What's the best storage solution?

[mat281113268x8u]

Here's what I'm looking for;

1. No need to download files to local machines (fast performance)

2. Shared access for a couple of users, and outside people as needed

3. Works with .INDD files, and associated .CSV files for data merge.

Does Adobe have such a solution?

If not, are there any 3rd party alternatives?

[BobLevine]

Dropbox and/or OneDrive (included with MS365) would be my advice but I'm a bit unclear about your first point. Both services sync files between the cloud and any shared users' local hard drive.

[mat281113268x8u]

Regarding my first point, I saw something that Adobe had where you don't need to save files on your local machine, and they load up instantly, and are shareable.  But I don't know what it was called, or if it works with Indesign

[Conrad C]

When you say “don't need to save files on your local machine, and they load up instantly, and are shareable” that automatically excludes any service like Dropbox etc. where files are synced to a folder on the local machine, that you can see in your OS file system.

You may be thinking of Adobe Cloud Documents, because those fit your description. Those definitely exist only on Adobe servers, and never saved to or visible in the file system on your local machine (except in a hidden folder that temporarily caches cloud documents that you open).

Cloud documents is currently a feature in Photoshop and Illustrator at least. InDesign is not quite there yet, but Adobe has announced a public beta version of Cloud Documents for InDesign. So cloud document support is not yet in the official production release of InDesign, they are apparently working on it, and you can try it out in the public beta.

[Robert Tkaczyk]

Not enough information...

1. You either will have performance = local machine - or shared access for others = average or poor performance.

2. How many people - locally and remotely? What speed / kind of a local network and remote access? What kind of remote access - how "far" they will be from your server / office?

You need to be aware, that for the last few subversions of CC 2023 / v18.x - InDesign is extremely sensitive to the network speed / "lag" - which results in files being opened as read-only.

And one more IMPORTANT question - what OS? Windows only? Mac only? Mix?

Then you'll have to force all users to obide by rules for naming folders and configuring their local storage.

Your question is way too generic - would be best if you describe your planned workflow / structure of your organisation in more details.

[mat281113268x8u]

2. remotely, with access from anywhere in the world.

Windows.

My planned workflow is multiple people can access the same .INDD and .CSV for making edits.  Then another person will be able to work on the edited version seamlessly.

[Robert Tkaczyk]

Not sure what exactly you want to achieve and how "messy" your workflow will be...

CSV should be edited ONLY by people who knows what they are doing - same with the template. 

So you probably want to give "unlimited" access ONLY to files that are a result of the DataMerge. 

Maybe I'm a bit "old school" but I would assign one person to one file - from the start to finish - in which case there would be less pressure on remote resources and less chance for errors. 

Then there is still a case what kind of data are you processing? Maybe it could be optimised? 

Few years ago I've been creating tools for different clients for building catalogs - where all parts of products were placed directly on pages... which was fine but inefficient. 

Then I've got an idea to create each product as a separate INDD file, export PDF from it and then place this PDF in a Story as InLine graphic - which resulted in increased productivity. 

So again - if you can tell us in more detail what are you planning to do - we could help you more.

[mat281113268x8u]

We're a board game company.  We've got .INDD files for game cards, instruction manuals, etc.  Each .INDD uses .csv files for data merge. 

Rather than have multiple instances of these files in a Dropbox folder/local user machines, it would be great if there was a tool that lived in Adobe itself, without needing to live on each persons local machine.

[Robert Tkaczyk]

FYI... Few years ago I've done custom tool for PlayFusion's WarHammer & LightSeekers card games ...

DataMerge is WAY to limited for what you need. Of course, you can create "something" but then it will require A LOT of extra work. 

My tool was able to create finall set of cards - with all the bells and whistles - all spells and powers, colors, icons, conditional corners, etc.

But it requires very detailed CSV file. 

[rob day]

Rather than have multiple instances of these files in a Dropbox folder/local user machines, it would be great if there was a tool that lived in Adobe itself, without needing to live on each persons local machine.

What you are describing sounds like the Photoshop and Illustrator cloud only formats—PSDC and AIC. I have not tried the current InDesign Beta, but it supposedly has added a new InDesign cloud only format—not sure if it will make it through to the upgrade.

The Photoshop PSDC cloud format appears to not explicitly save a local file, but if you look closely there are still local copies buried in the system. If the attraction of a cloud format is to save local disk space, then I think it’s a bit deceiving because not only is there a hidden local copy, copies of the files’ iterations are also stored locally, For example when I open this PSDC, a copy with the same pixel dimension is stored in:

user ▸ ⁨Library⁩ ▸ ⁨Application Support⁩ ▸ ⁨Adobe⁩ ▸ ⁨CoreSync⁩ ▸ ⁨cloudnative⁩ ▸ ⁨DCX⁩ ▸ ⁨d5f9f134022d148a118b7362c3115071⁩ ▸ ⁨1⁩ ▸ ⁨v1⁩ ▸ ⁨blob⁩ ▸ ⁨996⁩:

[mat281113268x8u]

Is the file size smaller than a full size copy at least?

[rob day]

Is the file size smaller than a full size copy at least?

I think it‘s the opposite—the local backup version generates incremental files that are larger than the original. Save a large, layered Photshop file as a .PSDC cloud document and watch what happens before and after to your local ~user ▸ ⁨Library⁩ ▸ ⁨Application Support⁩ ▸ ⁨Adobe⁩ ▸ ⁨CoreSync⁩ folder.

I just saved a 90MB .PSD file as a .PSDC to the cloud, made 3 changes with saves, and my system’s CoreSync folder increased in size by 250MB. The cost of hard drives is running around $20 a terabyte, so saving local disk space wouldn’t have much value. Saving to the cloud is really valuable for easy off site, incremental backups, but cloud syncing does that and is less opaque. I’ll move to Dropbox when Adobe drops its file syncing service in February.

[rob day]

Does Adobe have such a solution?

Adobe currently sync's all files saved in your user>Creative Cloud Files folder, and you can invite other users to also sync to a folder inside of the CCF folder, but Adobe is going to discontinue that service next year.

As Bob mentions Dropbox syncing service has the same features. Synced files always have a local copy-- InDesign's placed assets have to be local. With syncing, performance isn't a problem, because the syncing happens after every save in the background.

[leo.r]

Adobe has Adobe Experience Cloud - but it's probably out of reach for small companies:

https://business.adobe.com/ca/

[Rishabh_Tiwari]

Hi @mat281113268x8u,

Thank you for reaching out. For information on working with InDesign cloud documents (Beta), please check this article. Please try the suggestions shared by other members. You can also submit a request here directly with the Product team. Feel free to reach out if you have further questions.

Thanks

Rishabh

[mat281113268x8u]

It seems there are;

Cloud Documents

Cloud Files

Cloud Libraries

Could these be any more ambiguous?

[Conrad C]

Actually…it does get more ambiguous than that. Because there is also

Document Cloud (for Acrobat PDF)

…which is not the same as…

Cloud Documents (for Photoshop, Illustrator, and later InDesign)

🙂

It will become slightly less ambiguous when Creative Cloud (Synced) Files is discontinued.