title: Android Studio "IDE error occured" on create new Activity
body: <p><strong>(See update at the bottom)</strong></p>
  
  <p>Since Android Studio updated itself to v3.0, I can't make a new Activity.. I get this error reporting dialog showing 2 errors. I tried with a different project, tried cleaning the project, resyncing gradle, restarting my computer, uninstalling/reinstalling Android Studio, tried following Google's <a href="https://youtu.be/oBsbI8ICYKg" rel="noreferrer">project Gradle migration video</a> but nothing changes and I can't work anymore... Any ideas?</p>
  
  <p>I didn't click "disable plugin" to disable <em>Android Support</em> as I don't want to break something I don't know about.</p>
  
  <p>Details of first error message:</p>
  
  <pre><code>null
  java.lang.NullPointerException
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.TemplateManager$2.actionPerformed(TemplateManager.java:481)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ex.ActionUtil$1.run(ActionUtil.java:215)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ex.ActionUtil.performActionDumbAware(ActionUtil.java:232)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem$ActionTransmitter.lambda$actionPerformed$0(ActionMenuItem.java:309)
      at com.intellij.openapi.wm.impl.FocusManagerImpl.runOnOwnContext(FocusManagerImpl.java:929)
      at com.intellij.openapi.wm.impl.IdeFocusManagerImpl.runOnOwnContext(IdeFocusManagerImpl.java:136)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem$ActionTransmitter.actionPerformed(ActionMenuItem.java:299)
      at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2022)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem.lambda$fireActionPerformed$0(ActionMenuItem.java:116)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.runSyncTransaction(TransactionGuardImpl.java:86)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.lambda$submitTransaction$1(TransactionGuardImpl.java:109)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.submitTransaction(TransactionGuardImpl.java:118)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuard.submitTransaction(TransactionGuard.java:122)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem.fireActionPerformed(ActionMenuItem.java:116)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI.doClick(BegMenuItemUI.java:513)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI.access$300(BegMenuItemUI.java:45)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI$MyMouseInputHandler.mouseReleased(BegMenuItemUI.java:533)
      at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6541)
      at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3324)
      at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6306)
      at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2237)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4897)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2295)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4889)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4526)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4467)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2281)
      at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2746)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:764)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:98)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:715)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:90)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:737)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:735)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:734)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.defaultDispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:827)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue._dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:651)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:365)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>Details of second error message:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Error executing FreeMarker template: The following has evaluated to null or missing:
  ==&gt; manifestDir  [in template "root://activities/common/common_globals.xml.ftl" at line 36, column 39]
  
  Tip: If the failing expression is known to be legally null/missing, either specify a default value with myOptionalVar!myDefault, or use &lt;#if myOptionalVar??&gt;when-present&lt;#else&gt;when-missing&lt;/#if&gt;. (These only cover the last step of the expression; to cover the whole expression, use parenthessis: (myOptionVar.foo)!myDefault, (myOptionVar.foo)??
  
  The failing instruction (print stack trace for 1 more):
  ==&gt; ${manifestDir}  [in template "root://activities/common/common_globals.xml.ftl" at line 36, column 37]
  FreeMarker template error:
  The following has evaluated to null or missing:
  ==&gt; manifestDir  [in template "root://activities/common/common_globals.xml.ftl" at line 36, column 39]
  
  Tip: If the failing expression is known to be legally null/missing, either specify a default value with myOptionalVar!myDefault, or use &lt;#if myOptionalVar??&gt;when-present&lt;#else&gt;when-missing&lt;/#if&gt;. (These only cover the last step of the expression; to cover the whole expression, use parenthessis: (myOptionVar.foo)!myDefault, (myOptionVar.foo)??
  
