# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## Overview
There are so many cool projects that use the MagTag, so why limit yourself to just one at a time?
This project allows you to load eight different projects on your MagTag at the same time. You can select which project to display using the four built-in buttons and then have it display that project until you decide to change it.
This project is heavily based on some code that Adafruit community member @DavidGlaude wrote and posted on Twitter.
https://twitter.com/DavidGlaude/status/1340365817138044933
You can put just about any project on here with a little bit of modification, but here are the eight projects that I have decided to include:
1. [MagTag Daily Weather Forecast Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-weather)
2. [SpaceX Next Launch Display with Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/spacex-next-launch-display-with-adafruit-magtag)
3. MagTag Covid Tracking Project IoT Display
4. [MagTag Showerthoughts and Quotes](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-showerthoughts)
5. [MagTag Tides Viewer](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-tides-viewer)
6. [MagTag Progress Displays](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-progress-displays/year-progress)
7. [MagTag Weekly Showtimes Event Notifier](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-weekly-event-showtimes-display)
8. [MagTag Slideshow](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-slideshow)
## Parts
This kit contains all the parts except for a cable:
### Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials
[Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
The **Adafruit MagTag** combines the new ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4819/guides)
Or get the pieces separately:
### Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display
[Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
The Adafruit MagTag combines the ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the ESP32 and also adds...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4800/guides)
### Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)
[Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
Got a glorious RGB Matrix project you want to mount and display in your workspace or home? If you have one of the matrix panels listed below, you'll need a pack of these **Mini-Magnet Feet.** We got these specifically for our RGB LED Matrices, which no longer...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4631/guides)
### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh
[Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 420mAh for a total of about 1.55 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4236/guides)
### USB Type A to Type C Cable - 1ft - 0.3 meter
[USB Type A to Type C Cable - 1ft - 0.3 meter](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4473)
As technology changes and adapts, so does Adafruit. This **USB Type A to Type C** cable will help you with the transition to USB C, even if you're still totin' around a USB Type A hub, computer or laptop.
USB C is the latest industry-standard connector for...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4473)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4473/guides)
# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## Install CircuitPython
Danger: Make sure that you [update the TinyUF2 Bootloader](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only) before installing CircuitPython!
### Adafruit MagTag - Update TinyUF2 Bootloader for CircuitPython 10 and Later
[Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag)
[Update TinyUF2 Bootloader for CircuitPython 10 and Later](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only)
[CircuitPython](https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython) is a derivative of [MicroPython](https://micropython.org) designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the **CIRCUITPY** drive to iterate.
## Set Up CircuitPython
Follow the steps to get CircuitPython installed on your MagTag.
[CircuitPython Download for MagTag](https://circuitpython.org/board/adafruit_magtag_2.9_grayscale/)
Warning: WARNING: The updated Adafruit MagTag 2025 Edition will not work with CircuitPython 9.2.x or earlier. Make sure you install 10.x.x or later!
**Click the link above and download the latest .BIN and .UF2 file**
You can use a 9.x.x release for a pre-2025 MagTag. You **must** use a 10.x.x release for the updated MagTag 2025 Edition.
(depending on how you program the ESP32S2 board you may need one or the other, might as well get both)
Download and save it to your desktop (or wherever is handy).
Plug your MagTag into your computer using a known-good USB cable.
**A lot of people end up using charge-only USB cables and it is very frustrating! So make sure you have a USB cable you know is good for data sync.**
# Option 1 - Load with UF2 Bootloader
This is by far the easiest way to load CircuitPython. **However it requires your board has the UF2 bootloader installed. Some early boards do not (we hadn't written UF2 yet!) - in which case you can load using the built in ROM bootloader.**
Still, try this first!
Warning: Make sure that you [update the TinyUF2 Bootloader](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/update-tinyuf2-bootloader-for-circuitpython-10-4mb-boards-only) before following these steps for the UF2 bootloader!
## Try Launching UF2 Bootloader
Loading CircuitPython by drag-n-drop UF2 bootloader is the easier way and we recommend it. If you have a MagTag where the front of the board is black, your MagTag came with UF2 already on it.
Launch UF2 by **double-clicking** the Reset button (the one next to the USB C port). You may have to try a few times to get the timing right.
