Using Backup/Restore Configuration to share configuration with own PC or others?

Help & Support
1

When using several computers with Dopus, is using the backup/restore function the recommended way to carry over a changed configuration from PC x to PC y?

I'm using this currently and always have to change some paths I have "hardcoded" into the button. The target folders are in completely different locations on two computers.
Is it possible to show a dialog (only) the first time the button is run where the folder can be specified and then this configuration can be accessed by other buttons as well?
What would be the best way to handle this?

Also, if I manage to create a complete Dopus configuration that I want to share in its entirety with others online (like a ribbon-style configuration or a Windows 10-style explorer clone), can I share a configuration backup file for this?
Or is there some kind of personal data included or some other reason why not to do this?

Related topics:

2

Yes

I use aliases everywhere. They get defined at startup depending on the environment in which Opus runs.

Only everything you ever stored there :wink:

FTP passwords might be something to be worried about. Some state files could contain folder/file histories. So slap an NC-17 rating on the config file before you publish it :smiley:

3

Sounds like a good solution. Could you share your code for this (defining at Dopus startup depending on the environment)?

I'll guess that answers that question. :laughing:
So I'd probably need to create a .dop file containing the menu with all buttons, a .dis where I store all icons as well as other files that are used and bundle them all in a zip that can be extracted to /dopusdata ....

4

Another reason not to share complete config backups is it's confusing for the people who install them, and us as well. I'll change and overwrite all kinds of settings they have no idea about, and which aren't related to what's being shared. Then they'll post questions on the forum about something strange happening, and we finally work out what was going on and point out it's not that way by default, they'll say it wasn't them and be even more confused. :slight_smile:

It's best to just share the particular thing that you want to share, even if it requires a little manual assembly to use.

1 Like
5

Looks like this:

function OnInit(initData) {
    initData.name = 'StartupAndShutdown';
    initData.default_enable = true;
    initData.min_version = '12.0';
}

function OnStartup(startupData) {
    var cmd = DOpus.Create().Command();
    var wne = new ActiveXObject('WScript.Network');

    var thisPC = wne.ComputerName;
    DOpus.Output('thisPC:                ' + thisPC);

    if (thisPC == 'A') {
        cmd.RunCommand('Favorites ALIAS=set       NAME=Books      PATH="X:\\Books"');
    } else if (thisPC == 'B') {
        cmd.RunCommand('Favorites ALIAS=set       NAME=Books      PATH="Y:\\Books"');
    } else if (thisPC == 'C') {
        // 
    } else if (thisPC == 'D') {
        // 
    } else {
        //
    }
}
1 Like
6

That would have been my next question... How can I share a specific set of preferences?
I extracted a .ocb and looked inside, but haven't found a file with preferences yet.
Would sharing an .ocb file with only specific preferences be the way to share preferences with other users? Or is there another way?

Sounds like every support staff's biggest nightmare! :exploding_head:
BTW, is Dopus really only developed by three guys, as listed in About? It seems like such a complex software and you also help the users with questions in this forum regularly.

Many thanks, Ixp! I will try it out using the Startup preferences:

7

I am a professional Photo Organizer and I teach photo video organizing to other pros (not DIYers). I have customized DOpus extensively to suit the needs of pro photo organizers.
Basically, I have customized DOpus to be the best application by far for photo and video organizing.
I have created Folder Formats with the appropriate columns, I have added commands for working with photo and video metadata, and have created lots of different filters. I have also created several categories of rename presets - some of which don't rename, but move files into a folder structure, or even out of a deep folder structure (like Google Takeout downloads).
DOpus is required for people who hire me to coach them. I have 2 new coaching clients who recently purchased DOpus. As part of my arrangement with them, they get the configuration file I created--and I send them updates to it. I instruct them to save the default configuration before installing mine. There have been no problems in the few weeks since they started using it.
My configuration file includes the ExifTool Custom Columns script, and all my clients need to do is follow my instructions for installing ExifTool in C Drive so the script does not need to be edited for the path to ExifTool.
This has worked well for a couple of clients for over a year.
I am creating online courses for professional photo organizers, and those courses will include the configuration file.
When something doesn't work correctly, I ask my clients to contact me. Because of the comments in this topic, I will do my best to make it very clear that they need to contact me about any problems they experiece.

3 Likes
8

Depends what they are.

  • If it's a whole toolbar, you can share the .dop file (found via /dopusdata/buttons).
  • Individual buttons or (sub-)menus can (while in Customize mode) be copied to the clipboard and pasted into a forum post, which people can then add to their toolbars by doing the reverse.
  • Prefs settings, usually best to just describe what to change so people understand what's happening and how to undo it. (Depends which settings, though. Some are designed to be sharable.)
  • Icons, best shared as an icon set.
  • Rename presets, can be exported to .orp files or xml for sharing and importing.

I'd avoid that as it could mess up people's configs, and wouldn't be granular enough.

Yep, in terms of coding. There are also lots of people who do the translations, and two people who did most of the icon work.

1 Like
9

Maybe a future dopus update could have a feature where you can export selective "important" settings, that is to say maybe each setting can have a third options (on, off, third setting) where we can mark essential settings to the "build" and have dopus list off the differences to their config when applying this custom config? Not trying to back seat code or anything just seems like it would fit the dopus school of robust design.

10

You can already share most things that it makes sense to share (with a few more on the way).