  The failing instruction (FTL stack trace):
  ----------
  ==&gt; ${manifestDir}  [in template "root://activities/common/common_globals.xml.ftl" at line 36, column 37]
      #include "../common/common_globals.xm...  [in template "root://activities/EmptyActivity/globals.xml.ftl" at line 8, column 5]
  ----------
  
  Java stack trace (for programmers):
  ----------
  freemarker.core.InvalidReferenceException: [... Exception message was already printed; see it above ...]
      at freemarker.core.InvalidReferenceException.getInstance(InvalidReferenceException.java:98)
      at freemarker.core.EvalUtil.coerceModelToString(EvalUtil.java:382)
      at freemarker.core.Expression.evalAndCoerceToString(Expression.java:115)
      at freemarker.core.DollarVariable.accept(DollarVariable.java:76)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.visit(Environment.java:265)
      at freemarker.core.MixedContent.accept(MixedContent.java:93)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.visit(Environment.java:265)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.include(Environment.java:1712)
      at freemarker.core.Include.accept(Include.java:172)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.visit(Environment.java:265)
      at freemarker.core.MixedContent.accept(MixedContent.java:93)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.visit(Environment.java:265)
      at freemarker.core.Environment.process(Environment.java:243)
      at freemarker.template.Template.process(Template.java:277)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.FreemarkerUtils.processFreemarkerTemplate(FreemarkerUtils.java:96)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.processFile(Template.java:471)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.access$100(Template.java:73)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template$3.startElement(Template.java:513)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.startElement(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractXMLDocumentParser.emptyElement(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanStartElement(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl$FragmentContentDispatcher.dispatch(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.impl.XMLDocumentFragmentScannerImpl.scanDocument(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XML11Configuration.parse(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.XMLParser.parse(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.parsers.AbstractSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl$JAXPSAXParser.parse(Unknown Source)
      at org.apache.xerces.jaxp.SAXParserImpl.parse(Unknown Source)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.processXml(Template.java:484)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.processFile(Template.java:468)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.lambda$doRender$2(Template.java:368)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template$1.run(Template.java:347)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.RunResult.run(RunResult.java:35)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.lambda$null$1(WriteCommandAction.java:171)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.impl.ApplicationImpl.runWriteAction(ApplicationImpl.java:1023)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.lambda$performWriteCommandAction$2(WriteCommandAction.java:170)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.lambda$doExecuteCommand$4(WriteCommandAction.java:210)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.impl.CoreCommandProcessor.executeCommand(CoreCommandProcessor.java:149)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.impl.CoreCommandProcessor.executeCommand(CoreCommandProcessor.java:119)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.doExecuteCommand(WriteCommandAction.java:212)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.performWriteCommandAction(WriteCommandAction.java:168)
      at com.intellij.openapi.command.WriteCommandAction.execute(WriteCommandAction.java:151)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.runWriteCommandAction(Template.java:349)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.doRender(Template.java:367)
      at com.android.tools.idea.templates.Template.render(Template.java:232)
      at com.android.tools.idea.npw.template.RenderTemplateModel$FreeMarkerTemplateRenderer.renderTemplate(RenderTemplateModel.java:267)
      at com.android.tools.idea.npw.template.RenderTemplateModel$FreeMarkerTemplateRenderer.doDryRun(RenderTemplateModel.java:196)
      at com.android.tools.idea.npw.template.MultiTemplateRenderer.countDown(MultiTemplateRenderer.java:58)
      at com.android.tools.idea.npw.template.MultiTemplateRenderer.requestRender(MultiTemplateRenderer.java:77)
      at com.android.tools.idea.npw.template.RenderTemplateModel.handleFinished(RenderTemplateModel.java:176)
      at com.android.tools.idea.wizard.model.ModelWizard.handleFinished(ModelWizard.java:393)
      at com.android.tools.idea.wizard.model.ModelWizard.goForward(ModelWizard.java:324)
      at com.android.tools.idea.wizard.model.ModelWizardDialog$FinishAction.doAction(ModelWizardDialog.java:307)
      at com.intellij.openapi.ui.DialogWrapper$DialogWrapperAction.actionPerformed(DialogWrapper.java:1838)
      at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2022)
      at javax.swing.AbstractButton$Handler.actionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2348)
      at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.fireActionPerformed(DefaultButtonModel.java:402)
      at javax.swing.DefaultButtonModel.setPressed(DefaultButtonModel.java:259)
      at javax.swing.plaf.basic.BasicButtonListener.mouseReleased(BasicButtonListener.java:252)
      at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6541)
      at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3324)
      at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6306)
      at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2237)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4897)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2295)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4889)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4526)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4467)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2281)
