✨ the astral nest ✨🪽

Warning, this does cost money to set up depending on what you get and what you want to set up for us a cost less than $50 which is good and reasonable for us since it's a long-term solution, but if you'd rather not spend money on a method for a log then 100% valid. You don't have to spend money on front logging anything, but this is the only method that we personally have tried and stuck with, so it's worth it for us. The nfc stickers were $18 for a pack of 40 stickers, and the macrodroid app had a free trial for up to 5 macros (aka buttons), but if you'd like to set up more, the pro version is $10. Truthfully, it's really just $30 base line, but we also opted for a board to put them on, as well as glow in the dark label tape so we can see them at night without triggering our light sensitivity. 

AND IN GENERAL: if you're following along, and you find something confusing or need help, just DM me and I'll help you troubleshoot. You won't be bothering me. I love messing around with this stuff and tech troubleshooting it, so I'm happy to help.

Okay, so the first thing you need is NFC tags as well as a phone that can write them. Pretty much if your phone has access to tap pay then you can read and write NFC tags. An NFC tag is a small microchip that you can write to do certain actions. The app that we used to set everything up is called macrodroid and it is only available on Android phones.

As far as I am aware of, macrodroid is not available on iOS, but there may be another app you can use, and someone else with an iPhone may have to investigate as to whether or not this method can also be used by/set up by iphones. I'd be happy to work with you in my DMs if you want to help get it set up and we can trouble shoot it. 

STEP 1: 

Get your NFC tags. Truly there are a lot of different ways that you can get NFC tags in, and this method doesn't have to be just limited to putting buttons on a board. We spend a lot of time at our computer desk and pretty much most of the day there, so it's easy for us to access it if it's attached to our desk, but if you're more mobile and you're often talking like running around and doing stuff you can also get NFC key chains, put the sticker on cards, pretty much anything. The steps will be the same for pretty much any way you're putting the sticker on. 

For the method that I'm going to be doing here I will be explaining the button method but again if you want to get something else more mobile set up I'd be happy to help in DM's or make a separate post. 

Personally, we got NFC sticker tags. They came as individual little stickers that we could put on everything, but the ones we got also happened to come with little plastic chips that we wrote and just doodled on so that it was a clear indicator. 

For visual Learners, we'll be putting in a few pictures (id put more but there's a pic limit, i can make a separate couple of posts with exact pics of every step if someone wants it. ) so that you know what we're talking about. Not trying to dumb it down, just making sure it's thorough because we hate guides that are just "go into app and do thing" 

Also fair warning, I use Click and Tap interchangeably here. I mean just tap your screen.

SETTING IT UP: 

This may seem complicated and I was confused when I tried to set it up, but I'm going to be laying out the steps as easily as I can to those of you who may not be as familiar with tech. 

2.) DOWNLOAD AND OPEN MACRODROID.

 If the layout of the app changes later on, I apologize, but hopefully it will stay steady enough that this guide makes sense.

There are a lot of options, the first thing you need to do is

Click is the "Add Macro" option. 

A macro is pretty much just a little command that is triggered by a certain event, like scanning the NFC tag, and it tells your phone to  do a specific task, like add a note.

First, name your macro/button, up at the top. The format we use is Front Tag: Alter, for the front log, and STATUS: Mood for the mood. 

3.) TRIGGER 

Next you add your trigger. The trigger for the macro is going to be scanning the NFC tag. Basically, holding your phone to the tag, is what triggers it to happen.

Click the plus icon "+", to add the trigger 

4.) SEARCH FOR NFC TAG

There's a fuck ton of options here but don't worry about them.

Click the search icon at the top

Search for NFC. It should pop up immediately. 

5.) CLICK NFC TAG, AND WRITE IT. 

When you click it, a little grey box will pop up to prompt you. 

The option right new tag will be automatically selected, tap OK. 

Next, name your tag. I suggest naming it the same thing that you named the macro or the button.

Next, you write the tag. Don't worry this isn't as complicated as it sounds. The gray box will turn into a loading circle icon. 

Don't tap anything else on your screen

 But don't worry if you accidentally click off of it, you can just click NFC tag again and go back through the options to get back to where you were. 