If the UF2 bootloader is installed, you will see a new disk drive appear called **MAGTAGBOOT**
Copy the **UF2** file you downloaded at the first step of this tutorial onto the **MAGTAGBOOT** drive
If you're using Windows and you get an error at the end of the file copy that says **Error from the file copy, Error 0x800701B1: A device which does not exist was specified.** You can ignore this error, the bootloader sometimes disconnects without telling Windows, the install completed just fine and you can continue.[If its really annoying, you can also upgrade the bootloader (the latest version of the UF2 bootloader fixes this warning)](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/install-uf2-bootloader)
Your board should auto-reset into CircuitPython, or you may need to press reset. A **CIRCUITPY** drive will appear. You're done! Go to the next pages.
# Option 2 - Use esptool to load BIN file
If you have an original MagTag with while soldermask on the front, we didn't have UF2 written for the ESP32S2 yet so it will not come with the UF2 bootloader.
You can upload with **esptool** to the ROM (hardware) bootloader instead!
Follow the initial steps found in the [Run esptool and check connection section of the ROM Bootloader page](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/rom-bootloader#run-esptool-and-check-connection-3076823-5) to verify your environment is set up, your board is successfully connected, and which port it's using.
**In the final command to write a binary file to the board, replace the port with your port, and replace "firmware.bin" with the the file you downloaded above.**
The output should look something like the output in the image.
Press reset to exit the bootloader.
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should appear!
You're all set! Go to the next pages.
# Option 3 - Use Chrome Browser To Upload BIN file
If for some reason you cannot get esptool to run, you can always try using the Chrome-browser version of esptool we have written. This is handy if you don't have Python on your computer, or something is really weird with your setup that makes esptool not run (which happens sometimes and isn't worth debugging!) You can follow along on the [Web Serial ESPTool](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/web-serial-esptool) page and either load the UF2 bootloader and then come back to Option 1 on this page, or you can download the CircuitPython BIN file directly using the tool in the same manner as the bootloader.
# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## CircuitPython Internet Test
One of the great things about most Espressif microcontrollers are their built-in WiFi capabilities. This page covers the basics of getting connected using CircuitPython.
The first thing you need to do is update your **code.py** to the following (it will error until WiFi details are added). Click the **Download Project Bundle** button to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, and copy the **entire** **lib** **folder** and the **code.py** file to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/ESP32_S2_WiFi_Tests/CPy_Native_WiFi_Test/code.py
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should resemble the following.
To get connected, the next thing you need to do is update the **settings.toml** file.
## The settings.toml File
We expect people to share tons of projects as they build CircuitPython WiFi widgets. What we want to avoid is people accidentally sharing their passwords or secret tokens and API keys. So, we designed all our examples to use a **settings.toml** file, that is on your **CIRCUITPY** drive, to hold secret/private/custom data. That way you can share your main project without worrying about accidentally sharing private stuff.
If you have a fresh install of CircuitPython on your board, the initial **settings.toml** file on your **CIRCUITPY** drive is empty.
To get started, you can update the **settings.toml** on your **CIRCUITPY** drive to contain the following code.
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/ESP32_S2_WiFi_Tests/CPy_Native_WiFi_Test/settings.toml
This file should contain a series of Python variables, each assigned to a string. Each variable should describe what it represents (say `wifi_ssid`), followed by an **= ** (equals sign), followed by the data in the form of a Python string (such as `"my-wifi-password"` including the quote marks).
**At a minimum you'll need to add/update your WiFi SSID and WiFi password, so do that now!**
As you make projects you may need more tokens and keys, just add them one line at a time. See for example other tokens such as one for accessing GitHub or the Hackaday API. Other non-secret data like your timezone can also go here.
For the correct time zone string, look at [http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones](http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones) and remember that if your city is not listed, look for a city in the same time zone, for example Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Miami are all on the same time as New York.
Of course, don't share your **settings.toml** - keep that out of GitHub, Discord or other project-sharing sites.
Warning:
If you connect to the serial console, you should see something like the following:
In order, the example code...
Checks the ESP32's MAC address.
```python
print(f"My MAC address: {[hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address]}")
```
Performs a scan of all access points and prints out the access point's name (SSID), signal strength (RSSI), and channel.
```python
print("Available WiFi networks:")
for network in wifi.radio.start_scanning_networks():
print("\t%s\t\tRSSI: %d\tChannel: %d" % (str(network.ssid, "utf-8"),
network.rssi, network.channel))
wifi.radio.stop_scanning_networks()
```
Connects to the access point you defined in the **settings.toml** file, and prints out its local IP address.
