Shared Files

Share the photographs once, then use small ImageBrowserPro Project files to communicate with photographers and editors. A shared cloud folder supplies the media; BrowserPro Connect supplies the Project exchange. Your edits, selections, comments and drawings travel back and forth without resending the same photographs.

Before you begin

Use an IBP build with Share Project and an eligible BrowserPro Connect license. Both people need ImageBrowserPro to edit the Project. The recipient also needs their own copy of the referenced photographs, with matching folder structure. Send those separately if needed; a Project link is not a photograph backup.

A .ibpproject contains the whole workspace, including editing adjustments, Sets, boards, drawings, grids, layouts, and written feedback. Choose Workflow Package when you need to copy the actual media files. Workflow Packages do not pass through Connect.

Share the photograph folder once

The photographer puts the shoot in a shared cloud folder using the team's existing service, such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Share that folder with the editor and any other collaborators who need the photographs.
Each collaborator syncs or downloads the folder onto their own computer. Make the needed photographs available offline; a browser-only cloud preview is not a local media file IBP can relink.
Preserve the same filenames and relative subfolder structure. The top-level folder can live in a different location on each computer.
Open the local shoot in IBP and create your working Project. The shared media folder is the common reference for everyone; Connect does not replace that folder or send its photographs.
Keep originals unchanged while reviewing. Use Project adjustments, selections, written feedback and drawings to communicate the changes you want.

Once everyone has the same photographs, do not send the images again with each review round. Exchange only the .ibpproject. If new photographs are added or an original is replaced, update the shared media folder and let everyone sync the change before continuing. Keep originals and their backups independently of Project links.

What goes to each server

Destination	What it carries	When you use it
Your team's shared cloud folder	The original media needed by collaborators	Share once at setup; sync additions if the shoot changes.
BrowserPro Connect	The Project workspace, including edits, Sets, comments/feedback, boards and drawings	Send the first Project and return revised Projects throughout the conversation.
Each person's local computer	Their synced media and working `.ibpproject`	Open, relink, review, edit and save in IBP.

Connect Project links never upload photographs or previews. A Project exchange is a saved revision, not simultaneous editing or an automatic live merge. Agree who is returning the next revision and review it before starting another round.

Connect ImageBrowserPro by email

Activate your beta license with the registered tester email address.
Open Preferences → Import & Export and find BrowserPro Connect.
Request a magic link. It goes to the email associated with your beta license, not a separate recipient entered in the Share Project dialog.
Check your inbox and Spam/Junk for Connect ImageBrowserPro. If it is in Spam, mark it Not spam. The sender name may still appear as Gitnernet Licensing until the Connect sender-name update is deployed.
Open the newest email and click Connect ImageBrowserPro on the confirmation page. Allow your browser to open IBP if prompted. The app can also check the confirmation while it is open.
Return to Preferences and check that Connect is ready. The app supplies the server address, workspace, and connection credentials automatically.

Magic links expire after 15 minutes. If one has expired or was already used, request a fresh one. No website password is needed for this flow. A message saying to check your email confirms a request, not receipt in your inbox.

Create and email a Project link

Open the workspace you want to share. Check its Sets, boards, drawings, and feedback before sending it.
Open Export, then choose Share Project.
Optionally choose Save Project to File to keep a local .ibpproject copy.
Choose Link expires after: 1 day, 3 days, 7 days, or 30 days. The default is 3 days.
Click Create Connect Link. The new entry appears under Saved shares, with its Project link and expiration time.
Choose Copy Link to send it yourself, or Email Project Link to use the built-in invitation.
In the email composer, enter the recipient's address, review the link and message, then click Send Email.
Ask the recipient to check their inbox and Spam/Junk. Mail-service acceptance does not confirm inbox delivery. The Project invitation is a separate email from your own Connect sign-in email.

Anyone with the Project link can download and return the Project until the link expires or you end access. Share it only with the intended recipients. Creating the link shares a snapshot; later local edits are not automatically uploaded into that snapshot.

Open the shared Project and relink photographs

Open the invitation's Connect link in a browser.
Download the Project file from the page.
In IBP, use File → Open Project to select the downloaded .ibpproject.
In builds containing the Project drop shortcut, you can instead drag one .ibpproject file from Finder into IBP's drop zone. It uses the same Project reader and unsaved-work prompt as File → Open Project. If your installed build does not recognize the drop yet, use the File menu.
If IBP asks about unsaved work, save it before switching Projects or cancel the switch.
Use Relink for any missing media roots and select your corresponding local photograph folders. Keep the original relative folder structure and filenames so references can match.
Check that the expected photographs, Sets, boards, drawings, and feedback appear before editing.

An empty or missing photograph is a reason to check local media paths, not evidence that Connect uploaded the originals. Opening the Project does not replace or download the referenced media files.

Return a revised Project

Make your changes in IBP: adjust the edit, update selections and sequence, add written feedback, and mark up drawings or boards to explain your intent to the photographer. Save these changes in the Project.
Save the revised workspace as a .ibpproject using File → Save Project or Save Project As.
Return to the same Connect link in your browser and use its return control to select your revised Project file.
Check the page's result. A local save alone does not return the file to the sender.
If the page reports a newer revision, reload it and review the current state before retrying. Do not assume that another person's changes were merged automatically.

Retrieve feedback and end access

The original sender opens Export → Share Project and chooses the correct entry under Saved shares.
Click Check for Return. If a revision is available, the dialog reports it.
Choose Download Returned Project to save the revision locally.
Choose Import Project and select the downloaded file, or open it through File → Open Project. The Project is opened for review; it is not silently merged into your current workspace.
Review the returned Sets, drawings, boards, and feedback, and relink photographs if needed.
Continue the conversation by reviewing the returned Project and creating a new Connect link for the next outgoing revision. Everyone keeps using the same synced photographs; only the revised .ibpproject is exchanged.
Choose End Link Access when the exchange is finished. Guest downloads and returns are then blocked. Copies already downloaded remain on the recipient's computer.

If something does not work

Email is missing: verify the recipient address, check Spam/Junk, and distinguish a Project invitation from a magic sign-in link. Mail-service acceptance is not proof of receipt.
Magic link expired: request a new one and open the newest message within 15 minutes.
Project link expired or ended: ask the sender to create a new Connect link.
Connect is not ready: return to Preferences and finish the license-email confirmation before creating another share.
Photographs are missing: relink the Project to matching local media folders. The Project contains references and workspace data, not photographs.
Project drop is rejected: update to a build containing the drop shortcut, or use File → Open Project. Drop only one Project at a time, separately from media folders.
No return is available: confirm that the recipient uploaded the saved revision through the browser page; saving it in IBP is only the local step.

The sender confirmed the Connect sign-in and Project invitation workflow on October 4, 2026; both emails initially arrived in Spam/Junk. Receipt of those messages does not guarantee future inbox placement. The new Project drop shortcut still requires verification in the installed build.

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