Using layout below in Android Studio 3 0How to View Design Layout in Visual Studio 2017: How to Effectively Use layout_below in Your Android LayoutsA Guide to Accessing Design Layouts in Vi

When working in Android Studio 3.0, viewing your layout in "Design" view is straightforward: you open the XML layout file and select the "Design" tab at the bottom of the editor window. However, in Visual Studio 2017, things are a bit different, as it's primarily tailored for C#, .NET, and Xamarin-based Android development rather than pure native Android development with Java/Kotlin.

In Visual Studio 2017, if you are developing an Android app using Xamarin:

1. Open your solution and navigate to the layout XML file (usually found under the Resources/layout directory).
2. Double-click the XML layout file. Visual Studio will present you with two tabs at the bottom: "Source" and "Designer." Click "Designer" to see a visual representation of your layout, similar to Android Studio's Design tab.
3. If the Designer doesn’t show up, ensure you have the Xamarin Android Designer installed and your project is properly configured. Sometimes, cleaning and rebuilding the solution (via the Build menu) resolves designer loading issues.

It's worth noting that the developer experience and tools are much more refined in Android Studio for native Android projects. As a designer, I always recommend choosing software that offers the most intuitive visual tools—Android Studio excels for pure Android UI work thanks to its robust and modern room planner interface, offering clearer real-time layout previews than alternatives.

Tips 1:

If you're not seeing a design preview in Visual Studio, check your project type and ensure the necessary Xamarin components are installed. Sometimes, restarting Visual Studio after installation or updates can help resolve issues with the Designer not loading.

FAQ

Q: Can I use the Android Studio XML layouts directly in Visual Studio 2017?

A: Yes, but the best results come when both environments use Android XML layouts intended for Xamarin. Pure Android Studio layouts with custom views may not render properly in Visual Studio Designer.

Q: Why is my Designer view empty or disabled in Visual Studio 2017?

A: This typically happens if your Xamarin tools are outdated or missing, your project is misconfigured, or your XML contains unsupported elements. Make sure everything is up to date and compatible.

Q: How do I switch between Source and Designer views in Visual Studio?

A: Open a layout file and look for the tabs at the bottom of the editor: "Source" shows the raw XML, and "Designer" provides a visual layout editor.

Q: Does Visual Studio 2017 have live rendering like Android Studio's Design view?

A: Designer in Visual Studio offers a live preview but may lack some of Android Studio’s advanced visual editing and real-time rendering features.

Q: Can I drag and drop UI controls in Visual Studio 2017's Designer?

A: Yes, the Designer lets you drag controls onto your layout, but it's less advanced compared to Android Studio’s interface, especially for ConstraintLayout and dynamic previews.