```python
print(f"Connecting to {os.getenv('WIFI_SSID')}")
wifi.radio.connect(os.getenv("WIFI_SSID"), os.getenv("WIFI_PASSWORD"))
print(f"Connected to {os.getenv('WIFI_SSID')}")
print(f"My IP address: {wifi.radio.ipv4_address}")
```
Attempts to ping a Google DNS server to test connectivity. If a ping fails, it returns `None`. Initial pings can sometimes fail for various reasons. So, if the initial ping is successful (`is not None`), it will print the echo speed in ms. If the initial ping fails, it will try one more time to ping, and then print the returned value. If the second ping fails, it will result in `"Ping google.com: None ms"` being printed to the serial console. Failure to ping does not always indicate a lack of connectivity, so the code will continue to run.
```python
ping_ip = ipaddress.IPv4Address("8.8.8.8")
ping = wifi.radio.ping(ip=ping_ip) * 1000
if ping is not None:
print(f"Ping google.com: {ping} ms")
else:
ping = wifi.radio.ping(ip=ping_ip)
print(f"Ping google.com: {ping} ms")
```
The code creates a socketpool using the wifi radio's available sockets. This is performed so we don't need to re-use sockets. Then, it initializes a a new instance of the [requests](http://docs.python-requests.org/en/master/) interface - which makes getting data from the internet _really really easy._
```python
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
```
To read in plain-text from a web URL, call `requests.get` - you may pass in either a http, or a http **s** url for SSL connectivity.
```python
print(f"Fetching text from {TEXT_URL}")
response = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.text)
print("-" * 40)
```
Requests can also display a JSON-formatted response from a web URL using a call to `requests.get`.
```python
print(f"Fetching json from {JSON_QUOTES_URL}")
response = requests.get(JSON_QUOTES_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.json())
print("-" * 40)
```
Finally, you can fetch and parse a JSON URL using `requests.get`. This code snippet obtains the `stargazers_count` field from a call to the GitHub API.
```python
print(f"Fetching and parsing json from {JSON_STARS_URL}")
response = requests.get(JSON_STARS_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(f"CircuitPython GitHub Stars: {response.json()['stargazers_count']}")
print("-" * 40)
```
OK you now have your ESP32 board set up with a proper **settings.toml** file and can connect over the Internet. If not, check that your **settings.toml** file has the right SSID and password and retrace your steps until you get the Internet connectivity working!
## IPv6 Networking
Starting in CircuitPython 9.2, IPv6 networking is available on most Espressif wifi boards. Socket-using libraries like **adafruit\_requests** and **adafruit\_ntp** will need to be updated to use the new APIs and for now can only connect to services on IPv4.
### IPv6 connectivity & privacy
IPv6 addresses are divided into many special kinds, and many of those kinds (like those starting with **FC** , **FD** , **FE** ) are private or local; Addresses starting with other prefixes like **2002:** and **2001:** are globally routable. In 2024, far from all ISPs and home networks support IPv6 internet connectivity. For more info consult resources like [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPv6_address#Local_addresses). If you're interested in global IPv6 connectivity you can use services like [Hurricane Electric](https://www.he.net/) to create an "IPv6 tunnel" (free as of 2024, but requires expertise and a compatible router or host computer to set up)
It's also important to be aware that, as currently implemented by Espressif, there are privacy concerns especially when these devices operate on the global IPv6 network: The device's unique identifier (its EUI-64 or MAC address) is used by default as part of its IPv6 address. This means that the device identity can be tracked across multiple networks by any service it connects to.
