Using DropBox and symbolic links with SketchUp.

brodie · 27 Oct 2011, 15:36

Sorry, I didn't really read through the original posters instructions. I'm not sure why you'd use the cmd line for this. Downloading that symlink extension for windows adds a right-click option. I wrote some brief instructions here http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=34019&hilit=+dropbox

I think using the right-click method avoids some of the mystery behind using the cmd line. Since you've got the plugins folder in your dropbox and it's apparently set up fine at work at home all you should have to do is make sure you don't have a plugins folder in the google location. Right-Click your Plugins folder in dropbox select Pick Link Source (this is the new option which the shell extension adds). Then go to the google location where SU will look for the Plugins folder right-click and you'll see an option Drop As select that and choose Junction (or according to the OP symbolic link should work too).

Let me know if that works.

-Brodie

hellnbak · 28 Oct 2011, 17:01

I don't use dropbox but ran across this article expressing some concerns about it's security, just FYI http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/sorry-dropbox-i-still-dont-trust-you/4173?tag=nl.e539

andrea.bianco · 28 Oct 2011, 18:42

@hellbank: thanks for the link. As I said earlier in this thread, I'm not a fan of the cloud; there's not a single cloud service out there that can give us a 100% safe service with total protection of our privacy and that can promise no outages or server issues. I simply don't trust the cloud for anything really confidential. That being said, using Dropbox for keeping my plugins and resources in sync between many machines is giving me no concerns in terms of outages (I still have local copies, it's the beauty of Dropbox) nor privacy ones (my plugins are downloded from the net, like many of my resources). I also use Dropbox for sharing files online (my tutorials, images, ect) and since I'm sharing them already, I don't care about "privacy" etc. I think putting confidential stuff online is always a risk and should be avoided as much as possible, no matter the platform we use (email, social network, cloud storage, etc). By the way, I really don't think Dropbox is less safe than GMail or any other Google service -- remember when Google pushed Buzz on the users making their provate contact lists visible to everyone else, also giving a frequency of contact indication? Well I'm glad SketchUp and YouTube are the only Google services I use

Jim · 28 Oct 2011, 20:09

Just a thought - if plugin authors each used a shared dropbox, then it might be possible that we could all get instant plugin updates directly as they are made.

Chris Fullmer · 28 Oct 2011, 20:31

That would be cool. I have it set up that with a team I'm working with. I write stuff, and they get the updates automatically. I've got a loader script that they all put into their plugins folder that points to their dropbox, but I like this symbolic link a lot.

We should set something like that up. Of course, we would need to do better at making plugins be extensions so the user could turn them off within SU - as modifying the name/moving to a different directory would not work since everyone is accessing the same file.

How many people does dropbox let you share a folder with? There are public folders that share with unlimited people, right?

Rich O Brien · 28 Oct 2011, 20:43

@unknownuser said:

How many people does dropbox let you share a folder with? There are public folders that share with unlimited people, right?

There's a limit of 10GB of traffic with DropBox. Then you're folder is suspended from use.

Jim · 28 Oct 2011, 21:01

@unknownuser said:

There's a limit of 10GB of traffic with DropBox. Then you're folder is suspended from use.

per month?

Using LibFred6 as an example, 10GB / 3.5 MB = 2,925 downloads.

Rich O Brien · 28 Oct 2011, 21:04

That I'm not sure of. I got suspended when I hosted the first CatchUp on my DropBox folder. They informed me that it's not a file hosting service it's a file storage service?

I do know the suspension lasted 2 weeks on the Public folder only.

jeff hammond · 11 Nov 2011, 01:20

so i set this up today and i gotta say, it's pretty awesome..

(i'm also syncing my keyboard shortcuts, materials, components, and styles.. i'd like to do my preferences as well but i think the fact that i have different sized screens is going to cause some problems with toolbar placement, window size, etc.)

i'm on Mac and since no one itt has talked about it yet, i'll lay out the steps i took..

assuming you already have a dropbox acct, do the following steps on all of your computers you'd like to sync..

● Download Symbolic Linker:

http://seiryu.home.comcast.net/~seiryu/symboliclinker.html

this makes it a breeze to create symbolic links in osx.. it adds a symlink service to finder so you just right-click the file and choose 'make symbolic link'.. the download includes a service which works with 10.6+ or a plugin which is for leopard and earlier.. only use the one that applies to your os version.. install instruction are included in the download.. otherwise, take a trip to terminal

● Backup your plugins folder(s)

i just right-click the plugins folder and choose 'compress'.. generates an archive right there inside the SketchUp folder for easy access later on.. or just drag a copy to your desktop

● Empty your plugins folder

open the actual sketchup plugins folder then select everything and trash it.. you may want to rethink this step? i'm just outlining how i went about it (which worked perfectly btw ).. my thinking was that i wanted to get the folders synced up with a minimal amount of files being transferred so if something went wrong, i wouldn't be waiting for ever to re-upload etc..

