diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1b0dfad7..748a679d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 *pyc
 .DS_Store
-.vedo_recorded_events.log
-.vedo_pipeline_graphviz*
 
 docs/examples_db.js
 docs/pdoc/html
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b70c0029..3f2c3e75 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 [![lics](https://img.shields.io/badge/license-MIT-blue.svg)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MIT_License)
 [![Anaconda-Server Badge](https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/vedo/badges/version.svg)](https://anaconda.org/conda-forge/vedo)
 [![Ubuntu 23.10 package](https://repology.org/badge/version-for-repo/ubuntu_23_10/vedo.svg)](https://repology.org/project/vedo/versions)
-[![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.7734756.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7734756)
+[![DOI](https://zenodo.org/badge/DOI/10.5281/zenodo.4587871.svg)](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4587871)
 [![Downloads](https://static.pepy.tech/badge/vedo)](https://pepy.tech/project/vedo)
 [![CircleCI](https://circleci.com/gh/marcomusy/vedo.svg?style=svg)](https://circleci.com/gh/marcomusy/vedo)
 A lightweight and powerful python module
diff --git a/vedo/cli.py b/vedo/cli.py
index ddb1ade7..bf301988 100644
--- a/vedo/cli.py
+++ b/vedo/cli.py
@@ -436,7 +436,7 @@ def exe_search_vtk(args):
 
     xref_url = "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Kitware/vtk-examples/gh-pages/src/Coverage/vtk_vtk-examples_xref.json"
 
-    def download_file(dl_path, dl_url, overwrite=False):
+    def _download_file(dl_path, dl_url, overwrite=False):
         file_name = dl_url.split("/")[-1]
         # Create necessary sub-directories in the dl_path (if they don't exist).
         Path(dl_path).mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
@@ -449,7 +449,7 @@ def download_file(dl_path, dl_url, overwrite=False):
                 raise RuntimeError(f"Failed to download {dl_url}. {e.reason}")
         return path
 
-    def get_examples(d, vtk_class, lang):
+    def _get_examples(d, vtk_class, lang):
         try:
             kv = d[vtk_class][lang].items()
         except KeyError as e:
@@ -461,18 +461,18 @@ def get_examples(d, vtk_class, lang):
 
     vtk_class, language, all_values, number = args.search_vtk, "Python", True, 10000
     tmp_dir = tempfile.gettempdir()
-    path = download_file(tmp_dir, xref_url, overwrite=False)
+    path = _download_file(tmp_dir, xref_url, overwrite=False)
     if not path.is_file():
         print(f"The path: {str(path)} does not exist.")
 
     dt = datetime.today().timestamp() - os.path.getmtime(path)
     # Force a new download if the time difference is > 10 minutes.
     if dt > 600:
-        path = download_file(tmp_dir, xref_url, overwrite=True)
+        path = _download_file(tmp_dir, xref_url, overwrite=True)
     with open(path, "r", encoding="UTF-8") as json_file:
         xref_dict = json.load(json_file)
 
-    total_number, examples = get_examples(xref_dict, vtk_class, language)
+    total_number, examples = _get_examples(xref_dict, vtk_class, language)
     if examples:
         if total_number <= number or all_values:
             print(
diff --git a/vedo/file_io.py b/vedo/file_io.py
index 89686a48..7ad6e81c 100644
--- a/vedo/file_io.py
+++ b/vedo/file_io.py
@@ -441,54 +441,71 @@ def _load_file(filename, unpack):
     return actor
 
 ########################################################################
-def download(url, force=False, verbose=True):
+def download(url, to_local_file="", force=False, verbose=True):
     """
-    Retrieve a file from a URL, save it locally and return its path.
-    Use `force=True` to force a reload and discard cached copies.
+    Downloads a file from `url` to `to_local_file` if the local copy is outdated.
+
+    Arguments:
+        url : (str)
+            The URL to download the file from.
+        to_local_file : (str)
+            The local file name to save the file to. 
+            If not specified, the file name will be the same as the remote file name.
+        force : (bool)
+            Force a new download even if the local file is up to date.
+        verbose : (bool)
+            Print verbose messages.
     """
     if not url.startswith("https://"):
-        # vedo.logger.error(f"Invalid URL (must start with https):\n{url}")
-        # assume it's a file so no need to download
-        return url
-    url = url.replace("www.dropbox", "dl.dropbox")
+        if os.path.exists(url):
+            # Assume the url is already the local file path
+            return url
+        else:
+            raise FileNotFoundError(f"File not found: {url}")
 
