What are .swap files? Mac OS 14.2.1

Bruce Kieffer · January 6

I found this morning that my 1TB HD was full. I knew I had close to 600GB of data and system, so I started search for what was consuming the rest of the drive. I found a fold inside my library folder that had 443GB. Yikes. It is titled "I", you can see the path in the screenshot. It was full of very old .vwx files and Vectorworks swap files. I deleted the entire contents. Now I'm watching the I folder, and when I save my Vectorworks file another .swap file is created. From what I had read on the internet, these files should disappear after a system reboot. I plan to test that. Anyway, what are swap files, do I need them. and is there a way to limited their creation?

Edited January 6 by Bruce Kieffer

zoomer · January 7

Unfortunately I can't read the exact path from the screenshot.

But Finder Search says I have no *.swap files.

While I am not sure if that search really works.

Initially it showed a bunch of files, but with other endings,

that may have ".swap" in their content.

This was in User Library.

But when I search from my User Folder, which is parent to my

User Library, the search results disappear ....

Bruce Kieffer · January 7

5 hours ago, zoomer said:

Unfortunately I can't read the exact path from the screenshot.

@zoomer Here's the path, and the second screen shot shows the files that have been saved in the "I" folder since I deleted all the "I" folder contents yesterday. I have not yet quit Vectorworks, or restarted my computer to see if those files go away as they are suppose to. What I will say is that my computer is back to "normal" now that my HD is not full.

Screenshot2024-01-07at8_40_06AM.png.a774d0660b7601e406f326803c5aa013.png

Screenshot2024-01-07at8_40_23AM.png.69501fc6247237f6017fac87cc06a2b2.png

zoomer · January 7

OK,

my whole CloudDocs Folder has only 10,8 MB.

Looks like my whole iCloud drive also has only 11,8 MB.

Do you use iCloud heavily and have upgraded storage.

(I think my default free account has only 5 GB)

And if, what could be the issue,

do you have VW cloud linked to iCloud or such things ?

Bruce Kieffer · January 7

4 minutes ago, zoomer said:

OK,

my whole CloudDocs Folder has only 10,8 MB.

Looks like my whole iCloud drive also has only 11,8 MB.

Do you use iCloud heavily and have upgraded storage.

(I think my default free account has only 5 GB)

And if, what could be the issue,

do you have VW cloud linked to iCloud or such things ?

I have a 200 GB iCloud storage account. I'm using about 90 GB of that. I researched ( a bit) what .swap files are; they are files used to supplement computer memory. The .swap files that Vectorworks is generating are huge compared to the apps.

Bruce Kieffer · January 7

I restarted my iMac and the recently created .swap files are still in the "I" folder. This is not good. I see it ballooning again and filling my hard drive. I'm going to try reinstalling Sonoma.

zoomer · January 7

You have basically the same M1 machine.

Or do you make much use of VW Cloud Services like online publishing

or Rendering ?

I do not use VW that much or heavily but do not have a single swap file

in your path. Even no hint about VW in CloudDocs at all.

All my one letter Folders in Session are empty.

But I rebooted yesterday.

zoomer · January 7

19 hours ago, Bruce Kieffer said:

ow I'm watching the I folder, and when I save my Vectorworks file another .swap file is created.

Not for me.

I opened an old large VW project, migrated to VW 2024 and saved.

Activity Manager :

VW needs 10 GB, memory pressure gets brownish and macOS uses 2 GB of Swap.

But no swap file in CloudDocs.

Likely because I do not save any CAD files in a Cloud (?)

I have all my data locally on an external SSD.

I am sure macOS currently does swap parts of my VW memory,

but I can't search/find any *.swap files.

I think that is managed by macOS, not VW, somewhere in background.

Bruce Kieffer · January 7

I reinstalled Sonoma. The old .swap files are still there, but I need to test if new ones get deleted after a restart.

rDesign · January 7

@Bruce Kieffer like Zoomer suggested, are you using iCloud for either your working .VWX files or backup .VWX files?
A brief web search makes it sound like that Clouddocs folder is related to iCloud.

Bruce Kieffer · January 7

1 hour ago, rDesign said:

@Bruce Kieffer like Zoomer suggested, are you using iCloud for either your working .VWX files or backup .VWX files?
A brief web search makes it sound like that Clouddocs folder is related to iCloud.

It is possible. I will look, and if I am, I will excludes those files if I can.

Bruce Kieffer · January 9

Fingers crossed! I moved my .VWX autosave location out of iCloud and now the "I" folder is empty and staying empty. I might have been too happy! More .swap file are being created. It is for a referenced file. I will do more testing.

Edited January 9 by Bruce Kieffer

zoomer · January 9

Why don't you had Autosave location set to your local drive ?

As this is usually the fastest place.

I have a kind of universal Backup Folder in my User Directory

(which I do not use to save any real data)

with Subfolders for all CAD and 3D Apps.

