Basecamp Library shared between different computers

stratblue

genoQian
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Hi All.

I'd like to do all the donkey work of creating routes on the main Mac at home, Basecamp 4.2.4, and have all that work appear through the magic of science on my Macbook, Basecamp 4.6.3, which I can take with me on trips. In the prefs I can see the option to create a library, my plan is to have this on Google Drive and sync that on both comps. The Macbook Basecamp is currently a blank canvas so I obviously don't want this data to overwrite the data from the other Mac, has anyone done this sort of thing successfully? Would the soon to be dead cloud storage have done this?

Thanks.
 
I use the Basecamp File, Export feature to export routes, lists or folders to Dropbox (could be any cloud storage) and then File, Import to load them onto my travelling PC. When you import, you can first create a folder or list in the usual way in the recipient database, and import the data into this location. As a guide, I have just exported 10 days of routes, and tracks-from-routes, into one file which is less than 10MB.

If you want to transfer the entire database use File, Backup and then Restore the database file on your travelling PC. I use Windows but I guess that the Mac version of Basecamp will have these same basic functions.

BTW, I'd be inclined to run the same version of Basecamp on both machines. It removes one potential source of mystifying problems.
 
The cloud storage will sync everything, but if you use list and folders all of those will be lost. I’m not sure if you can specify where the library is kept (I will check) but as a one off, you could do a back up from your main Mac and restore from your Mac book.


Hi All.

I'd like to do all the donkey work of creating routes on the main Mac at home, Basecamp 4.2.4, and have all that work appear through the magic of science on my Macbook, Basecamp 4.6.3, which I can take with me on trips. In the prefs I can see the option to create a library, my plan is to have this on Google Drive and sync that on both comps. The Macbook Basecamp is currently a blank canvas so I obviously don't want this data to overwrite the data from the other Mac, has anyone done this sort of thing successfully? Would the soon to be dead cloud storage have done this?

Thanks.
 
you could just backup the whole lot and import the backup into the laptop, go to file then backup and save to a usb or other media, and then import the lot going to file then import in basecamp on the laptop, remembering that it will overwright everything in basecamp on your laptop, so if you need to save anything beforehand use the backup function first.
 
you could just backup the whole lot and import the backup into the laptop, go to file then backup and save to a usb or other media, and then import the lot going to file then import in basecamp on the laptop, remembering that it will overwright everything in basecamp on your laptop, so if you need to save anything beforehand use the backup function first.

Yes, I think that’s what I said above
 
Automated sharing of BaseCamp between iMacs and MacBooks using DropBox

I am being dragged, screaming and kicking, towards coverting from Mapsource to BaseCamp and this is how I am starting to use the OS X version of BaseCamp with Dropbox. I imagine Google Drive might be similar.

>>> Set up a new directory area in Dropbox then move the BaseCamp file (xxx.bclibrary) into it.
>>> Then on both the iMac and the Macbook, go into Preferences, Advanced, Choose Library and select the relocated BaseCamp file.
>>> And that's it.

Whilst the Dropbox files are stored in the cloud, they are also stored locally on each of the devices that are signed in, so you don't need a data connection to access them on the road.

You should NOT access the Dropbox file from more than one device at a time, and if you have been updating the BaseCamp file whilst travelling with your Macbook, ensure it is synced and updated in the cloud before accessing BaseCamp on the iMac. It would make sense for all devices to be on the same version of BaseCamp.

From what I understand, whilst the BaseCamp file looks to be one huge monolithic file, it's actually an OS X container for a vast series of much smaller files. So when the BaseCamp file is saved as you exit the program, only a small subset of these small files might need to be updated, rather than having to write out a massive single file.
 
Tim,

Thanks for the post above.

For complete IT illiterates like myself, can you tell us please how to do this, which I read as a two stage process:

1. Setting up the new directory area in Dropbox

2. Move the BaseCsmp file into it

>>> Set up a new directory area in Dropbox then move the BaseCamp file (xxx.bclibrary) into it.
 
Three stage process rather than two. By default, Dropbox will be automatically sync files between the main version in the cloud and a copy within the Dropbox folder on your computer.

1. Using Finder, create a new 'basecamp-master' folder within your Dropbox folder.

2. Then, with your BaseCamp application open with all your data, go to Preferences, Advanced and check the location of your library. This might be something like /Users/yourname/Library..../basecamp.bclibrary

With this information find the library on your machine. If it's in the normally hidden ~/Library folder, google for 'display library folder mac' to find out how to access it. Then copy it across using Finder to the Dropbox folder.

3. And the final stage is to go into your BaseCamp application, go to Preferences, Advanced and change the location of your library.

------------

There is another easier way which should work but BC froze when I tried it.

With your BaseCamp application open with all your data, go to Preferences, Advanced and select 'new library'. Ask BC to create the new library within the basecamp-master folder. You can choose your own name or accept the default which includes today's date. BC will ask whether you want to copy current library data to the new library, to which the answer is 'yes'. When BC restarts, go back to Preferences, Advanced and make sure it's pointing at your new library.
 


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