iCloud Drive Organization Between Yosemite and iOS 8

[wolfpackfan]

Okay Guys - One thing I don't like about iCloud Drive is the Pages, Numbers, Preview, etc. folders. So what I've done is in the iCloud Drive root, I created a new folder called iCloud Files. I've then moved ALL my iCloud Drive files and folders to this new folder. In some cases I have folders nested 2 or 3 deep. I then made an alias for iCloud Files and put that alias in my Finder sidebar. So when I click on that sidebar item, I go directly to all of my iCloud Files and no longer see the Pages, Numbers, etc. folders. Seems to work great. I guess my question is will this method of organization sync over to my IOS 8 devices okay or are they going to require me to have everything in Pages, Numbers, etc. Also is there a limit to how deep I can have folders nested in IOS 8.

Also, one more thing I've just noticed. When I update a file in Yosemite that is in iCloud Drive, there appears now a little cloud symbol in Finder next to that file. Remembering back to how iTunes Match works, that has meant the file hasn't update. Is that the case here and if so, I wonder if it is because how I have the files organized?

 

[wolfpackfan]

I am going to do an update to my own thread. After some experimentation this morning, it doesn't look like iCloud Drive will work like I wanted it to. The problems seems to be in the nesting of folders so deep. For folders deeper than two levels, the iCloud Drive files didn't look like they were being updated. I have no real way of knowing this to be true since other than Yosemite I have no other devices running iCloud Drive but I take it that the little cloud symbol means the files didn't update just like it does in iTunes Match. Once I moved all my files down to just one level of nesting, the cloud went away. Oh well, it was worth a try. So now I have just put everything back into Pages and Numbers and created an alias in the Finder sidebar for these two folders. If any has any other insight on exactly how this all works, I'd love to hear it.

 

[Weaselboy]

Thanks for your posts. I have been wondering if we would be able to symlink things like the regular ~/Documents folder the the iCloud Drive folder like you can with Dropbix, but the results of your tests seem to indicate that won't work, at least more than one folder deep. Too bad they are restricting this.

 

[JohnDoe98]

I am going to do an update to my own thread. After some experimentation this morning, it doesn't look like iCloud Drive will work like I wanted it to. The problems seems to be in the nesting of folders so deep. For folders deeper than two levels, the iCloud Drive files didn't look like they were being updated. I have no real way of knowing this to be true since other than Yosemite I have no other devices running iCloud Drive but I take it that the little cloud symbol means the files didn't update just like it does in iTunes Match. Once I moved all my files down to just one level of nesting, the cloud went away. Oh well, it was worth a try. So now I have just put everything back into Pages and Numbers and created an alias in the Finder sidebar for these two folders. If any has any other insight on exactly how this all works, I'd love to hear it.

You can test whether the files are updating by logging into beta.icloud.com. The iCloud Drive appears there and even without a developer account the login works as it would at iCloud.com

 

[wolfpackfan]

You can test whether the files are updating by logging into beta.icloud.com. The iCloud Drive appears there and even without a developer account the login works as it would at iCloud.com

Thanks I actually did this and it does seem to be working.

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Thanks for your posts. I have been wondering if we would be able to symlink things like the regular ~/Documents folder the the iCloud Drive folder like you can with Dropbix, but the results of your tests seem to indicate that won't work, at least more than one folder deep. Too bad they are restricting this.

Actually it does seem to be working after all. I checked on the Beta iCloud site and the files are there just like I had hoped. Now how that translates over to IOS 8 I have no idea. I have IOS 8 installed but since Pages and Numbers haven't been updated there is no way to tell yet.

 

[Weaselboy]

Actually it does seem to be working after all. I checked on the Beta iCloud site and the files are there just like I had hoped. Now how that translates over to IOS 8 I have no idea. I have IOS 8 installed but since Pages and Numbers haven't been updated there is no way to tell yet.

Oh that's good. So all the nested folders and all made it over?

 

[wolfpackfan]

Oh that's good. So all the nested folders and all made it over?

Yep. I have folders nested three deep and they are showing up fine on the iCloud beta site.

 

[jomirrivera]

Yep. I have folders nested three deep and they are showing up fine on the iCloud beta site.

But, is it possible to get rid of all the individual app folders?

 

[activate]

So in your experimentation, is there to make it work like iTunes match where you click on only icons of the tracks you want to download on that machine. Even if it means that the files need to be at level 2 or 3 ?

 

[wolfpackfan]

But, is it possible to get rid of all the individual app folders?

No. But if you create an alias for the folder where you have all your other files and folders stored, you can then drag that alias over to the Sidebar and you never see the individual app folders.

So my iCloud Drive contains -

Pages
Numbers
Preview
Text

and

iCloud Files
iCloud Pictures

In iCloud Files I have moved all my Numbers, Pages, PDF, etc. files. In iCloud Files I have both sub-folders and files and even have some sub-folders in the sub-folders. I am using iCloud Pictures to store backup copies of all my photos.

I then created alias' for iCloud Files and iCloud Pictures and dragged those alias' to the sidebar. Seems to work great so far. At least they show up in the beta iCloud website okay. My only concern is will this all translate over okay to IOS 8. Guess we'll find out Friday.

 

[jomirrivera]

No. But if you create an alias for the folder where you have all your other files and folders stored, you can then drag that alias over to the Sidebar and you never see the individual app folders.

So my iCloud Drive contains -

Pages
Numbers
Preview
Text

and

iCloud Files
iCloud Pictures

In iCloud Files I have moved all my Numbers, Pages, PDF, etc. files. In iCloud Files I have both sub-folders and files and even have some sub-folders in the sub-folders. I am using iCloud Pictures to store backup copies of all my photos.

I then created alias' for iCloud Files and iCloud Pictures and dragged those alias' to the sidebar. Seems to work great so far. At least they show up in the beta iCloud website okay. My only concern is will this all translate over okay to IOS 8. Guess we'll find out Friday.

So, the folders in your sidebar are alias of the alias that you have in icloud drive?

 

[wolfpackfan]

So, the folders in your sidebar are alias of the alias that you have in icloud drive?

No, I moved the alias' in iCloud drive out of iCloud and then just dragged them to the sidebar.

 

[jomirrivera]

No, I moved the alias' in iCloud drive out of iCloud and then just dragged them to the sidebar.

I don't understand

 

[wolfpackfan]

I don't understand

In iCloud Drive root, I created an alias for the folder that holds all my files. I then dragged that alias out of iCloud Drive to another non-iCloud folder. I then dragged that alias to the sidebar. The reason I did this is because Finder won't let you put the folder that holds all my files on the sidebar directly.

 

[jomirrivera]

In iCloud Drive root, I created an alias for the folder that holds all my files. I then dragged that alias out of iCloud Drive to another non-iCloud folder. I then dragged that alias to the sidebar. The reason I did this is because Finder won't let you put the folder that holds all my files on the sidebar directly.

Now I got it!!

Thanks a lot, I'll be doing this as soon as yosemite is available!