Is there any reliable, repeatable way to find a folder on MacOS?

Question

I have a folder full of Logic projects on my local drive. Finder offers no way to get to it. It's a constant frustration. I can get to iCloud, Downloads, Applications -- but not my own files on my own disk drive.

I understand that Apple has strict usability standards, and I respect that, but is there any way to work around them and conveniently access my own files only own computer, other than a keyboard shortcut that I'll forget and have to Google every time? (It doesn't work anyway -- the first time I tried, there was no folder named "Logic" in whatever unknowable scope it's searching in; the second time I told it to open "Logic", it opened Downloads. I can take a joke as well as the next guy, but sometimes I just want to get to my files).

Is it possible to create a link to a folder on the desktop, or something functionally similar? Something I can easily find when I want it, and click on it?

To clarify: I'm coming at this from a Windows/UNIX based expectation that all the folders are in a unified tree that's rooted somewhere, and you use one application (bash, DOS prompt, Windows Explorer, whatever) to navigate that whole tree: Some branches of the tree are on the local disk and "real", others are "virtual", but they all have a chain of parents starting at the same root.

But I'm starting to think I may need to learn a different way of thinking about this stuff in order to use MacOS.

The actual problem I have here is: I shared three Logic projects via iCloud with a pianist. We recorded many takes of his parts at his apartment. Then I needed to copy the projects from iCloud back to my local disk. "Open three projects in Logic and Save As for each one" is a very slow and awkward way to copy three files from one folder to another (or archive, or whatever a "single file" Logic project actually is).

Answer 1

1. https://support.apple.com/kb/PH13433?locale=en_US explains better about file save location for the app. If you're doubtful, open Logic, try to Save a new project and remember the location.

2. Replying to your: "whatever unknowable scope it's searching in", there are two places where it is written that "This Mac" is being searched. So see there to find the scope.

3. You can add the folder Logic(if and when you find it) to the sidebar by dragging the folder to the Favourites.

4. You can go to Finder Preferences and set the folder under General -> "New Finder window shows" as your folder Logic. But you'd have to open a new window for that, so remember that shortcut as per File Menu in Finder.

Answer 2

Is it possible to create a link to a folder on the desktop, or something functionally similar? Something I can easily find when I want it, and click on it?

Yes. There are a couple of options.

1. Desktop Folder: Find any folder that you'd like to have directly accessible on the Desktop. Right-click the folder icon to open the pop-up menu. Pick Make Alias. Drag the Alias to the Desktop. (You can also rename the Alias if you want).

2. Sidebar Folder: Open a Finder window. Make sure you have the sidebar displayed (if not, navigate to View->Show Sidebar). Locate the folder you want to have directly accessible. Drag the folder to the Favorites section of the Sidebar. (To remove an item from the Favorites list you can just drag it off the Finder window and release.)

Answer 3

By default, Logic saves projects to <user>/Music/Logic. (where <user> is the name of your user domain.)

In the Finder, you can navigate to that folder by:

1. open a new window (Command N). If that doesn't show your User Home, type Command Shift H (or Go > Home from the menubar).
2. You should then see the Music folder, which you can select, and then click on the Logic subfolder.

You should also be able to search for logic files with Spotlight. Click on the Magnifying Glass icon in the top right of the menubar (or use Command Space), and type in the name of one your files. Or try typing kind:logic to get your most recent files. Click on "Show All in Finder".

Using the Search field in a Finder window is exactly the same as using Spotlight, except that it may limit the scope to the current folder, or the entire computer, either of which may not be useful. So make sure you're at your Home folder first.

The Finder should not really be any different from Windows Explorer or any other Unix/Linux file navigator. You may prefer to use Column View or List View, which will show the hierarchy more clearly. You can also click on the filepath in the titlebar to reveal a drop-down list of the filepath.

In Finder Preferences, you can set what location appears for a new window. This can be your Home folder, or the root of the boot volume ('Macintosh HD'), or the device itself ('Ed's MacBook Pro'), under which, the drives and network folders will sit.

Apple's guide to using the Finder is here.

Logic should also be able to open the most recent projects directly by name from the Open Recent menu item.