Comparing Storage Snapshots with WizTree Data
Use WizTree exported data as repeatable context for auditing storage change over time, comparing baseline milestones, and isolating unneeded working data.
Ten-Step Snapshot Workflow Matrix
A systematic protocol for converting raw WizTree filesystem scans and cross-platform CSV exports into auditable differential records across production phases.
What a Snapshot Represents
A filesystem capture records file paths, allocated sizes, timestamps, and item counts at an exact moment in time without altering production storage.
Create a Baseline View
Execute a primary storage scan across the designated project volumes before introducing client raw media, master batches, or project scaffolds.
Export File Data
Use the native CSV export command in WizTree. Standard comma-delimited columns include filename, size, allocated footprint, modified date, and flags.
Record the Snapshot Date
Archive each snapshot CSV with ISO-8601 timestamps and milestone labels to prevent chronological ambiguity during retrospective reviews.
Capture a Later State
Following intense rendering, compilation, or production delivery milestones, generate a second synchronized scan under identical volume root settings.
Compare Folder Growth
Isolate parent folder structures to assess absolute volumetric divergence, tracking directories that experienced disproportionate expansion.
Compare File Type Changes
Categorize size deltas by extensions (.raw, .mov, .tmp, .blend, .zip) to distinguish planned output assets from redundant temporary cache buildup.
Review Newly Appeared Material
Identify files absent in the baseline CSV but dominant in the milestone capture, distinguishing signed delivery masters from unlinked working scratch files.
Review Reduced Areas
Examine deleted or compacted folders to verify that archived raw materials were genuinely preserved before workspace cleanups took effect.
Document Project-Stage Context
Consolidate differences into a formal delta memorandum explaining storage consumption anomalies, cross-platform WizTree CSV compatibility, and archival milestones.
Before Delivery vs After Delivery
Real-world differential trace showing how working media pipelines transform into archived delivery packages across critical milestone gates.
Working Project State
Captured prior to final exports. High density of active working sequences, timeline cache, project draft versions, and uncompressed render files.
Delivery Milestone
Final quality control approval, export batch rendering, package handoff to client, and master backup staging.
Gate ClearedPost-Delivery State
Captured 48 hours post-handover. Source files retained, working material trimmed, finalized export bundles created, and delivery copies logged.
Delta Metric Verification Panel
Baseline media untouched during editing.
Timeline renders and temp revisions pruned.
ProRes masters and web cuts generated.
Dedicated handover packages staged for tape.
Residual export drafts pending manual signoff.
Governance Review Framework
Active Materials Verification
Are active source project files clearly isolated from unneeded proxy generation folders prior to cold-tier transfer?
Final Deliverables Check
Do master checksums match exported CSV inventories across both Windows WizTree and WizTreeMac exports?
Recurring Audit Cadence
Does the team schedule bi-weekly delta captures to detect silent scratch-drive volume bloat before storage thresholds breach?
WizTree Snapshot Q&A
Core review questions for interpreting snapshot differentials and planning the next comparison cycle.
Which changes reflect the project milestone?
Milestone transitions appear as new delivery folders, renamed export branches, and sharp size jumps in output directories captured at the milestone boundary rather than as gradual drift inside source paths.
Which material is still active?
Any file group whose timestamps fall after the latest milestone tag, plus scratch and worktree paths showing writes between the two compared snapshots, should be treated as active material.
Which outputs are final deliverables?
Items staged inside handover or delivery directories whose checksums match the exported manifest count as final. Anything left in temp, preview, or review branches does not.
Which groups should be reviewed again later?
Unmerged working branches, orphaned cache trees, and folders that stopped growing but were never formally archived belong on the next review list.
Does the next snapshot need the same folder scope?
Keep the scope identical so deltas stay comparable across captures. Widen it only when new mount points or project roots were added since the previous snapshot.