how to I access documents in icloud drive from my iPad

For editing, saving documents you need a Pages app for iOS. From there you can open iCloud Drive and choose that file you want to open, and when you edited it, you can also choose where to save it in iCloud Drive.
Same for other apps. There is no direct link to iCloud Drive from iOS, like a special app.

You can use 3rd party apps like Documents 5 by Readdle for direct access to iCloud Drive. It supports a wide variety of formats including PDFs. And its free.

https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/documents-5-fast-pdf-reader/id364901807?mt=8

Unfortunately there is no stand alone App from Apple for it at this time. The view you mention can be accessed from any of the Apple App's like Pages, or Numbers. Though not sure if they'll show you every type of file, or only those they support.

Glad I could help.

The document picker does not show the folders that you have added yourself to icloud drive on your mac. ICloud drive cannot be compared to Dropbox. The only way to access these files on ios is to go to icloud.com in safari, request the desktop version, and voila, there is your stuff. But the interface is clunky, you cannot scroll, so some of your stuff is still inaccessible.

Actually, Documents 5 by Readle can access any custom folders you make in iCloud Drive. Its not made by Apple but its pretty good and free, and you don't need to go through Safari which is very clunky.

It is limited to opening certain types of files though, even if you have an App that can open them installed on your device, it won't let you send them to it. but that is more the way Apple designed the access for 3rd party Apps than Documents. As the same issue can be found on other iCloud Drive accessing apps.

Documents 5 does not show me my own folders in iCloud, only the app specific folders. Other apps that I tried, like Goodreader do the same.

So, to me the problem still exists: on iOS I cannot access some of my iCloud Drive files AT ALL.

When in Documents tap the iCloud icon, and then Tap o the iCloud Drive Text at the top of the screen to bring up the full iCloud Drvie Browsing view. It should show all App and custom folders you have on iCloud Drive.

Even those not visible in OSx's iCloud Drive folder.

dirkr wrote:

Documents 5 does not show me my own folders in iCloud, only the app specific folders. Other apps that I tried, like Goodreader do the same.

So, to me the problem still exists: on iOS I cannot access some of my iCloud Drive files AT ALL.

Sure it can, read Phil0124's post again.

Sorry, I do not think rereading is any good. The fact is: I do not see what I "should" see.

I have checked that both on IOS and Mac I use the same icloud account, both have iCloud Drive enabled. On the Mac I have e.g. a custom folder "History"

On IOS, in Documents 5 by Readdle, after tapping icloud in the sidebar and then the iCloud Drive text, I see this: (in list view, alphabetically arranged):

So, my "History" folder does not show up at the "H" and not at the end.

I thinks there is still a fair bit of iCloud related "should's" that do not materialize in practice.

For example, this same History folder is 1.11 GB in size, and when I added it a few months ago, not all files were synchronized (I checked after a week!).

You never get a positive signal that all files have been uploaded. Thus far, iCloud leaves me with that same shaky iDisk feeling of 2007!

Good luck