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Dropbox support

N

NeoEvaX

Well-known member
So I read on facebook that the dropbox support is going away, because of the deprecated of their v1 API.

I have not done all my research, but can't Hero Lab (ipad specifically) be upgraded to the v2 Dropbox API?

Deprecation announcement:
https://blogs.dropbox.com/developers/2015/04/deprecating-the-sync-and-datastore-apis/

v1-v2 Migration Guide
https://www.dropbox.com/developers/reference/migration-guide

I might be missing something huge, but I love the dropbox sync. I use my ipad and move to my computer all the time.

Well there is my worry, and my 2 cents. With a little research I would love to help out migrating (I am a developer), for what its worth.
 
Well, this will kill iPad support for HL, especially for users that use both iPad and Windows platforms (and the multiple licenses with it). For me, it'll be too cumbersome to use the HL iPad since I don't use it exclusively and moving a .por file to it (or from it) will be, as I just stated, cumbersome.

I'm hoping LW are developing an alternative option to support this migration between the platforms, maybe support for Google Drive.
 
Agreed. I would probabbly just stop using the ipad, which (in my opinion) is a MUCH better experience for playing a single character. I even enjoy it more for building characters sometimes.

Lets hope they migrate over to v2 (so dropbox support never really goes away), or they move to something else just as good/easy.
 
So you have official confirmation that LW is dropping Dropbox support? This you heard from Colen?

Honestly if you heard from anyone but Colen you heard non-official information. Only Colen can tell you 100% sure what is going to happen.
 
The post is real. I posted it on Facebook and on our Website. Unfortunately, no amount of dislike or outcries can alter the situation. It is just something we can no longer make use of due to their changes. Square peg, round hole. We would love to say we will have this fixed tomorrow but we're a small company and only have so many resources available to assign to all the many tasks that need accomplished.

We are looking into alternatives and hope to have a better solution by Gen Con. Who knows, maybe we will go online and won't need Dropbox at all! :)
 
Does this impact saving a portfolio to DropBox, and opening with either a laptop or desktop, and if any changes were made then saving/overwriting that file?

If dropbox loses the ability to sync, from one access point (laptop) to another (desktop), that will basically end the usefulness of it.
 
TobyFox2002 said:
So to clarify, this means I can no longer use dropbox links for update sources?
Click to expand...

This is related to the iPad client only.

Dropbox links that are used on the desktop for downloading files still work, assuming that links work for other stuff too.
 
BJ said:
The post is real. I posted it on Facebook and on our Website. Unfortunately, no amount of dislike or outcries can alter the situation. It is just something we can no longer make use of due to their changes. Square peg, round hole. We would love to say we will have this fixed tomorrow but we're a small company and only have so many resources available to assign to all the many tasks that need accomplished.

We are looking into alternatives and hope to have a better solution by Gen Con. Who knows, maybe we will go online and won't need Dropbox at all! :)
Click to expand...

I am sure you are hearing a lot of very frustrated voices about this. I saw quite a few on the facebook post itself.

I understand stuff like this happens, my post was mainly to query about the Dropbox v2 API. Again, I have not done my research on that API so it may totally be the square peg, round hole, type situation.

I am in the masses that are quite dissapointed. I use my ipad app (which, with the newer GUI is easier to manage than Hero Lab on the PC is 90% of the time. Great work for the group who made it. I very much enjoy it). Losing the dropbox support will hinder my own use of the app, which while disappointing, is also understandable.

I know you are a small company, and you are doing your best. The best I can say is I wanted to put my 2 cents in to show my desire. And my offer to help, if that is even remotely possible. If you guys are working on an alternative, something along the lines of Realm Works, I would be fine with that. I would even pay a cloud fee (occasionally) for the use.

Keep up the good work. I hope for the best. Thanks for the response!
 
TobyFox2002 said:
So to clarify, this means I can no longer use dropbox links for update sources?
Click to expand...

I don't believe this will happen. The sources section in Updates does not use sync, so much as just downloading from a source. So I don't think this will be affected.

