--- title: "Understanding the Resource Cache" canonical: "https://documentation.chaos.com/space/ANIMA/125076229/Understanding%20the%20Resource%20Cache" format: markdown --- This page provides information about the resource cache in [Anima](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ANIMA/pages/124487740). ## **What is the “Resource Cache”** --- The assets used in a project are stored inside the "***resource_cache***" subfolder, inside the Anima project folder. The nodes use this folder as a ***cache*** to avoid requiring access to the downloaded models (the ones stored in the "*Purchases"* folder). This simplifies significantly the setup required when dealing with Render Node installations, or when submitting the scene to an online render farm service. Therefore, the nodes only need access to the main **Anima project** folder that has been imported into the 3D scene on the DCC application to correctly load and render scenes with any Anima content. As the ***resource cache*** is inside a subfolder in that same location, it can be safely assumed that the nodes will have access to it too. We have designed the management of the ***resource cache*** to make it resilient and flexible. When the main cache file (*pack.bin*) cannot be updated for some reason, more cache files will be created automatically to store the new assets added, using a system very similar to incremental backups. However, when Anima detects segmentation in the cache, it will automatically try to consolidate all the information into a single file again as soon as any scene from that project is saved with new content again. This ensures the optimal usage of the storage and keeps up an optimized speed in the loading process. ## **Known issue: *****Missing Actors*** --- ## **How to Regenerate the Resource Cache (fixing “Missing Actors“)** --- If the ***resource cache*** gets corrupted to a point that cannot be restored automatically by Anima, you can force a full reset of the ***resource cache*** by deleting it completely. After doing that, the next time the project is saved, Anima will regenerate it from scratch, solving any corruption issues that could be there before. Please follow the process described below to force a **full reset** of your ***resource cache***: 1. Close Anima and any DCC application (3dsMax, Cinema4D or Unreal Engine) that may be using resources from that anima project (check both your local machine and any other network machine that could be using it). 2. Find your anima project folder and go into the "resource_cache" subfolder, you should see at least one "pack.bin" file there. 3. Delete all the files that are inside that "resource_cache" folder. 4. Open Anima Designer and load that Anima project again. 5. Create a new empty scene on that same project. You may not see any scene listed if you have only used the Drop panel before, but you should be able to create a new scene in the Anima Designer in that case too. 6. Select a model that has not been used yet in any of the scenes from that project (or download a new one) and drop it anywhere on that scene. 7. Save the project (Menu File > Save all). 8. Anima will start adding all the assets used in all the scenes from that project to the *resource cache* again (it may take a few minutes to complete). When this process ends, you should have either a "*pack.bin" *(or a group of those files) in that folder that are bigger than the older ones that you deleted in this process. At that point, the resource cache should be completely restored and the issues fixed.  You should now see a **pack.bin** file inside that folder that is bigger than the one you had previously. However, you can confirm that the regeneration process was successful by following the process described in the section below (***How to confirm if you have any “Missing Actors”***). ## **How to Confirm if the Fix Was Successful** --- One thing that might be confusing is that when the ***resource cache*** is incomplete, you will only see ***Missing Actors*** in the renders that are made from machines using Anima **Render Node** installation mode. That happens because when some assets are not found in the ***resource cache***, the devices that have Anima installed in **Workstation** mode can use a fallback that tries to find those missing assets in the Purchases folder, too. If they succeed and the assets can be found there, the plugin uses that information to avoid failure. The Render Node installations cannot do this because they don’t use a license, so they cannot access the Purchases folders directly. Therefore, to confirm that the fix worked as expected, you should do a test render in a machine that has an Anima **Render Node** installed. If it works fine in one node, it will also work fine on any other device. ### **Related Topics** - [Using Anima on a network](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ANIMA/pages/124389121) - [Installation process](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ANIMA/pages/124618066) - [Legacy Batch Installations (CLI)](https://docs-chaos.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/ANIMA/pages/125141521)