Syncing xLights between 2 computers

Kimbo3000

Apprentice elf
Joined
Aug 9, 2016
Messages
62
Hey all :)

So this one has been plaguing me for the last couple years. Originally I had xLights setup on my PC where I did all the lights setup and sequencing from. I didnt have enough space on the C drive so I put the show folder on the F drive, the next available drive (dont ask).

Now I have a laptop too. Last year I tried copying the whole xlights folder (which includes my show folder, sequences, imports, pics, songs etc), but soon ran into problems with sequences not being able to find pics etc coz the file path has changed.

I've recently installed another drive in the laptop (D drive).. but obviously the same problems exist.
It would also be great if I could sync between the 2 PC's so if I do some changes on the laptop and upload to the controllers.. those changes would also be on my PC (so next time i upload to the controllers I'm not undoing the previous upload.

I pretty much only use Google Drive for cloud storage.. and I see that they have a new desktop software now.. but dont know much about it.

How do you's get around this?
 

BAZMick

Full time elf
Generous elf
Joined
Nov 26, 2019
Messages
484
Number of different ways around this, depends on how far you want to go. For me I just copy and paste from the C:\xLights\ of my work PC onto a Ext HDD and paste onto my home laptop. with the same location but that doesn't really help in your situation.
You could use an Ext HDD and on both computers assign the same drive letter (Eg. X:\) and simply unplug from one and plug into the other and all the file paths will be the same?
 

cdjazman

Full time elf
Joined
Apr 24, 2012
Messages
424
I have been using Google desktop on 3 different PC's this year and have not had any issues. I just have my show folder inside the Google drive and have that folder available offline.
 

TANSA

Sparky with Blinky Lights ;-)
Generous elf
Joined
Dec 9, 2019
Messages
177
Location
Bentley Park
I have an external SSD and made it L drive on all PC’s so it is the same show folder on all.
Plug and Play and fast saves.
 

Iain

Full time elf
Joined
Nov 13, 2018
Messages
242
Location
Darwin
Two things that might help with moving show folders:
  1. Xlights needs the name of the show folder to stay the same when you move it, but the path above can change. More here
  2. You can use junctions in windows to make your external hd look like it is in a sub folder of your C: drive… a bit like symlinks in Linux. I use it to give more space to my music folder. I don’t remember downloading this but the Microsoft docs have instructions
 

orchidman33

Full time elf
Joined
Jan 14, 2019
Messages
116
The option that I am using. As I have a network storage unit, my show folder is on that. Its drive letter is the same on all the computers that have access to the storage unit. No problem and at times I have two computers working from the folder at the same time.
 
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