Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Questions and Discussions about G-Stomper
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planet-h
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Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby planet-h » Fri Jun 14, 2019 1:26 pm

The upcoming Android OS versions (Q and R) force all apps to go that way, and there is no way around it. Android Q introduces Scoped Storage and forces every app to use the “System Files Picker” in order to access files outside of its private, isolated storage.

We’re doing our best to give you an as smooth as possible transition. But it is clear that this is a major change, and we’re sorry for your inconveniences.

Here are the answers in the FAQ to the most asked questions about the latest privacy update:

Why do I have to use the “System Files Picker” to access files in Shared Storage?

I don't like the new File System Handling. How can I get the old Handling back?

I cannot find my existing files after updating the G-Stomper App and/or Android.
siestomp
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby siestomp » Sun Jun 16, 2019 5:07 pm

planet-h wrote:... we’re sorry for your inconveniences.

As the users of Stomper are intelligent and flexible creatures, we'll learn how to deal with ;)
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planet-h
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby planet-h » Mon Jun 17, 2019 7:16 am

siestomp wrote:
planet-h wrote:... we’re sorry for your inconveniences.

As the users of Stomper are intelligent and flexible creatures, we'll learn how to deal with ;)

Thank you for being that flexible, siestomp :).
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drewinnit
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby drewinnit » Thu Jul 25, 2019 2:24 pm

Hi, I have a quick few questions about the new file system. hoping someone can advise me on how to simplify things:

I notice that the System Files Picker doesn't recall the last folder i was in. for example, if I am setting up a Drum Kit I have to do the following steps for every sample
- Select track, bring up Load options
- long press "User Samples"
- select SD card
- select my Samples folder
- Select sub-folders until I am at desired folder

then for the next sample, this whole process of selecting folders must be repeated (very tedious to create a kit!). Additionally, I have no way of previewing the sound before selecting it which is super annoying when combined with the difficulty of renavigating to the same folder.

Further, it seems that Quick Sample Selector on the Sampler no longer lets me scroll between samples in the same folder. Is this a consequence of the new privacy rules?

Am I doing something wrong, or perhaps have a setting set to something which is making this process harder than necessary?

any help appreciated, thanks!
https://soundcloud.com/fevered-shiva
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planet-h
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby planet-h » Thu Jul 25, 2019 4:55 pm

drewinnit wrote:Hi, I have a quick few questions about the new file system. hoping someone can advise me on how to simplify things:

I notice that the System Files Picker doesn't recall the last folder i was in. for example, if I am setting up a Drum Kit I have to do the following steps for every sample
- Select track, bring up Load options
- long press "User Samples"
- select SD card
- select my Samples folder
- Select sub-folders until I am at desired folder

then for the next sample, this whole process of selecting folders must be repeated (very tedious to create a kit!). Additionally, I have no way of previewing the sound before selecting it which is super annoying when combined with the difficulty of renavigating to the same folder.

Further, it seems that Quick Sample Selector on the Sampler no longer lets me scroll between samples in the same folder. Is this a consequence of the new privacy rules?

Am I doing something wrong, or perhaps have a setting set to something which is making this process harder than necessary?

any help appreciated, thanks!

First of all, this behavior only applies to devices running Android 8.0 or higher. I assume this is the case on your device.

All you have to do in order to get the same access to the files as you had before in the older versions, is to copy your samples to the folder "/sdcard/Android/data/<app package name>/files/gstomper/usersamples/". If you store your samples there, you can just load them as you did in the old versions (including quick sample selector, scroll next, and everything else).
The complete guide where to store your own samples on Android 8.0 or higher can be found in the docs at:
https://www.planet-h.com/gstomper/docs/html/G-Stomper_UserManual_UserSamples/part4.htm

If you want to move your old "/sdcard/gstomper" folder from the old versions completely, just follow this guide:
I don’t like the new File System Handling. How can I get the old Handling back?

But this all requires that you store your samples on the internal storage (except the app was moved to sdcard in the app info).
However, if storing your samples on your additional sdcard is your highest priority, then the only way to access those samples is through the "System Files Picker".
I totally agree, that this is a tedious process, and I don't like it either. But this is what we get from Google, and at the end, we're all forced to use it.
However, what I can say is that it'll get better with the upcoming Android versions. Android Q comes with a "System Files Picker" that allows sample preview in all situations.