If you want to share a particular thing but can't, please be specific. :slight_smile:

11

Your story's quite interesting, thanks for sharing!
I'm not in photography or a related field, but still curious about your setup, especially since you've shared it with many people who like it and work with it for a very specialized usecase.
Do they use Dopus to replace Windows Explorer completely, or do they use it specifically as a Photo/video managent system?
I understand that you share your configuration as part of coaching arrangements, but if you'd like to explain a bit more about your configuration in these forums as well; like buttons, menu structure, commands, rename/moving presets, and folder formats; I'd be curious to see/hear about it. :slight_smile:

12

I think I understand why you're not convinced a way to share pref settings (as a whole) with others is necessary - If users change pref settings without understanding, that can cause confusion and additional work.
After all, Dopus' target audience seem to be mostly power users. And it makes sense anyway to get into the workings of Dopus to get the most out of it.

However, as MegMac has explained, Dopus can also be used as a specialized software such as video/photo organizing. In this case, the users might not have a reason to learn about Dopus in depth.

I think I've also read a comment somewhere else about someone installing and configuring it for their parents or someone with less than average PC knowledge, but couldn't find it again...

My own use case for wanting to share a prefs settings file would be sharing prefs that make Dopus as similar to Windows Explorer as possible for people that liked Windows Explorer, but aren't necessarily power users or IT specialists. People that liked Windows Explorer in previous Windows versions or thought it was always just "good enough" - until a breaking point (like Windows 11).
I was actually one of those people - I always knew that 3rd party file managers existed and were much more powerful, but I didn't feel like learning a new program for what I thought was "just file management" and I also didn't know how customizable the Dopus UI is.
If someone had shown me a file manager that looked exactly like the Windows Explorer I liked, and told me I could switch between single/dual panes with a single click and add user-created buttons and scripts for virtually anything, I would've gotten into Dopus much earlier.

Regarding particular prefs I'd want to share: I've made several changes in my prefs already, but couldn't find those again. I think one was Full-Row Selection and one was mouseover highlighting of rows.
So there's also the related thing that Dopus prefs settings seem to be complicated and difficult to find. (Partially the downside of Dopus' great customizability ofc.) There's no search option in the prefs dialog and it always takes me a while to find a setting when searching the help and the forums, even if I've already found this setting before.

A shareable file that changes pref settings as defined when executed could help with that. It could display a table for the contained prefs with the columns "Factory Setting", "Current Setting", and "Setting from Shared pref settings file", so that the user understands what's actually changed.

I can't say whether these are worth the effort of developing a feature for that or not.
For me, the #1 features I'm going to request (when I've gotten a bit deeper into Dopus) are some ribbon-style related features. These would be things that aren't possible at all now. In comparison, a shareable prefs settings file would be nice to have, but is something that can be worked around as well.

13

That's correct. I don't want my clients to have to learn DOpus. I'd never get any clients if they did.

I recommend they do not replace Windows File Explorer completely. I don't want them making changes to their computer other than using DOpus.

No part of my configuration is mysterious or secret. All my customizations are a result of things I read in the manual or in this forum. Many commands are 'tweaked' versions of commands I've gotten in this forum.
There would be no point in me sharing my configuration file (or even just parts of it) because the user needs to know when, why, and how to use a command/button/preset/folder format etc.

For example, I use ExifTool Custom Columns and have created a few Folder Formats (one for Images and 2 for Movies) that display specific date metadata and other metadata fields. Few people would understand why they should look at those fields and even fewer people would know how to interpret the data that is displayed. I can tell by looking at photo date metadata fields if a photo is likely scanned, and if the file was converted or edited. I use that information to separate out those photos and move them to a folder for scanned photos to which a 'correct' date has not been added. The instructions I provide to my clients includes how to interpret the metadata they see.

Another example: one of my Rename presets does not rename files, but moves files out of a deep folder structure that has redundant folder levels. The user would need to why, how, and when to use the preset.

Many customizations would make no sense (and be useless) to anyone not following the Megabyte Method--my photo and video organizing system. For example, I know what filename patterns Duplicate Cleaner Pro (by Digital Volcano) recognizes as 'Copy' parts of filenames, so I have created filters to find files with names that indicate they are copies but don't conform to what Duplicate Cleaner Pro recognizes as copies -- like IMG_1234(1).jpg. By editing certain filenames, duplicate removal is easier IF Duplicate Cleaner Pro is used for de-duping, and IF my duplicate removal instructions are followed.

1 Like
14

Maybe I don't understand, but what about Search Preferences in the bottom left corner?

15

I haven't noticed that before. :sweat:
That does make it a lot easier. Thanks!

16

Im saying you could add a way to share actual preferences, and when the user is applying these shared prefs dopus could tell them hey here's the settings unique to these preferences, here is the derfault, here is what you have set.

I know that's a lot, but afaik this whole convo is about sharing preferences to have unique scenario dopus setups. Regardless sharing 6 files and explaining to a newbie how to apply each file is like asking someone who just wants to try a thing to sit down for 12 hours and read. There should at least be a way to copy the entire config sans setting if that's what you take objection to. The settings are probably the least important part of sharing a build, at the end of the day, or like I said the settings could be more sensitive to the restore, such that it points out what it is changing before doing it.

17

Just tell people which Preferences settings to change, and why. It's easy to click a checkbox, and having to import a partial config export would probably make things harder in most cases, not easier.

And then they know how to undo that change if they don't like it, and can look up the details of what it means in the manual.

(You can get the name of most things in Preferences by clicking on them and then pushing Ctrl-C.)

There are some Preferences pages which allow aspects of them to be shared explicitly, where it makes sense. We're adding a couple of more in the future. But it just doesn't make sense for most of them. Give people instructions instead of opaque files if the aim is to change a few Prefs settings.

2 Likes
18

That is probably the most important aspect. They are not going to call the Ghostbusters for support :wink:

2 Likes
19

Gotcha, I look forward to whatever ones will be added in the future. I still think a bulk share would be cool - even if it omitted settings all together.