Cloud sync (Pro)
Cloud sync is a Pro feature. With a Pro subscription, your packs save to the cloud automatically and re-hydrate on any device you sign in to. Free-tier users keep everything in local storage on the browser they’re using.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”When you’re signed in with a Pro subscription, Hexcalibur runs a sync engine in the background that:
- Watches the local pack store for changes
- Uploads changed packs to your account
- Pulls down packs that exist on your account but aren’t local
- Reconciles deletes - a delete on one device propagates to others on the next sync cycle
The sync engine is debounced - strokes don’t trigger an immediate upload; small bursts of edits coalesce. The save-status pill in the bottom-right of the editor shows the current state (“Saved”, “Saving…”, “Saved to cloud”, etc.).
What’s stored in the cloud
Section titled “What’s stored in the cloud”- Pack records - name, kind, target engine, default canvas size, asset metadata
- Asset records - name, type, slug, canvas width and height, layer stack, blend modes, and tilemaps’ tile arrangements
- Layer pixel buffers
- Pack-level palettes
- User palette library - palettes you’ve saved for reuse
- Cover thumbnails
The reference images attached for tracing are not synced - they live in local storage only and need re-attaching per device.
What’s stored locally
Section titled “What’s stored locally”- Editor preferences (grid color, preview position, auto-rotate speed, section collapse states, etc.)
- The list of recent palettes
- The reference image attached to each asset on this device
- The “welcome dialog seen” / “tour completed” / “starter pack created” sentinels
These are per-device intentionally - they’re UI customizations, not work product.
Signing in on a fresh device
Section titled “Signing in on a fresh device”The first time you sign in on a new browser, Hexcalibur:
- Creates the local “My First Pack” starter (briefly visible)
- Pulls your cloud packs in the background - they appear in the pack browser within seconds
- The starter remains alongside your cloud packs; delete it if you don’t need it
Pro users with a populated cloud account can safely delete “My First Pack” - the deletion syncs back and won’t resurrect.
Signing out
Section titled “Signing out”Signing out clears the local pack store on the device. Cloud data is untouched and re-hydrates the next time you sign in.
If you sign out, paint locally as a free user, then sign back in with a different account, the local edits are dropped - they weren’t tied to either account.
What happens if a Pro subscription lapses
Section titled “What happens if a Pro subscription lapses”Cloud-synced packs stay readable. New cloud writes stop, so any edits you make from then on stay local-only on the current device. Local autosave keeps working.
When you re-subscribe, cloud sync resumes from where it left off.
Conflict handling
Section titled “Conflict handling”Hexcalibur uses last-write-wins for conflict resolution. Editing the same asset on two devices at the same time can lose work, so the safe pattern is to work on one device at a time. The typical “finish on the desktop, pick up on the laptop” flow is unaffected.