Da Vinci Resolve fills my hard drive

Hi. I'm new to this forum.

I'm using Da Vinci Resolve 14. After I've been using it for a few hours I get unexpected crashes and eventually I get a Windows (10) notification that I'm low on disk space. It appears that the C:\Users\<my username>\Videos\CacheClip directory has >100GB of files on it and there are only a few GB left on my hard drive. Resolve stops crashing when I delete this.

I understand that Resolve is supposed to manage cache space to prevent this from happening, but it doesn't appear to be doing this.

Is there a solution for this out there?

You're probably caching uncompressed video. Try changing it to DNxHR.

[Peter Chamberlain]

You can start by deleting the cache already made from the menu bar selection within each project.

[Dwaine Maggart]

You may not have a choice, but it's generally not a good idea to have cache and stills pointed to the system drive.

Unless it is SSD AND huge

[Dwaine Maggart]

If it's an SSD, it won't be huge enough...

[Peter Chamberlain]

A good plan is a SSD system drive, then multiple separate SSDs for cache, etc.

I've changed playback to compressed video and it's made a huge difference - my CacheClip folder has less than 1.5GB now. A few questions:

Which DNxHR is best - HQX, HQ, SQ or LB?
Is there a performance hit from compressed video - it's difficult to tell here?
If I get a separate SSD, how big will it need to be?

Thanks for all the answers. This forum is very impressive!

(FYI - extremely impressed with how far Resolve has come since v10 - )

Does this mean that a laptop based untethered workflow (editing around on a sofa or a cafe) is only recommended for light/small projects and/or proxy based workflow? Reason why ask is my XPS 15 as well as most modern laptops like macbooks etc, come with a single drive. I havent had any problems so far with single drive and small projects.

I do go the proxy workflow route, as in v14 the optimized media doesn't include audio - you still need to plug in the source media drive for audio. Making proxies yourself obviously includes the audio.

Which DNxHR is best - HQX, HQ, SQ or LB?

Depends what you mean by best. HQX looks best, LB is smallest.

Is there a performance hit from compressed video - it's difficult to tell here?

Technically yes compared to uncompressed video, but DNxHR plays back very easily.

If I get a separate SSD, how big will it need to be?

Big enough to hold your cache files. Obnoxious answer, but that really depends on how big your projects are, how many you work on at once, what format you are caching in, and so on.

By default I don't think the program deletes caches after you completed the project(rendered it and no longer plan on editing it, at least in Davinci Resolve). So you have to manually delete that folder once in awhile, in between projects of course not during the middle of a project. If someone knows a way to have Davinci automatically remove the cache files AFTER you render a project please reply.

Also change the settings. I believe I change 3 things.
The quality of optimized media.
The quality of renders.
And something else, they are all in the same section.

I am guessing the options for each 3 settings is listed from highest to lowest, I just choose something in the middle, works for me. Makes the projects run smooth during editing, cache folder remains small and the quality is still good enough to view details. Remember these settings are just for the editing part, the video will render out to whatever quality you want it to.

...So you have to manually delete that folder once in awhile, in between projects of course not duriing...

Also change the settings. I believe I change 3 things...Remember these settings are just for the editing part, the video will render out to whatever quality you want it to.

I've got 2 related questions for those in the know:

1) What is(are) negative outcomes for deleting the [i]entire cache while in the midst of editing and a huge project, involving nearly 800 moderately compressed clips, besides contending with balancing possibly sluggish playback performance vs. bring forced to use a lower viewer quality setting?

2) In RS 14.3 (or even 15 Beta 3), doing editing without dissolves -- until at the very end of the EDIT phase, whereas you *then* select multiple clips -- is there then, a quick keyboard shortcut or other scheme whereby we can apply (Preferences-specified) fade length(s) Between All
Selected Clips -- say, just before rendering -- all in the interest of reducing the need for cache files generation during editing?[/i]

Thanks in advance...

RS 14.3.0.014 | MiniMonitor | DTV 10.9.7 | Win64 8.1 | ASUS ROG G751JL, Intel i7HQ, 24GB, 1TB HDD, 500GB EVO 850 SSD, GTX965M | Mackie MCU Pro | Softube Console 1 | Shuttle Pro 2

If it's an SSD, it won't be huge enough...

+1 ️

RS 14.3.0.014 | MiniMonitor | DTV 10.9.7 | Win64 8.1 | ASUS ROG G751JL, Intel i7HQ, 24GB, 1TB HDD, 500GB EVO 850 SSD, GTX965M | Mackie MCU Pro | Softube Console 1 | Shuttle Pro 2

People need to be more aware of this.

I've been laughing at this half a year ago when I stumbled into this topic (100GB+ cache on my tiny little SSD)

Now I had to find this specific board again, and have 80GB Davinci cache on my SSD

I always feel super nice when I delete it. Its like buying a new SSD.

...So you have to manually delete that folder once in awhile, in between projects of course not duriing...

Also change the settings. I believe I change 3 things...Remember these settings are just for the editing part, the video will render out to whatever quality you want it to.

I've got 2 related questions for those in the know:

1) What is(are) negative outcomes for deleting the [i]entire cache while in the midst of editing and a huge project, involving nearly 800 moderately compressed clips, besides contending with balancing possibly sluggish playback performance vs. bring forced to use a lower viewer quality setting?

2) In RS 14.3 (or even 15 Beta 3), doing editing without dissolves -- until at the very end of the EDIT phase, whereas you *then* select multiple clips -- is there then, a quick keyboard shortcut or other scheme whereby we can apply (Preferences-specified) fade length(s) Between All
Selected Clips -- say, just before rendering -- all in the interest of reducing the need for cache files generation during editing?[/i]

Thanks in advance...

RS 14.3.0.014 | MiniMonitor | DTV 10.9.7 | Win64 8.1 | ASUS ROG G751JL, Intel i7HQ, 24GB, 1TB HDD, 500GB EVO 850 SSD, GTX965M | Mackie MCU Pro | Softube Console 1 | Shuttle Pro 2

Delete part of cache, categorize by date and delete old, and after you are completely finished with new project delete the rest