc @justtime

2) By exporting the project and using the command

gradle androidDependencies

, I've been able to see that my compiled project contained both 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.3' and 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.0' dependencies. I honestly don't know where the androidX version comes from... anyone has a guess?

To fix this issue, I've pinned the multidex dependency as 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.0', allowing the jar resolver to merge multidex deps properly, and I added android:name="androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication" to the application tag in my custom AndroidManifest.xml.

3) At this point, not more weird gradle error... except that multidex is not enabled at all, as I encounter the following issue again: "D8: Cannot fit requested classes in a single dex file.". I'm back to the start... How is that possible? I can see that androidx.multidex is properly added as a dependency, I have properly set multiDexEnabled to true and edited my manifest file as described above.

Possible hint?

In this post @JuliusM talks about the recent changes to the build.gradle files made to get Unity working as a library. I've dig a bit into that, but I've basically no experience regarding Android development and build config. Should `multiDexEnabled true` be set in the launcher's gradle.build file instead of the libreary's gradle file? If yes, how should developers proceed without having to export their game to Android Studio?

I've honestly lost days on this, so any help would be greatly appreciated guys! Anyone from @PavelLU 's team maybe? Thanks a lot in advance.

 

Hi Julius, thank you for your answer!

I've been using multidex in my previous Unity games without encountering any issue: it works well since Gradle is officially implemented.

I'm actually using Proguard minification, but Appodeal SDK is still above the 65k limit. They offer a version of their SDK that doesn't require Multidex, but according to their tech team, this will soon be deprecated.

So I guess it's of utmost importance for them to find a way to ensure compatibility with Unity 2019.3! The easy installation of their solution is a strong selling point, so having their users modify the Unity install of export the project might be an issue... I'll send them the link to this discussion.

Nevertheless, it seems that many users require multidex. would it be possible to imagine Unity adding a new checkbox near the "Custom gradle file" option, to automatically patch both Gradle files in order to activate Multidex?

 

It's not only Appodeal SDK issue. This can be achieved with different SDKs too. Just using Firebase and Mopub is enough to require multidex.
I hope Unity will soon fix this and bring back full multidex compatibility (having Unity Cloud Build in mind).

 

I have same problem. I need to use multidex. just add Facebook, Firebase, and some mediation SDK and you are our of limits. Please fix it. Local solution is not enough I can't modify files in unity install directory on UCB.

 

Hello,
can we know what is official reason why multidex isn't supported from version 2019.3? I using that feature in every project that I working on. According to official documentation https://developer.android.com/studio/build/multidex.html that is the solution for this situation?

We should set minSdkVersion to API 21 in order to have multidex enabled by default?

 

I did try to build without multidex on Android 21 and it did build

 

Yes I managed to have it working with a minimum Android version >= 21. Impossible to have it work under v21.

 

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/26609734/how-to-enable-multidexing-with-the-new-android-multidex-support-library

Pretty much using any plugins alongside a few of the Firebase plugins quickly hits the dex limit. Just dropping support for devices running versions of the SDK lower than 21 isn't really a good option either.

If Unity can't fix multidex support directly then a good potential workaround could be for them to let us switch between gradle building as an library and as an application, as 2019.2 and lower build as applications which allow implementation of multidex.

I'm talking about

apply plugin: 'com.android.application'

in the gradle mainTemplate which is used in 2019.2 and lower vs

apply plugin 'com.android.library'

which is forced to be used in 2019.3 and higher.

If alternatively anyone knows how to possibly build multidex for an android library to support android APIs lower than 21 that would also be great and solve everything too .

 

Hi, I managed to get it work even on lower minApi version (mine is set to 19) with Unity 2019.3.

You just need to edit the "launcherTemplate.gradle" file that is located at your Unity install location inside "Editor\Data\PlaybackEngines\AndroidPlayer\Tools\GradleTemplates". Just add the multiDexEnabled true and implementation 'com.android.support:multidex:1.0.1' here and it should work. Also you probably need to open your text editor as admin otherwise the changes won't be saved.

 

Sadly this doesn't seem to work either, from my testing the builds seemed to BUILD fine but launching the app on any devices running android 5.0 or lower would just log a bunch of class not found errors in logcat and plugins would fail to initialise or work correctly. (And running the app on android 5.0 or later would work fine)

Let me know if your builds do actually run on devices lower than android 5 though

 

I don't have any Android 4.4.x device, but I tried in in emulator (Nox with Android version 4.4.2) and the game launched without any problems. Do you use proguard? Maybe it's stripping some classes needed for the android 4.4

 

No, we had all stripping disabled.

