Inside Track
Heber Allred zzTakeoffCollecting Input: Cache Size
Many sets of plans are very large files. What cache settings would you like to see in zzTakeoff to control how much storage space it uses to optimize before needing to re-download from the server?
We're thinking for defaults (adjustable by you):
1. Max File Cache Size: 10GB default?
2. Cache Expiration: 6 months default?
The largest PDF we've seen so far was 1.7 GB for a single PDF file (not trying to start a contest here, please don't kill our servers 😂).
We also discovered that some of the larger PDF files are not caching in the browser because they are too big. This is causing speed issues, and is also slowing down PDF point snapping. This is strange that the browser is not caching them, but we can work around this by manually forcing them to cache with the browser cache API, and this will bring a good speed improvement. We just wanted to collect any input you guys may have.
If the user exceeds the max cache size we could delete the oldest files from cache based on date of last access. The files would all still be on our servers, this is all speed optimizations.
Hi Hebber,
While a storage allocation of 10 GB is considered moderate, increasing the capacity to 15 GB would be significantly more advantageous. This additional space would provide greater flexibility and support for future data growth.
Could you please clarify whether the “expiration” policy, which takes effect after six months, impacts the original source files or if it only applies to the cached copies stored for faster access? Understanding this distinction is important for data management and planning.
Additionally, would it be possible to retrieve and review historical data for quotes that are as old as one year?
Accessing older records could be crucial for reference and analysis.
Hi Steve. Thanks for your input. Yes, this expiration is only for cache / speed optimization on the user's local computer. No files would be deleted from our servers from these cache settings. We would allow users to customize these settings, but we want to choose some good defaults.
Noted with thanks.
Loving how fast this thing runs overall, honestly night and day compared to OST. The only hiccup I’ve noticed is when I leave a job and come back the next day, sometimes the drawings take a few seconds to re-render before I see the PDF. It’s not bad, but I end up waiting like “is it loading?” so even a quick loading indicator might help.
Also, could you clarify, is that 10GB cache limit per project, or total across all cached PDFs? Just making sure I understand the scope. Side note I'm starting to use one project for many drawings sets SD/DD/CD, so I might have to re-think my workflow.
It might also help if the app could prioritize reloading the last project opened and keep that cached overnight, since that’s usually where I pick back up the next day.
And yeah, if someone’s uploading 2GB PDFs, they kind of deserve the slow load time and If I were developing this thing, give them a hidden special error message saying they need to go try this in Planswift or OST.