File Glider is an app designed for beginners and experts alike, offering a simple way to browse, edit, and manage files on your CircuitPython board wirelessly in the app.

Using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and WiFi, File Glider transfers files to and from transfer-ready Bluetooth LE and WiFi boards, like the Circuit Playground Bluefruit or Feather ESP32-S2, making it an ideal tool for DIY projects.

The File Glider interface lets users easily browse, access, and edit files within File Glider. For iOS users, the Files app integration makes it even more convenient, allowing files to be accessed from other apps without hassle.

Another fantastic feature of File Glider is its capacity to handle multiple devices simultaneously. This feature simplifies the process of organizing, transferring, and syncing files across various devices, improving workflow and overall project management.

Parts

Here we go! This section will guide you through downloading and installing File Glider.

Downloading and Installing the App

iOS Devices:

1. Open the App Store on your iOS device.
2. Tap on the "Search" icon at the bottom of the screen.
3. Type "File Glider" in the search bar and tap "Search".
4. Locate the File Glider app in the search results and tap on it.
5. Tap the "Get" button to download and install the app on your device. You may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password or use Face ID/Touch ID to confirm the installation.

Android Devices:

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android device.
2. Tap on the search bar at the top of the screen.
3. Type "File Glider" and tap the search icon or press "Enter" on your keyboard.
4. You can find the File Glider app in the search results and tap on it.
5. Tap the "Install" button to download and install the app on your device. You may be prompted to accept necessary permissions before you go ahead.

 

Launching the App for the First Time

1. Locate the File Glider app icon on your device's home screen.
2. Tap on the icon to launch the app.
3. File Glider will request permission to access Bluetooth and WiFi. Grant the necessary permissions to ensure the app functions correctly.
4. You will be met with an empty list that will soon be populated with Bluetooth and WiFi peripheral devices for you to connect to.

In the next section, take a look at the devices that are compatible with File Glider.

The File Glider mobile app is designed to work with various development boards, including Adafruit's Bluefruit devices featuring the nRF52840 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) processor and devices using the ESP32-S2 with WiFi capabilities. 

Supported Bluefruit Devices

File Glider is compatible with the following Adafruit Bluefruit devices that include the nRF52840 BLE processor:

1. Adafruit Circuit Playground Bluefruit
2. Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express
3. Adafruit CLUE - nRF52840 Express with Bluetooth LE
4. Adafruit ItsyBitsy nRF52840 Express
5. Adafruit Metro nRF52840 Express

Supported ESP32-S2 Devices

File Glider also supports devices using the ESP32-S2 processor with WiFi capabilities. These ESP32-S2 development boards include:

1. Adafruit ESP32-S2 TFT Feather
2. Adafruit ESP32-S2 Reverse TFT Feather
3. Adafruit Metro ESP32-S2
4. Adafruit FeatherS2 
5. Adafruit FunHouse WiFi Home Automation 
6. Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Greyscale E-Ink WiFi Display

Device Firmware Requirements

To guarantee the best performance and compatibility with the File Glider app, please make sure your Bluefruit or ESP32-S2 device is running the latest firmware of CircuitPython. 

While File Glider is designed to work with the above-listed devices, other nRF52840 and ESP32-S2-based devices may also be compatible. However, optimal performance and compatibility cannot be guaranteed for devices not listed above.

Batteries

Before continuing, ensure you have an external battery or power supply for your Adafruit Device. You cannot transfer, edit or add files to your Adafruit device while your device is connected to your computer as a power source. 

Here's a list of batteries you can use:

Supported Bluefruit Devices

File Glider is compatible with the following Adafruit Bluefruit devices that include the nRF52840 BLE processor:

1. Adafruit Circuit Playground Bluefruit
2. Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express
3. Adafruit CLUE - nRF52840 Express with Bluetooth LE
4. Adafruit ItsyBitsy nRF52840 Express
5. Adafruit Metro nRF52840 Express

Pairing

To pair your board to File Glider, you’ll need to enter discovery mode. To enter discovery mode, you must press the Reset button on your board in a simple pattern. Follow the steps below:

• Press the Reset button on the board.
• You will see the board NeoPixel(s) flash through a series of colors: solid red, a flashing yellow, and a faster-flashing blue.
• When the NeoPixel(s) flashes blue, click the reset button again. That's it!

When done correctly, the LEDs flash yellow, followed by solid blue. Once this occurs, the board will continuously be in discovery mode.

No worries if you don't get it the first time. You can keep trying! Once you are in discovery mode, take a look at the app.

Supported ESP32-S2 Devices

File Glider supports devices using the ESP32-S2 processor with WiFi capabilities. These ESP32-S2 development boards include:

1. Adafruit ESP32-S2 TFT Feather
2. Adafruit ESP32-S2 Reverse TFT Feather
3. Adafruit Metro ESP32-S2
4. Adafruit FeatherS2 
5. Adafruit FunHouse WiFi Home Automation 
6. Adafruit MagTag - 2.9" Greyscale E-Ink WiFi Display

Setup WiFi Credentials

To use File Glider to detect Adafruit devices over WiFi, you need to add your WiFi credentials to a file called settings.toml in the root directory of your CIRCUITPY drive, which is a thumb drive that appears when your microcontroller board is connected to your computer via a known good data+power cable.

This file must contain the keys CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID and CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD. Once you define these keys in the settings.toml file, CircuitPython will automatically connect to the network and start the webserver used for the workflow.

By default, the web server runs on port 80 and also enables MDNS. If you need to override the port, you can do so by setting the CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT key in the settings.toml file.

Here's an example of what your settings.toml file should look like. You can create it using a text file editor on your computer.