### Enable IPv6 networking
Due to the privacy consideration, IPv6 networking is not automatically enabled. Instead, it must be explicitly enabled by a call to `start_dhcp_client` with the `ipv6=True` argument specified:
```python
wifi.start_dhcp_client(ipv6=True)
```
### Check IP addresses
The read-only `addresses` property of the `wifi.radio` object holds all addresses, including IPv4 and IPv6 addresses:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.addresses
('FE80::7EDF:A1FF:FE00:518C', 'FD5F:3F5C:FE50:0:7EDF:A1FF:FE00:518C', '10.0.3.96')
```
The `wifi.radio.dns` servers can be IPv4 or IPv6:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.dns
('FD5F:3F5C:FE50::1',)
>>> wifi.radio.dns = ("1.1.1.1",)
>>> wifi.radio.dns
('1.1.1.1',)
```
### Ping v6 networks
`wifi.radio.ping` accepts v6 addresses and names:
```python
>>> wifi.radio.ping("google.com")
0.043
>>> wifi.radio.ping("ipv6.google.com")
0.048
```
### Create & use IPv6 sockets
Use the address family `socket.AF_INET6`. After the socket is created, use methods like `connect`, `send`, `recfrom_into`, etc just like for IPv4 sockets. This code snippet shows communicating with a private-network NTP server; this IPv6 address will not work on your network:
```python
>>> ntp_addr = ("fd5f:3f5c:fe50::20e", 123)
>>> PACKET_SIZE = 48
>>>
>>> buf = bytearray(PACKET_SIZE)
>>> with socket.socket(socket.AF_INET6, socket.SOCK_DGRAM) as s:
... s.settimeout(1)
... buf[0] = 0b0010_0011
... s.sendto(buf, ntp_addr)
... print(s.recvfrom_into(buf))
... print(buf)
...
48
(48, ('fd5f:3f5c:fe50::20e', 123))
bytearray(b'$\x01\x03\xeb\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00GGPS\x00\xeaA0h\x07s;\xc0\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\x00\xeaA0n\xeb4\x82-\xeaA0n\xebAU\xb1')
```
# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## Getting The Date & Time
A very common need for projects is to know the current date and time. Especially when you want to deep sleep until an event, or you want to change your display based on what day, time, date, etc. it is
**Determining the correct local time is really really hard. There are various time zones, Daylight Savings dates, leap seconds, etc.** Trying to get NTP time and then back-calculating what the local time is, is extraordinarily hard on a microcontroller just isn't worth the effort and it will get out of sync as laws change anyways.
For that reason, we have the free adafruit.io time service. **Free for anyone with a free adafruit.io account.** You _do need an account_ because we have to keep accidentally mis-programmed-board from overwhelming adafruit.io and lock them out temporarily. Again, it's free!
Info:
## Step 1) Make an Adafruit account
It's free! Visit [https://accounts.adafruit.com/](https://accounts.adafruit.com/) to register and make an account if you do not already have one
## Step 2) Sign into Adafruit IO
Head over to [io.adafruit.com](https://io.adafruit.com/) and click **Sign In** to log into IO using your Adafruit account. It's free and fast to join.
## Step 3) Get your Adafruit IO Key
Click on **My Key** in the top bar
![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/097/449/medium800/adafruit_products_image.png?1607208628 "My Key" has been replaced with a key-shaped icon!)
You will get a popup with your **Username** and **Key** (In this screenshot, we've covered it with red blocks)
Go to the **settings.toml** file on your **CIRCUITPY** drive (or create one with the text editor with your operating system) and add three lines for `AIO_USERNAME`, `ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY` and `TIMEZONE` so you get something like the following:
```python
# This file is where you keep secret settings, passwords, and tokens!
# If you put them in the code you risk committing that info or sharing it
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your-wifi-ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your-wifi-password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your-adafruit-io-username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your-adafruit-io-key"
# Timezone names from http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones
TIMEZONE="America/New_York"
```
The timezone is optional, if you don't have that entry, adafruit.io will guess your timezone based on geographic IP address lookup. You can visit [http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones](http://worldtimeapi.org/timezones) to see all the time zones available (even though we do not use Worldtime for time-keeping, we do use the same time zone table).
## Step 4) Upload Test Python Code
This code is like the Internet Test code from before, but this time it will connect to adafruit.io and get the local time
```python
import ipaddress
import os
import ssl
import wifi
import socketpool
import adafruit_requests
# Get our username, key and desired timezone
ssid = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID")
password = os.getenv("CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD")
aio_username = os.getenv("ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME")
aio_key = os.getenv("ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY")
timezone = os.getenv("TIMEZONE")
TIME_URL = f"https://io.adafruit.com/api/v2/{aio_username}/integrations/time/strftime?x-aio-key={aio_key}&tz={timezone}"
TIME_URL += "&fmt=%25Y-%25m-%25d+%25H%3A%25M%3A%25S.%25L+%25j+%25u+%25z+%25Z"
print("ESP32-S2 Adafruit IO Time test")
print("My MAC addr:", [hex(i) for i in wifi.radio.mac_address])
print("Available WiFi networks:")
for network in wifi.radio.start_scanning_networks():
print("\t%s\t\tRSSI: %d\tChannel: %d" % (str(network.ssid, "utf-8"),
network.rssi, network.channel))
wifi.radio.stop_scanning_networks()
print("Connecting to", ssid)
wifi.radio.connect(ssid, password)
print(f"Connected to {ssid}!")
