Getting Started

Sync2Shoot is a real estate photography workflow app for macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android. This guide walks you through installation, license activation, and connecting your Google account so you can get to work right away.

System Requirements

Sync2Shoot runs on all major platforms. Here's what you need before you install.

macOS

• macOS 13.0 Ventura or later
• Apple Silicon or Intel processor
• 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended for large media libraries)
• 200 MB of available storage for the app
• Internet connection for Google Calendar sync and licensing

Windows

• Windows 10 version 1903 or later (64-bit only)
• Windows 11 fully supported
• 4 GB RAM minimum
• Microsoft WebView2 Runtime (automatically installed if missing)

iOS

• iOS 16.0 or later
• iPhone 8 or later recommended
• iPad (6th generation) or later
• Apple TestFlight app installed from the App Store

Android

• Android 9.0 (Pie) or later
• 2 GB RAM minimum
• "Install from Unknown Sources" enabled in device settings

Installation

Download the installer for your platform from the Download page, then follow the steps below.

macOS

1. Open the downloaded .dmg file.
2. Drag Sync2Shoot into your Applications folder.
3. Open Sync2Shoot from Applications. If macOS shows a security warning, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway."
4. The app is signed and notarized by Apple — the warning is a one-time prompt.

Windows

1. Run the downloaded Sync2Shoot_Setup.exe installer.
2. Follow the setup wizard to choose an install location.
3. If Windows Defender shows a SmartScreen warning, click "More info" and then "Run anyway."
4. Sync2Shoot will launch automatically after installation.

iOS (TestFlight)

1. Install the TestFlight app from the App Store if you haven't already.
2. Tap the TestFlight invitation link from the Download page.
3. Tap "Accept" and then "Install" in TestFlight.
4. Sync2Shoot will appear on your home screen once installed.

Android (APK)

1. On your Android device, go to Settings → Security (or Apps) and enable "Install from Unknown Sources" or "Install Unknown Apps."
2. Download the .apk file from the Download page.
3. Open the APK file from your downloads. Tap "Install" when prompted.
4. Sync2Shoot will appear in your app drawer after installation.

License Activation

Sync2Shoot uses a license key system. Every device requires a valid active key to access all features.

Activating a License

1. Launch Sync2Shoot. The Activation screen appears on first run.
2. Enter your license key in the input field.
3. Tap or click Activate.
4. Sync2Shoot verifies the key online. Once confirmed, your license is saved locally and works in offline mode going forward.

Deactivating a License

To move your license to a new device, first deactivate it on the current device:

1. Open the Settings tab.
2. Scroll to the License section.
3. Tap Deactivate and confirm.
4. Your key is freed and can be activated on a new device.

Connecting Your Google Account

The Calendar tab requires a Google account to load your real estate shoots from Google Calendar.

Signing In

1. Open the Settings tab.
2. Tap Sign in with Google.
3. A browser window opens. Choose your Google account and authorize the requested permissions (Calendar read access is required; Drive access is optional).
4. Return to Sync2Shoot. The Calendar tab now loads your current week automatically.

Signing Out

Go to Settings → Account and tap Sign Out. Your local event cache is cleared. The app continues to work in offline mode with previously loaded data until next launch.

Calendar Tab

The Calendar tab is your week-at-a-glance view for all your real estate shoots. It syncs directly from Google Calendar and surfaces everything you need for each job.

Week View

The main list shows every shoot event for the current week, sorted by time. Swipe left or right (mobile) or use the arrow buttons (desktop) to move between weeks. Tap Today to jump back to the current week.

Events are color-coded by status:

Viewing Event Details

Tap any shoot in the list to expand the detail panel. This panel surfaces all the information you need before arriving on site.

What's in the detail panel

• Client name, company, and phone number (with one-tap copy)
• Property address and square footage
• Ordered services list with pricing
• Appointment instructions from the agent
• Location Safety Matrix indicator
• Photographer Notes button
• Open in Maps button for directions

Client Company History

Tap the client's company name to see a history of past shoots with that company, including total jobs and any recurring notes.

Searching Events

Use the search bar at the top of the Calendar tab to filter by address, client name, or service type. Search results persist after you close an expanded event, so you can browse results without losing your query.

Photographer Notes

Record post-shoot details directly on any calendar event. Notes are saved locally and associated with the event ID.

Using Notes

1. Expand an event in the Calendar tab.
2. Tap Do Notes to open the Photographer Notes form.
3. Fill in the fields: images shot, aerials, video clips, total RAW count, rooms, and any processing instructions.
4. Tap Save to store the notes.

Auto Fill

Tap Auto Fill to populate fields automatically based on the event's service tags and your configured defaults. Auto Fill will not overwrite fields you've already filled in. For reshoot events, it also detects the reshoot and adjusts the expected image counts accordingly.

