Settings¶

Application-wide preferences live in the Application Settings window — click the gear button at the bottom of the left rail to open it. Settings are grouped into tabs: Environment, Plug-ins, Scripting, and Developer, and an installed plug-in can add tabs of its own.

Note

There is no Save button — your changes are saved when you close the window, and most take effect immediately at that point. Two exceptions: the theme applies (and is saved) the moment you toggle it, and a tab containing an invalid value is skipped when the window closes — a notification names the tab so you can reopen and fix it.

Environment¶

Environment tab with User Data Path (read-only), Application Theme toggle, and Send Usage Metrics toggle

Setting	What it does
User Data Path	Shows where your profile lives — settings, logs, workspaces, and application state. Read-only: to relocate it, start Evaluation Studio with `--data-dir <path>` (see below).
Application Theme	Switches between light and dark mode. Applies immediately.
Send Usage Metrics	Opts in or out of anonymous usage data (see Privacy).

Plug-ins¶

Plug-ins tab with Plug-in Install Path, Use Debug Plug-ins toggle, and the Repositories list showing the evaluation-studio feed as Connected

Setting	What it does
Plug-in Install Path	The folder plug-in packages install into. Must be an existing directory. Read-only when a `--plugins-dir` launch override is active.
Use Debug Plug-ins	Also loads unpackaged plug-ins from the debug plug-ins folder — for people developing plug-ins; leave off otherwise.
Repositories	The package feeds plug-ins are found in, in priority order. Each repository has an enable checkbox and a live connection indicator.

To add a repository:

Click Add in the Repositories header.
Enter a name and the feed URL. For a private feed, turn on Requires Authentication and enter the username and password — credentials are stored encrypted.
Use the priority arrows on a repository row to control which feed wins when the same plug-in exists in several.

Scripting¶

Scripting tab: Enable HTTP API on with status Listening on port 28282, HTTPS off, MCP Server / UI Automation Tools / Transaction Tools toggles on, Allow Remote Connections off, and the Connect an AI client panel with a copyable snippet

Setting	What it does
Enable HTTP API / HTTP Port	Turns on the REST automation API over plain HTTP (default port 28282; valid range 1024–65535). Applies when the window closes.
Enable HTTPS API / HTTPS Port	The same API over HTTPS (default 28283), using a development certificate.
HTTP / HTTPS Status	Live status of each endpoint — Listening on port N, Not enabled, or Port N unavailable. This reports what is actually bound, so it also reflects command-line port overrides.
Enable MCP Server	Lets AI assistants operate Evaluation Studio. Requires the HTTP or HTTPS API to be enabled.
Enable UI Automation Tools	Lets AI agents take screenshots of the application.
Enable Transaction Tools	Exposes operations — driving the UI, captures, register access, plug-in commands — as AI-agent tools.
Allow Remote Connections	Accepts API connections from other machines instead of just this one. The API has no authentication — only enable this on a trusted network.
Connect an AI client	Pick your AI client (Claude Code, VS Code, Cursor, …) and copy a ready-made configuration snippet for it. Covered in detail in Connect an AI Assistant.

Developer¶

Diagnostic options for people working on Evaluation Studio itself. If you are evaluating hardware, you can ignore this tab.

Privacy and usage metrics¶

The first time you run Evaluation Studio it asks whether to share anonymous diagnostics and usage data:

First-run dialog titled Your privacy matters, with Don't share data and Share anonymous data buttons

Nothing is sent unless you choose Share anonymous data — the data carries a random identifier, never your name or files. You can change your mind at any time with Send Usage Metrics on the Environment tab.

Where settings are stored¶

Settings persist in UserSettings/userSettings.json inside your user data path — by default %LocalAppData%/Analog Devices/Evaluation Studio on Windows. Repository passwords and API keys in the file are encrypted.

Launch options that override settings

A few command-line options override what is configured here, for one run only — they are never written back to your settings:

--data-dir <path> — use a different profile (settings, logs, workspaces, recordings). An empty folder behaves like a fresh install.
--plugins-dir <path> — load plug-ins from a different folder; the Plug-in Install Path field becomes read-only while active.
--http <port> / --https <port> — force the scripting API on at the given port. The Scripting tab's toggles still show your saved preference, but the Status lines show the port actually in use.

If the settings file is damaged

Evaluation Studio deliberately refuses to guess: a damaged userSettings.json stops startup with an error screen that names your data folder. Fix the file, or delete it to start over with defaults — a missing file is recreated automatically.

Troubleshooting¶

Symptom	Cause	Fix
A change didn't stick	The tab contained an invalid value when the window closed, so that tab was skipped (a notification names it)	Reopen Settings, fix the highlighted value, close the window again
HTTP Status says Port N unavailable	Another program (or another Evaluation Studio) is using the port	Choose a different port, or close the other program
Startup fails with a settings error	The settings file is damaged	Fix or delete `UserSettings/userSettings.json` in your data folder