I'm really curious as to what weird 3d cad voodoo goes on in the background that makes those programs so problematic.
It don't have som much todo with the cad software in it self but instead it's how you use the file system when you are designing.
For my use case we have basically 5 folders with around 20k+ files in each.
asm // folder for assemblys
part // folder for mics parts
threads // folder for screw and nuts and that kind of stuff
drafts // folder with the 2d drafts
hydraulic // valves and manifolds etc
When I want to assembly a complete design I jump in and out on those folders for collecting parts.
Each time you change folder inside the cad software it automatically start to update the file list.
You will get annoyed pretty fast if it take 8-9 sec instead 2-3 sec for the update.
By the way... when I measure folder browsing I by jump around with the explorer and not with the cad software. The 3D cad will be even worse.
You can sort of getting around this by having 4-5 explorer pointing at each folder and use drag an drop from them instead.
ZFS brings lots f goodies to the table but if it perform worse that it counterparts on the familiar smb protocol ... it sort of loose it's strengths.
If I have to choose between performance (more like being able to work in decent pace) or data integrity I will choose performance in 7 days of the week. In the end it's not my data.
By this it was irritating to discover that the new samba version have closed the "hack" for having a decent browsing experience.
But on the other hand it can't just be and the 2-3 person you have headt of that have this "problem". It must be tons of user out there who also have the same experience. This is issue must belong to to all zfs installations.
My google wodoo sucks because I can't find so much about the subject.
For now I continue on the 9.3 train on the mini and will do some test with aio and what not on the backup box in 9.10.