Dropbox and DP files

[ToBeJazz]

I've been a happy Dropbox user for a few years and find the program really useful for many reasons.
Yesterday, for the first time, I tried to download from the server a previous version of a DP file and, in contrary to other files, there's no easy way to open the file back i DP. I find it strange since I've been doing this with many different file types before and have had no issues doing that.
Now, does the fact that DP files has no file extension has to do with the problem opening back files in DP?
Or is it something else?

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Zip the file first. Transfer the zip and unzip when it's on the destination machine. Same for emailing DP files.

[ToBeJazz]

I'm having my DP file in my Dropbox folder so as soon as I save my DP file is it being uploaded to the Dropbox server and that is (of course) the file I want to be able to reopen in DP and I can't.
If I had to Zip the DP file on beforehand and do things manually the general idea of Dropbox is gone, at least for me.
So, DP files and Dropbox are incompatible?

[NazRat]

What version of DP? In DP8 I believe file extensions are fully in force, so there shouldn't be any issues with both session and audio files as they are uploaded. In earlier versions though, files sans extensions could be problematic if their resource forks were stripped off by copying across networks. SD2 audio files were/are particularly troublesome. If you are using DP8 and the session file was created in an earlier version, try adding the .dpdoc extension.

[mikehalloran]

Or is it something else?

It's something else.

Zip the file first. Transfer the zip and unzip when it's on the destination machine. Same for emailing DP files.

The something else is permissions. Copying files directly from one computer to another does not set the permissions that DP needs to see to open properly. When you unzip a file, it sets the permissions for you to open it, same as using Migration assistant or Time Machine to import a file.

First off, you don't say what version of the Mac OS you are using nor do you say what version of DP. DP 8 is far more forgiving on this issue than 7.24.

You can try doing Get Info on the project folder, adding your admin account and granting read and wriite privileges to all accounts for all the files contained. This usually works in DP 8 - hit or miss in 7.24.

Or you can zip and unzip the files first.

[mikehalloran]

I'm having my DP file in my Dropbox folder so as soon as I save my DP file is it being uploaded to the Dropbox server and that is (of course) the file I want to be able to reopen in DP and I can't.
If I had to Zip the DP file on beforehand and do things manually the general idea of Dropbox is gone, at least for me.
So, DP files and Dropbox are incompatible?

It's always interesting to me when someone poses a technical issue, it is answered with a simple, correct answer and the response is, 'no, that's not what I want'. And only then do we find out what the OP is trying to accomplish.

This isn't Burger King. You don't always get it your way.

But just because you can't have it your way, it doesn't mean that you can't have what you want. It just takes a little more work on your part. These are very powerful computers and capable of far more than any of us ever use. You could write a script or use Automator to archive the file for you before uploading, then have it send the file to Dropbox.

[FMiguelez]

You could write a script or use Automator to archive the file for you before uploading, then have it send the file to Dropbox.

+ 1000

That would be the equivalent of having your Burger King order delivered to your kitchen!

[mikehalloran]

Back to the OP. I noticed that you mentioned it was an old file, I will assume since you've given us no information, that it is created in an earlier version of DP. If so, do the Get Info and assign accounts and privileges as I suggested. Again, it should open in DP 8, hit or miss in 7.24, shouldn't be a problem in 5.12 - 7.01.

This stuff is much easier if you include your OS and current version of DP in your signature. As I have indicated, makes a difference.

[bdr]

Yon might want to look at something like Hazel
http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php

which is a genius piece of software that will monitors folders etc and then perform actions on designated files. I'm sure you could get it to monitor your dropbox folder and when it sees a DP file automatically zip it.

[mikehalloran]

Yon might want to look at something like Hazel
http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php

which is a genius piece of software that will monitors folders etc and then perform actions on designated files. I'm sure you could get it to monitor your dropbox folder and when it sees a DP file automatically zip it.

I'm not certain that would work. The file should be zipped before being emailed or uploaded into Dropbox. I could be wrong on this but if zipped beforehand, Dropbox does work.

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Is it so hard to manually zip a file and drag a zip to Dropbox? Really?

[magicd]

Prior to DP8, DP session files were identified by the Mac OS via Type and Creator data, which is hidden in the header of the file. If a DP session file (prior to version 8 ) is stored on a non-Mac formatted drive, or is transferred via email, etc, the header data will be stripped off and the Mac OS will no longer recognize the file as a DP file.

If that happens, the file can be repaired by adding the type and creator data back in. There are a number of shareware apps that will do this.

DP8 will recognize type and creator data from old DP files. DP8 will also recognize the file based on file extension. If the header data was stripped, adding .dpdoc to the file name will allow it to be recognized by DP8. If the file needs to be opened in an earlier version of DP, the extension doesn't help. You have to fix the Type and Creator.

Zipping the DP session file will indeed preserve the header data.

Dave

[ToBeJazz]

Dave, good to know the details, thanks.

For anyone who wants to have an AppleScript that makes a zip file of your DP session file, here's one (change the paths to fit your system), the first lines are just for the timestamp name of the zip file (use AppleScript Editor for the code):

set CurrentYear to (year of (current date) as string)
set CurrentYearKort to text 3 thru end of CurrentYear
if (month of (current date) as number) < 10 then
set CurrentMonth to "0" & (month of (current date) as number)
else
set CurrentMonth to (month of (current date) as number)
end if
if (day of (current date)) < 10 then
set CurrentDay to "0" & (day of (current date))
else
set CurrentDay to (day of (current date))
end if
set CurrentDate to CurrentYear & "-" & CurrentMonth & "-" & CurrentDay
if (hours of (current date)) < 10 then
set CurrentHours to "0" & (hours of (current date))
else
set CurrentHours to (hours of (current date))
end if
if (minutes of (current date)) < 10 then
set CurrentMinutes to "0" & (minutes of (current date))
else
set CurrentMinutes to (minutes of (current date))
end if
if (seconds of (current date)) < 10 then
set CurrentSeconds to "0" & (seconds of (current date))
else
set CurrentSeconds to (seconds of (current date))
end if
set CurrentTime to CurrentHours & "." & CurrentMinutes & "." & CurrentSeconds
set CurrentDateKort to CurrentYearKort & CurrentMonth & CurrentDay
set TimeStamp to CurrentDate & "_" & CurrentTime



set source to "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/YOUR_NAME/Desktop/DP_session_file_name.dpdoc"
set destination to "/Volumes/Macintosh HD/Users/YOUR_NAME/Desktop/_backup/" & TimeStamp & "/DP_session_file_name.dpdoc.zip"
do shell script "/usr/bin/ditto -c -k -rsrc " & quoted form of source & " " & quoted form of destination

[MIDI Life Crisis]

Bottom line:

http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... 70#p467870

[Killahurts]

Yep, zip it up. Fixes everything. Anybody that uses their own FTP knows this.