Scratch disk settings?

[fpoole]

Also any thoughts on the Scratch Disk management?? I have the regular C: Drive but use a G:\ = RAID 10 500g (4@250gig) Fire wired drive box and have set the scratch disk to those. (going by the message to keep the scratch disk different from the install PS disk = C:\

Just wondering if there is a simple explanation.. or setting to use for best results... I"ve got it set for the G: driver 100% (max) use - since there's plenty of room etc.

In the PS Browser sometimes my previews don't load all the way, purge cache and refresh sometimes does. it..
Computer is a 6mos old Del 3.4 hyper with 4g of SDRAM or whatever it is.. so not thinking it's an slow computer etc...

thanx.

 

[bp_968]

Are you using PS CS, or PSCS2? I ran into issues like that alot with the old CS browser. The new CS2 bridge is much much better (AFTER you turn off the stupid auto-adjust for RAW images). Another thing that might be going on is the thumbnails cache. In PSCS it will store those on your install drive (probably C) by default. I usually export the cache into the directory with the photos. That way it follows the photos if I move them to another computer or burn them onto a DVD. You can set it to do that as default in PSCS2 not sure about PSCS.

bp

PS, if your question doesn't get handled here try www.dpreview.com Not great for UW info but excellent for general photography information.

Also any thoughts on the Scratch Disk management?? I have the regular C: Drive but use a G:\ = RAID 10 500g (4@250gig) Fire wired drive box and have set the scratch disk to those. (going by the message to keep the scratch disk different from the install PS disk = C:\

Just wondering if there is a simple explanation.. or setting to use for best results... I"ve got it set for the G: driver 100% (max) use - since there's plenty of room etc.

In the PS Browser sometimes my previews don't load all the way, purge cache and refresh sometimes does. it..
Computer is a 6mos old Del 3.4 hyper with 4g of SDRAM or whatever it is.. so not thinking it's an slow computer etc...

thanx.

 

[Chris Bangs]

I have found that using external drives and/or any drives not directly connected to the main ide channal, like firewire and USB tend to cause issues. Best bet is to get/or use an old drive like 10 Gb or more and partition it into 4 partitions and use it for scratch!

Of course having 4 GB or more ram helps a lot too!

the photoshop manual should actuall say that the RAM recomendation is "ALL" of it and "more is better" and "too much is just enough"!

cb

 

[PapaBob]

I have a 160 gb swapable E: drive in addition to my C: drive. Adobe suggests using a different drive as the scratch disk to improve speed, to I set Photoshop to the E:. No problems with speed or error messages.

bp: The auto adustments in the new RAW converter on CS2 actually do a passable job on my landlubber shots and usually gets close to where the finished product should be. I can usually nail it with a minor curves adjustment to add some contrast. UW shots are a different matter. There, like you, I will turn off the pesky auto boxes.

---Bob

 

[fpoole]

Chris-
Doh!!... a small? (like PS would be happy with a small one?? LOL) dedicated HD just for scratch... what a good idea... never thought of that, but will give it a try. The bay is there, just begging for more space...

Bp-
I'm using PSCS (was hoping I wouldn't have to upgrade), exporting the cach??... hmmm..
I'm seeing that option in File Browser >File >export cache, but just pops up "Successful" no option to direct it to anywhere or ???
heheh.. so I clicked on the RAID Drive Home Dir, and clicked on 'Build cache' with subfolders... and now, LOL, it's smoking... burning up something.. one of those "hmmmm... what if I click this and the computer is grinding away for 40 minutes...) anyway,where on PSCS2 are you looking at in exporting the cache?? menu >File or Browser > or Preferences??? and does it give you an option??

Bob-
I'll try that, what you and Chris mentioned with a larger HD... storage getting cheaper, so 80gig might do the trick.. OK, OK, 160 then.. and keep it in the main box...
It's supposed to be a photo dedicated machine, so this might help...

Yup just in time for the Dual Processor -32gig ram - Box's and PSCS2 or 3?? heheh.. how does one just say enough is enough...??? LOL...
when the mfg say so I guess..

Thanx all, that helps, now back to Fry's (computer store). Will wander in more closely at dpreveiw... usually just bop in from time to time, didn't realize they're talking PS that much...

thanx again..

and yes, computer is still grinding away at the build cache-subfolders..