print("My IP address is", wifi.radio.ipv4_address)
ipv4 = ipaddress.ip_address("8.8.4.4")
print("Ping google.com:", wifi.radio.ping(ipv4), "ms")
pool = socketpool.SocketPool(wifi.radio)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl.create_default_context())
print("Fetching text from", TIME_URL)
response = requests.get(TIME_URL)
print("-" * 40)
print(response.text)
print("-" * 40)
```
After running this, you will see something like the below text. We have blocked out the part with the secret username and key data!
Note at the end you will get the date, time, and your timezone! If so, you have correctly configured your **settings.toml** and can continue to the next steps!
# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## Code the MagTag Project Selector
The files for this project just barely fit on the MagTag. To make sure you have enough space, you'll have to clear the MagTag filesystem which requires you to enter the REPL over a serial console. To do that, read through the three pages linked below.
[Connecting to the Serial Console](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/connecting-to-the-serial-console)
[Interacting with the Serial Console](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/interacting-with-the-serial-console)
[The REPL](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag/the-repl)
Now that you have done that, enter the following two lines and it will erase all the files on your MagTag.
```python
import storage
storage.erase_filesystem()
```
## Installing the Project Code
To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install a few libraries, into the lib folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script.
Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, open the directory **MagTag\_Project\_Selector**** / **and then click on the directory that matches the version of CircuitPython you're using and copy the contents of that directory to your** CIRCUITPY** drive.
Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should now contain the following files and directories:
https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/MagTag/MagTag_Project_Selector/code.py
At this point, I would recommend going through the other guides that this project makes use of, which are linked below. For most of the projects, you can copy all of their contents to the **CIRCUITPY** drive. However, for the MagTag Progress Displays guide, only the **epilogue18.bdf** font and **year\_progress\_percent.py** should be copied over.
All the **.py** files for the individual projects need to be put in a new directory on the **CIRCUITPY** drive named **projects/** and renamed
- [Daily Weather Forecast](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-weather): **magtag\_weather.py -\> weather.py**
- [SpaceX Next Launch Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/spacex-next-launch-display-with-adafruit-magtag): **code.py -\> spacex.py**
- [Covid Tracking IoT Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-covid-tracking-project-iot-display): **code.py -\> covid.py**
- [Showerthoughts and Quotes](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-showerthoughts): **magtag\_showerthoughts.py -\> showerthoughts.py**
- [MagTag Tides Viewer](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-tides-viewer): **magtag\_tides\_land\_lp.py** -\> **tides.py**
- [Progress Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-progress-displays/year-progress): **year\_progress\_percent.py -\> year.py**
- [Weekly Showtimes](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-weekly-event-showtimes-display): **magtag\_showtimes.py -\> showtimes.py**
- [MagTag Slideshow](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-slideshow): **magtag\_slideshow.py -\> slideshow.py**
As far as the **settings.toml** file goes, one with all the necessary fields has been included in the project zip that you can just fill out as you go through each guide.
Info: Be sure you have the libraries and settings.toml file complete and loaded onto the CIRCUITPY drive also or the code will not run properly.
## Code Behavior
So, now that everything's all set up, it'd probably be a good idea to actually know how to use it. Basically, when the MagTag restarts or resets (from the slide switch, reset button, or through the serial terminal), you've got the option of going into a simple UI that will let you choose a project to load. You can enter this UI by pressing any of the four buttons when the MagTag is reloading and holding it down until the screen shows eight boxes with little pictures inside them.
Once you're in the UI, use the four buttons to navigate it. Each button has an arrow on it, and pressing that button will move the cursor one square in that direction. Once the cursor (a black outline on the selected picture) is on the project you want, press and hold both the first and last buttons for five seconds. The MagTag can only update the screen once every five seconds, so keep that in mind while navigating the UI.