This way I can also cleanup all Backups every few months

quite easily.

Not sure but for me it looks that you get those swap files

because you are saving your data in cloud drives.

Not sure for what or which operation exactly VW creates or

needs these swap files or if they are part of the cloud folder

synching process.

I would think these should be cleaned up automatically

after need for swap is over .....

E|FA · January 9

28 minutes ago, zoomer said:

Why don't you had Autosave location set to your local drive ?

Lack of space. I use an external Samsung T7 SSD as a utility drive and keep my autosaves there. It's fast enough that it doesn't slow things down, at least with the file sizes I'm working with, and I can save pretty much as many versions as I want without clogging up the internal drive.

Bruce Kieffer · January 9

I do have autosave now set to my local drive. I still have files I'm working on in iCloud. Really this should not be a problem. I continue to test.

zoomer · January 9

44 minutes ago, Bruce Kieffer said:

Really this should not be a problem. I continue to test.

I also think this should work.

The majority of users may go that route.

46 minutes ago, E|FA said:

Lack of space. I use an external Samsung T7 SSD as a utility drive and keep my autosaves there.

Fair enough,

I would do the same if I would save any data locally.

Although only 512 GB in the M1 Mini, even with Unreal and all trying to

push GB's into my User and Documents Folders, but with some counter

acting I still managed to keep the system about 320 GB .....

So I am happy I can keep my 3D Backups on System Drive.

Bruce Kieffer · January 9

I'm now thinking this is not a Vectorworks issue but instead a iCloud issue. I saw some files created in the "I" folder that definitely were not Vectorworks. I continue to test, but so far the easiest solution for me will be to every so often empty that folder and hope that Apple fixes it soon.

Kevin K · January 9

Bruce

This probably has nothing to do with your issue, but do you utilize having VW create backup files, or is it set up to override existing files?

Personally, I use the latter method for several reasons.

One is that, in the past when I had to rely on a backup file, more often than not I would get an error message that said it could not totally recreate the file….that is when I came unhinged. 🙂

The other reason is that having the myriad of backup file really bloats the hard drive.

Plus, I use Time Machine which auto backs up my files as well.

Anyway, like I mentioned, it is just a question, which VW backup system you use, and if that may be contributing to your swap file issues.

Bruce Kieffer · January 10

@Kevin K I'll give that a try. Thanks.

Kevin K · January 10

Bruce

well, don’t put too much stock in what I was mentioning, as it probably has zero to do with your swap file issues 🙂

Bruce Kieffer · January 17

I turned off Apple iCloud Documents and Desktop. Using that as a backup for my files is not worth all the other troubles, which I think are Sonoma related. I do have three rotating Time Machine backups. Anyway, so far so good without my VW files in iCloud.

zoomer · January 17

6 hours ago, Bruce Kieffer said:

Anyway, so far so good without my VW files in iCloud.

Not the way it should work but less annoying for now.

On the other hand, this seems to only happen for VW.

Aren't there other VW users making also use of iCloud ?

And does it work for them or do they not yet notice the

swap files (because they have 8 TB SSDs).

🙂

Edited January 17 by zoomer

J. Miller · January 31

I encountered a similar problem with .swap files.
I was going to open a recent file from the iCloud and noticed that it didn’t exist anymore , but a name.swap file was in its place. I renamed the file to .vwx and it turned back into a vwx file inculding the thumbnail image.
I did a search for .swap files and found about 100 or so all in my cad folder. Random dates, some I pretty sure I never opened recently. I renamed them all to .vwv and they all returned to Vectorworks files.
What the heck?

jeff

Gadzooks · February 1

I believe .swop files are created by VW as a 'housekeeping' exercise.

If you rename/duplicate a file that you're currently working on (or similar action that VW deems 'unreasonable') - I mean open and currently being accessed from a known location, that you suddenly change, VW wants to try and keep sensible track of the file names/location and to provide a 'safety net' for the user alongside its backup feature.

I think if this happening a lot @Bruce Kieffer you may want to see if, when you're working in VW, you tend have a number of files open and you rename or duplicate by swapping into the finder in haste. I've also done that!

Also, using ICloud may exacerbate the problem - I don't have experience of that as I don't use iCloud.

As @J. Miller finds, the files are not recognised by the OS (with blank thumbnail - unless renamed .vwx) but nevertheless have the VW content within.

One of the boffins may chime in to confirm (or blow me out of the water).

I'm on Mac - your experience my differ.

J. Miller · February 1

its just a conundrum to me. How did they change in the first place.

Thank goodness they turned back int VectorWorks files once i renamed them

Yes all of my files are in the cloud to allow access from multiple computers

Gadzooks · February 1

2 minutes ago, J. Miller said:

in the cloud to allow access from multiple computers

Maybe that's part of the problem then - sorry, I have no experience of that to offer you.

What are .swap files? Mac OS 14.2.1

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