What will be affected is storing all of the portfolios on dropbox, and having it save (sync) to that dropbox. Essentially making the portfolio saved to the cloud at all times. Making it easier to access it from a desktop machine later.

I do not store any of my portfolios on my ipad itself, everything is located on dropbox. I often create encounters, or work on NPCs while at work or something, then when I get home to DM I load it up on my PC. Its still going to be doable, but I will have to email the .por file each time.

Fingers crossed LW gets some sort of sync working. I love this app and the computer version is great. Fingers crossed, very hard, we have a solution before dropbox kicks v1 API out the airlock.
 
This only affects Hero Lab for iPad, and the built-in Dropbox syncing for that app. Hero Lab doesn't directly talk to Dropbox in any other way - it won't affect sharing your characters between your laptop and desktop using Dropbox, or updates files hosted by dropbox, or anything like that. All that stuff is built in to the Dropbox client you have installed and won't change.

This change means that there will no longer be a "Files in Dropbox" section on the "Select Portfolio" screen on HL for iPad. That's all. :)
 
Colen said:
This only affects Hero Lab for iPad, and the built-in Dropbox syncing for that app. Hero Lab doesn't directly talk to Dropbox in any other way - it won't affect sharing your characters between your laptop and desktop using Dropbox, or updates files hosted by dropbox, or anything like that. All that stuff is built in to the Dropbox client you have installed and won't change.

This change means that there will no longer be a "Files in Dropbox" section on the "Select Portfolio" screen on HL for iPad. That's all. :)
Click to expand...

Understood. That is just, currently, the easiest way to manage a portfolio on the iPad then move to another machine quickly. I use the "Files in Dropbox" section exclusively on my iPad. I do not store any characters on the iPad itself. Since I move between my Laptop's install and my ipad so often.

I am just a bit bummed, is all. As I know others are too. One of the most convenient ways to use the ipad and a computer. I really love the iPad app! :)

I am excited to see what you guys end up doing. I am ok with doing it the hard way for while, when Dropbox drops their support for the API. Just thought that the v2 API might be an easier upgrade than dropping it fully and moving to another type of service.
 
Looking into the this v2 API from dropbox its design and functions is very different from the old one. Meaning its not just a simple plug in v2 and use it. I would not be surprised to see it require a significant amount of work on Colen's part to make it work.

That being the case maybe spending a little time looking for "alternate" solutions is a better approach. If large project has to happen anyways maybe their is a better alternative like iCloud instead. I have heard its API's are much better now.

Just to be clear you can "sort" of still use Dropbox or any cloud solution with the iPad app. If you download the dropbox app you can use it to gain access to your .por file stored in dropbox. Then you do a "Open In" and one of the options is "HL App". That will get the file from dropbox to HL.

Now then to get the file "out" of HL currently requires you to "email" it to yourself. Then you could place it into Dropbox. Make changes on your computer. Once done use the dropbox app to get it back into HL.

Yes I know its NOT perfect and its more 'steps' but it works. Otherwise you will need to use iTunes just like when the HL app first came out.
 
Thanks for digging into the v2 API a bit more, I just haven't had time. That makes a lot of sense. Like they said earlier "Square Peg, round hole".

Such is life.

Thank you for posting the work around. That was my plan for awhile at least.

I love LW, and I am sure they will come up with a great alternative. I just want to keep using the product like I have, stubborn to change I guess. Just going to put my 2 cents in, and see what they are able to do.

Thank you, Colen, for your work! And everyone else at LW.
 
NeoEvaX said:
I do not store any of my portfolios on my ipad itself, everything is located on dropbox. I often create encounters, or work on NPCs while at work or something, then when I get home to DM I load it up on my PC. Its still going to be doable, but I will have to email the .por file each time
Click to expand...

This is exactly what I do too, and as a Pro Dropbox user the ability to recover old versions of a file has saved me a few times when Herolab on the iPad has crashed and I've lost data but the file has been saved multiple times before I noticed. (Especially a problem when I wrote journals into the .por, so I just stopped doing that.)

Losing this support is a real disappointment.
 
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