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What FileGrind does

Most apps handle one file at a time. Your PDF reader shows you one PDF. Your ebook app shows you one EPUB. They don't know about each other.

FileGrind breaks files into structured pieces called chips. Once everything is chips, you can search across all of them and find connections that weren't visible before.

Chips: structured pieces

When you add a file to FileGrind, it gets broken into chips. Each chip carries the content plus metadata: where it came from, what page or section, what type of content it is.

Chips are the unit of search. You don't search files—you search chips. This lets you be precise: find page 45 of one book that relates to chapter 3 of another.

Example: Grinding a PDF
Input
machine-learning-textbook.pdf (400 pages)
Output
400 chips, one per page, each with extracted text and images
Plus
Vector embeddings for semantic search, auto-generated keywords

Local AI, no API keys

FileGrind runs AI models on your Mac. Embedding models for semantic search. LLMs for analysis if you want it.

No API keys. No usage limits. No sending your documents to a server. Download a model once, run it forever. Works offline.

Local Models
Embeddings
Vectors for semantic search
LLM
Analysis and summarization (optional)
No API keys
Download once, run forever
Built-in Capabilities
PDF text extraction EPUB parsing Image thumbnails Metadata extraction
Community Capabilities
Audio transcription coming
3D model metadata coming
Code parsing coming

Capabilities: what you can do to files

A capability is an operation you can perform on your files. Extract text from a PDF. Parse an EPUB's structure. Generate embeddings for search.

FileGrind ships with capabilities for common file types. The system uses CAPNS for discovery and matching— it finds the right tool for each file type automatically.

Plugins for new file types

We're launching with PDFs, EPUBs, text files, and images. But FileGrind isn't limited to these.

Plugins are standalone binaries that add capabilities. Want to index audio files? 3D models? Spreadsheets? Install a plugin or write your own. They run sandboxed and communicate via JSON.

Plugin Architecture
Bundled
pdfczar, txtczar (text and markdown)
Installable
Download signed .pkg installers
Protocol
JSON in/out via stdin/stdout

Not a file manager, not a reader

FileGrind doesn't replace your PDF reader or ebook app. It doesn't manage where your files are stored.

It's a layer that sits on top and shows you what's in them. Double-click a result and it opens in Preview, Acrobat, or whatever app you've set for that file type.

Your files stay on your Mac

No cloud uploads. No "processing on our servers." AI models run locally. Search indexes are stored locally. Unplug your internet—FileGrind keeps working.

✓ Local AI
✓ Local index
✓ Works offline

What's shipping

We're launching with support for PDFs, EPUBs, plain text, and markdown. Semantic search is in. You can search for concepts, not just keywords.

Working now: PDF indexing, EPUB parsing, text files, semantic search, local embedding models, the plugin system.

Coming: More file types via plugins, better organization tools, export options, performance improvements for large libraries.