The game may launch without any problems but are your plugins working correctly, e.g admob ads showing, firebase functions working correctly etc (depending what plugins you're using) (and are you actually using any plugins? It'll probably work fine multidexing a project without any plugins)

Are you seeing any class not found errors in logcat?

At the time of testing we had a fresh android project setup with the latest version of the full firebase suite and latest admob github plugin. I may need to come back and revisit this if you have it working, maybe the later versions of 2019.3 changed something? - However I'm currently in the middle of a project and don't have time to mess with upgrading and fixing multidex right now.

 

Unity 2019.3.4f1 still can't build my game.
P.S. multidex enabled and worked on 2019.2.21f1

 

Having an option in Editor should be the correct fix but until then, as JuliusM said you can add multidexEnabled to the exported gradle file using an IPostGenerateGradleAndroidProject script.
OneSignal SDK also had problems with this gradle template change in 2019.3 ( https://github.com/OneSignal/OneSig...WFzsFhKkzNrqwpDqGyMhjA8cdjc2oJlLKUDymKzZdulxo )
You can use their solution and add code to change the "launcher/build.gradle" and add "\nmultiDexEnabled true\n" in it.

 

In conclusion

MultiDex need to be enabled in launcher/build.gradle. But unity since 2019.3 has a bug that not allow us to override launcherTemplate.gradle. That bug was fixed in 2020.1.0b2 (yesterday) and not even backported into 2019.3.6 (today) yet

https://unity3d.com/unity/beta/2020.1.0b2

 

i think no one is testing new build of unity for android and iOS. Its disaster, for android i am using 2019.2.x and for iOS 2019.3.x. Cmon guys do like its was before one Engine to rule them all !

 

For anyone looking for solution.
You have to move your
implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'
and
multiDexEnabled true
from mainTemplate.gradle to launcherTemplate.gradle and it should work.

You should activate these files first here in the Project Setting->Player->Publishing Settings

 

Great!

I worked out it! Thank you.

 

Hi @N1kel could you please share an example launcherGradle.template?

 

@bekici, sure, this is just the default one with multidex thing added to it:

Code (CSharp):

1. // GENERATED BY UNITY. REMOVE THIS COMMENT TO PREVENT OVERWRITING WHEN EXPORTING AGAIN
2.  
3. apply plugin: 'com.android.application'
4.  
5. dependencies {
6.     implementation 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'
7.     implementation project(':unityLibrary')
8.     }
9.  
10. android {
11.     compileSdkVersion **APIVERSION**
12.     buildToolsVersion '**BUILDTOOLS**'
13.  
14.     compileOptions {
15.         sourceCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
16.         targetCompatibility JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
17.     }
18.  
19.     defaultConfig {
20.         minSdkVersion **MINSDKVERSION**
21.         targetSdkVersion **TARGETSDKVERSION**
22.         multiDexEnabled true
23.         applicationId '**APPLICATIONID**'
24.         ndk {
25.             abiFilters **ABIFILTERS**
26.         }
27.         versionCode **VERSIONCODE**
28.         versionName '**VERSIONNAME**'
29.     }
30.  
31.     aaptOptions {
32.         noCompress = ['.unity3d', '.ress', '.resource', '.obb'**STREAMING_ASSETS**]
33.         ignoreAssetsPattern = "!.svn:!.git:!.ds_store:!*.scc:.*:!CVS:!thumbs.db:!picasa.ini:!*~"
34.     }**SIGN**
35.  
36.     lintOptions {
37.         abortOnError false
38.     }
39.  
40.     buildTypes {
41.         debug {
42.             minifyEnabled **MINIFY_DEBUG**
43.             useProguard **PROGUARD_DEBUG**
44.             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt')**SIGNCONFIG**
45.             jniDebuggable true
46.         }
47.         release {
48.             minifyEnabled **MINIFY_RELEASE**
49.             useProguard **PROGUARD_RELEASE**
50.             proguardFiles getDefaultProguardFile('proguard-android.txt')**SIGNCONFIG**
51.         }
52.     }**PACKAGING_OPTIONS****SPLITS**
53. **BUILT_APK_LOCATION**
54.     bundle {
55.         language {
56.             enableSplit = false
57.         }
58.         density {
59.             enableSplit = false
60.         }
61.         abi {
62.             enableSplit = true
63.         }
64.     }
65. }**SPLITS_VERSION_CODE****LAUNCHER_SOURCE_BUILD_SETUP**
66.  

