Statamic image handling/manipulation

[mmodler]

Hello gentleman, atm we dig into image handling/manipulation a little deeper and i want to ask/discuss some topics:

1. If we use asset cache and presets, we will run into problems:

   • Waste of disc space: I upload a product image and all presets will be generated, also the presets i will never use with this image (for example the logo_desktop preset)
   • Images are generated synchronously, with many of them you will run into php runtime limits

2. If we use asset cache without presets:

   • Glide Tag: Images are generated synchronously on url generation (!), not if the image url is requested (BUG?) - which might cause long loading times if image is not cached and runtime limit problems (many images on a page with empty cache)
   • Does the image invalidates if the asset is removed in the cp? (for example ex-employee wants an image to be removed from the web)

3. Assets cache off:

   • Every request for an image will be handled via php - performance/resource problems if traffic increases
   • Invalidation issue would presits, as glide caches under storage/statamic/glide ?

In our former cms we had the following concept:

• image urls to public folder with presets in filenames, if the image doesn't exists it was generated once (!), after that it was servered directy
• Invalidation/deletion of all image versions if the image was removed in the cms

Atm i have no idea how to use statamic image handling right - or i just misunderstood some concepts?

[RyanThompson]

Ya, our method had it’s drawbacks too though. Modifications are detached from any system knowledge for one. Craft is an example of someone who does some things right here that’s a mix between two approaches, which is similar In some ways to our new approach in Streams 2. Still fleshing it out. Craft’s performance takes a nose dive however, the more you utilize file variants last I checked. Less of an issue with flat-file DB perhaps.

[jeremydouglas]

This is a great list of insights and opportunities to improve asset processing. I opened a new issue that would address the specific presets.

[mmodler]

Some design decisions are necessary for an implementation / PR. I'll call the new asset cache method "cache on request"

• Should "cache on request" replace the old STATAMIC_ASSETS_CACHE=true or come in as additional / optional method?

  • If replace: Keep using glide tag even if technically not using glide
  • If optional: Add new Tag? Tagname?

• Image generation params will be passed in the filename. Allow free combinations without preset like w300-h200-mFit and/or preset names in filenames?

• Image cache clear command needed (is think so)? Command syntax?

• Invalidation of all image versions if the base asset is deleted?

[jesseleite]

Most of this is addressed by https://github.com/statamic/cms/pull/6040, which should be coming soon 👍