We use Dropbox to copy our BandMgrX files between devices, but you should be able to use any cloud service really. Sugar Still uses a single SugarStill Dropbox account that we can both log into to share the BandMgrX files on both of our MacBooks and both of our iPhones. If you don’t know how to use Dropbox you should probably learn, it’s dead simple, and super valuable. Google Drive, iCloud and/or OneDrive could probably work as well, but we use Dropbox.
One thing to look out for is that iPhones and iPads currently don’t automatically copy in both directions. When you open the BandMgrX files on your iPhone or iPad from Dropbox, you have to manually save the data file BACK to Dropbox later copy your data to your other devices. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT if you’re sharing BandMgrX between bandmates or back and forth between your iPhone and your computer. When you open the Dropbox file on your Mac, all the changes are automatically saved to your Dropbox folder, but this is NOT TRUE with an iPhone or iPad. On an iPhone or iPad the changes you make are ONLY saved onto the device itself. If you drop your iPhone in the toilet you may lose any of the recent changes you made on your iPhone. Backup your data early and often.
Another big thing to understand is that you should only enter or change data ON ONE DEVICE AT A TIME. When you’re done entering data, close the file and make sure the data files sync to Dropbox. If you and a bandmate enter data simultaneously or you enter data on your iPhone without manually copying the file back over from your phone you may lose data or over-write data you entered on one of the other devices. Coordinate with your bandmates so that only one person is using BandMgrX at a time. We switch back and forth a lot, but we make sure to send a quick text or Facebook message to each other to make sure the other person is done, or to ask them to close the app for a few minutes so we can do what we need to do.
We’ve also built a tool to email recent changes if we accidentally enter data simultaneously. It’s not perfect, but it has helped us on occasion. To access this feature open the BandMgrXUtils.fmp12 file. We’ll create more detailed instructions on how to use the Utils file in another post.
