GJ FILE MANAGER · FIELD NOTES
A Shoot-Day Offload Workflow: Keep Source and Delivery Folders in Separate Tabs
On a shoot day, copying camera cards to a delivery folder can go wrong when you lose track of the source. This workflow uses GJ File Manager tabs to keep the source and delivery folders open in separate tabs, with checks for external drives and delivery preparation, while leaving Finder originals untouched.
Why tabs beat a single Finder view for card offloads
When you are offloading cards, repeated navigation in a single view makes it easy to forget the source—especially when you are tired or rushed. Tabs keep the source and delivery folders in place so you do not have to remember where you came from. In GJ File Manager, tabs represent browsing locations, not Finder's color tags for categorizing files. This distinction matters: Finder tags help you label files, while tabs hold open the folders you are working between. Closing a tab simply closes a browsing entry, not the directory on disk, so your originals remain where they are.
Setting up a source tab and a delivery tab before the first copy
Start by opening the source folder—the mounted camera card or a folder containing the card's contents—in GJ File Manager. Create a new tab and enter the delivery folder, the place on your Mac or external drive where the verified copies should land. Switch between the two tabs and verify each path so you know exactly which side is the card and which is the destination. Then copy a sample file from the source tab and paste it in the delivery tab. Wait for completion, and open the pasted file to confirm it arrived. This small test catches path mistakes before you copy an entire card. Once the offload is done and verified, close the tabs you no longer need; the folders themselves are not deleted.
Check the external drive before copying a full card
A drive can be readable but not writable, and its filesystem, mount state and permissions matter as much as the file manager. Use GJ File Manager's external-device area to inspect the delivery drive before starting a copy. After connecting the drive, check its name, format and writable status. Open a small destination folder to confirm access, then copy a sample file, wait for completion and open the destination copy. If the drive is NTFS, writing depends on system support and configuration; not every attached NTFS disk is automatically writable. If a copy fails, first confirm the task has stopped and check the destination, then safely eject through the system rather than treating a partial file as a backup.
Keep originals safe and separate working files from delivery
Tabs do not automatically synchronize folders. Copying, moving and synchronization remain explicit actions, so you stay in control of what leaves the card. Keep the card or its backup as the original and avoid working directly from it. A working project can contain drafts, assets and final files together, and compressing everything may send an old draft or internal note along with the intended delivery. Separate the working area from the delivery area in GJ File Manager. Copy the selected files into the delivery folder, then inspect the resulting collection; a file group is not an automatically assembled delivery package. This keeps the originals untouched while you build the delivery copy.
Verify the delivery folder before it leaves your hands
After copying, check each item in the delivery folder against your delivery list: name, content, version and whether it opens. Inspect name conflicts rather than replacing blindly. Equal file counts do not establish equal content, and a comparison cannot decide client requirements, confidentiality or final approval for you. If an archive is needed, compress this checked folder, inspect the package and retain a copy of the delivery. If you plan to share a group, remember that a group organizes access; copy the actual files into the delivery folder, then use an appropriate sharing method. When all tasks are finished, eject the drive through the system before disconnecting.
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Written by the GJ File Manager team. Mac workflows; controls may differ on iPad.
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