resolved Can you stop cache clearing on exit?

[Alan R]

I think my Videopad is clearing cache files on exit, partly because the disc gets very busy when I exit VP and exit takes many many seconds, partly I can Properties the cache folder and its less full than it was, and partly because reloading VP and the current project takes many minutes of activity before editing can be resumed.

Found the Clear cache manually button, but cannot find any boxes to stop cache clearing on exit.

Thoughts???

 

[borate]

Clearing on exit used to be an option, but no longer.  Manually, it can be done via OPTIONS menu | DISK tab.

It's wise to clear it prior to starting a new project.  Use the latest version, if possible.  For licensed users upgrades are free for up to six months from purchase date.  After that, VP will continue to fully function but a fee will be required in order to register the newest.  Retain your old install file and registration info.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

Cache doesn't normally clear when you exit VP.  Old versions used to allow you that option.

You can easily check out what is happening. Just move the cache file to the desktop where you can easily find it (under Options/disk) and then physically open it and examine the contents after exiting VP. If there are files there the program is not deleting them.

It's a good idea however,  NOT TO CLEAR ANY CACHE FILES until you have finished all work on a project. If you do and then later return to the project to continue work by clicking your saved vpj file, the program has to waste time refilling the cache. With a big project this can take some time. If the cache still retains the clips it loads from the vpj file much much faster.

It's OK to clear the cache when you start a NEW project (having finished the first) as too many files can also slow things down. Obviously if you are working on several projects intermittently don't empty the cache at all.

Nat

[Alan R]

So is it possible to set DO NOT CLEAR?  I am being inconvenienced again by this mandatory action and its taking me several minutes to exit VP as a result.

[borate]

Cache should not clear at exit, unless you manually initiate same.  Update to the latest.  For licensed users upgrades are free for up to six months from purchase date.  After that, VP will continue to fully function but a fee will be required in order to register the newest.  Retain your old install file and registration info.

If you are using an older version there may be an option to Clear Cache on Exit, under OPTIONS | DISK tab.

[Alan R]

Updated to 10.43, and immediate test show no attempt to clear cache.

Just about to start a new project, and I see cache has 834MB saved so I will do a manual clear before I start anew.

Interesting question - What exactly happens when you click "Clear Unused Cache Files"

1)  when you load VP bare (ie no project) with the intention of starting a new project - it clears all cache files?

2)  when you load VP as result of double click an existing project file - it clears all cache files it determines are not part of the existing project?

3)  when you have saved your project and then click "Clear Unused....." does the same as 2) above?

I understand all about NOT clearing on exit, because it saves time when you next load project which is why I was concerned about the message and the annoying delay shutting down VP.

But how does my above assumptions fare re the use of the "Clear unused ..." and what it does.

Thanks for your help

 

[borate]

1)  No, the latest VP versions should not automatically clear the cache, but it is good practice to manually clear it prior to starting a new project.

2)  No cache files are excised automatically, AFAIK.

3)  While a project is active, Clear Unused Cache Files should purge the bulk of those that are not in use.

Not seeing any delay in shutting down here, even after working with a sizable project.  If not using it already, test the 64-bit version linked above.

 

[Alan R]

Thanks - the file I received when clicking your link above was videopadsetup64.exe which I assume was the 64 bit version.  It is now installed and shows as 10.43 so will watch and see.

So in conclusion cache files should only disappear when the clear button is clicked - and when no project is loaded, the whole lot are cleared - and if a project is loaded only those files not part of the project are cleared???

Thanks for your help - I will be back should auto cache clear is displayed along with a long delay before shutting down.

Alan.

[borate]

That pretty much sums up how it looks to me.  An 'auto-clear' prompt has not been seen here.

The large test project, which took about five-minutes to fully cache, shut down immediately when VP was closed.

[absoluteDann]

Thanks for the responses.  I'm glad to learn about these options.

[Alan R]

Just as an update, I am still occasionally getting the "Clearing cache" message, and sometimes it will rumble on for over a minutes if left to proceed.

BUT - I am not aware whether anything is actually deleted because I have not checked before and after the "clearing"

Startup (resuming an existing project) seems acceptably rapid.

and I can always cancel the exercise should I want to get on, and it seems to have little bad effect.

and I can always delete the folder structure for the wipe out without any perceived ill effect.

yet sometimes, exit is rapid, so I'm really not quite sure why this is occasionally an irritation, yet as you see above there are many ways to live with this.

 

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

Using VP 10.43 32 bit there is no automatic clearing of the cache on exit (Using the X). It's easy to manually clear the cache as with any Windows folder with no problem as the VP sound cache folder is regenerated with the next new project. The usual way is of course by using Options/Disc. 

However, What I have noticed is that if you close down leaving an autosaved project VP will remind you that there is an autosaved project and ask if you want to reload the Autosave/Reload the vpj/Cancel. At this point the routine cache is untouched. If you opt to reload the vpj file that you saved VP will clear the autosaved cache  which (I think) is in Appdata/Roaming and that is what you see being deleted. The routine cache will remain untouched and will be used to reconstruct the project as normal.

Nat

[Alan R]

1 minute ago, Nationalsolo said:

Hi

Using VP 10.43 32 bit there is no automatic clearing of the cache on exit (Using the X). It's easy to manually clear the cache as with any Windows folder with no problem as the VP sound cache folder is regenerated with the next new project. The usual way is of course by using Options/Disc. 

