I have a 10 user license for my staff.
We have a shared drive that contains a large folder tree.
We have various different folders in different places that contain similar content. For example photos from different projects.
What we would like is a number of Collections so that we can gather all the similar data. On each machine it works great.
However, could someone please advise if there is a way to maintain the collections in a single place and then make them available for all the selected users rather than every person having to set up the collections manually on each machine.
Unfortunately this is not currently possible - File Collections can only be stored as part of your configuration (and therefore local to you). However it's a good idea so we will look at adding this in the future.
Yes, they're text files (xml actually) - you can find them in /dopusdata/Collections. If you don't mind using some sort of manual process to keep them all updated then you could certainly copy them to everyone's machine, yes.
Note though that if two people make changes it will be quite tricky to combine the changed versions when updating (although it could probably be done with some sort of scripting language that understands xml).
Try a command button like this copy the Colection files from a shared location:
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\\Server\Share\Opus\Collections\*.col" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
That will overwrite existing versions of the same collection. Everyone must use the same Collection name, so talk about that before hand. If you copy a collection file (.col) to another Opus PC, you must exit Opus, then restart it before you the new or updated collection will appear in the list.
Put one person in charge of updating the collections and maintaining the central copies on your server. Everyone else must copy them down, and restart Opus before using them.
The command given below works for the collections but if a Sub Collection is created then it's collections are in a folder.
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\Server\Share\Opus\Collections*.col" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
I tried changing the command to....
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\Server\Share\Opus\Collections*.*" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
so as to copy all the collections AND Sub Collections but it did not work.
Should the command to duplicate/replace a Sub Collection folder and it's child collections be different somehow?
As I said above, not only must the files be copied from your server to each down to each user's /dopusdata\Collections folder, but each user must also exit Opus completely (not just close the lister window). When Only when Opus is relaunched, will the collection files that have been copied down from the server actually show up as a File Collection.
A-1: To exit Opus manually, got to File Menu - Exit. However, if you really want true automation for this task, you could add the command right your new button like this:
<Your copy command here>
Close PROGRAM WHENFINISHED
A-2: To Share the button:[ol][li] You do this:[ol][li] List the shared folder everyone has access to (I would put in the same shared folder as the collections).[/li]
[li] Put Opus into Customize Mode[/li]
[li] Drag the button to the file display (that is listing your shared folder).[/li]
[li] Exit Customize mode.[/li][/ol][/li][li]Your users do this:[ol][li] List the shared folder everyone has access to (I would put in the same shared folder as the collections).[/li]
[li] Put Opus into Customize Mode[/li]
[li] Drag the button from the file display (that is listing your shared folder) to a toolbar.[/li]
[li] Exit Customize mode.[/li][/ol][/li][/ol]
This is some sort of pseudo file system WITHOUT messing with NTFS or hard-links/junctions etc. (Having said that, I can already see another new benefit...you can have file servers on Unix/Linux which are accessed by Opus on windows machines with common file collections for everyone. And it's so much easier to muck with File Collections than soft/hard/messy links.)
If there is an ability to set "File Collection Data" pointed to a shared file server, then the whole thing would be almost perfect.
Does anyone know how you would set a background task/daemon to check the version of the file on the server?
[With some sort of timer involved...]
If (version on server > current version on local computer)
{
Download and overwrite current file;
Dialog box to request restarting Opus;
}
I've sussed out a working button so everyone with access to the shared drive can have the same collection set. Once the .col files are placed in a shared drive, the button uses
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\SHARED SERVER PATH\MASTER_COLLECTIONS*.col" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
Copy "\SHARED SERVER PATH\MASTER_COLLECTIONS*" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
dopusrt.exe /restart
The second line is used to copy subcollections after the first line. I also put the button on the same shared location so other users can copy it to their toolbar.
Just to put the icing on the cake, is there a way to automate the importing of the shared button without the user having to drag it into there toolbar?
The button files are in XML so if you have access to each user's toolbars, and some programming/scripting experience, then it is possible to add buttons to them by editing the XML (before Opus starts, e.g. in a logon script). It's probably too much effort in most cases, but it is possible if you really need it, like if you have hundreds of users.
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\SHARED SERVER PATH\MASTER_COLLECTIONS*.col" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
Copy "\SHARED SERVER PATH\MASTER_COLLECTIONS*" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
dopusrt.exe /restart[/quote]
Change your button to:
Copy WHENEXISTS=replace FORCE FILE="\\SHARED SERVER PATH\MASTER_COLLECTIONS\*" TO="/dopusdata\Collections"
dopusrt.exe /restart
Your second Copy command is copying everything down from the MASTER_COLLECTIONS folder on your server, therefore the first line is redundant, just remove it.
The parameters WHENEXISTS=replace and FORCE ensure that users will not be prompted to overwrite existing files or system/hidden/read only files during the copy operation. You can take them out if you want to be prompted. You will still see a progress dialog, if the copy operation takes long enough; this can be suppressed by adding the QUIET option to the command.