Setting File Associations

Setting File Associations

Under windows on PC it is possible to set up file associations so that double clicking on files automatically loads the file into the associated program. As part of the PC installation the following file associations will be set up automatically

File Extension	Program
.ptf	D3PLOT
.ctf	D3PLOT
.rlf	D3PLOT
.dsf	D3PLOT
.thf	T/HIS
.xtf	T/HIS
.tsf	T/HIS
.key	PRIMER
.dyn	PRIMER
.kby	PRIMER
.orr	REPORTER
.ort	REPORTER
.orp	REPORTER

The following sections describe in detail how these file associations can be manually set up if required.

To make .ptf files open in D3PLOT by double-clicking on them

If no application is currently associated with .ptf files, a "double-click" won't work, and some non-specific, usually "windows", icon will be displayed with the file.

Right click on any .ptf file, and select properties then press the Change... tab next to Opens with: from the popup menu.

1. This will bring up the "Open with" panel.
2. Ensure the Always use... box is ticked
3. Use the directory browsing window to find the correct D3PLOT executable. You are looking for file d3plot22.exe or d3plot22_x64.exe .
4. Select the executable and click on OK to close the "Open With" window.

D3PLOT should now open and read in the selected file and you should now find that:

1. All .ptf files on your system show the D3PLOT icon.
2. Double-clicking on any such file starts D3PLOT and opens that file.

It is not possible to set up the filename "d3plot" for double-clicking in this way since Windows requires filename extensions when assigning applications to files.)

To make .thf, .xtf, .cur and .bdf files open in T/HIS by double-clicking on them

The procedure is exactly the same as for D3PLOT, and must be carried out for each of the file types that you wish to process by double-clicking:

.thf : Ansys LS-DYNA Time History file

.xtf : Ansys LS-DYNA Extra Time History file

.cur : T/HIS Curve file

.bdf : T/HIS Bulk Data file

The only difference is:

1. The application to use should be this22.exe or this22_x64.exe .

Note that:

1. File types .thf and .xtf are opened in this way, but no contents are read in.
2. File types .cur and .bdf are opened and their complete contents read in.

Ansys LS-DYNA default filenames "d3thdt" and "xtfile" cannot be set up for double-click access in this way because Windows requires filenames to have extensions when assigning applications to them.

To make .key files open in PRIMER by double-clicking on them

The procedure is exactly the same as for D3PLOT, and must be carried out for each of the file types that you wish to process by double-clicking:

.key : Ansys LS-DYNA Keyword Input File

The only difference is:

1. The application to use should be primer22.exe .