There is an important distinction between clearing the cache and purging, as they affect different parts of pCon.planner.
- Clearing the cache removes the temporary performance files that pCon.planner uses to load projects more quickly. The next time you open a project, these files are recreated automatically. You do not lose any drawings or settings; only the initial loading time may be slightly longer. This function can be found under Settings → Save → Cache → Clear Cache.
- Purge affects the contents of a drawing, not the program cache. Depending on where you use the command, it removes unused items from the drawing, such as unused layers or other objects that are no longer referenced. For example, since pCon.planner 8.12, a Clean Up Unused Layers function has been available from the hamburger menu in the Layers panel
In summary:
| Function | Affects | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Clear Cache | Temporary program files | The first project load may be slower while the cache is rebuilt. |
| Purge | The active drawing |
Removes unused data from the drawing, helping reduce file size and improve project organization. |
In practice, you would use Clear Cache if pCon.planner becomes slow, displays graphical issues, or if the cache has grown very large. You would use Purge when you want to optimize a DWG or pCon.planner project by removing unnecessary data before saving or sharing it.