Editing Notes

Tap Edit Notes on any saved event to revise previously recorded data. Processing notes can also be saved directly from the Files tab without reopening Calendar.

Price Sheet

An offline-capable price reference is built directly into the Calendar tab. No internet required to look up your service rates mid-shoot.

The price sheet is organized by category and displays all your configured services with their prices. To view it, expand any event and look for the price sheet toggle, or access it directly from the calendar header menu.

Location Safety Matrix

Each event displays a color-coded dot indicator that gives you a neighborhood safety context before you drive out.

Tap the safety indicator on any event to see a description of the rating and the data source. The matrix is informational — use your own judgment when visiting any location.

Keyboard Shortcuts

On macOS and Windows, the Calendar tab supports keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation.

Navigation

• ← Previous week
• → Next week
• T Jump to today

Events

• ↑ / ↓ Select previous / next event
• Space Expand or collapse the selected event
• N Open Photographer Notes for selected event
• Esc Close expanded event

The full list of shortcuts is also available inside the app under Calendar → Shortcuts.

Files Tab

The Files tab is your media management center. Import your SD card, auto-stack brackets, sort files by service category, and generate your delivery folder structure — all without leaving Sync2Shoot.

Folder Generator

Before sorting, create the delivery folder structure for a shoot. The Folder Generator builds your folders based on the services ordered for the selected event.

Creating Folders

1. Open the Files tab and tap Create.
2. Select a target location on your drive (or leave the default output path configured in Settings).
3. Choose the calendar event to generate folders for, or enter a custom name.
4. Tap Generate. Sync2Shoot creates the full folder tree, including subfolders for each ordered service.

Importing Media

Connect your SD card or camera and pull files directly into Sync2Shoot's Unsorted table.

Starting an Import

1. Insert your SD card or connect your camera via USB.
2. In the Files tab, tap Import Media.
3. Select your source drive from the list.
4. Optionally link the import to a calendar event using the Calendar integration in the Import window — this pre-fills the expected image count.
5. Tap Start. Files are copied into the Unsorted table.

SD Card Management

Sync2Shoot has built-in SD card file management. You can browse, move, and delete files on the card directly from the Import window without needing Finder or File Explorer.

Auto-Stacking

The auto-stacking engine analyzes your RAW files by exposure value to identify HDR bracket groups and stack them automatically.

How It Works

After importing, Sync2Shoot reads the shutter speed metadata of each RAW file and groups files into bracket sets based on your configured bracket size and shutter speed spread. Each stack is then treated as a single logical item during the sort step.

Bracket Detection

• Bracket size (3-shot, 5-shot, 7-shot) is configured in Settings → Files → Bracket Size.
• The engine handles edge cases including mismatched bracket counts and non-standard shutter speed increments.
• You can manually adjust stacks from the Unsorted table before sorting if auto-detection is off on any group.

Sorting Media

Once your media is imported and stacked, sort it into your delivery folders with one tap.

Sort Flow

1. Confirm all items in the Unsorted table look correct.
2. Select the target delivery folder (the one created by the Folder Generator for this shoot).
3. Tap Save & Sort.
4. Sync2Shoot runs a series of safety checks before moving files.
5. Files are moved into the appropriate category subfolders.

Safety Checks

Sync2Shoot runs two safety checks before allowing a sort:

• Photographer Notes check: If Notes are incomplete, the app warns you before proceeding.
• Image Count check: If the count doesn't match the expected count for the shoot, the app flags the discrepancy. You can override and continue or return to the Unsorted table to investigate.
• Already sorted check: Sync2Shoot prevents you from sorting to a folder that already contains media, avoiding accidental duplicates.

Previewer & Drawing Mode

The built-in image and video previewer lets you review media before delivery. Drawing Mode lets you annotate images directly.

Using the Previewer

Tap any image or video in the Unsorted or Sorted table to open the previewer. Use pinch-to-zoom (mobile) or scroll wheel (desktop) to zoom in. Swipe to navigate between items. The counter at the top shows your position in the current category.

Drawing Mode

1. Open an image in the previewer.
2. Tap the Draw button to enter Drawing Mode.
3. Use your finger (mobile) or mouse (desktop) to draw annotations directly on the image.
4. Tap Save to save the annotation as a separate file, or Discard to exit without saving.

Upload Tab

The Upload tab lets you transfer files to and from a remote server (SFTP) directly within Sync2Shoot — no third-party FTP client needed.

Connecting to a Server

Configure your remote server credentials once in Settings, then connect from the Upload tab at any time.

Setting Up a Server

1. Go to Settings → Upload → Server Configuration.
2. Enter your server's hostname or IP address, port (default: 22 for SFTP), username, and password or SSH key.
3. Tap Test Connection to verify the credentials.
4. Tap Save.