If you don't press a button when the code is restarting, it will automatically run the last run project. However, due to the constraints of the **alarm** library used to accomplish this, it only works during a soft reset (i.e. through the REPL or automatically) and not when the `RESET` button is pressed or the slide switch is turned off and on. If there isn't one, it will choose the first project and run that one.
# Adafruit MagTag Project Selector
## Code Run-Through
First, the code imports the required libraries.
```python
# Based on code written by @DavidGlaude on Twitter
# https://twitter.com/DavidGlaude/status/1340365817138044933
# https://gist.github.com/dglaude/4bf8d0a13c9c8ca8b05d6c0e9176bd20
import time
import alarm
import displayio
import board
import adafruit_imageload
from adafruit_display_shapes.rect import Rect
from adafruit_magtag.magtag import Graphics
from digitalio import DigitalInOut, Direction, Pull
```
Next, a list of the projects to choose from is declared. The names in this list should match the name of the `.bmp` used in the selection screen and the `.py` file in the **projects/** directory, so `weather` has **/bmps/weather.bmp** and **/projects/weather.py**.
```python
projects = [
"weather",
"spacex",
"covid",
"showerthoughts",
"tides",
"year",
"showtimes",
"slideshow",
]
```
Then, the four buttons that will be used to navigate the UI are initialized.
```python
btnA = DigitalInOut(board.D15)
btnA.direction = Direction.INPUT
btnA.pull = Pull.UP
btnB = DigitalInOut(board.D14)
btnB.direction = Direction.INPUT
btnB.pull = Pull.UP
btnC = DigitalInOut(board.D12)
btnC.direction = Direction.INPUT
btnC.pull = Pull.UP
btnD = DigitalInOut(board.D11)
btnD.direction = Direction.INPUT
btnD.pull = Pull.UP
```
After that, the display is set up and the code checks to see if any buttons are pressed down. If any of them are, that means that the code will let the user choose a project to load. If none of them are, then the most recently loaded project will be loaded (if no project has been previously loaded, it defaults to the first one).
```python
graphics = Graphics(auto_refresh=False)
display = graphics.display
group = displayio.Group()
selector = False
if not btnA.value or not btnB.value or not btnC.value or not btnD.value:
selector = True
```
The code now checks to see if it should run the UI to let the user select the project to load. If it should, it then sets up the display with a white background and all the background images.
The MagTag is rather particular about what bmps it supports, so if you want to make your own bmps, click the link below. Just remember that for the MagTag, you need to use 8-bit indexed color.
The colors that I used are: 0x000000, 0xb1afad, 0x70696b, and 0xffffff
[Creating custom bmps](https://learn.adafruit.com/creating-your-first-tilemap-game-with-circuitpython/indexed-bmp-graphics)
```python
if selector:
background = Rect(0, 0, 296, 128, fill=0xFFFFFF)
group.append(background)
for i in range(8):
sprite_sheet, palette = adafruit_imageload.load(
f"/bmps/{projects[i]}.bmp",
bitmap=displayio.Bitmap,
palette=displayio.Palette,
)
sprite = displayio.TileGrid(
sprite_sheet,
pixel_shader=palette,
width=1,
height=1,
tile_width=62,
tile_height=54,
x=6 + 74 * (i % 4),
y=6 + 62 * (i // 4),
)
group.append(sprite)
```
Before the main loop is started, there's still some more display setup to do. A hollow rectangle is added that will be used as a sort of cursor to show what project is currently selected, and then the whole display group is displayed. The code then waits a few seconds and sets `selected`, which is used to track the currently selected project, to `0`.
```python
[...]
rect = Rect(4, 4, 66, 58, outline=0x000000, stroke=2)
group.append(rect)
display.root_group = group
display.refresh()
time.sleep(5)
print("Ready")
selected = 0
```
The code now enters the main loop. It first checks if the first and last buttons are selected. If they are, it makes the first item in `alarm.sleep_memory` the `selected` variable. If another button is selected, it moves the cursor rectangle in the direction indicated by the arrows on the MagTag buttons (first is left, second is up, third is down, fourth is right), refreshes the display, and changes the `selected` variable to reflect where the cursor is.
