Clear Cache Command
CivilGEO software stores temporary data files to improve performance when displaying base maps, elevation terrain grids, and LIDAR point clouds on the Map View. Over time, as the user loads different base maps, processes multiple elevation grids, or imports large LIDAR datasets, the cache may become full or contain outdated or corrupted data. When this happens, the affected data may appear distorted, malformed, or fail to render correctly on the Map View.
The Clear Cache command allows the user to clear previously stored cache files for loaded base maps, pyramided elevation DEMs, and LIDAR point clouds.
Cache Data Categories
The Clear Cache dialog box allows the user to select which category of cache data to clear. The three available categories are described below.
| Cache Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Base Maps | Stores previously downloaded tile data from online base map services, such as aerial imagery, topographic maps, and street maps. These tiles are cached locally to avoid re-downloading the same data each time the Map View is refreshed. Clearing this cache forces the software to re-download the required tiles from the base map provider the next time the base map is displayed. |
| Pyramided Elevation DEMs | Stores preprocessed raster pyramid files for terrain surface (DEM) layers added to the project. Pyramid files improve the display performance of large elevation grids by generating lower-resolution versions of the data for use at smaller map scales. Clearing this cache removes the pyramid files; they will be regenerated automatically the next time the elevation grid is loaded. |
| LIDAR Point Clouds | Stores preprocessed spatial index and level-of-detail files for LIDAR point cloud datasets. These files allow large point cloud datasets to be displayed efficiently at varying zoom levels. Clearing this cache removes the index files; they will be rebuilt automatically the next time LIDAR data are loaded into the project. |
Follow the steps below to use the Clear Cache command.
- From the File ribbon menu, click the [Clear Cache] button under the Save Options section of the Options backstage page, as shown below.
To learn more about the Options backstage page, refer to this article in our knowledge base. - The Clear Cache dialog box will be displayed. Select the checkbox option(s) for the category of cache data to be cleared and then click the [Clear] button.
- The software will close the dialog box, return the user to the Map View, and clear the cache memory for the selected option(s). In addition, a status bar message will be displayed at the bottom of the Map View confirming that the cache has been cleared, as shown below.
Freeing Up Disk Space
Cache files are stored on the local computer and can consume a meaningful amount of disk space over time, particularly for projects that use multiple base map providers, large terrain surfaces, or dense LIDAR datasets. Using the Clear Cache command frees up the disk space used by the temporary cache files, which can be useful on computers with limited available storage.