      at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2746)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:764)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:98)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:715)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:90)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:737)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:735)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:734)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.defaultDispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:827)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue._dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:651)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:365)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:109)
      at java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$2.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:190)
      at java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:235)
      at java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport$4.run(WaitDispatchSupport.java:233)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.awt.WaitDispatchSupport.enter(WaitDispatchSupport.java:233)
      at java.awt.Dialog.show(Dialog.java:1084)
      at com.intellij.openapi.ui.impl.DialogWrapperPeerImpl$MyDialog.show(DialogWrapperPeerImpl.java:736)
      at com.intellij.openapi.ui.impl.DialogWrapperPeerImpl.show(DialogWrapperPeerImpl.java:458)
      at com.intellij.openapi.ui.DialogWrapper.invokeShow(DialogWrapper.java:1696)
      at com.intellij.openapi.ui.DialogWrapper.show(DialogWrapper.java:1645)
      at com.android.tools.idea.actions.NewAndroidComponentAction.actionPerformed(NewAndroidComponentAction.java:140)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ex.ActionUtil$1.run(ActionUtil.java:215)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.ex.ActionUtil.performActionDumbAware(ActionUtil.java:232)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem$ActionTransmitter.lambda$actionPerformed$0(ActionMenuItem.java:309)
      at com.intellij.openapi.wm.impl.FocusManagerImpl.runOnOwnContext(FocusManagerImpl.java:929)
      at com.intellij.openapi.wm.impl.IdeFocusManagerImpl.runOnOwnContext(IdeFocusManagerImpl.java:136)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem$ActionTransmitter.actionPerformed(ActionMenuItem.java:299)
      at javax.swing.AbstractButton.fireActionPerformed(AbstractButton.java:2022)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem.lambda$fireActionPerformed$0(ActionMenuItem.java:116)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.runSyncTransaction(TransactionGuardImpl.java:86)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.lambda$submitTransaction$1(TransactionGuardImpl.java:109)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuardImpl.submitTransaction(TransactionGuardImpl.java:118)
      at com.intellij.openapi.application.TransactionGuard.submitTransaction(TransactionGuard.java:122)
      at com.intellij.openapi.actionSystem.impl.ActionMenuItem.fireActionPerformed(ActionMenuItem.java:116)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI.doClick(BegMenuItemUI.java:513)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI.access$300(BegMenuItemUI.java:45)
      at com.intellij.ui.plaf.beg.BegMenuItemUI$MyMouseInputHandler.mouseReleased(BegMenuItemUI.java:533)
      at java.awt.Component.processMouseEvent(Component.java:6541)
      at javax.swing.JComponent.processMouseEvent(JComponent.java:3324)
      at java.awt.Component.processEvent(Component.java:6306)
      at java.awt.Container.processEvent(Container.java:2237)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEventImpl(Component.java:4897)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2295)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.retargetMouseEvent(Container.java:4889)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.processMouseEvent(Container.java:4526)
      at java.awt.LightweightDispatcher.dispatchEvent(Container.java:4467)
      at java.awt.Container.dispatchEventImpl(Container.java:2281)
      at java.awt.Window.dispatchEventImpl(Window.java:2746)
      at java.awt.Component.dispatchEvent(Component.java:4719)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEventImpl(EventQueue.java:764)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.access$500(EventQueue.java:98)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:715)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$3.run(EventQueue.java:709)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:90)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:737)
      at java.awt.EventQueue$4.run(EventQueue.java:735)
      at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
      at java.security.ProtectionDomain$JavaSecurityAccessImpl.doIntersectionPrivilege(ProtectionDomain.java:80)
      at java.awt.EventQueue.dispatchEvent(EventQueue.java:734)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.defaultDispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:827)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue._dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:651)
      at com.intellij.ide.IdeEventQueue.dispatchEvent(IdeEventQueue.java:365)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpOneEventForFilters(EventDispatchThread.java:201)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForFilter(EventDispatchThread.java:116)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEventsForHierarchy(EventDispatchThread.java:105)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:101)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.pumpEvents(EventDispatchThread.java:93)
      at java.awt.EventDispatchThread.run(EventDispatchThread.java:82)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/PkWRg.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/PkWRg.jpg" alt="First exception"></a></p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ou0OY.jpg" rel="noreferrer"><img src="https://i.stack.imgur.com/Ou0OY.jpg" alt="Second exception"></a></p>
  
  <p><strong>UPDATE</strong>:
  When playing around, I noticed that the problem doesn't occur if I create a new project. It only happens on existing projects.</p>