Using Cloud Storage

AudioTools now supports Apple iCloud. This is the preferred cloud storage option, it has several advantages over Dropbox, which will be removed from AudioTools at some point, when Dropbox no longer supports the API that we use.

Apple iCloud Support

Setup and Operation

First, make sure you are logged into your iCloud account, and that you have iCloud Drive turned on in the Settings app, on the iCloud page. You should also update to the latest version of iOS.


Next, turn on "Show iCloud Drive on the Home Screen". Available in iOS 9. Not strictly required, but it is very useful to be able to see all the files that are stored and to be able to delete or rename them.



Lastly, go to the Settings->General page in AudioTools and select iCloud as your cloud storage preference. Tap the "Cloud File Storage" button on the top of the page in the File Storage box

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That's it! iCloud is now enabled and ready to use.

File Migration

If you have files that you would like to move from local storage to iCloud, run the Migrate Files function. To access this, just turn on iCloud, and tap the "Move Local Files to iCloud" button. The Migrate Files screen appears. Just tap "Begin File Migration" and wait for the process to complete.

Files from the /pubic folder tree will be moved, not copied, so they will be deleted from local storage. Files from the internal folder will be copied.

The migrated files will be available immediately, whether or not you have internet connectivity. They will also be copied up to your iCloud when you are connected to the internet.

You can interrupt the file migration by pressing "Stop File Migration" the files in the public folder that have already been copied will be skipped, but internal format files will be copied again.

This process will overwrite files in iCloud with the same name, so be aware if you have iCloud files that may be duplicate local file names. File dates will be maintained.

Note: With very large file sets, to prevent memory overruns you may need to run the File Migration one step at a time. It may also help to reboot your device between runs.

iCloud Basics

It helps to understand a little bit about the workings of iCloud. Although you can think of files being stored in the cloud (some servers maintained by Apple somewhere), even though the master copy of the file is stored on the cloud, when you use a file on your device it is always moved to your local device before you use it. To reduce the storage requirements of the local devices, files are not copied until you try to open them, or until an app asks that the files be downloaded. Thus, the first time that you access a files stored on the cloud it can take a little while for it to actually download.

When you store a file to iCloud on your device, it is copied to the local iCloud instantly. Even if you are offline, you can see the file in the iCloud Drive app on the local device. Later, when you connect to the cloud the file is copied to the cloud, but the local copy stays on your device.

Every data file in our app will be saved to iCloud. Apple manages the syncing of files automatically, and you can easily access the files from your computer File Manager, or the iCloud Drive app on your iOS device or other devices connected to the cloud.

Note that if you access your files from another device, it may take some time for the files to completely download.

You can delete or rename files manually on your iCloud, using the iCloud Drive app on your device or by using the iCloud folder from your Mac, or from browser on any computer, by logging into your iCloud account at icloud.com.

Dropbox Support

This section describes how to enable and use Dropbox in the app.

When enabled, the files that are normally saved in the /public folder on the device, which include the tab-delimited .xls files and audio files, may be automatically synced to your Dropbox folder. This feature requires that you first sign up with Dropbox to get a Dropbox account and a folder on the Dropbox servers.

When enabled, the selected files will be automatically copied to Dropbox when they are created, if you have internet access. If you do not have internet access when they are created, the next time you do have internet access and open the app the files will be copied to your Dropbox.

Setting Up Dropbox Support

Once your Dropbox account has been created, go the the Settings-General page in the AudioTools or other app (not the iOS device settings), and select Dropbox Settings. A screen will appear that shows your current status.

Link

Tap link, and a screen will appear that lets you enter your Dropbox user name and password. Also, an "App" folder will be created in your Dropbox, and a folder for this app will be created in that folder.

After you have logged into Dropbox, the screen will disappear and you will be connected to your Dropbox account.

All .xls, .txt, and .png files will be now automatically copied to Dropbox as they are created.

Unlink

If you no longer wish to copy any files to your Dropbox account, tap Unlink.

Copy Audio Files to Dropbox

If you turn on this option, all audio files will also be copied to Dropbox. Since audio files can be large, you can choose to enable or disable this option.

Copy Existing Files to Dropbox

Pressing this button will begin a process where all .xls, .txt, .ong, and .frd files will be copied to your Dropbox folder. If you have "Copy Audio Files" turned on, they will also be copied to your Dropbox. Normally, you would only do this once, when you first turn on Dropbox access.

Using Dropbox to Upload Mic Compensation Files

It is much easier to drop a file into your Dropbox folder than it is to use the web browser interface. You just copy your mic compensation files to the public/calibration folder, under the app name. The full path for this folder is Dropbox/Apps/AudioTools/public/calibration.

Each time you open the Calibration Files screen, all of the files in that folder are copied to your iOS device, and can be selected. If you need to change a file, just drop the modified file into the Dropbox folder and re-open the Calibration Files screen. The new file will overwrite the file on the iOS device.

Note on Syncing:

We are not using Dropbox in Sync mode, rather, we are simply copying the files from the iOS device to your Dropbox. Because of this, if you have multiple iOS connected to your Dropbox, files with the same name will be overwritten.