If it's your first time adding a multidex then don't forget to change the name parameter in AndroidManifest.xml to:

  <application android:theme="@android:style/Theme.NoTitleBar.Fullscreen" android:icon="@drawable/app_icon" android:label="[USER=7078]@String[/USER]/app_name" android:debuggable="false" android:name="androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication">

 

very very very thank you!
after 2 days (searching and try, searching and try.....)...your answer worked for me.

 

This works perfectly for me. Thanks a lot!

 

THANK U ALOT

 

Thank you so much

 

Using 2020.1.13f1 I also needed to add
android.useAndroidX=true in gradleTemplate.properties file.
But it worked at that point and didn't crash!

Thank you.

Also not sure what you mean needs to changed in the android manifest. But it seems to work without adjusting it.

Edit. this google implementation(in mainTemplate) was causing crashing for me during startup, incase this information is useful to anyone in future.

Code (CSharp):

1. implementation 'com.google.android.gms:play-services-ads:19.4.0'

for context I am working on appodeal integration.

 

Your solution helped with compilation. But now the game crashes right away.
Trying to get Appodeal to work

 

Bro, I Love you, thank you so much !!!
this helped me when I tried to add Applovin and Chartboost Plugins in the same project, geez what a nightmare,

 

I spent all day searching for this solution, thank you very much

 

Bless you, kind man

 

This man right here is a life saver!
You have my thanks and I'm sure, many others who encounter this issue

 

Holy crap, but simply chaning the minimum Android API to 21 I'm finally able to build the APK, after spending the larger part of the day with trying...

Thank you!

 

I am sorry but at unity 2020.3.18, I have a problem with com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1

Could not determine the dependencies of task ':launcher:compileReleaseJavaWithJavac'.
> Could not resolve all task dependencies for configuration ':launcher:releaseCompileClasspath'.
> Could not find com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1.
Required by:
project :launcher

Thank you so much for any help!

 

Your problem may be related to Android "Minimum API Level" setting in your Unity Project Settings.
The current setting may be Android 4.4 ('Kit Kat') (API Level 19). Try changing it to Android 5.0 'Lollipop' (API Level 21).

 

I found the problem!
It should have been 'androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1' but I wrote it as 'com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'.
So sorry about that!

 

After following these steps, my project builds but I get this exception when I try to launch it on device:

Code (CSharp):

1. java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to instantiate activity ComponentInfo{net.company.myapp/androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication}: java.lang.ClassCastException: androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication cannot be cast to android.app.Activity

Any ideas?
EDIT: Discovered my problem, I put the "android:name="androidx.multidex.MultiDexApplication" in the activity section of the AndroidManifest instead of the application section.

 

Hi,
if you people are still having problems regarding multidex, i figured it out . \

I was
Using
Unity version: 2020.3.20f1
AppsFlyer version: 6.4.0
Facbook SDK version : 11.0.0
EDM4U version: 1.2.167
Unified native admob sdk
,
having jetifier enabled in EDM4U and
dependencies {
implementation 'com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'
...
}
android {
...
defaultConfig {
...
multiDexEnabled true
...
}
}
in launcher gradle file and
# Android Resolver Properties Start
android.useAndroidX=true
android.enableJetifier=true
# Android Resolver Properties End
in gradle properties file , after force resolving dependencies, regenerating android manifest, still getting gradle failed error
> Could not find com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1. Required by: project :launcher unity

basically i was opting to use multidex because of 64k limit error. Even if i was managing to build using multidex, i had missing class errors in logcat of admob/facebook

the solution is quite simple.



check these items in player settings,


use the settings for EDM4U

and just dont add multi dex code i.e.
dependencies {
implementation 'com.androidx.multidex:multidex:2.0.1'
...
}
android {
...
defaultConfig {
...
multiDexEnabled true
...
}
}

in launcher gradle. just go for build, test your sdks and it will work

 

Worked for me thanks!