Connecting

In the Upload tab, tap Connect. Sync2Shoot establishes the SFTP connection and displays the remote directory tree. The left panel shows your local files; the right panel shows the remote server.

Uploading & Downloading

Transfer files in either direction between your local machine and the remote server.

Uploading Files

1. Connect to your server in the Upload tab.
2. In the local panel, select one or more files or folders.
3. Navigate to the target remote directory.
4. Tap Upload. A progress bar appears in the Upload tab header and remains visible even if you switch to another tab.

Downloading Files

Select files in the remote panel, choose a local destination, and tap Download. Download progress is tracked the same way as uploads.

Error Recovery

If a transfer fails (dropped connection, server timeout), Sync2Shoot automatically retries until the transfer completes or you manually cancel it. Failed transfers are logged with an orange indicator in the transfer log.

Cut & Move

You can select multiple files and use Cut / Paste to move them between remote directories, or use the Sort By option to organize files before transferring.

Speed Controls

Limit upload and download speed so large transfers don't saturate your connection during a shoot day.

Go to Settings → Upload → Speed Limiter. Choose from preset limits or enter a custom maximum (in MB/s). The speed limit applies to all active transfers and can be changed while a transfer is in progress.

Managing Availability

The Availability tab lets you mark your open shooting days for the current week so agents and coordinators can see when you're free — without back-and-forth emails.

Setting Availability

1. Open the Availability tab.
2. The week view shows each day of the current week.
3. Tap a day to toggle your availability (available / unavailable / hold).
4. Tap Save to push the update.

Only the current week is editable. The tab automatically resets to the new week on Monday morning. Tap Today to re-center on the current week if you've navigated away.

Setting Up Notifications

Sync2Shoot's Notify Engine delivers real-time push notifications to your devices when anything changes on your shoot schedule.

Enabling Notifications

1. When you first sign in, Sync2Shoot requests notification permission. Tap Allow.
2. On desktop (macOS / Windows), notifications appear as system notifications in the notification center.
3. On mobile (iOS / Android), they appear as standard push notifications on the lock screen and banner.

If you denied permission initially, re-enable it in your device's system settings under Sync2Shoot → Notifications.

Notification Types

The Notify Engine monitors your calendar and sends targeted alerts based on what changes.

Shoot Confirmed

Sent when a calendar event moves from Hold to Confirmed status. The notification includes the property address and appointment time.

Shoot Removed

Sent when a confirmed or held shoot is deleted or cancelled from the calendar. Desktop notifications for shoot removals only fire on the day of the shoot to reduce noise.

Service Detail Notifications

Notify Engine watches for specific service tags (Floor Plan, Matterport, etc.) and sends a dedicated notification when those deliverables are marked ready. Each service type fires its notification at most once per event to prevent duplicates.

Offline Mode

Sync2Shoot continues to work without an internet connection. Offline Mode is available on all platforms.

What Works Offline

• Calendar tab — reads from the locally cached week
• Files tab — full file sorting and folder generation
• Upload tab — local file browsing (transfers require a server connection)
• Availability tab — view only (saving requires connectivity)
• Price Sheet — fully offline
• Photographer Notes — saved locally and synced when back online

Reconnecting

When connectivity is restored, Sync2Shoot automatically re-authenticates and refreshes the calendar in the background. You won't be kicked to the Activation screen as long as your license was previously verified.

Settings

Settings are organized into collapsible sections. Use the search bar at the top of Settings to find any option quickly.

Settings Sections

• Account — Google sign in / sign out, user info
• License — Activate or deactivate your license key
• General — Launch at login, auto-scroll behavior
• Calendar — Auto Fill defaults, processing instruction template
• Files — Bracket size, sort categories, expected image counts
• Folder Generator — Output path, naming conventions, subfolder depth
• Upload — Server credentials, speed limiter presets
• Notifications — Toggle individual notification types
• Change Log History — Browse all past release notes
• Updates — Check for app updates

License Management

Your license key is managed from Settings → License.

Viewing Your License

The License section shows your key, its activation status, expiry date (if applicable), and which device it is activated on.

Deactivating

Tap Deactivate to release the license from the current device. You'll be returned to the Activation screen. The key can then be activated on a different device.

App Updates

Sync2Shoot checks for updates automatically on launch. You can also manually trigger a check from Settings.

Automatic Updates (Desktop)

On macOS and Windows, when a new version is available, Sync2Shoot notifies you with an in-app banner. Tap Update Now to download and install. The app restarts automatically after the update.

Manual Update Check

1. Go to Settings → Updates.
2. Tap Check for Updates.
3. If an update is available, follow the on-screen prompts to install it.

iOS & Android

Mobile updates are distributed through TestFlight (iOS) and the APK download (Android). TestFlight notifies you automatically when a new build is available. For Android, download the latest APK from the Download page and install it over the existing app — your settings and license are preserved.