Take your NFC tag and put it up to the back of your phone somewhere around the middle.

You should feel a little vibration when it's done.

You will automatically be taken back to the screen where you could add a trigger and now we'll be listed that you added the NFC tag.

6.) PROGRAM THE TAG WITH THE ACTIONS

Next, click the plus icon next to actions. This is where you're putting in what the macro button does.

This is the most complicated part, but you can copy the macro and adjust for each option later. So you really only need to do it fully once.

You will notice a lot of options here. Again, we will just be using a couple.

Use the search button at the top to look for write to file

Click write to file

A grey box will pop up with a bunch of stuff. We're taking it one step at a time.

FIRST: KEEP THE OPTION on Storage Access Framework at the very top. It just make things a little simpler.

SECOND: SELECT FOLDER. If your phone prompts you to grant file access to macrodroid, click yes.

Click the pencil next to <Select Folder>.

You should be taken to another screen, your files app, to select where you want the log to be. I suggest making a new folder. The button for it should be somewhere (I'd say, but its different for every phone brand) Or you can use a folder that's already there, just remember where which folder you selected.

I already have my folder, but I'm making a new one, just for demonstration purposes.

Once you select your folder, tap "Use this Folder" at the bottom.

A pop up will ask you to allow Macrodroid access to this folder. Click Allow.

THIRD: You're making your log file. All you need to do here is name it. I suggest something simple. In the file name form, put Log.txt

FOURTH: Go to the enter text line. Here you're programming what is put into the file. All you need to do is copy and paste this.

{month_digit}/{dayofmonth} {hour12}:{minute} {am_pm} | FRONT: ALTER \n

Replace ALTER with the name of whoever this button is for. The format for the mood button is exactly the same, just with "MOOD: However you're feeling" instead of "FRONT: ALTER"

Make Sure - Append to file is selected

When you are done, it should look like this:

Tap OK

7.) OPTIONAL FEATURES.

This part is completely optional. The button will still work if you don't add it. But I do recommend it since its pretty satifying and its the way you know everything is working as intended.

After you tapped OK, it should have brought you back to the TRIGGER, ACTION, screen. Tap the + next to Action Again.

VIBRATE: This will make your phone vibrate when you scan the button.

Search up at the top for Vibrate.

A grey box will pop up asking which type of vibration you want. You can make it anything here, but I suggest Short Buzz or Blip.

NOTIFICATION: This will make a notification pop up in your notification bar for whos fronting.

Click the + next to action again.

Search for Display Notification. Tap it.

It'll bring you to a grey box a lot like the "Write to File" option.

(FIrst, also optional, since it only kinda works, but you can select an icon for the notification, or a text+background color. If you do want an icon, Click Change, Add user Icon, and then go over to the User tab. Tap "ADD USER ICON" and just browse around for the one you want. Personally, I like to find them on https://www.flaticon.com . They're simple, free, and already have a transparent background which works best. Like I said, the icons only half work (becuase the last android update broke them. You can also set a background color with SET BACKGROUND, but this doesnt really work at the moment)

For the Title section, add FRONT STATUS

Then put the notification text. I like to put "Alter is fronting."

Down at the very bottom, check the "Clear existing notifications" box. This will make sure your notification clears when you tap front. If you don't mind having multiple notifications and swiping the old ones away, you can keep it unchecked.

Tap OK. It'll bring you back to the main edit screen with trigger and action. Tap the check mark at the very bottom. Your final result should look something like this:

8. CONGRATS! ITS TEST TIME. You're done here! You've set up your macro button, and now you get to test it out.

Take your button (or whatever you stuck your NFC sticker to), and tap it to the back of your phone. If you set up the vibration and notification, your phone will vibrate and the notification will pop up.

9.) HOW DO I CHECK MY LOG?

Here, you set up a little app on your phone home screen so it opens the log for you. You can techically fuck around with your phone files and google drive or something for this, but instead, this is a bit of a simpler method.

DOWNLOAD "Solid Explorer File Manager" from the Google play store

Open it, and go into the file you put your Log.txt file in.

When you click your log.txt file, it'll show you your log.

