Project Distribution¶
Distribute project files (ZIP archives) across your machines using your own file hosting. Owlette handles the download, extraction, and verification — you just provide the URL.
How It Works¶
Your File Host Owlette Cloud Agent Machines
(Dropbox/Drive/etc.) (Firestore) (Windows)
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Upload ZIP to host
2. Create distribution ──────▶ Store metadata
in dashboard (no file upload!)
3. Send commands ────────────▶ Commands queued
4. Download ZIP
◀───────────────────────── directly from host
(not through Owlette!) Report progress ──▶
5. Extract to path
Report progress ──▶
6. Verify files
Report complete ──▶
Key point: Files download directly from your host to the machines — Owlette never stores or proxies the files. This keeps costs near zero.
Creating a Distribution¶
- Navigate to Projects from the dashboard menu
- Click "New Distribution"
- Fill in the configuration:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | Descriptive name (e.g., "Summer Show 2024") |
| Project URL | Yes | Direct download link to ZIP file |
| Extract To | No | Custom path (default: ~/Documents/OwletteProjects) |
| Verify Files | No | Comma-separated file/folder names to check after extraction |
| Save as Template | No | Save configuration for reuse |
- Select target machines
- Click "Distribute to N Machines"
File Hosting Options¶
| Host | Free Storage | Direct Download URL |
|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | 2 GB | Change ?dl=0 to ?dl=1 in share link |
| Google Drive | 15 GB | https://drive.google.com/uc?export=download&id=FILE_ID |
| Backblaze B2 | 10 GB | https://f002.backblazeb2.com/file/bucket/file.zip |
| Your Server | Varies | Any direct download URL |
Best for large files
Backblaze B2 is the cheapest option for large files: $0.005/GB storage with free egress (up to 3x your storage).
Cost Comparison (100 GB project to 10 machines)¶
| Host | Storage | Bandwidth | Total/Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dropbox | $11.99 (2TB plan) | Included | $11.99 |
| Google Drive | $9.99 (2TB plan) | Included | $9.99 |
| Backblaze B2 | $0.50 | Free (3x rule) | $0.50 |
Owlette infrastructure cost: ~$0.001 per distribution (Firestore operations only).
Distribution Progress¶
Real-time status per machine:
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
| Downloading | Downloading ZIP (shows percentage) |
| Extracting | Extracting files (shows percentage) |
| Completed | All files extracted and verified |
| Failed | Download, extraction, or verification failed |
File Verification¶
Specify files to check after extraction:
The agent checks that each file or folder exists relative to the extraction path. If any are missing, the distribution reports a warning but still marks as completed.
Templates¶
Save distribution configurations for reuse:
- Check "Save as template" when creating a distribution
- Templates store: name, URL, extract path, verify files
- Load from the dropdown when creating future distributions
- Edit or delete templates as needed
Useful for recurring content updates (e.g., monthly signage content).
Examples¶
TouchDesigner Project¶
Name: Art Installation - March 2026
URL: https://www.dropbox.com/s/abc123/ArtInstall.zip?dl=1
Extract To: C:\TouchDesigner\Projects
Verify: ArtInstall.toe, Assets/videos/, config.json
Digital Signage Content¶
Name: March Signage Content
URL: https://f002.backblazeb2.com/file/my-bucket/signage-march.zip
Extract To: (default)
Verify: videos/promo1.mp4, images/background.png
Troubleshooting¶
| Issue | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Download failed | Bad URL or no internet | Test URL in browser; verify it directly downloads |
| Extraction failed | Corrupt ZIP or no disk space | Re-upload ZIP; check disk space |
| Files missing after extraction | Wrong verify paths | Check ZIP structure; paths are relative to extract location |
| Slow download | Large file or slow host | Use CDN-backed hosting; schedule off-peak |