[JohnJ80]

There are two issues here: (1) true sync and (2) file save with cloud access. I think we might be confusing the two. True sync can be file save but file save is not true sync.

Forgetting to save a file back to the cloud makes it easy (and likely) to potentially destroy critical data. I use my iPad as my notebook for taking customer notes in engineering meetings. I need to get that data back to my laptop and I need to be able to edit it in both places maybe even simultaneously. I lose those changes and I'm toast because the topics are far too complex to recall the changes. Same would have to be true for students and class notes etc...

Cloud saving is here now with DropDAV, iDisk or general webdav. It's here, but saving to the cloud is insufficient. Dropbox or any of these other services are places where you can do a file save to the cloud. But, unless the file has a lock on it until it's saved by where it's edited last, you will be at risk for catastrophic loss of data.

Sync is the answer. Sync done in the manner that Omnifocus does it (and does it so well). Each action is synced separately instead of each OF file (or in this case OO file). That works, and that makes huge sense to implement and is what, I hope, Ken means when he says "sync."

J.

[gopi]

I want sync and a file browser that can handle lots of documents. I don't mind if it "penalizes" me if I take my devices offline and edit the document in two places.

In other words, I'm fine if it duplicates my document if I take an offline iPad and offline MacBook and edit the document on each. Let me handle the merge. Sync like that would cover most people and shouldn't be too complicated.

The inability to do this, and the inability to handle 20+ documents comfortably is stopping me from really getting in to OO and starting to use it.

[Cypher]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

If you're doing this at work, you've probably got fast, reliable connectivity for your iPad, right?

Now, if you are frequently without internet connectivity on your iPad, this is more of a challenge, but sitting at your desk at work, bathed in speedy WiFi, this is more a case of convincing yourself there's a problem.

The network at work is locked down so I can't do anything on it, and I have no access for the iPad via Wifi so I'm stuck using my iPad over 3G.

I'm playing around with DropDav now to see if that improves things, but it did mess a couple of existing outlines up when I opened them and subsequently saved them back. I suspect it may be related to the naming convention as the applescripts add a weird character as a prefix to the project name when creating the OO file.

I do have access to Dropbox on my work PC, so I think keeping notes using text files rather than OmniOutlines is probably going to be the best approach. I can then miss the iPad out of the loop and work between text files on my Mac and Work PC whilst are kept in sync via dropbox. I will never be at home AND at work so editing in two places will never be an issue. Using dropbox still enables me to be able to grab them on the iPad should I ever need a copy of one of them.

[TedPas]

I really hope you can fix syncing and file management quickly. I want to use this product, but for now I have to stick with Notebooks.

[GeoffAirey]

I've emailed the Ninjas, but I feel that the lack of automatic data syncing is a major omission as your only other options are to manually export each document every time you edit it, or to connect to a computer regularly for a full ipad backup.

Both are unwieldy and (for example) if you're travelling for a week, you could lose a lot of data because you forgot (or were too busy) to export the data.

[jap]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

We’re exploring Dropbox integration, but just adding Dropbox to our existing “Import/Export” functionality probably isn’t what people are looking for—at least, I know it’s not what I’m looking for. What I really want is automatic syncing of edited documents, and Dropbox doesn’t make that easier or harder, it’s just another place in the cloud to sync to.

In other words, my priority is to get automatic syncing working (in all our apps), so it works with iDisk, Omni Sync Server, and other WebDAV servers. (And possibly also Dropbox.)

I use DropBox and OmniSync, in different situations. OmniSync is a great service for syncing my OmniFocus clients, so its continued development is importanty to me.
On the iPad I use GoodReader extensively as my work reference and 'Ready Use Locker'. It has the advantage of interfacing well with most iPad Apps and providing 'Links' that can be pasted into other Apps. It also syncs my OmniSync WebDav so all my files are available. On my Mac I mount the OmniSync Server so I have access to my data as well. As and added benefit my iWork docs can also be transferred/accessed on my OmniSync WebDav!

While syncing to DropBox would be great, a first step of syncing (vice upload/download) to OmniSync would be a great step forward for version control!

The current fly in the ointment is the formats that iPad OmniOutliner will accept (I can export simple HTML for transfer to word outlines, but not re-import them).

Love the App and using it extensively:)

[djwesto]

Hi there Kan,

Do you have any rough idea of when this feature might be introduced to OO? I will be purchasing OO for iPad soon, now I've finally taken the plunge and bought one.

Sorry if this has been answered elsewhere but I can't find it anywhere on this thread so far.

Many thanks!
Chris

[Brian]

Thanks for choosing OmniOutliner, and welcome to the forums!

Dropbox support is still under consideration, but for the time being we're focusing our attention on iCloud...

[kcwookie]

I agree with working on iCloud, but don't forget about Dropbox. Many of us need Dropbox very bad.

[namtastic]

I just want to be able to open the Dropbox app and pass the file over to OmniOutliner to view it at the very least. Right now since it is a package file (and there's no flat file option like OmniGraffle offers), Dropbox navigates into the folder to show the contents.xml file, instead of allowing me to Open In…

With the death of MobileMe you guys have to get Dropbox integration solved soon. At least reach out to those guys to get support for the filetype added to Dropbox iOS. I know some users have emailed them on their own, but us users would be better represented by the company itself, considering the situation and the need.