Syncing a program like OmniFocus that expects to find its database file at a particular spot on your Mac hard drive is really quite easy. Credit for this tip must go to Don McAllister over at www.screencastsonline.com. There is a more elegant explanation than what is set forth below in the second segment of Don's ScreenCast #202. It deals with syncing TextExpander which, like OmniFocus, looks for data in a particular spot.
Main Mac Steps:
Go to your main Mac that has OmniFocus and DropBox installed. Go to the Apple start page and search for "Create Symbolic Link." You will be directed to a site called "JuneCloud" where you can download JuneClould Automator Actions. Please consider making a donation to JuneCloud; you will find many great uses for the Automator Actions that will appear when you open the downloaded disc image.
Next, open Automator in your Applications folder. Run file import in Automator and import "Create Symbolic Link" on the JuneCloud disc image.
Next open DropBox and create a folder called "Library." Now go to your Mac hard drive and navigate to user|Library|Application Support. There you will find an OmniFocus folder. This is where your OmniFocus database resides and where OmniFocus goes looking for your data when the program is opened.
Now drag the OmniFocus folder from user|Library|Application Support on your hard drive to the Library folder you created above in yur DropBox. You now have to replace the moved folder on your hard drive. You do this with Automator.
Open Automator and select Custom workflow. You will be looking at a window that wants you to drag something into it. Go back to your DropBox and drag the Omnifocus data file into this Automator window. In the column to the left of this window is a list of Automator actions. Go down to the "Create Symbolic Link" action and double click it. The action will appear below the Omnifocus data file in the Automator window.
The Create Symbolic Link box in Automator will have a window asking you where to place the Omnifocus Symbolic Link. Go down the menu to "Other" and navigate your hard drive to user|Library|Application Support and hit open.
There is a run button in the upper right hand of the Automator window. Hit Run and wait for the completion bell. Close Automator; there is no need to save anything.
Now you have to do something that is a bit different than what Don McAllister does in his ScreenCast regarding TextExpander. This is because, unlike TextExpander, Omnifocus makes an automatic backup of your data file. You need to bypass the backup. You do this by now doubleclicking the Omnifocus Symbolic Link folder on your hard drive in user|Library|Application Support to start Omnifocus.
Remaining Macs:
Get the JuneCloud Automator Actions and imput "Create Symbolic Link" into Automator per the above. Trash the OmniFocus file in user|Library|Application Support. Do the Automator dance described above on the second Mac to replace the OmniFocus file you just trashed with the OmniFocus file that will be found in your DropBox in a folder called Library.
Make sure the other Mac is not running OmniFocus [if it is you will get a locked out message]. Double-click the symbolic link and OmniFocus will open all synced up.
I like this solution because you don't have to be a Mac geek to pull it off and, as I said at the top, it will let you sync any program that looks for data in a particular place.
Alternatively, take a look at danielcompton's input. Thanks Daniel.
http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=19271
Main Mac Steps:
Go to your main Mac that has OmniFocus and DropBox installed. Go to the Apple start page and search for "Create Symbolic Link." You will be directed to a site called "JuneCloud" where you can download JuneClould Automator Actions. Please consider making a donation to JuneCloud; you will find many great uses for the Automator Actions that will appear when you open the downloaded disc image.
Next, open Automator in your Applications folder. Run file import in Automator and import "Create Symbolic Link" on the JuneCloud disc image.
Next open DropBox and create a folder called "Library." Now go to your Mac hard drive and navigate to user|Library|Application Support. There you will find an OmniFocus folder. This is where your OmniFocus database resides and where OmniFocus goes looking for your data when the program is opened.
Now drag the OmniFocus folder from user|Library|Application Support on your hard drive to the Library folder you created above in yur DropBox. You now have to replace the moved folder on your hard drive. You do this with Automator.
Open Automator and select Custom workflow. You will be looking at a window that wants you to drag something into it. Go back to your DropBox and drag the Omnifocus data file into this Automator window. In the column to the left of this window is a list of Automator actions. Go down to the "Create Symbolic Link" action and double click it. The action will appear below the Omnifocus data file in the Automator window.
The Create Symbolic Link box in Automator will have a window asking you where to place the Omnifocus Symbolic Link. Go down the menu to "Other" and navigate your hard drive to user|Library|Application Support and hit open.
There is a run button in the upper right hand of the Automator window. Hit Run and wait for the completion bell. Close Automator; there is no need to save anything.
Now you have to do something that is a bit different than what Don McAllister does in his ScreenCast regarding TextExpander. This is because, unlike TextExpander, Omnifocus makes an automatic backup of your data file. You need to bypass the backup. You do this by now doubleclicking the Omnifocus Symbolic Link folder on your hard drive in user|Library|Application Support to start Omnifocus.
Remaining Macs:
Get the JuneCloud Automator Actions and imput "Create Symbolic Link" into Automator per the above. Trash the OmniFocus file in user|Library|Application Support. Do the Automator dance described above on the second Mac to replace the OmniFocus file you just trashed with the OmniFocus file that will be found in your DropBox in a folder called Library.
Make sure the other Mac is not running OmniFocus [if it is you will get a locked out message]. Double-click the symbolic link and OmniFocus will open all synced up.
I like this solution because you don't have to be a Mac geek to pull it off and, as I said at the top, it will let you sync any program that looks for data in a particular place.
Alternatively, take a look at danielcompton's input. Thanks Daniel.
http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=19271
Last edited by Lamike; 2010-12-31 at 01:58 PM.. Reason: Alternative approach