iOS / CMake problems including launch screen

[Ron Menelli]

I'm finishing up my first app that uses Qt 6.8 and CMake, after a long time using 5.15 and QMake. I'm having some trouble getting it fully working in iOS. I can get the app running with no launch screen, but I'm now trying to add a simple launch screen, and my attempts either result in no launch screen displayed or CMake errors.

I've created my asset catalog, which I've successfully done before in 5.15. I found some info online about how to include the asset catalog and my own Info.plist template in the build. However, now when I try to run CMake I get this error:

error: unable to read property list from file: /Users/ron/Work/build-SmartMultiboxEditor-Qt_6_8_2_for_iOS/CMakeFiles/SmartMultiboxEditor.dir/Info.plist: The operation couldn’t be completed. (XCBUtil.PropertyListConversionError error 2.) (in target 'SmartMultiboxEditor' from project 'SmartMultiboxEditor')

Looking at SmartMultiboxEditor.dir/Info.plist, it's a binary plist file. I'm guessing that this isn't supposed to happen?

I'm attaching my Cmakelists.txt and the Info.plist file I'm starting with. Can anyone point out my error(s)?

CmakeLists.txt

cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.21)

project(SmartMultiboxEditor VERSION 1.1.0 LANGUAGES CXX)

set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
set(CMAKE_OSX_ARCHITECTURES "x86_64;arm64")

find_package(Qt6 6.8 REQUIRED COMPONENTS Quick)

qt_standard_project_setup(REQUIRES 6.8)

# Find all QML/JS files for the QML compiler:
file(GLOB_RECURSE QmlFiles RELATIVE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} qml/*.qml qml/*.js)

# Find all non-QML/JS files in the qml and assets folder to add as resources:
file(GLOB_RECURSE AssetsFiles RELATIVE ${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR} assets/* firmware/*)
list(REMOVE_ITEM AssetsFiles ${QmlFiles})


if(APPLE)
  if(IOS)
    set(app_icon "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/icons/SMBEditorIOSIcon.icns")
    set(MACOSX_BUNDLE_ICON_FILE "SMBEditorIOSIcon.icns")
    set(launch_screen "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ios/RJMLaunchScreen.storyboard")
    set_source_files_properties(${launch_screen} PROPERTIES MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION "Resources")
  else()
    set(app_icon "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/icons/SMBEditorIcon.icns")
    set(MACOSX_BUNDLE_ICON_FILE "SMBEditorIcon.icns")
    set(launch_screen "")
  endif()
  set_source_files_properties(${app_icon} PROPERTIES MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION "Resources")
  qt_add_executable(SmartMultiboxEditor MACOSX_BUNDLE
      main.h
      main.cpp
      btea.h
      btea.cpp
      cppinterface.h
      cppinterface.cpp
      defaultscripts.cpp
      firmwareupdate.h
      firmwareupdate.cpp
      globals.h
      rjf_file.h
      settings.h
      settingstransfer.h
      settingstransfer.cpp
      smbsyntaxhighlighter.h
      smbsyntaxhighlighter.cpp
      ${QmlFiles}
      ${AssetsFiles}
      ${app_icon}
      ${launch_screen}
  )
else()
  set(app_icon "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/icons/SMBEditorIcon.rc")
  qt_add_executable(SmartMultiboxEditor
      main.h
      main.cpp
      btea.h
      btea.cpp
      cppinterface.h
      cppinterface.cpp
      defaultscripts.cpp
      firmwareupdate.h
      firmwareupdate.cpp
      globals.h
      rjf_file.h
      settings.h
      settingstransfer.h
      settingstransfer.cpp
      smbsyntaxhighlighter.h
      smbsyntaxhighlighter.cpp
      ${QmlFiles}
      ${AssetsFiles}
      ${app_icon}
  )
endif()

if(IOS)
  # Asset catalog root
  target_sources(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets")
  set_source_files_properties("${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets" PROPERTIES
      MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION Resources
  )
  # Asset catalog app icon set
  list(APPEND app_icon_set "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset")
  list(APPEND app_icon_set "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/Contents.json")
  set_source_files_properties(${app_icon_set} PROPERTIES
      MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION Resources/Media.xcassets
  )
  # Asset catalog icon files
  file(GLOB app_icon_files CONFIGURE_DEPENDS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset/*.png")
  list(APPEND app_icon_files "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset/Contents.json")
  set_source_files_properties(${app_icon_set} PROPERTIES
      MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION Resources/Media.xcassets/AppIcon.appiconset
  )
  # Asset catalog launch screen
  list(APPEND launch_screen_set "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/RJMLaunchScreen.imageset")
  list(APPEND launch_screen_set "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/Contents.json")
  set_source_files_properties(${launch_screen_set} PROPERTIES
      MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION Resources/Media.xcassets
  )
  # Asset catalog launch screen
  file(GLOB launch_screen_files CONFIGURE_DEPENDS "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/RJMLaunchScreen.imageset/*.png")
  list(APPEND launch_screen_files "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/Media.xcassets/RJMLaunchScreen.imageset/Contents.json")
  set_source_files_properties(${launch_screen_files} PROPERTIES
      MACOSX_PACKAGE_LOCATION Resources/Media.xcassets/RJMLaunchScreen.imageset
)
endif()