Concusion:
The best option you have is to use the isolated storage for all your G-Stomper data. To move over, just follow the this guide as mentioned above already:
I don’t like the new File System Handling. How can I get the old Handling back?

You might ask, why is Google doing that?
I have my personal guess/opinion of course, but that's nothing I want to share here. It's some kind of a hot potato.
Best is to google for it and then decide what you think about it.
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drewinnit
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby drewinnit » Sat Jul 27, 2019 4:57 pm

thanks for your detailed reply - i of course realise this imperfect file access system is not your choice :) thanks for doing your best to help us deal with it


planet-h wrote:But this all requires that you store your samples on the internal storage (except the app was moved to sdcard in the app info).


yes this was the crux of my issue, I saw the notes in the FAQ but couldn't figure out a way to enable the regular older system if I wanted samples still stored on my SD card (I have only 16GB internal room which is 95% full, my samples folder is several GB large)

would using an app like AppMgr III to move G-Stomper Studio to my SD card be a good alternative? then move my samples on the SD card to the location suggested above once the app is moved to the SD card?

thanks again
https://soundcloud.com/fevered-shiva
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planet-h
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby planet-h » Sun Jul 28, 2019 9:31 am

drewinnit wrote:
planet-h wrote:But this all requires that you store your samples on the internal storage (except the app was moved to sdcard in the app info).


yes this was the crux of my issue, I saw the notes in the FAQ but couldn't figure out a way to enable the regular older system if I wanted samples still stored on my SD card (I have only 16GB internal room which is 95% full, my samples folder is several GB large)

As far as I know, it is possible to setup an additional sd card so that it acts as internal storage. But that requires a new, empty sd card to be plugged in and setup that way. Also, if an sd card is setup that way, it's no longer portable... means it's bound to that device as it becomes a logical part of the internal storage.

drewinnit wrote:would using an app like AppMgr III to move G-Stomper Studio to my SD card be a good alternative? then move my samples on the SD card to the location suggested above once the app is moved to the SD card?

No need to use an external app like AppMgr III. Actually I would rather recommend not to use such an app.
I think all you have to do is to go to : System Settings / Apps / G-Stomper Studio / ... then move to sd storage from there (how the actual menu entry is labeled and placed varies across the OS versions).
As far as I know, this moves the app installation as well as the app's private isolated storage to your external sd card. Unfortunately I have no way to test that here, as I simply do not have any device with an sd card slot. So I'd recommend to backup the private isolated storage first. Meant is the folder "/sdcard/Android/data/<app_package_name>" . In your case of G-Stomper Studio, the <app_package_name> is "com.planeth.gstomper". The different app package names for all our apps are listed in our FAQ.
So, bottom line.. yes, moving the app to your sd card can be an alternative.

Just always keep the following in mind:
When you uninstall an app, even if only temporary, then the private, isolated storage gets cleared.
This is of course no problem if you backup regularly, e.g. to a cloud storage or similar.
But without having a backup, uninstalling the app will result in loss of data.

Hope that helps finding a suitable solution.
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planet-h
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby planet-h » Sun Jul 28, 2019 12:50 pm

Sorry, I was wrong about AppMgr III. It seems to be perfectly fine.
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drewinnit
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby drewinnit » Mon Jul 29, 2019 9:43 am

thank you for the tips - i will act on this advice and report back.
https://soundcloud.com/fevered-shiva
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drewinnit
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Re: Important Note about using Shared/Isolated Storage and the new File System Handling

Postby drewinnit » Mon Jul 29, 2019 4:07 pm

Hi, sorry for more questions but the process became a bit more confusing

it seems that since some point earlier in the year, my Studio saves are now going to /storage/emulated/0

I want to back up my recent Studio projects before switching the app from internal memory to SD card but I can't locate the files in android browser or via USB-PC explorer on computer. apparently the /storage/emulated/0 is just a reference to another location but even searching file names I can't see where this other location could be (in internal and SD card)


if I go to the Save menu, this is the directory referenced: /storage/emulated/0/Android/data/com.planeth.gstomper/files/gstomper/patternsets

but the files I have saved here, aren't anywhere to be found.

Do you know where these files could be found? I'm scared to lose them forever but at the moment it's a price I might pay for the ease of accessing my own samples again.

thanks!

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