Nat

Interesting - I am using VP 10.43 64 bit

I just loaded VP to see version etc, then exited ( previously noted cache was 48.3 GB) and it sat there "clearing unused cache" for 52 seconds.  Cache was then 47.7 GB so it clearly spent a very long time achieving very little.  Cancel button works a treat when this happens.

Alan

[borate]

That's an overly large cache.  While working on the project, Clear Unused Cache Files. .

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

"...However, What I have noticed is that if you close down leaving an autosaved project VP will remind you that there is an autosaved project and ask if you want to reload the Autosave/Reload the vpj/Cancel. At this point the routine cache is untouched. If you opt to reload the vpj file that you saved VP will clear the autosaved cache  which (I think) is in Appdata/Roaming and that is what you see being deleted. The routine cache will remain untouched and will be used to reconstruct the project as normal....."

It was only whilst playing with the subject of this post that I managed to get that message to come up re: Emptying the cache when loading VP via the vpj file. Under normal circumstances the autosaved project is only left in AppData  when the program crashes or the PC is switched off inadvertently. Just loaded a 40 min project to check again. Can't remember now what steps I did but if you close down windows via the START button without closing VP (leaving the project open) and restart Windows, the autosave is till present. Opening the project from the vpj file brings up the choices......

...but opening the vpj  hasn't shown the deleting  cache message again...although the autosave is deleted. It might be related to the actual size of the cache or the number of files.....Yours was rather large as Borate noted. ?Lots of files?

Nat

[Alan R]

10 hours ago, Nationalsolo said:

It might be related to the actual size of the cache or the number of files.....Yours was rather large as Borate noted. ?Lots of files?

Don't know - it is what it is, so I thought lets get a handle on this and manually deleted the whole VideoPadCache folder structure all 47 MB of it.

D/click vpj file of present project and after re-caching from scratch, I now got VideoPadCache down to 973 MB.

This looks better and I can confidently say this is all down to the present project.

So what was VP doing when it was supposedly "clearing unused cache files"?  I cleared everything, and recreated cache representing only the current project, thus I had clear all unwanteds!

Don't quite understand, however will now watch (as and when I remember) and watch to see if it ever begins to grow again.

Will certainly report back should this "clearing unusued  cache files" ever re-appears.

Could unexpected "clearing unused" have been erroneously trigger by huge pile up of rubbish files?

Thanks for your ongoing help

Alan.

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

I still think this may have been connected to VP deleting the autosaved cache files when both were present.(i.e. when the above message appeared ) and the vpj was chosen for loading. I've not seen the deleting message again when I tested the idea with a single 40 min project clip so it may also be related to having a large autosaved cache with multiple clips.

Under normal use the cache will continue to grow with successive projects if it is never cleared under the Options/Disc/Clear Unused cache Files.  It's probably prudent that it is cleared before  a new project is started and left to fill as that project is worked on, and then cleared again once that project has been exported. The routine Saves, or Save As  will then load back faster from the vpj files. Here, I have the cache set up on my desktop and so it is quick to find, open and check/manually delete the contents.

Nat

[Alan R]

Thanks Nat - my cache is also accessible - I think I buy into your idea about clearing at the end of a project, heaven knows how I managed to accumulate 48 GB !!!

One curiosity remains - I get to the end of a project - save for the final time - at what point do I Options/Disc/Clear Unused cache Files ? 

Menu/File/New project ??  so that VP will assume all of cache is unused?

 

Thanks

Alan

[Nationalsolo]

Hi

From a practical point of view and without any project in the works, i.e all previous work completed and exported, open VP and initiate Options/Disc/Clear unused cache files. 

This action will delete everything in the cache leaving it empty for any future project. (The VideoPadSoundCache folder however will remain but will also have been emptied. 

When you start a new project and load clips/images etc to VP the cache will fill with copies of these. As you work it's a good idea to Save Project AS regularly. It's also useful to have a dedicated named folder for these saves. Each time you Save As use a descriptive or numbered name. You could do this after every editing session, but in certain circumstances do it after an important editing step. These saves will be .vpj files containing data which will enable VP to reconstruct your project. These data will also include the names of the used clips and their location on the computer as well as info relating to any texts you have added and any editing steps you have made; in effect a snapshot of your project at that point in time. Although you may produce numbers of vpj files in the course of a project in this way, each will enable you to "go back" as it were to a previous configuration/editing point of the project. If you elect to save your work with Save Project (no As) subsequent saves will overwrite the previous save and consequently you will only be able to step back to one previous configuration.

So why the need for a cache?

The cache contains copies and TNs of the loaded clips and so when the vpj file is loaded, VP can get the necessary files from the cache instead of having to search the computer for them. It is much faster, As the vpj file contains info relating to the location of the clips, texts  as well as all the editing steps  it can, on its own reconstruct your project even with an empty cache. But it will take longer..appreciably longer with a big project as it will also have to rebuild the cache.

At any point with a project open on the timeline and you Clear unused files. Things are tidied up. Clips actually in use are kept and anything from a previous project (or projects) is deleted. So, If you are working on several projects simultaneously and for example staggering working sessions don't clear the cache until everything is completed and exported.

Remember that whilst a cache can speed up loading, a huge cache full of redundant files can slow things down.

Nat

 

[Alan R]

Nat - that's brilliant sound advice that makes very good sense.

Nice to read my assumptions on what clears what and when are on target, I seem to be learning well with your guidance, and that's very much appreciated.

Thank you

Alan.