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The File Watcher is a desktop application that monitors a local directory and uploads new files to Atomscale automatically. It is useful when your instruments write data to a shared folder and you want that data to appear in the platform without manual intervention.

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Installation

1

Download the installer

Open the Add Data dialog in the sidebar, then select the File Watcher tab. Click Download File Watcher to get the installer.
2

Install the application

Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts.
3

Generate an API key

The File Watcher authenticates with your API key. If you don’t already have one, generate a key from Add Data > API Integration or from Profile > Account Management. Copy and save the key; it is only displayed once.

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Configuration

Open the File Watcher and go to the Settings tab. The following settings control how files are detected and uploaded.

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Watch Path

The absolute path to the directory the File Watcher monitors (for example, /Users/lab/atomcloud_sync). Use the Browse button to select a directory.

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API Key

Paste the API key you generated in Atomscale. The File Watcher validates the key on entry, so you will see an error if it is invalid or expired.

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Traversal Depth

Controls how many directory levels below the watch path to scan. Set to 0 to watch only the top-level directory, or increase it to detect files in subdirectories. For example, a depth of 2 reaches files two folders deep.

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Group Uploaded Files

When enabled, files are organized into physical samples based on the name of their top-level folder within the watch path. For example, if the watch path contains folders GBL_UNLIT/ and DR1_CAST/, each folder becomes a physical sample in Atomscale.

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File Coalescing

Glob patterns that consolidate multiple files into a single data item after upload. For example, adding *.jpg and *.txt as patterns means all JPEG files in a folder are grouped into one data item, and all text files into another. Patterns are matched against file names only, scoped to each top-level folder.

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Auto Upload

When enabled, newly detected files are uploaded automatically. This toggle resets when the watch path changes to prevent accidental uploads.

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Folder Structure

The File Watcher expects files to be organized by sample. Under the watch path, create a folder for each sample, then place the associated files inside it: 
watch_path/
├── GBL_UNLIT/
│   ├── img_001.jpg
│   ├── img_002.jpg
│   ├── ...
│   └── metrology.txt
├── DR1_CAST/
│   ├── img_001.jpg
│   ├── img_002.jpg
│   ├── ...
│   └── metrology.txt
With Group Uploaded Files enabled and coalescing patterns set for *.jpg and *.txt, each top-level folder maps to a physical sample, optical images are consolidated into one data item, and metrology files into another.
Optical image file names should be sequentially numbered (for example, img_001.jpg, img_002.jpg) so they are ordered correctly after upload.

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Uploading Files

Files can be uploaded three ways:
  • Per file: click the upload icon on any row in the Files tab.
  • Bulk: select multiple files and choose Upload eligible files from the actions menu.
  • Automatic: enable Auto Upload in Settings to upload new files as they appear.
Upload progress and status are shown in the Files tab. Each file transitions through Pending, Queued, Uploading, and Uploaded (or Error if something went wrong). Files that errored can be retried.

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Advanced Settings

Under the collapsible Advanced Settings section you can:
  • Polling: enable polling-based file detection, which is more reliable for network or cloud storage drives.
  • Await File Stability: wait for a file’s size to stabilize before processing, which prevents uploading files that are still being written.
  • Reset Settings: clear all configuration and return to defaults.