Your friends are comfortable in the Arduino IDE, but you using vscode and PlatformIO because it is easier (libraries, config and shortcuts). So you need to give them an ino file and the correct versions of the libraries. And you want to eliminate them from running an incorrect version the project.
Only tested on a Mac using zsh.
- Paste the make-arduino.sh into the root of your PlatformIO project. Give it execute permissions if needed chmod
u+x make-arduino.sh
. - Then adjust the script with the project name and any string replacements you need.
- Run it
./make-arduino.sh
and give it a version. This will put it in a folder called build and add a zipped version. - Send this to the Arduino IDE friend.
- Uzip folder.
- Included in the project is a libs folder. This is to remove the issues with having to find the libraries and the correct versions through the Arduino IDE. You take the the contents of the libs folder and paste it into the Arduino IDE libraries folder, usually at
Documents/Arduino/libraries
- Double click the my-project-name.ino and you should be good to go.
Hope it works for u. There is probably an easier way?