add_subdirectory(ConnectedDeviceListModel)
add_subdirectory(MIDI)
add_subdirectory(rtmidi)
add_subdirectory(ScriptListModel)

add_subdirectory(../SmartMultibox/SmartMultiboxFW/ SmartMultibox)

qt_add_qml_module(SmartMultiboxEditor
    URI SmartMultiboxEditor
    VERSION 1.0
    QML_FILES ${QmlFiles}
)

qt_add_resources(SmartMultiboxEditor assetresources
    PREFIX "/"
    FILES ${AssetsFiles}
)

target_compile_options(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE -DUSE_QT -DNOMIDICI)

if(APPLE)
    target_compile_options(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE -D__MACOSX_CORE__)
else()
    target_compile_options(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE -D__WINDOWS_MM__ -DRTMIDI_DO_NOT_ENSURE_UNIQUE_PORTNAMES)
endif()

target_include_directories(SmartMultiboxEditor AFTER PRIVATE ../SmartMultibox/SmartMultiboxFW/Core/Inc)

if(APPLE)
    target_link_libraries(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE Qt6::Quick "-framework CoreAudio" "-framework CoreMIDI")
else()
    target_link_libraries(SmartMultiboxEditor PRIVATE Qt6::Quick "-lwinmm")
endif()



# Qt for iOS sets MACOSX_BUNDLE_GUI_IDENTIFIER automatically since Qt 6.1.
# If you are developing for iOS or macOS you should consider setting an
# explicit, fixed bundle identifier manually though.
set_target_properties(SmartMultiboxEditor PROPERTIES
    MACOSX_BUNDLE_GUI_IDENTIFIER com.RJMMusic.smartMultiboxEditor
    MACOSX_BUNDLE_COPYRIGHT "Copyright (c) 2025 RJM Music Technology, Inc."
    MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_VERSION ${PROJECT_VERSION}
    MACOSX_BUNDLE_SHORT_VERSION_STRING ${PROJECT_VERSION}
    MACOSX_BUNDLE TRUE
    WIN32_EXECUTABLE TRUE
)

if(IOS)
  set_target_properties(SmartMultiboxEditor PROPERTIES
    MACOSX_BUNDLE_INFO_PLIST "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/ios/Info.plist")
endif()

target_link_libraries(SmartMultiboxEditor
    PRIVATE Qt6::Quick
)

include(GNUInstallDirs)
install(TARGETS SmartMultiboxEditor
    BUNDLE DESTINATION .
    LIBRARY DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR}
    RUNTIME DESTINATION ${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR}
)

Info.plist

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
	<key>CFBundleDisplayName</key>
	<string>Smart Multibox Editor</string>
	<key>CFBundleExecutable</key>
	<string>SmartMultiboxEditor</string>
	<key>CFBundleIconFile</key>
	<string>SMBEditorIOSIcon.icns</string>
	<key>CFBundleIdentifier</key>
	<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_GUI_IDENTIFIER}</string>
	<key>CFBundleName</key>
	<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_NAME}</string>
	<key>CFBundlePackageType</key>
	<string>APPL</string>
	<key>CFBundleShortVersionString</key>
	<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_VERSION}</string>
    <key>CFBundleSignature</key>
	<string>????</string>
	<key>CFBundleSupportedPlatforms</key>
	<array>
		<string>iPhoneOS</string>
	</array>
	<key>CFBundleVersion</key>
	<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_BUNDLE_VERSION}</string>
	<key>LSRequiresIPhoneOS</key>
	<true/>
	<key>MinimumOSVersion</key>
	<string>16</string>
	<key>NSHumanReadableCopyright</key>
	<string>${MACOSX_BUNDLE_COPYRIGHT}</string>
	<key>UIDeviceFamily</key>
	<array>
		<integer>1</integer>
		<integer>2</integer>
	</array>
	<key>UILaunchStoryboardName</key>
	<string>RJMLaunchScreen</string>
	<key>UIRequiredDeviceCapabilities</key>
	<array>
		<string>arm64</string>
	</array>
	<key>UISupportedInterfaceOrientations</key>
	<array>
		<string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortrait</string>
		<string>UIInterfaceOrientationPortraitUpsideDown</string>
		<string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeLeft</string>
		<string>UIInterfaceOrientationLandscapeRight</string>
	</array>
</dict>
</plist>