# To auto-connect to Wi-Fi
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID="YOUR-WIFI-NETWORK-NAME"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD="YOUR-WIFI-NETWORK-PASSWORD"

# To enable modifying files from the web. Change this too!
# Leave the User field blank in the browser.
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD="passw0rd"

CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT=80

# To auto-connect to Wi-Fi
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID="YOUR-WIFI-NETWORK-NAME"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD="YOUR-WIFI-NETWORK-PASSWORD"

# To enable modifying files from the web. Change this too!
# Leave the User field blank in the browser.
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD="passw0rd"

CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT=80

After updating your credentials in the settings.toml file, wait for your board to connect to your local WiFi network.

File Glider simplifies browsing and editing files directly within the app by displaying a list of the connected board's contents. This section will guide you through the essential features and steps for browsing and editing files using File Glider.

Editing Files with File Glider

I will use the Blink Animation PyLeap project code to demonstrate browsing and editing files. This code lets you light up all NeoPixel(s) to flash purple and pink, but I will change the PINK and PURPLE properties to flash red and blue instead.

Temporarily unable to load content:

Temporarily unable to load content:

Creating a new Directory

Creating a new File

Opening the Files app in File Glider

Deleting a File/Directory

Moving a File/Directory

For iOS users, the Files app integration feature ensures that the files can be effortlessly accessed from other apps, further expanding the app's utility and convenience.

File Glider has integrated the iOS Files app, making it easy to transfer files from the Files app to File Glider. Here's how to do it:

1. Open the File Glider app on your iOS device.

2. To access the contents of the Files app, go to the File Explorer page and click the button with the upward arrow. This button will open the Files app directory.

3. Once in the Files App directory, navigate to the file you want to transfer to File Glider.

4. Select the file you want to add to your device, and File Glider will dismiss the Files App directory while also moving the selected file into the device's directory. 

5. File Glider will refresh the directory list and transfer the file to the app.

File Glider facilitates seamless access to your devices by allowing other apps to interact with them as if they were connected to an external drive. This means that users can edit their files using various applications without transferring them back and forth between devices manually.

For instance, with File Glider, one can easily edit a Python file within an editor, directly save it and run it on your device without switching applications or using a computer. The feature allows users to browse through folders and open and save files conveniently.

Setup for IOS users

First, you should check that it is enabled using the Files app:

• Open the Files app and select the “Browse” tab on iPhone or open the sidebar menu on iPad.
• Check that Glider appears in the Locations section.

• If File Glider is not visible, click the three dots “…” button and select edit to ensure the switch next to File Glider is enabled.

Once File Glider is enabled, it can be used from other apps to load and save files directly to your device. Here's an example of File Glider being used with Pythonista on iOS:

Pythonista on iOS

Setup for Android users

Android users must install the File Glider app, and files are automatically available to other apps. Ensure that your app supports the“Storage Access Framework.” 

Below is an example of Glider being used with Pydroid 3 on Android:

Pydroid 3 on Android

Troubleshooting

Before you use File Glider from other apps, make sure it can discover the device you will use and maintain it nearby.

If the connection stops, you won’t be able to use it from other apps. Also, ensure the device is not connected via USB if you want to save files. Writing is unavailable while the device is connected via USB, and other apps may not show an error when trying to save a file.

 

These are the possible issues you might run into while using File Glider. This section will guide you through possible errors that might occur. 

Bluetooth Scanning Error

Devices not found in Peripheral List

1. Check to see if your Adafruit device is powered on. 
2. Make sure your Adafruit device is running the correct firmware. See the CircuitPython page in this guide.
3. Make sure your battery is charged. Bluetooth LE-enabled devices might not have stable communication if the connected battery is low on power.  
4. Try restarting the File Glider app and resetting the Adafruit Device by pressing the small Reset button near the center of the board. 

If you run into any additional issues with File Glider, contact us!

If you run into an issue not mentioned above, please consider creating a GitHub Issue of that possible bug. We will look into it!

File Glider for iOS - GitHub Issues

File Glider for Android - GitHub Issues

Thank you for contributing to making File Glider better!
Before creating the issue, please review the following guidelines and tips to
help it be more easily integrated:

1. Make sure the title is super specific to the issue you've found.
2. Describe the issue to the best of your ability. This will help us understand and pinpoint that area we'll need to look into.
3. Guide us through the process of triggering this issue in detail.

New to GitHub?

No problem. Here's a quick walkthrough on how to set up a GitHub account:

1. Go to the GitHub website (github.com) in your web browser.
2. Click the "Sign up" button in the top right corner of the page.
3. Enter your email address and a strong password in the provided fields.
4. Choose a username for your GitHub account. This will be the name that appears on your profile and in your repositories.
5. Complete the security check by solving the CAPTCHA challenge.
6. Read and accept the GitHub Terms of Service and Privacy Statement by clicking the checkbox.
7. Click the green "Create account" button at the bottom of the page.

Filing a GitHub issue

Sure, here's a step-by-step guide on how to set up a GitHub issue:

1. Go to either the File Glider repository for iOS or Android where you want to create an issue.
2. Click on the "Issues" tab located at the top of the repository page.
3. Click on the green "New Issue" button.
4. Add a title and a detailed description of the issue you want to create.
5. If applicable, add files or images to the issue by clicking on the "Attach files" link located underneath the description field.
6. Preview the issue by clicking on the "Preview" tab located above the description field.
7. If you are satisfied with the issue, click on the "Submit new issue" button located at the bottom of the page to create the issue.

Thank you again for contributing! We will try to test and integrate the change as soon as possible, but we have many GitHub repositories to manage and respond to requests in turn.