batch processing - clear cache / temporary files after each iteration?

[Artur28778655c2if]

hi, when i do batch processing on large number of files i eventually run of disk space and the operation stops due to scratch fulling. i read that during the operation photoshop makes temporary files and that's why it takes 300gb after a few hours of running. all i need to do is restart the photoshop and the space is available again. but i have to start the process all over reconfigruing to not include processed images which takes time. and i can't leave it overnight because of that. is there a way to make it purge itself after each iteration for the already processed files? thanks 

[D Fosse]

Does the action close the file before processing the next?

Photoshop reuses and recycles all memory (real and virtual/disk) as long as the application is running. Total memory requirement should never exceed that of the one biggest file in the batch.

If it keeps going up, there's something wrong going on.

Can you show a screenshot of the action, with all the steps opened/expanded so we see what it's doing?

[Artur28778655c2if]

I tried to record Close action but if I run with it the batch fails. I'm using override option with saving image as png copy. the images are about 300kb in size 

[Conrad_C]

I’m not sure if this will make a difference, but if this is an action or script you can edit, maybe have it periodically run one or more of the commands on the Edit > Purge submenu? For example have it process 100 images, purge, do the next 100, purge…

The History panel definitely uses scratch disk space, so you might at least want to try inserting Edit > Purge > Histories. But it might be simpler to just use Edit > Purge > All.

In addition, it just occurred to me that you might also try lowering the number of History States that Photoshop retains so that it doesn’t use resources trying to write them and keep them around; you would control that in Photoshop Preferences / Performance tab / History States value.

[Artur28778655c2if]

thank you but after purging everything disk space is still full. only quittung and relaunching photoshop again works 

[D Fosse]

As I said, in itself this is normal. It is reused, not deleted until you quit the application. That's as it should be.

What is not normal, is if the scratch file keeps growing beyond the size needed for the biggest file.

Because it comes up from time to time, I have tested this, closely monitoring the scratch file in real time. It does not grow, except when a file comes up that is bigger than any that was processed before.

It sounds to me like you just have too little disk space to begin with. If you have to work with limited disk space, reduce the history states as Conrad says. That will dramatically reduce the scratch size.

[Artur28778655c2if]

thank you but the limiting history to 5 did not help. i have more than 300gb free on disk before runnig the operation. im trying to find where the photoshop stores the temp files so i can manually delete them.  

[Stephen Marsh]

thank you but after purging everything disk space is still full. only quittung and relaunching photoshop again works 

By @Artur28778655c2if

Those suggestions may help to accelerate the batch, but don't address your other issue.

A helper script could delete files, however, I'm guessing that they are locked while Photoshop is open. Perhaps you can confirm and if you can manually delete them when the app is running there may be a solution.

Depending on the automation steps, another automation app could be used.

[Artur28778655c2if]

thanks thats sounds realistic. ill try to locate the temp files and delete them