The MDA has the possibility to mount two different MDA directories directly to a PC, Mac or tablet.
The first directory is the MDA-upload directory. Any SVG image that you copy into this directory will appear on the upload page in the MDA interface. The second directory is the MDA-autosketch directory. Any SVG image or GPX formatted file derived from an SVG image will be sketched automatically on the MDA.
In order to mount a directory, both the MDA and the device you want to mount the drive on need to be connected to the same network. You can also connect your device to the MDA’s hotspot. Mounting a drive requires a one-time setup, afterwards the MDA directories are directly and always available on PC, Mac or tablet.
In order to mount the MDA on your device, the following setup actions are required:
On a PC
Open File Explorer, select Home, go to Easy Access in the New section and select Map network drive. Choose a drive letter (for example U: for upload or S: for autosketch). Do not use the Browse option for the Folder field. Instead, enter the following path: \\mda\MDA-upload. If you have changed the name of the MDA, replace mda with a new name. Make sure that the option Reconnect at sign-in is selected and click Finish. If you are prompted for a user name and password, enter guest for both. The MDA-upload directory is now permanently mounted on your PC and accessible via the selected drive letter. Any file copied or saved to this drive will appear on the Upload page of the MDA interface. To mount the MDA-autosketch directory, follow the same procedure, but enter: \\mda\MDA-autosketch in the “Folder” input field. Again, replace mda with the new name if the default has been changed.
On a Mac
The name of the MDA will automatically appears in the Shared section of Finder. Click on the MDA name (default: mda) and select Connect as… Continue with Connect and enter guest for both the user name and password. Make sure to tick the box Remember this password in my keychain and click Select. The MDA-upload directory will now be accessible via Finder. To connect to the autosketch directory, first select Disconnect, then repeat the procedure above, but log in using:
- User name: autosketch
- Password: autosketch
You will be connected as autosketch. Note that the directory name will still appear as MDA-upload. If you frequentyly switch between upload (guest) and autosketch, it is recommended not to store the login credentials in the keychain and instead enter them manually each time.
On an iPad
You can connect to the MDA using the FileBrowser app, a free app available in the App Store. In FileBrowser, select Locations, in the bottom bar, then + in the top bar. Choose Computer/Network Drive, then Mac. The app will start scanning, but you do not need wait for the scan to finish. Instead select Manual setup. On the next screen, select Mac and enter mda in the Address field (or the new name if you have changed the default). Tap Edit… in the User name field and enter guest. Do the same for the Password field. Enter mda in the Display name field. By selecting mda from the Locations list, you will now have access to both the MDA-upload directory and the MDA-autosketch directories.
On Android
A connection can be established trough the free AndSMB app, available from the Play Store. In AndSMB, tap the + button in the top bar. On the next screen, enter mda in the Hostname field (or the new name if changed). Enter guest in both the Username and Password fields. In the Remote field, enter: /MDA-upload. Leave all other fields empty and tap save. In the pop-up window enter mda, or any other name you prefer for this connnection. When selecting Share and choosing AndSMB, files copied to this connection will automatically be uploaded to the MDA-upload directory.
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