Using OrgChart on the Mac

After you install “OrgChart for macOS” from the Mac App Store, macOS creates an iCloud Drive folder for OrgChart. Files in this folder are synced automatically across devices that use the same iCloud account, managed by iOS and macOS.

OrgChart supports opening .org files directly from the OrgChart iCloud Drive folder, and changes are synced to other devices automatically.

Our recommended practice is to use a working folder as a bridge to the iCloud Drive folder. Before copying updated files from the working folder to iCloud Drive, you can review them first. This helps prevent major mistakes from being synced to other devices before you notice them.

• Copy the organization chart file from the OrgChart iCloud Drive directory to another directory before editing. For example, create a “working space” directory outside iCloud Drive and copy the chart file there. (Check the file’s modified date to confirm sync is complete if another device recently changed it.)
• Open the copied organization chart file (in the “working space” directory)
• After saving and reviewing, replace the organization chart file in the OrgChart iCloud Drive directory with the updated file from “working space”.

Using OrgChart on the iOS devices

If iCloud Drive is enabled for OrgChart, "organization chart files stored on the device" and "organization chart files stored on iCloud Drive" are displayed separately.

• Open an organization chart file directly from iCloud Drive.
  
  OrgChart supports opening organization chart files directly from iCloud Drive. Changes to the opened file are saved and synced to other devices through iCloud.
  File synchronization is coordinated by iOS. Completion time depends on network conditions and system coordination. Please check the last updated date of the organization chart file before opening it, to confirm that iOS has finished syncing it to this device.
• Copy an organization chart file from iCloud Drive to the device.
  
  OrgChart supports copying organization chart files from iCloud Drive to the device. The copied chart is shown as a regular tile in the selected group.
• Copy an organization chart file from the device to iCloud Drive.
  
  You can open an organization chart file on the device and copy it to iCloud Drive. There is an option to replace an existing chart file on iCloud Drive or create a new one.

Our recommended practice for important organization chart files on iCloud Drive is to copy the file to the device first, edit it, review it carefully, and then copy it back to iCloud Drive (replacing the original). This helps avoid syncing incorrect updates to other devices before you notice them.

Troubleshooting

File transfer is controlled by iOS and macOS. The app does not control when or how organization chart files are transferred among devices. Most of the time, iCloud Drive works well and syncing is fast. However, if changes are not synced as expected:

• Please make sure the same iCloud account is used on all devices, and that iCloud Drive is enabled in iOS settings
• To confirm synchronization is complete, check the organization chart files in Apple’s "Files" app on the iOS device

Notes:

Some users may expect to edit the same organization chart (opened directly from iCloud Drive) on multiple devices at the same time, with automatic updates across devices. Editing the same chart on multiple devices simultaneously is impossible via iCloud Drive.

Because departments in an organization chart form a tree structure, there are tight relationships between items. Editing the same chart on two or more devices at the same time can create serious logic conflicts. For example, if one device adds a department as a child while another device removes that parent, there is no reliable way for the app to preserve a correct layout. Until iCloud Drive provides file locking for this workflow, please avoid opening the same chart on multiple devices at the same time.