 

[Chris Bangs]

The most important issue is having the cache on a separate physical hard drive from your primary drive. Partitioning a single drive on your machine wont do it as Photoshop and windows will be trying to compete with each other. Your drive will go nuts not to mention make a lot of noise as both applications access the free space at the same time.

in the past PS 6 would only use 256 MB blocks for catch. I would guess this has been changed. another advantage to using a dedicated drive for PS catch is that you can go in and whip it clean in the event of a system freeze which may leave a big temp file behind.

in regard to temp files I use a freeware program called "cleanup". it does a great job of ridding your machine from excess files as well as removing all the crap that builds up when you use the net. BUT it will also whip out the cookies that Scubaboard and many other forums/web sites use to store your login info. below is the link. I actuall like the fact that it removes this.

http://www.stevengould.org/software/cleanup/

cb

 

[fpoole]

I'm on my way to Fry's heheh...
I'm surprised that there isn't a setting for Cookies to remove/keep... as they are helpful... despite the bad publicity etc... it's a pain having to lookup and key in the access codes etc..
Thanx..

 

[Chris Bangs]

one of my anti spyware or firewall programs lets me select what cookies or good, bad or ugly. I will try to see which of them allows such filtering.
I have so many of these things running that I cant even access some sites like the Kodak photo sharing site. oh well , haven't gotten cooties again. I installed all that crud after some pesky virus/spyware hijacked my desktop. that took a week to eradicate!

now, my main image database is not even connected to the web or my network

CB

BTW, look for one of my images in the next Sport diver photo annual. also I may even be in the August issue but not as the artist. I assisted David Doubilet in a project last February and on one dive on the Tokai Maru wreck I was used as a model. got to love that!

Chris

 

[Mike Veitch]

Chris Bangs!!! Where did you come from? haven't see you on here in ages
Mike

 

[bp_968]

I've have not felt the need for a scratch-only disk. I have a main windows disk (200GB) and a 300GB secondary disk. Same setup on the wifes box. I find that I never have issues even with the cache being on the same disk as windows. But that also has something to do with how I use photoshop (rarely do huge multilayer 16/32bit tiff files). I also have 1.5GB of ram (about to add another 1GB). There are stacks of advantages to having two hard drives and dedicating one of them to your windows/programs drive and another to your data/photos drive.

The export cache function exports the thumbnails to "cache" files in the current directory (so that way your thumbnails can follow the photos). That becomes an issue on a network setup really quick. If you dont export them then each workstation will build its own thubnails cache. A complete waste of space and time.

the build cache option will create thumbnails for everything from that folder down. you will still have to export them though (PSCS1 doesn't do it automaticly like CS2 does).

Ben

I'm at work so I cant answer the PSCS2 question, sorry

Chris-
Doh!!... a small? (like PS would be happy with a small one?? LOL) dedicated HD just for scratch... what a good idea... never thought of that, but will give it a try. The bay is there, just begging for more space...

Bp-
I'm using PSCS (was hoping I wouldn't have to upgrade), exporting the cach??... hmmm..
I'm seeing that option in File Browser >File >export cache, but just pops up "Successful" no option to direct it to anywhere or ???
heheh.. so I clicked on the RAID Drive Home Dir, and clicked on 'Build cache' with subfolders... and now, LOL, it's smoking... burning up something.. one of those "hmmmm... what if I click this and the computer is grinding away for 40 minutes...) anyway,where on PSCS2 are you looking at in exporting the cache?? menu >File or Browser > or Preferences??? and does it give you an option??

Bob-
I'll try that, what you and Chris mentioned with a larger HD... storage getting cheaper, so 80gig might do the trick.. OK, OK, 160 then.. and keep it in the main box...
It's supposed to be a photo dedicated machine, so this might help...

Yup just in time for the Dual Processor -32gig ram - Box's and PSCS2 or 3?? heheh.. how does one just say enough is enough...??? LOL...
when the mfg say so I guess..

Thanx all, that helps, now back to Fry's (computer store). Will wander in more closely at dpreveiw... usually just bop in from time to time, didn't realize they're talking PS that much...

thanx again..

and yes, computer is still grinding away at the build cache-subfolders..