-    if "github.com" in url:
-        url = url.replace("/blob/", "/raw/")
+    from datetime import datetime
+    import requests
 
-    basename = os.path.basename(url)
+    # Get the user's home directory
+    home_directory = os.path.expanduser("~")
 
-    if "?" in basename:
-        basename = basename.split("?")[0]
+    # Define the path for the cache directory
+    cachedir = os.path.join(home_directory, settings.cache_directory, "vedo")
 
-    tmp_file = NamedTemporaryFile(delete=False)
-    tmp_file.name = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(tmp_file.name), os.path.basename(basename))
+    # Create the directory if it does not exist
+    if not os.path.exists(cachedir):
+        os.makedirs(cachedir)
 
-    if not force and os.path.exists(tmp_file.name):
-        if verbose:
-            colors.printc("reusing cached file:", tmp_file.name)
-            # colors.printc("     (use force=True to force a new download)")
-        return tmp_file.name
+    if not to_local_file:
+        to_local_file = os.path.join(cachedir, os.path.basename(url))
+        if verbose: print(f"Using local file name: {to_local_file}")
+
+    # Check if the local file exists and get its last modified time
+    if os.path.exists(to_local_file):
+        to_local_file_modified_time = os.path.getmtime(to_local_file)
+    else:
+        to_local_file_modified_time = 0
+
+    # Send a HEAD request to get last modified time of the remote file
+    response = requests.head(url)
+    if 'Last-Modified' in response.headers:
+        remote_file_modified_time = datetime.strptime(
+            response.headers['Last-Modified'], '%a, %d %b %Y %H:%M:%S GMT'
+        ).timestamp()
+    else:
+        # If the Last-Modified header not available, assume file needs to be downloaded
+        remote_file_modified_time = float('inf')
+
+    # Download the file if the remote file is newer
+    if force or remote_file_modified_time > to_local_file_modified_time:
+        response = requests.get(url)
+        with open(to_local_file, 'wb') as file:
+            file.write(response.content)
+            if verbose: print(f"Downloaded file from {url} -> {to_local_file}")
+    else:
+        if verbose: print("Local file is up to date.")
+    return to_local_file
 
-    try:
-        from urllib.request import urlopen, Request
-        req = Request(url, headers={"User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0"})
-        if verbose:
-            colors.printc("reading", basename, "from", url.split("/")[2][:40], "...", end="")
-
-    except ImportError:
-        import urllib2
-        import contextlib
-        urlopen = lambda url_: contextlib.closing(urllib2.urlopen(url_))
-        req = url
-        if verbose:
-            colors.printc("reading", basename, "from", url.split("/")[2][:40], "...", end="")
-
-    with urlopen(req) as response, open(tmp_file.name, "wb") as output:
-        output.write(response.read())
-
-    if verbose:
-        colors.printc(" done.")
-    return tmp_file.name
 
 ########################################################################
 def gunzip(filename):
diff --git a/vedo/plotter.py b/vedo/plotter.py
index 58ece2d6..23196032 100644
--- a/vedo/plotter.py
+++ b/vedo/plotter.py
@@ -1468,14 +1468,15 @@ def look_at(self, plane="xy"):
             vedo.logger.error(f"in plotter.look() cannot understand argument {plane}")
         return self
 
-    def record(self, filename=".vedo_recorded_events.log"):
+    def record(self, filename=""):
         """
         Record camera, mouse, keystrokes and all other events.
         Recording can be toggled on/off by pressing key "R".
 
         Arguments:
             filename : (str)
-                ascii file to store events. The default is '.vedo_recorded_events.log'.
+                ascii file to store events.
+                The default is `settings.cache_directory+"vedo/recorded_events.log"`.
 
