Merging Three Computers

[mcrump]

I know this is a stupid title but It's the best that I can do.  I have Chief on three computers.  Work, home and my laptop.  It's a real pain to keep all of them synced up with the constant changes to templates, etc., so I was wondering.....if I put my data folder on Dropbox and pointed all three programs to that folder, would that allow me to change something on one computer and it filter to all three machines?

[Joe_Carrick]

Yes, of course.  I do that with both the data folder and with my projects folder.  Everything is always current no matter where I am.

[dshall]

Yes yes yes

[mcrump]

Thanks Guys.  One other question......is it possible to do the same thing with the core and mfr. libraries?  I know the user libraries will because het are stored in the X10 Data directory.  Globally updating would be so nice!!

[Joe_Carrick]

1 hour ago, mcrump said:

Thanks Guys.  One other question......is it possible to do the same thing with the core and mfr. libraries?  I know the user libraries will because het are stored in the X10 Data directory.  Globally updating would be so nice!!

I don't know if that would work or not.  I think Chief hard codes the folder(s) for those items - or sets them on installation. 

[Electromen]

I'm on a Mac.  I have all the data files and documents/drawings on iCloud.

[Joe_Carrick]

2 hours ago, mcrump said:

Thanks Guys.  One other question......is it possible to do the same thing with the core and mfr. libraries?  I know the user libraries will because het are stored in the X10 Data directory.  Globally updating would be so nice!!

I just checked.  It can be done and in fact I had already done it:

• Copy the "Database Libraries" folder to Dropbox.
• In Preferences>Folders change the "Database Libraries Folder" to your Dropbox location.
• Now any changes you make will be synced.

Just be sure you do this on all computers.

Note that you might need to do this for each new version of Chief - but not for updates to the current version.

[DRAWZILLA]

Joe, do you notice any slowness depending on if you are online using wi-fi , and if no internet available it won't work?

[Joe_Carrick]

No, Dropbox is on your local computer and that's what Chief uses.  The update is only done after the plan or other file has been changed.  That's done by the Dropbox program in the background.  Note that Plan and Layout files are not actually changed until they are saved.

[DRAWZILLA]

Thanks for the info.

[Kbird1]

8 hours ago, mcrump said:

Thanks Guys.  One other question......is it possible to do the same thing with the core and mfr. libraries?  I know the user libraries will because het are stored in the X10 Data directory.  Globally updating would be so nice!!

 

Undoubtedly Joe's method above works too, but CA suggests another method in their KB Article here :

 

https://www.chiefarchitect.com/support/article/KB-03090/moving-library-content-to-the-cloud-or-other-custom-location.html

 

 

I am just trying this myself on a newish Laptop that came with a free Dropbox Account.... and don't see a "Databases folder" just the C:\ProgramData\Chief Architect Premier X10 Folder with all the Libraries in it.

 

*** Edit  the Databases Folder is in the CA Data Folder so it is already in Dropbox if you copy the whole Data Folder to Dropbox

I thought Joe was referring to the CA Core, Bonus, and Manufacturers Libraries which the KB Article above is about but you will need a BIG dropbox for that folder mine is 19GB alone without the Data Folder....

 

M.

[Kbird1]

On 7/8/2018 at 10:33 AM, Joe_Carrick said:

No, Dropbox is on your local computer and that's what Chief uses.  The update is only done after the plan or other file has been changed.  That's done by the Dropbox program in the background.  Note that Plan and Layout files are not actually changed until they are saved.

 

So in Preferences I need to change all Folder Options to the Dropbox Folder ? ( e:\Dropbox\CA Data Folder in my case ) ie it seems the Dropbox Folder is not an exact Copy of the standard CA Data folder in My Documents , ie my Save options meant I was still saving Plans to my Project Folder , which I keep in the CA Data Folder in My Docs, so the Data Folder now in the Dropbox Folder didn't have them.

 

I am new to Dropbox , but have OneDrive and Google Drive and they seem to update/sync their "copied" Folders from My Documents etc which is how I assumed DB worked too.

 

M.

 

 

[madcowscarnival]

I posted something very similar on a previous older post, but:

 

I would recommend using onedrive, which can be a mapped network drive without any virtual local folders or after-work-completed sync.  As a mapped drive, the entire thing can also be backed-up with Windows built-in SyncToy (a good program despite the childish name).  I suspect (though I don't personally use it in this method) that this could store all the various referenced library files as a central repository.