Cannot get to integrate MapboxAndroidSDK into my android studio project - sdk

Question

I am following the instructions in https://github.com/mapbox/mapbox-android-sdk#building-from-source and am currently using Android Studio. I used to use Eclipse for this Android project and I just plain gave up after spending all of yesterday trying to make integrating mapbox-android-sdk to work with my android project in Eclipse. I wish the instructions were clearer on mapbox-android-sdk--I am delighted to help them if I knew how.
I imported my old Android project into Android Studio, and then went into File->Import Project and chose the build.gradle inside MapboxAndroidSDK in the directory where I downloaded the git source tree in my system.
Then, while my android project needing maps supported was selected in Android Studio, I went to File->Import Module in Android Studio to add the *.aar file that was generated in the MapboxAndroidSDK directory.
Anyway, when I now run my app, I get the following errors. Any help is appreciated.
09-29 11:30:07.061 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/﹕ HostConnection::get() New Host Connection established 0xb7b6bdb8, tid 1111
09-29 11:30:07.091 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/EGL_emulation﹕ eglSurfaceAttrib not implemented
09-29 11:30:07.101 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/OpenGLRenderer﹕ Enabling debug mode 0
09-29 11:30:16.431 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/dalvikvm﹕ GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 104K, 5% free 3282K/3448K, paused 20ms, total 24ms
09-29 11:30:16.481 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to find class referenced in signature (Ljava/nio/file/Path;)
09-29 11:30:16.481 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to find class referenced in signature ([Ljava/nio/file/OpenOption;)
09-29 11:30:16.491 1111-1111/com.username.someapp I/dalvikvm﹕ Could not find method java.nio.file.Files.newOutputStream, referenced from method okio.Okio.sink
09-29 11:30:16.491 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to resolve static method 10776: Ljava/nio/file/Files;.newOutputStream (Ljava/nio/file/Path;[Ljava/nio/file/OpenOption;)Ljava/io/OutputStrea
m;
09-29 11:30:16.491 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: replacing opcode 0x71 at 0x000a
09-29 11:30:16.491 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to find class referenced in signature (Ljava/nio/file/Path;)
09-29 11:30:16.491 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to find class referenced in signature ([Ljava/nio/file/OpenOption;)
09-29 11:30:16.501 1111-1111/com.username.someapp I/dalvikvm﹕ Could not find method java.nio.file.Files.newInputStream, referenced from method okio.Okio.source
09-29 11:30:16.501 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: unable to resolve static method 10775: Ljava/nio/file/Files;.newInputStream (Ljava/nio/file/Path;[Ljava/nio/file/OpenOption;)Ljava/io/InputStream;
09-29 11:30:16.501 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/dalvikvm﹕ VFY: replacing opcode 0x71 at 0x000a
09-29 11:30:16.511 1111-1111/com.username.someapp D/AndroidRuntime﹕ Shutting down VM
09-29 11:30:16.511 1111-1111/com.username.someapp W/dalvikvm﹕ threadid=1: thread exiting with uncaught exception (group=0xb1aaaba8)
09-29 11:30:16.531 1111-1111/com.username.someapp E/AndroidRuntime﹕ FATAL EXCEPTION: main
Process: com.username.someapp, PID: 1111
java.lang.RuntimeException: Unable to start activity ComponentInfo{com.username.someapp/com.username.someapp.MapActivity}: java.lang.NullPointerException
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2195)
at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2245)
at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:135)
at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1196)
at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5017)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:779)
at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:595)
at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)
Caused by: java.lang.NullPointerException
at com.username.someapp.MapActivity.onCreate(MapActivity.java:51)
at android.app.Activity.performCreate(Activity.java:5231)
at android.app.Instrumentation.callActivityOnCreate(Instrumentation.java:1087)
at android.app.ActivityThread.performLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2159)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.handleLaunchActivity(ActivityThread.java:2245)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.access$800(ActivityThread.java:135)
            at android.app.ActivityThread$H.handleMessage(ActivityThread.java:1196)
            at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:102)
            at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
            at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5017)
            at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
I think the issue may be resolved with the instructions in here that says
Don't forget to then also include the dependencies from MapboxAndroidSDK / build.gradle in your classpath!
but I have no idea how to do that in Android Studio. Could anyone point to exactly what dependencies and how? Should I add them as File->Project Structure->Dependencies->Library dependency->? Any insight into this is deeply appreciated.

Answer 1

Thanks, Scott Barta.
For anybody else who comes in here with similar issues, I want to spell out how I fixed the problem. It was, as Scott points out, an issue with my code, not with the SDK. For starters, please note that mapbox-android-sdk comes with a test application which works, so in the end if you are stuck here, remember that the app is likely not the issue.
Anyway, it turned out that I had not initiated the Activity correctly. I had to instantiate it with the correct MapView and also use the appropriate mapbox:mapid (which should be declared in the *.xml file or the manifest file. Also, the example in the original page was for a fragment which looked slightly different from my code which caused some confusion. Last, but certainly not the least, I have switched so many platforms to get this to work (eclipse, gradle and now android studio) that is likely one of the biggest causes. I plan capturing these changes to my app somewhere and if I see interest, I will update this answer with more details.