Logic Pro X projects stored in Dropbox don't show up in "Recent"

[misterjackpots]

Hi all, this is a niche issue and probably not Dropbox's "fault", but thought I'd ask here just in case.

Since I upgraded to the latest version of Dropbox for Mac (which moved the folder location, etc.), Logic Pro X projects stored in Dropbox no longer show up in File > Open Recent or in the Recent tab of Logic's startup window. 

The same thing was already happening with Google Drive for Desktop, so I would guess it's a general issue with the File Provider API. However, projects stored in iCloud Drive do show up in Recent. 

Other Apple apps (TextEdit, Pages) will show files from Dropbox in the Open Recent menu. (And Dropbox-stored Logic projects do show up in Recent Items under the top-left Apple menu.)

Making the folders available offline doesn't help.

Running Logic 10.7.6 in Ventura 13.1 on an M1 MacBook Pro.

Any ideas?

[ReDRuMx]

In order to clear things up, I would kindly request a straightforward answer to these questions: 

1. Is there an issue with Dropbox, and the non-syncing of Logic PROJECT FILES (not libraries) is a bug which is currently being fixed. I'm guessing this is related to the (smaller) issue of these files also not showing up in the "recents" list? 

or

2. Is the previously quoted article wrong and the text should include PROJECT FILES and LIBRARIES (which would render Dropbox useless for people using Logic Pro)?

or 

3. (bonus): Dropbox specialists are not aware of the difference between PROJECT FILES and LIBRARIES, and think that these reports are expected behaviour (as per the linked article) - and are not escalating the issue as they should? 

[Radoslav]

No solution? I have no problem using Logic projects between two of mine Macs (Imac and macbook pro) but once I share folder with someone the logic project file is inaccessible. What an odd issue.. Please help. Could be that I'm running NTFS for mac on my machines that it's working maybe? 

[doppyjoe]

Does anyone know if other cloud services are having the same issues? Gdrive, Sync, icloud etc. 

This issue with recents not showing up on top of the automatic online only issue we now have, I might have to switch away from Dropbox if there is a service that doesn't have these issues.

But I assume it is a service wide change due to Apples new rules or whatever it is. 

[Radoslav]

What boggles my mind is that it was working just fine couple of years ago... I signed up for dropbox just so I can share my projects. Now, it's the only thing I can't do with it. 

[doppyjoe]

I have just tested Sync and it does not make your files go online only without asking and your Logic projects DO show up in recents. 

So I wonder why Dropbox have had to make these changes, but Sync has not? 

Sync is less feature rich and moving nearly 2TB of data is daunting or maybe not possible, but switching over may have to be the way forward. 

[AlvaDrop]

Same problem here... Annoying. Working for media projects and now I have always to reopen the dropbox folder to find the previous file I was working on yesterday. It must be solved soon since it forces me to move out DropBox the files for work and it is not the purpose of Dropbox.

Checked: it only affects Logic Pro X Files from Dropbox, exclusively! Logic remembers files from other locations. 

OSX: Monterey 12.6.3
Logic Pro X: 10.7.7

iMac Pro 2017

[doppyjoe]

I have been told that due to Apples new rules, Dropbox must now make everything switch to online only and this is just the future we have to accept, but this is causing problems when working with large video files and audio projects. Re-downloading large video files all the time, and with Logic Pro I can no longer see my recents when I open projects from my dropbox. I keep everything important on dropbox so this is an issue for me.

I am having to check every time I open a project that files are not online only. For example, when a file file is created or added to an existing Logic project that I have switched to offline, it will make the new files online only and cause issues.

The attached screenshot shows what happens when I open a project with multiple files and that have switch to online only without asking me - or at least that is what I assume is the issue. Whenever this happens I just have to hard shutdown my Mac. 

I decided to re-download Sync to compare and see if it has the same issue, and it does not. Sync does not make things online only unless you tell it to nor does it have to be saved in a particular place on my Mac. 

So my question is, why does Dropbox have to do this but Sync doesn't?

And has anyone had any joy with getting this update to flow well with their work projects? Currently I am thinking about switching away. 

[AlvaDrop]

Hi @doppyjoe. I am using the dropbox app on mac and I have no problem with that (at least that I know). If I have certain logic files I am working with inside the same folder tree I just choose that tree to be offline too, so whenever I add any file it always is offline no matter if dropbox syncs it. I am working on Monterey, not Ventura, so I do not know if it applies, but in my case, I installed-reinstalled Dropbox. Other times I choose online only and then offline and it resets the thing.

[Megan]

Hi all, happy Friday! 

The latest iterations of MacOS include some significant changes for services like Dropbox when it comes to how our application is allowed to operate on your Mac.

This article goes into more details about these changes and what it means for Dropbox users with MacOS.

As mentioned in that article, certain package files, like those associated with the Photos, Logic Pro, and Final Cut Pro apps are no longer allowed to be stored in locations that sync over cloud-storage services, Dropbox included.

We would love to be able to provide support for syncing these types of files through Dropbox, but in this case these limitations are out of our control directly. 

I hope this helps! 

[AlvaDrop]

Hi Megan!

Thank you for your answer. Just to let you know, although it is not supposed to sync Logic Pro and others' packages, Dropbox does it! If Logic Pro doesn't remember the last project opened if it's located in a Dropbox folder is another thing – it is my case!

So the "no sync" condition is not as bad as it seems. 

Thank you very much!