Go back a screen to the one where My Files is at the very top, and you're looking at your Log.txt file, but you're not actually viewing the contents.

Hold your finger on the Log.txt file.

At the very bottom, a few options will be available, tap the one at the very right, the three dots menu.

Tap the Create Shortcut option. It'll give you the option to add it to your home screen. Tap yes.

(Somewhere in this mess, you might be asked if you want the solid explorer file manager app to use the text editor app as default. If that does show up, hit yes)

Now when you go to your home screen, you should see an icon for your Log.txt file. When you open it, it'll open the text file.

The text file might not show the updates sometimes, if you opened it recently. If it doesn't, dont worry, just close the app out completely and reopen the text file. You should see the updates then.

CONGRATS! You're done!

9.) What do I do for every alter, or every mood button? Do I have to repeat it every time for each??

No! You really just need to do it the first time and then adjust the options for each alter and if you're doing the mood buttons too, adjust for the moods.

ONCE YOU'RE DONE WITH YOUR MACRO BUTTON,

GO TO THE MACRO TAB A THE BOTTOM IF YOU ARENT ALREADY THERE.

Hold your finger on the macro you just created.

A box for it should pop up with some options. If you need to edit it later, this is where you would select edit.

For now, hit the clone macro button.

It should automatically take you to a screen where you can edit your new macro.

RENAME IT AT THE TOP to whatever you want the new button to be, whether thats mood, or another headmate

CLICK the existing option under trigger, that says NFC tag Front Tag: Alter.

A new set of options should show up, this box will be in red. At the very top, tap configure.

A grey box just like the first one for the nfc tag will pop up. Just tap Write New tag, and repeat the exact same steps as the first time you set up the NFC chip. (Write new tag, OK, Write NFC tag name, Write the tag by holding your button/sticker to the back of your phone, it'll vibrate when you're done.

After that, tap the write to file option under Actions.

Tap Configure

The write for file grey box will pop up. All you need to do is change the "FRONT: Alter" section to whatever you want your button to log, whether thats another alter or a mood button. Confirm it with OK.

Next, if you did the notification, tap the Display Notification button under Actions. Tap configure.

Repeat the same steps as before. Adjust the notification text, and change the icon and background if you want that. Confirm it with OK at the very bottom.

IF YOURE DOING A MOOD BUTTON. I would suggest tapping the notification option from the Actions menu, and deleting it. The delete button is near the bottom. This will keep your mood button from overriding your front notification.

Click the check mark at the bottom to confirm the new button.

Repeat for any other buttons.

10. What if I have too many headmates that front, or I want to put something custom in the log?

Here, I would suggest, and personally love, to use a voice log. It'll add it to your log file just like anything else, and all you need is to dictate to your phone what you want in it.

Clone an existing macro/button from one of your existing ones. Name it Voice Note

Make a new tag for this button. Name it something the same as the macro/button name.

Tap the Write to file button. In the middle of the blue menu that pops up, tap Add Action Above.

Up at the top, Tap search. Search for Voice Input. Tap the voice input option.

A grey box will pop up asking you to Select Variable, and an option for new variable. Tap OK.

Name it. You dont have to tap anything else, here, just name it voicelog

Once you're at the action screen, tap your Write to File action. Tap configure.

In the enter text section, where all the strange bullshit is, delete everything and paste this:

{month_digit}/{dayofmonth} {hour12}:{minute} {am_pm} | VOICE: {lv=voicelog} \n

Tap OK.

Next, for the notification, you can either delete it, or change the notification to update it. Configure the notification and in the Notification Text box, put just {lv=voicelog}.

Whatever you said into the voice note for your log, will be displayed as a notfication. So if you said "This alter is fronting", the notification would say "This alter is fronting."

If you want to use the voice note to just say whatever is on your mind, you can just do the above and delete the notifcation.

Now, I know this is a long ass guide, and something might go wrong. If it does, the format is different for your phone, or you have more questions, just let me know via DM here on tumblr, and if you want, I can hop on a discord call with you and guide you through setting everything up. Again, this guide would only work for android phones, so if you have an iphone, DM me and we can work something out.