Remote Open

Now that you have shared your current project on the network, you can inform your colleagues of the availability of your file on the LAN or WAN so they can remotely open the project file and collaborate with you on it.

How to remotely open a shared Merlin project file

  1. Select "File - Remote Open"
    Alternatively you can Select "File - Open" and when presented with the standard open dialogue, press the "Remote Open…" button

  2. If you are on a LAN, Merlin applications sharing files or running MerlinServer will be displayed on the left side; the *Server* side. Selecting a Merlin on the left side, will display its shared project files.
  3. If you want to remotely open a file that is shared over the Internet (WAN), you need to enter the address of the firewall (usually the router) and the project name in the address field. For example, you need to enter "merlin://XXX.XXX.XXX.XXX/MyFavouriteProject". Of course replace the XXX with the correct IP address of the location you are trying to open the file from.
  4. Select the project file you wish to open then select "Open".
  5. In case of password protected projects, enter the appropriate user name and password to authenticate yourself in the dialogue prompted.
  6. Please note that if "Hide from anonymous users" option is selected in the Project Settings you will not be able to see any projects until you log in first. To do so click on "Connect As…"

Over the LAN (Local Area Network), Merlin uses Bonjour to locate Merlin applications that are publishing their files.

Over the WAN (i.e. Internet), you have to configure your firewall to forward outside connections to the machine that is sharing Merlin files. For convenience, Merlin provides you with a preference where you can enable port forwarding and determine the port number you wish Merlin to listen on. We recommend you use the default value.

Merlin makes every attempt to open this port on your firewall so internet users can access your published Merlin project file over the web. If it doesn't work for you, please consult your router's settings to ensure that uPNP is enabled. For more information on uPNP, please click here. Please consult your router manufacturer for instructions on how to enable uPNP


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