Very stupid question/inquiry re: BrickSync use

andirunner

I am wondering how all of you learned to use BrickSync. I have no training in coding, and although I consider myself tech savvy, I do not know anything about this type of software/platform/etc. I'm guessing most of you already had some background in coding before you started? Is there a class I can take, or some beginner-level terminology I can Google to self-teach?

I only sell on BO right now and have found this aspect of branching out to be very daunting. Not looking for someone to teach me - just wondering how you all arrived at that point!

Thank you in advance,
Andi

Emporiosa

I'm not a programmer/coder in any way, but the basic commands were very simple when I used it. The main downside is that you need a system that's always running, but for some this isn't an issue.

Alternatively, there are several solutions that do this all for you (and in the cloud) for a modest fee in the 1-1.5% range usually (BrickFreedom, BrickPacker, BLS Manager, etc...) They do the syncing, but also have some additional features that are nice.

brickadoon

As @Emporiosa said, to use Bricksync you need to have it running 24/7. I've been using it for around 6 years now, and I have it running on a cheap Windows tablet.

I'm not a coder/programmer either (although I do have a background in IT support). The basic commands are easy enough to use, although to a new user it does look daunting.

You won't be able to do anything with it currently as it uses BL as it's main/primary inventory. Some of the other solutions that were mentioned let you use BO as the primary inventory.

Captain.M

Hi Andi,

This is certainly not a stupid question at all. There's nothing in the way of actual training or guides out there that I know of (unless someone has done a YouTube video). I was lucky because I had experience of using a command line interface from back in the day when computers ran MS-DOS before Windows (seems so long ago!).

The command list on the bricksync website is a good place to start, even if it's just to get an idea of what bricksync can do. http://www.bricksync.net/guidecommands.html

Then maybe a YouTube video about command line interfaces in general just to get familiar with the concept/process?

There are quite a few discussions about bricksync on this forum but not sure how much beginner info they would have (although am sure there are several explanations about the use of the 'blmaster' command which is very important to know). Best advice is to read as much as you can find.

It's great to hear there are people wanting to branch out onto other marketplaces and consider using something like bricksync, it's a wonderful tool and the fact it's creator made it free for everyone to use is pretty special. But it is not user friendly for beginners and because of that most people are likely put off from using it in favour of one of the paid for cloud based syncing services (I've managed to resist those so far because I'm a bricksync faithful ie. I'm cheap!).

Hopefully you (and everyone) won't have to wait too long for BL to come back online and you can give it a try, best of luck!

brickadoon

@Captain.M glad to see there's at least one other Bricksync faithful in the UK who's resisted the cloud-based bandwagon!

Like you, I'm cheap too and won't pay for something that's free and perfectly usable!

I've been making some updates to the colours as there's been a few additions/renames in the last couple of months - just waiting for Sergio (the current repository owner of the program) to recompile it

Captain.M

@brickadoon Thank you so much for all your efforts to keep bricksync going! I'm just a hobby store so bricksync suits my needs & means just fine and it really does everything I need in a very effective way. I hope it lasts for a long time to come.

Although I think the cheap 7" Linx tablet I have it running on will need to be replaced soon, it's running Windows 8 (one of the worst) and often crashes bricksync when coming out of blmaster mode.

What are you running it on?

XS Bricks

I use Bricksync and love it and I am no coder, more of a Luddite! BLMaster On and BLMaster Off are your friends and the two main controls you need 99% of the time. Yes it needs to run all the time, but my PC would be on 18 hours most days anyway. Would be interested in setting it up on a little tablet at some stage.

Hoddie

I used to run BrickSync on a micro computer, almost zero power usage except for when I turned the monitor on. I know others have run it on a Raspberry Pi, so there are options if you're concerned about energy use.

brickadoon

@Captain.M @XS Bricks I'm running it on a 10" HP Windows 10 tablet. I bought it 3 years ago for around £125 and have it mounted on an arm next to my PC. It only costs a few pence a day to run and I love it. It occasionally crashes coming out of blmaster, but it's only maybe once every 40-50 times so I can live with that.

Lawrence

@brickadoon that’s a nice setup having it on the arm

brickadoon

Thanks @Lawrence

This is the view from the back.

It's one of these if anyone is interested in getting one:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gooseneck-Adjustable-Detachable-Bracket-Overall/dp/B08SHT9DKY/ref=psdc_428654031_t1_B086JV13L4