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Opening SD Files from Dropbox with StructureMate

StructureMate is a new iPhone/iPad app for browsing SD files. One of the first questions new StructureMate users will have is how to open their own SD files. Although Email is one way to move files between devices, DropBox offers some important advantages.

Useful though it may be, the Dropbox app itself can only read a limited selection of file types. How can you open SD files in StructureMate using the Dropbox service?

Step 1. Find the SD File in the Dropbox App

Dropbox lets you add files into a familiar folder hierarchy. From your computer, add an SD file to a convenient location in your Dropbox folder. Then browse to that folder in the Dropbox app:

Step 2. Select the SD File in the Dropbox App

Tap on the entry for the SD file you'd like to open. Dropbox will attempt to read the file, and will then tell you it's unable to do so with a message like "Unable to view file".

Although Dropbox itself can't read SD files, it can delegate the opening of these files to an app that can. Tap on the button in the lower-right of your screen:

Step 3. Open the SD file in StructureMate

You'll be given the option to open the SD file with other apps that can read SD files. If you've installed StructureMate, it will be one of those options. Simply tap the StructureMate icon and the SD file will load.

Research ideas often come when you're not in the office or lab. Using StructureMate and Dropbox together, it's possible to always have access to your chemistry data, regardless of which device you happen to have access to.