● Create Symbolic Links for the plugins folders

right-click the folder and choose 'make symbolic link'.. you'll now have a folder called plugins symlink which will have the little little alias arrow on the folder icon.

● Move symlink folders into your dropbox

locate your dropbox folder.. i keep a dropbox shortcut in my finder sidebar.. if you don't, the default location is in your home folder.. otherwise go wherever you put yours..
move the folder 'plugins symlink' into the dropbox folder (or a parent folder inside dropbox if you wish)..
(this step is where my method differs from the ones previously outlined itt… my plugins stay in their proper location with the symbolic links branching out from there)
do this on all computers

● Test your sync
since you synced empty folders, the plugin folders on the different computers should have linked up very quickly.. drag a test file into one of the plugins folders to ensure it transfers to dropbox an on to the other computer..

● Re-install your plugins

open up the backup you made earlier.. select everything and drag them back into the sketchup plugins folder (or you could just drag them into the symlink folder.. you can also install future plugins through the symlink folder.. the files will transfer to your plugins folder, your dropbox, and your linked computers.. magic)

if your plugins folders weren't identical prior to doing all this (mine weren't), you can now use dropbox to merge them.. after the first computer's plugins have been uploaded and transferred to computer#2, take computer2's plugins and repeat this step.. in the case of having the same file already on both computers, you'll be prompted to overwrite the file (replace), or to keep both files (if using lion), or to stop.. you can go through each one individually or choose 'apply to all' (which is what i did).. any shared files will stay the same and any non-similar files will sync.

do the same thing for anything else you want to sync..
good luck.

Box · 11 Nov 2011, 07:53

@unknownuser said:

● Create Symbolic Links for the plugins folders

right-click the folder and choose 'make symbolic link'.. you'll now have a folder called plugins symlink which will have the little little alias arrow on the folder icon.

I'm only basically familiar with Mac but I do have friends that often ask me to help them with theirs and I'm confused about how you Right Click on a one button mouse.

Sorry if I'm being stupid, but I know if I said right click to a girlfriend of mine she would simply pass out in confusion.

jeff hammond · 11 Nov 2011, 13:43

@box said:

how you Right Click on a one button mouse.

ctrl + click

Box · 11 Nov 2011, 15:05

Thanks Jeff, I guess I knew that, it just threw me reading it before my morning coffee.

By the way, I've used dropbox for years but never thought of this and it works brilliantly, I'd recommend it to anyone.

jeff hammond · 11 Nov 2011, 15:21

fwiw, apple's one button mouse hasn't been sold since 2005 or so.. the version after that, while it looked like it had only one button (well, i guess it looks like it has no buttons), actually had 4 pressure sensitive areas which could be used for right-clicking.. in 2009(?), they updated again to the magic mouse which again is only one button but it's much smarter than the previous version.. it now depends on where you click, how many fingers you click with, which direction you move your finger(s) in, etc as to what action it preforms.. it's basically a mashup between a mouse and a trackpad.

regardless, i've never used an apple mouse.. always logitech.. but even then, osx requires no special drivers for (most)3rd party mice. plug and play..

Chris Fullmer · 11 Nov 2011, 16:19

My friend has one of the magic mice and I nearly bopped him over the head for being so stupid to have a single "mash here" one button mouse.

The he showed me the truth.....wow, its pretty cool.

I still can't live without a middle button to hold down for orbiting in SU. Not sure if you can make one of those magic mouse do that.

jeff hammond · 11 Nov 2011, 20:04

@chris fullmer said:

I still can't live without a middle button to hold down for orbiting in SU.

get a mouse with a thumb button(s)… thank me later

zoom while orbiting... your index finger is on the left button way more often.. faster/more flow-ey / more comfortable drawing..

Bob James · 12 Nov 2011, 02:03

What model is that, Jeff?

Chris Fullmer · 12 Nov 2011, 02:42

My mouse at home is similar to that, I'll set it up that way and see how it goes. Thanks for the tip!

jeff hammond · 12 Nov 2011, 04:22

@bob james said:

What model is that, Jeff?

it's the MX Revolution.. I've had 3 of them (my daughter is 5 now so my latest model has lasted a couple of years.. in my experience, 2 year olds and mice do not coexist peacefully in the same house )

apparently, logitech discontinued the revolution and replaced it with this model:
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/mice/devices/performance-mouse-mx

it looks better than the older version.. they did away with the thumbwheel and added new little thumb button in a handy looking spot (4 thumb buttons total)

for my laptops, i use the smaller MX.. the anywhere MX.. dunno, i like these things a lot because if i break/lose one, i'm not even going to shop around for anything else.. i just want an exact replacement..
http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/mice/devices/9422

Rich O Brien · 12 Nov 2011, 09:50

I don't see a version for lefties? 'Sculpted for right' is the blurb

jeff hammond · 12 Nov 2011, 13:45

@unknownuser said:

I don't see a version for lefties? 'Sculpted for right' is the blurb

like a Mac user... you'll get used to it

weren't the teachers supposed to slap your hand every time you picked up a pencil with your left hand?