Could Storages Compared - Part 4

 Check Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 of my exploration of cloud storage providers, with real life testing and comments.

 Since I am an editor, and I use Final Cut Pro among other tools, in this post I am looking into uploading and downloading ".fcpbundle" files, which are the program files for Final Cut Pro. On macOS, the bundles are recognized as a single Final Cut Pro Library file that the software can open and save.

 In actuality, a ".fcpbundle" file consists of an enclosing folder with a series of files and subfolders inside. This one is very stripped down, they can grow in size and content depending on the project you are working on and its advancement.

 In terms of cloud storage though, with the exception of iCloud, these ".fcpbundle" files are identified as regular folders. 

 When round tripping (upload + download) a ".fcpbundle" file to the cloud, weird things can happen due to the nature of the bundle and files contained within. See below my testings of how cloud providers handle these particular files.

 ROUND-TRIPPING FINAL CUT PRO LIBRARY FILE

A) Uploading into local sync folder, downloading from the web

All cloud providers via their macOS desktop sync work fine. Except for FolderFort since they do not have a macOS app available at the moment. The downloaded library can be opened by FCP no problem.

 Although it cannot be opened if the Library resides into the local cloud folder of all the providers using the Apple File Provider scheme, see Part 2, i.e. with iCloud Drive, DropBox, GoogleDrive, OneDrive and Internxt. The Library must first be first dragged to another location, opened, saved, and then uploaded again to the cloud.

 With the clouds that are not following the macOS File Provider scheme: Mega, Jottacloud, Drime, kDrive, the Library can be opened and saved in-situ by FCP. Which makes sense since these cloud folders are behaving ore or less like local folders.

 As with pCloud, if you try to open the Library while it resides on the pCloud virtual drive, FCP will CRASH. So with pCloud, one has to copy the library to a proper local folder, and then save it again to pCloud when done.

B) Uploading and downloading from the web

Crazy as it sounds, iCloud FAILS. iCloud does not upload the Library correctly on the web. In my example, the Library is 193KB. It is only 30KB after upload on iCloud via the web. It is empty, even though it is stamped by iCloud as a "FCPBUNDLE file". As a result, this file downloaded onto my Mac cannot be opened by FCP. In essence you cannot use iCloud web to upload a FCP Library or you will loose it. This is mind boggling since Final Cut Pro is an Apple product, I can't understand how Apple is OK with this.

DropBox, Internxt, and Sync FAIL. They refuse to upload the Library claiming it's empty. Which in a sense is better than what iCloud is doing. At least you cannot be fooled into believing that your Library is safely uploaded to the cloud. 

 OneDrive, Jottacloud, Drime, Mega, Icedrive, pCloud, and FolderFort all upload the Library like champs on the web, nothing is lost. Download works fine as well.

TO RECAP THIS FCPBUNDLE TEST:

Cloud Provider	Proper desktop app upload	Opening, saving FCP Library from sync cloud folder	Proper web upload /download	Using Apple File Provider scheme	Recognized as fcpbundle
iCloud	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
OneDrive	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Mega	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
GoogleDrive	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	No
Internxt	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
kDrive	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
DropBox	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Drime	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
JottaCloud	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
PCloud	Yes	Absolutely not	Yes	No	No
FolderFort	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No