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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.cloudstud.io/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

CloudStudio gives you three ways to move media: browser uploads for quick small batches, Transfer Agent for fast UDP-accelerated transfers on any size, and direct workstation copies when you’re already on your remote machine. This page covers when to use each, the Transfer Agent in depth, and how to troubleshoot stuck transfers.

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When to use which

MethodBest forSpeed
Browser uploadSingle files or under 100 GB batches from your laptopLimited by your HTTPS throughput
Transfer Agent (your local Mac)Large uploads, bulk downloads, repeated transfersUDP-accelerated — typically 5–10× faster than browser
Direct on remote workstationAnything you’re already touching while connectedFull LAN-to-storage speed; fastest of all

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Browser uploads

The simplest path. From app.cloudstud.io:
  1. Open the project you want to upload into
  2. Click Upload
  3. Drag-and-drop files or pick a folder
  4. Stay on the page until the progress bar finishes
Don’t navigate away mid-upload — browser uploads are tied to the tab. Closing the tab cancels the transfer. Browser uploads have no special install requirements. Good for one-off clips or a quick batch.

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Transfer Agent

Transfer Agent is a small menu-bar app that runs on your local Mac and accelerates large transfers using UDP. Once installed, it shows up whenever CloudStudio needs to move media and offers itself as the fast path.

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Installing

On first use, the web app prompts you to install Transfer Agent if it isn’t already on your Mac. Click Install, run the downloaded .dmg, drag the app to /Applications, and you’re done. The app auto-updates via Sparkle — you’ll see an in-app prompt for new versions every few weeks.

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Starting a transfer

From any download or upload action in CloudStudio:
  1. Click the Transfer Agent button (next to or replacing the standard download button)
  2. Your browser opens Transfer Agent via the cloudstudio:// URL handler
  3. The transfer begins in Transfer Agent’s menu-bar window — you can close the browser tab

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What you see in Transfer Agent

  • Queue — all active and pending transfers, with per-file progress
  • Throughput — current MB/s and total bytes moved
  • History — recent transfers, with re-run buttons for ones you want to redo
  • Pause / resume — per-transfer or queue-wide

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Bulk uploads

For a multi-thousand-file folder (RED cards, ARRI cards, drone footage), use Transfer Agent. Drop the entire folder onto Transfer Agent’s window or use the Upload folder action from the web app. The agent handles directory recursion, resumes on flaky connections, and skips files that are already in the destination.

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Bulk downloads

For pulling a finished project’s archive locally, ask the web app for a download bundle — CloudStudio pre-builds a single archive on the server side so the transfer is one giant file instead of thousands of small ones. Much faster end-to-end. For single-file downloads, the per-file UDP path through Transfer Agent is usually faster than HTTPS.

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Direct on the remote workstation

When you’re already connected via Jump Desktop, the project folder is a mounted volume. Anything that reads and writes files works:
  • Drag-and-drop in Finder
  • Terminal cp, rsync, tar
  • Camera card ingest tools like Hedge, Silverstack, Shotput
Speed is essentially unlimited by network — you’re on the LAN with the storage. Use this when offloading directly from a card on the remote station, or when reorganizing folders within a project.

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Troubleshooting

Refresh the project. CloudStudio’s reconciler runs every few minutes and sometimes the UI lags behind disk reality. If the file shows up on the workstation but not in the web app after 10 minutes, contact support.
The browser is blocking the cloudstudio:// URL handler. Two fixes:
  1. In Safari → Preferences → Websites → check that app.cloudstud.io is allowed to open external apps.
  2. Quit and relaunch Transfer Agent — it re-registers the URL handler with macOS on launch.
If neither works, re-download Transfer Agent from your account page and reinstall.
UDP transfers can stall behind aggressive firewalls or VPNs. Try:
  • Disconnect from VPN
  • Switch from Wi-Fi to wired
  • Check that ports allowed by your network admin include the CloudStudio UDP range (your IT can ask CloudStudio support for the exact range)
If you’re on a hotel or coworking network and can’t change firewall rules, browser upload (HTTPS) will still work — slower, but reliable.
Verifying is the post-transfer integrity check (per-file checksum). Large files (>50 GB) can take several minutes to verify even after the data has moved. If it’s stuck for more than 10× the transfer time, cancel and re-run the single file — usually picks up cleanly the second time.
The agent’s local server didn’t start. Quit Transfer Agent fully (right-click the menu-bar icon → Quit), then relaunch from /Applications. macOS occasionally clamps down on its local port after sleep — relaunching frees it.
Avoid +, &, #, and emoji in filenames. They tend to get mangled across different OS and network layers. Use underscores or hyphens. CloudStudio renames problematic characters on its side, but locally you’ll see mismatched names.

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What’s next