         Returns:
             a string descriptor of events.
@@ -1490,6 +1491,13 @@ def record(self, filename=".vedo_recorded_events.log"):
             return self
         erec = vtk.new("InteractorEventRecorder")
         erec.SetInteractor(self.interactor)
+        if not filename:
+            if not os.path.exists(settings.cache_directory):
+                os.makedirs(settings.cache_directory)
+            home_dir = os.path.expanduser("~")
+            filename = os.path.join(
+                home_dir, settings.cache_directory, "vedo", "recorded_events.log")
+            print("Events will be recorded in", filename)
         erec.SetFileName(filename)
         erec.SetKeyPressActivationValue("R")
         erec.EnabledOn()
@@ -1502,13 +1510,14 @@ def record(self, filename=".vedo_recorded_events.log"):
         erec = None
         return events
 
-    def play(self, events=".vedo_recorded_events.log", repeats=0):
+    def play(self, recorded_events="", repeats=0):
         """
         Play camera, mouse, keystrokes and all other events.
 
         Arguments:
             events : (str)
-                file o string of events. The default is '.vedo_recorded_events.log'.
+                file o string of events.
+                The default is `settings.cache_directory+"vedo/recorded_events.log"`.
             repeats : (int)
                 number of extra repeats of the same events. The default is 0.
 
@@ -1524,12 +1533,17 @@ def play(self, events=".vedo_recorded_events.log", repeats=0):
         erec = vtk.new("InteractorEventRecorder")
         erec.SetInteractor(self.interactor)
 
-        if events.endswith(".log"):
+        if not recorded_events:
+            home_dir = os.path.expanduser("~")
+            recorded_events = os.path.join(
+                home_dir, settings.cache_directory, "vedo", "recorded_events.log")
+
+        if recorded_events.endswith(".log"):
             erec.ReadFromInputStringOff()
-            erec.SetFileName(events)
+            erec.SetFileName(recorded_events)
         else:
             erec.ReadFromInputStringOn()
-            erec.SetInputString(events)
+            erec.SetInputString(recorded_events)
 
         erec.Play()
         for _ in range(repeats):
diff --git a/vedo/settings.py b/vedo/settings.py
index 3b1d25a0..4a880265 100644
--- a/vedo/settings.py
+++ b/vedo/settings.py
@@ -44,6 +44,9 @@ class Settings:
     # To run a demo try:
     # vedo --run fonts
 
+    # Use this local folder to store downloaded files (default is ~/.cache/vedo)
+    cache_directory = ".cache"
+
     # Palette number when using an integer to choose a color
     palette = 0
 
@@ -165,11 +168,11 @@ class Settings:
     ```
     """
 
-    # Restrict the attributes so accidental typos will generate
-    # an AttributeError exception
+    # Restrict the attributes so accidental typos will generate an AttributeError exception
     __slots__ = [
         "default_font",
         "default_backend",
+        "cache_directory",
         "palette",
         "remember_last_figure_format",
         "screenshot_transparent_background",
@@ -253,6 +256,8 @@ def __init__(self):
         self.palette = 0
         self.remember_last_figure_format = False
 
+        self.cache_directory = ".cache" # "/vedo" is added automatically
+
         self.screenshot_transparent_background = False
         self.screeshot_large_image = False
 
diff --git a/vedo/utils.py b/vedo/utils.py
index 7070e379..f885b7f9 100644
--- a/vedo/utils.py
+++ b/vedo/utils.py
@@ -227,7 +227,12 @@ def show(self, orientation="LR", popup=True):
         self.counts = 0
         self._build_tree(dot)
         self.dot = dot
-        dot.render(".vedo_pipeline_graphviz", view=popup)
+
+        home_dir = os.path.expanduser("~")
+        gpath = os.path.join(
+            home_dir, vedo.settings.cache_directory, "vedo", "pipeline_graphviz")
+
+        dot.render(gpath, view=popup)
 
 
 ###########################################################################
diff --git a/vedo/version.py b/vedo/version.py
index e7495b36..d2a2c8f6 100644
--- a/vedo/version.py
+++ b/vedo/version.py
@@ -1 +1 @@
-_version = '2023.5.0+dev1'
+_version = '2023.5.0+dev2'