Newbie wants to use Dropbox for multiplayer games, but is ignorant

[FroBodine]

I remember there was a tutorial on setting up and using Dropbox with the Combat Mission games.  Could some kind soul please direct me to that message or website where this is explained?

 

I want to get set up, but have no idea how to do it.  I think there was also a tool for tracking all your multiplayer games somewhere.

 

Thank you very much!

[RCE_Spr]

Right here

 

http://community.battlefront.com/topic/96744-using-dropbox-and-synctoy-for-pbem-games/

[FroBodine]

Excellent.  Thank you Sacktime.  That posting is 3+ years old.  I assume the basics are the still the same, even with the newest version of the dropbox client?

[A Canadian Cat]

Wow that was a while ago (yes the basics of Drop Box are the same). Do not bother with that Sync Toy thing now. Use Whose Turn Is It?: http://community.battlefront.com/topic/110328-announcing-whose-turn-is-it-a-pbem-turn-management-program/

Or the more popular CMHelper: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jvh9sx2zla2k0eq/S6LZaVAw_7

http://gregories.net/CMHelper/User%20Manual/CMHelper.html

Edited February 6, 2015 by IanL

[Bahger]

Unfortunately the excellent-looking CMHelper utility has not yet been updated for CMBS and does not recognise the executable.  If anyone learns otherwise, please post here, this looks like a most useful tool.

[Fizou]

Unfortunately the excellent-looking CMHelper utility has not yet been updated for CMBS and does not recognise the executable.  If anyone learns otherwise, please post here, this looks like a most useful tool.

Im using it. Works fine.

[Bahger]

Ok I will try again but can you tell me how you got it to recognize CMBS when you pointed it to the installation folder? I did it as I instructed but the game did not show on the list of CM products.

[Bahger]

OK, sorry guys, I think I got it figured...

Edited February 8, 2015 by Bahger

[Baneman]

When you install Dropbox, it creates a Folder on your system. Anything you put into this folder will synch with "the cloud" version.

 

So, for example, you have a Dropbox folder on your system (called Dropbox ). You go to the Dropbox website and create a subfolder for your game ( Bahger vs Baneman for example ). Then you share that with your opponent using his email address. Later you will get an email notification when he accepts the link. You now both have a subfolder "Bahger vs Baneman" in your Dropbox folder.

Both of you will then synch to the cloud version - anything either of you put into the subfolder will be seen by both.

 

CM Helper or Ian's WhoseTurnIsIt are just utilities that will manage moving your turns from your Incoming and Outgoing Email folders to the Dropbox subfolder.

 

Hope that helps

[Bahger]

This is very helpful, Baneman, thank you so much for going to the trouble to explain it.  One quick question: I got the impression (possibly wrongly) that using this utility meant that you don't have to send files by email because my assumption was that if both players have a Dropbox account, then the file can be uploaded to/downloaded from the Cloud?  Am I mistaken?  

[Baneman]

That's correct, Bahger, using Dropbox replaces the need for email - and just as well, since large battle files can be a fair bit larger than most email systems like for attachments.

Dropbox will auto-synch for you as soon as it registers a new file in your local folder that isn't on the Cloud version - and vice-versa.

 

All you have to do is remember to run the CMH utility so that new turns are moved into or from the Dropbox folder.

 

The game folders could just be called "Outgoing Turn" and "Incoming Turn", but why mess with a standard

[A Canadian Cat]

You do have to invite your opponent (or accept your opponent's invitation) to a shared drop box folder.  For example I usually create a folder structure like this on my hard drive - assuming I was playing you:

/CM Bahger vs Ian
    /for Bahger
    /for Ian

Then I would invite you to share the folder "CM Bahger vs Ian" and once you accepted then we would both have those directories in our drop box folders and anything either of us put into those folders would get synched.

[Bahger]

This is really helpful, gents, thanks so much.  It's a terrific little utility.

[FroBodine]

Yes, thank you all for the very helpful information!

[LukeFF]

Im using it. Works fine.

 

How'd you do it? I can get it to work - it just shows up as grayed-out.

[Baneman]

Well, it wont "see" the CMBS installation, but you can manually tell it where the elements are and it will do the to-and-from Dropbox stuff as normal.

 

You can see in my attached pics - it doesn't have an icon, but still functions ok.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Baneman

[Bahger]

It's an excellent utility but the instructions for finding your CM install are very misleading. After much trial and error I discovered that you mustn't point the program to the CMBS installation root file as instructed but to the data file in your users directory. Hope this helps.

[Baneman]

This is unfortunately due to Microsoft insisting that half your module live in the My Documents or Users directory.

 

CMBN which was published before this was enforced, does not have this problem, but all subsequent titles have it.

I hate it  so I'm quick to moan when this subject comes up

 

Hopefully the picture I posted above will help people in the future.

Edited February 9, 2015 by Baneman

[Bahger]

Fair enough then. And thanks for your help! Personally I do not object to Windows separating data from my program installs as It is sometimes useful to be able to uninstall games and keep the data; however, I may be in a minority.

[LukeFF]

Well, it wont "see" the CMBS installation, but you can manually tell it where the elements are and it will do the to-and-from Dropbox stuff as normal.

 

You can see in my attached pics - it doesn't have an icon, but still functions ok.

 

Yeah, I got that part down, but when I try to start a new PBEM match I cannot select CMBS from the dropdown box. Am I missing something here, or is it that way for everyone?

[Vanir Ausf B]

It's that way for everyone since GaJ has not updated it to officially support CMBS.

[A Canadian Cat]

Try Whose Turn Is It? It does not automatically detect newly installed games - you have to tell it where the .exe is and where the game files directory is but after that it will allow you to select the game when setting up a PBEM and if you have a turn that you have not sent to any one it will show you that too. Plus once you have setup your opponent by name it will show you when they drop a brand new game into your shared drop box folder.

Check out http://www.lesliesoftware.com/products/WhoseTurnIsIt/gettingstarted.htmlfor how to get it set up.

[Bahger]

Try Whose Turn Is It? It does not automatically detect newly installed games - you have to tell it where the .exe is and where the game files directory is but after that it will allow you to select the game when setting up a PBEM and if you have a turn that you have not sent to any one it will show you that too. Plus once you have setup your opponent by name it will show you when they drop a brand new game into your shared drop box folder.

Check out http://www.lesliesoftware.com/products/WhoseTurnIsIt/gettingstarted.htmlfor how to get it set up.

 

I will definitely try that but I think my PBEM partner and I are getting CMBS, Dropbox and CMHelper to play nicely together at last (partly thanks to Dan/California).  The trick is to follow exactly the right sequence in starting a new game, or CMH gets out of sync.  Still early daze yet...