comments on uiflow and m5go



  • It looks like you are planning to consolidate development for blockly into the new uiflow interface and perhaps drop the m5go site. I think this would make sense considering they are so similar. One issue is the uiflow doesn't offer the same control over the lcd as the m5go does and this is unfortunate. Can you please include the lcd control blocks. I like the expanded pin control and library integration on the uiflow and would prefer using this interface. Also I feel there needs to be some wifi tools for streaming sensor data to cloud or doing http get or some such workflow. Last question will bluetooth be offered in either the blocks or directly in micro-python anytime soon. Right now m5go is better for certain reasons and uiflow is better for other reasons. I think you need just one to be fully resolved with all of the available blocks. Your read the docs site is a big help and I am sure many users are happy to have it so keep up the good work developing documentation. The new blockly tools however really needs some documentation. Even if it was just an overview of the new interface and best practices for running the simulation and uploading code it would really help. Perhaps a mention of the new firmware is in order as well. thanks, jason



  • Hi @jpilarski thanks for your feedback on the m5go and uiflow platforms, it's much appreciated.

    Recently our dev team have been solely focused on uiflow and we are aware theres a lot of work to do. All the modules you mentioned from the m5go site are being added slowly but surely to the uiflow website, we aim to be able to control all of the functionality of the m5core with the uiflow blocks interface.

    Understandably this a time consuming process, to implement new functionality, debug and also test with focus groups to make sure we are going in the right direction. Therefore please be patient and keep checking back from time to time as we are adding new functionality every week.

    As for wifi connection you can test the remote blocks at the very bottom, it's a little buggy at the moment and only allows a few functions at a time to be controlled from a web interface, but we are working hard to improve it and fix the bugs.

    Bluetooth modules are definitely on our priority list, but making sure that the core usability issues of uiflow are fixed takes first priority at the moment.

    Glad to hear you're finding the read the docs page useful, we are adding more documentation every day, and will soon upload uiflow documentation. We also started
    releasing youtube videos every week which will introduce some concepts from uiflow among other things, you can check out our channel here

    Thanks for your continued support jason, keep the comments coming its all very valid info to see how are users are interacting with uiflow, so we can work on the issues and improve it



  • I am excited to try the UI blocks but none are available. I see you are using them in one of your tweets to make an animation however they are not showing up in v070. Also the imu is not working with the m5go. Can you please modify the firmware to work with both 9250 and 6050. It works fine on m5go app but not with uiflow. Also I notice when running more than one remote button it rarely generates the qr code and tends to lock up. Not sure if that's some sort of memory issue or what. When I use one remote button it tends to work fine. thanks again and great work. I just noticed all the new modules and I am really looking forward to the rfid module in particular.



  • 071 is so much fun. The UI tools are very cool and the imu is working great when using uiflow with an m5go. I would like to make another request. It would be great to have filesystem or SD blocks for easily accessing stored images and sounds. For example setting the background on the emoji block. It would be great to also be able to play audio samples with a block workflow for some sound effects. I've been using upycraft to access the filesystem and add and remove files and it works well but it would be great if you had blocks to more easily call those stored files. Maybe it could just be SD card based so images or sounds can be easily stored on a card as well as data logging capabilities. Do you intend to put uiflow on github at some point. I am sure many users would port various libraries to uiflow blocks . Microbit recently standardized how user developed blocks are to be shared and it has lead to many new blocks and options for users. They refer to them as extensions and they have a slick interface to add them as needed without leaving the block editor.



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  • I have a question, maybe stupid but i'm a noob :)
    I have burned m5go, all is ok. I can connect with uiflow.
    But can i use arduino IDE to make my sketches and upload them on the m5 and have an access with a menu as like in uiflow ?
    I need more practice with blocks before i can use uiflow.

    Thank you



  • @fameuhly Hey not a stupid question at all. Uiflow uses micropython therefore the arduino sketches are not compatible. Whenever you upload an arduino sketch to the M5 it will overwrite the UIflow firmware or any other firmware or previously uploaded program. Therefore you would have to reflash the UIflow firmware on your device. If you wish to have multiple arduino programs to select from in a list on the M5 you can consider trying out the M5EZ or M5-multi-app firmwares.



  • @jpilarski Hey, glad you are enjoying 7.1. Yes the remote function is a little buggy at the moment, I think it is to do with the url generated being too long. This issue will be solved once we set up a dedicated server for the remote function. Great suggestions, the SD function is definitely possible but it is a way off yet. Our priority right now is enabling save and upload of programs to the flow website. We will setup a Ui flow page on github mainly for bug tracking at this point but it would be good to see user created blocks in the future.



  • Just wondering if there is any chance to include the RFCOMM code and to enable bluetooth over UART. I would like to use the Remote capabilities but I would really like to do it over bluetooth. I know other esp32 boards offer bluetooth capabilities using micropython. Any chance you can make some blocks which expose some very basic bluetooth communication. thanks



  • New to M5Go and I have issues connecting my unit to my home wifi. My AP use wpa2-psk. Is that the issue?
    How can I change the M5Go to use this?
    I have connected other esp32 units to the same wifi network without issues.



  • @kma_jg does your wpa2 password use any special characters? this was an issue reported by another user



  • Looks like this seems to be the best thread for UIFlow comments and feature requests. So here are a few of my requests/comments.

    1. I would like to see a bit more control of the UIFlow internal RGB Neopixels on the m5stack Fire. Using the Rgb module under Hardwares, I can only set left, right, or the individual neopixels to a color. I don't see a way to set the individual neopixel (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.) to a variable so I could loop through them and have a rainbow affect of colors. This seems possible if using the external neopixel unit.
      Rgb blocks:
      0_1544633758259_Screen Shot 2018-12-12 at 10.24.36 AM.png
      Neopixel blocks:
      0_1544646202192_Screen Shot 2018-12-12 at 1.15.27 PM.png
    1. In the IMU module, what is left/right "titl"? Is that a type-o for "tilt" (i.e. for tilt detection) or does it mean something else? I see you fixed the type-o. Thanks!
      It would also be good to have other detectors. Makecode has these:
      0_1544647225604_Screen Shot 2018-12-12 at 3.39.44 PM.png
    1. I would suggest the Timer value be milliseconds instead of seconds.
    1. More options for drag-and-drop graphics in the upper left of UIFlow. Along with Title, Label, Rect, Circle, and Image, add ability for Line, Triangle, Ellipse, Arc, and Polygon.

    2. Load more Examples



  • I would like to request that color is defined in the blocks in a way that allows the user to select one of 2 color block options

    1. you can add color by using a general color swatch selector like you have currently on most blocks
    2. you can add an RGB block that allows color to be treated as variables.
      0_1544679952569_color.PNG
      I feel like these two color options should be broken out as two color blocks that can be added onto the blocks as needed. Currently you have color broken out as three variables in some of the ui blocks but in none of the graphics blocks and this is limiting. What I am suggesting is all tools requiring color require the user to add on a color block and the color block can be one of these two types (color swatch, or RGB variables). I think this can help make the interface cleaner since you don't have to have all these redundant blocks but rather a single block with the option to select how color is to be defined. This gives the user way more programming options since they can opt to use a swatch when needed or to use RGB number values or variables if needed.

    Also I think you need a list block to define the length of an array. It would also be great to have a block for list pop.



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