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ImpulseAdventure/GUIslice

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GUIslice drag & drop embedded GUI in C for touchscreen TFT on Arduino, Raspberry Pi, ARM, ESP8266 / ESP32 / M5stack using Adafruit-GFX / TFT_eSPI / UTFT / SDL

FreeFree tier
Type
Open Source
Visit Website GitHub (38 stars)

About ImpulseAdventure/GUIslice

GUIslice is a lightweight GUI framework for embedded displays, written in pure C. It allows developers to design user interfaces using a drag-and-drop builder and then apply the same code across a wide range of displays, libraries, and controllers. The framework is cross-platform, supporting popular display libraries such as Adafruit-GFX, TFT_eSPI, mcufriend, UTFT, LCDGFX, SDL1.2, and SDL2.0. It runs on devices including Raspberry Pi, Arduino (ATmega2560), ESP8266/NodeMCU, ESP32, M5stack, Teensy 3/4, WIO Terminal, Feather M0, nRF52, Linux, Beaglebone Black, STM32, and Due. GUIslice is open source under the MIT license, allowing free commercial use. It includes a variety of widgets (text, images, buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, sliders, custom keypads, listbox, radial controls, scrolling textbox/terminal, graphs, etc.) and supports multiple pages, touchscreen control, GPIO/keyboard navigation, dynamic display rotation, and foreign character encoding. The project provides extensive documentation and API guides, and is actively developed.

Key Features

Pure C library with no dynamic memory allocation
Widgets include text, images, buttons, checkboxes, radio buttons, sliders, custom keypads, listbox, radial controls, scrolling textbox/terminal, graphs, and more
Cross-platform GUIslice Builder application for drag-and-drop layout generation
Platform-independent GUI core supports Adafruit-GFX, TFT_eSPI, mcufriend, UTFT, LCDGFX, SDL1.2, SDL2.0
Supports a wide range of devices: Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP8266/NodeMCU, ESP32, M5stack, Teensy, WIO Terminal, Feather, nRF52, Linux, Beaglebone Black, STM32, Due
Touchscreen control support including STMPE610, FT6206, FT5206, XPT2046, TSC2007, 4-wire, tslib, URTouch, Adafruit Seesaw
IDE support for Arduino IDE, Platform IO, and Linux make
Foreign characters/UTF-8 encoding (SDL mode) and anti-aliased fonts (TFT_eSPI mode)
Dynamic display rotation
GPIO/pin/keyboard/Adafruit Seesaw navigation for non-touchscreen devices

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Open source (MIT license) allows free commercial usage
  • Drag-and-drop builder simplifies GUI layout design and reduces manual coding
  • Cross-platform support across many microcontrollers, single-board computers, and display libraries
  • Pure C library with no dynamic memory allocation is suitable for resource-constrained embedded systems
  • Extensive documentation and API guides available online and in PDF
  • Active development with regular releases and community contributions
Cons
  • Limited to embedded display environments and not intended for general-purpose desktop or mobile GUI
  • Requires familiarity with C programming and embedded hardware concepts
  • Some advanced widgets may be touchscreen-oriented, limiting non-touch navigation options

Best For

Building embedded GUI interfaces for touchscreen TFT displays on microcontrollers and single-board computersCreating user interfaces for IoT devices, control panels, dashboards, and smart appliancesDeveloping cross-platform embedded applications with a consistent GUI across different display hardware

FAQ

What is GUIslice?
GUIslice is a lightweight GUI framework for embedded displays, written in pure C. It provides a drag-and-drop builder and cross-platform support for various display libraries and controllers.
What platforms and devices are supported?
GUIslice supports Raspberry Pi, Arduino, ESP8266/NodeMCU, ESP32, M5stack, Teensy, WIO Terminal, Feather M0, nRF52, Linux, Beaglebone Black, STM32, Due, and more. It works with display libraries such as Adafruit-GFX, TFT_eSPI, UTFT, SDL, and others.
Is GUIslice free to use?
Yes, GUIslice is open source under the MIT license, which grants free commercial usage.
How do I design a GUI with GUIslice?
You can use the cross-platform GUIslice Builder application to drag and drop widgets and generate layouts, then apply the same code to your target display and controller.