Settings Files

HyperMesh writes command<#>.tcl, hmmenu.set and hmsettings.tcl (standalone only). HyperWorks Desktop writes hwsettings.xml. Each of these files is detailed below.

command<#>.tcl

The command file is a command history file containing the commands executed in HyperMesh whenever any operation is performed. This file can be used to rerun operations or as a basis for determining the commands required to automate a given process. By default, the command file is written to the start-in directory for each session. It is possible to customize the location where this file is written to using the HM_COMMANDFILE_DIR environment variable. Note that on Linux, the command file is named command.tcl.

hmmenu.set

The hmmenu.set file stores information about panel options, panel settings, user profiles, graphics settings, element check settings, penetration check settings and several other settings. The hmmenu.set file is written to the start-in directory after each session is closed. Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is possible to customize the location where this file is read from during start-up. HyperWorks Desktop uses the following search order to find the hmmenu.set file. If copies exist in multiple locations, only the first one found in the search order is used.

HM_MENUSET_DIR environment variable
Start-in directory
Home directory
HW_CONFIG_PATH environment variable
Installation directory

hmsettings.tcl

The hmsettings.tcl file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout (tab locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, and so on), keyboard preferences, import/export settings, recent files, and other various settings for HyperMesh standalone. By default, the hmsettings.tcl file is written to the My Documents directory on Windows and in ~/.altair on Linux after each session is closed. Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is possible to customize the location where this file is read from during start-up and written to on exit. HyperMesh standalone always writes the hmsettings.tcl file back out to the location where it originally read it from for that session. The following order is used to find the hmsettings.tcl file.

HM_SETTINGS_DIR environment variable. If this is defined, the search stops even if the file does not exist.
My Documents directory on Windows or ~/.altair on Linux.

hwsettings.xml

The hwsettings.xml file stores information on the browsers, the user interface layout (tab locations, command window, panel location, toolbars, and so on), keyboard preferences, import/export settings, recent files, and other various settings. By default, the hwsettings.xml file is written to the My Documents directory on Windows and in ~/.altair on Linux after each session is closed. Deleting this file resets the stored settings to their default values. It is possible to customize the location where this file is read from during start-up and written to on exit. HyperWorks Desktop always writes the hwsettings.xml file back out to the location where it originally read it from for that session. The following order is used to find the hwsettings.xml file.

HW_SETTINGS_DIR environment variable. If this is defined, the search stops even if the file does not exist.
My Documents directory on Windows or ~/.altair on Linux.