```python
[...]
while True:
if not btnA.value and not btnD.value:
alarm.sleep_memory[0] = selected
break
if not btnA.value and selected != 0 and selected != 4:
selected -= 1
rect.x -= 74
display.refresh()
print("left")
time.sleep(5)
continue
if not btnB.value and selected > 3:
selected -= 4
rect.y -= 62
display.refresh()
print("up")
time.sleep(5)
continue
if not btnC.value and selected < 4:
selected += 4
rect.y += 62
display.refresh()
print("down")
time.sleep(5)
continue
if not btnD.value and selected != 3 and selected != 7:
selected += 1
rect.x += 74
display.refresh()
print("right")
time.sleep(5)
continue
```
Now that the main loop is done, the buttons can be deinitialized so that they don't conflict with any buttons used in the chosen project.
```python
btnA.deinit()
btnB.deinit()
btnC.deinit()
btnD.deinit()
```
Finally, the first item in `alarm.sleep_memory` is used as an index of the `projects` list to get the project to import. When something is imported like at the top of this file, it is usually a class, so it usually doesn't run anything but imports until it is initialized. In this case, a script is being imported so it is run just like if it was `code.py` or if it was run with `python file.py` on a computer.
```python
print("Starting ", projects[int(alarm.sleep_memory[0])])
__import__("/projects/" + projects[int(alarm.sleep_memory[0])])
```
## Featured Products
### Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials
[Adafruit MagTag Starter Kit - ADABOX017 Essentials](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
The **Adafruit MagTag** combines the new ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4819)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4819/guides)
### Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display
[Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Grayscale E-Ink WiFi Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
The Adafruit MagTag combines the ESP32-S2 wireless module and a 2.9" grayscale E-Ink display to make a low-power IoT display that can show data on its screen even when power is removed! The ESP32-S2 is great because it builds on the years of code and support for the ESP32 and also adds...
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4800)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4800/guides)
### Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)
[Mini Magnet Feet for RGB LED Matrices (Pack of 4)](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
Got a glorious RGB Matrix project you want to mount and display in your workspace or home? If you have one of the matrix panels listed below, you'll need a pack of these **Mini-Magnet Feet.** We got these specifically for our RGB LED Matrices, which no longer...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4631)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4631/guides)
### Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh
[Lithium Ion Polymer Battery with Short Cable - 3.7V 420mAh](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
Lithium-ion polymer (also known as 'lipo' or 'lipoly') batteries are thin, light, and powerful. The output ranges from 4.2V when completely charged to 3.7V. This battery has a capacity of 420mAh for a total of about 1.55 Wh. If you need a larger (or smaller!) battery,
Out of Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4236)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4236/guides)
### USB Type A to Type C Cable - 1ft - 0.3 meter
[USB Type A to Type C Cable - 1ft - 0.3 meter](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4473)
As technology changes and adapts, so does Adafruit. This **USB Type A to Type C** cable will help you with the transition to USB C, even if you're still totin' around a USB Type A hub, computer or laptop.
USB C is the latest industry-standard connector for...
In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4473)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4473/guides)
## Related Guides
- [Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-magtag.md)
- [What’s Fresh Today? In-Season Produce Reminder for Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/seasonal-produce-for-adafruit-magtag.md)
- [SpaceX Next Launch Display with Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/spacex-next-launch-display-with-adafruit-magtag.md)
- [MagTag Twitter Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-twitter-display.md)
- [MagTag Showerthoughts and Quotes](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-showerthoughts.md)
- [Language Flashcards on the MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-flashcards.md)
- [MagTag Covid Tracking Project IoT Display](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-covid-tracking-project-iot-display.md)
- [ Memory-saving tips for CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/memory-saving-tips-for-circuitpython.md)
- [Google Graveyard with Adafruit MagTag](https://learn.adafruit.com/google-graveyard-with-adafruit-magtag.md)
- [Deep Sleep with CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/deep-sleep-with-circuitpython.md)
- [MagTag Tides Viewer](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-tides-viewer.md)
- [MagTag Literary Quote Clock](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-literary-quote-clock.md)
- [MagTag Slideshow](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-slideshow.md)
- [MagTag Daily Christmas Countdown](https://learn.adafruit.com/magtag-daily-christmas-countdown.md)
- [CircuitPython Hardware: SD Cards](https://learn.adafruit.com/micropython-hardware-sd-cards.md)
- [Adafruit USB Type C Power Delivery Switchable Breakout](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-usb-type-c-power-delivery-switchable-breakout.md)