Adams Configuration Files
You can set up the following files to change the way in which the interface products, including Adams Car, and Adams View, work:
■Startup Files
Path Files
An Adams interface product creates an Adams default aview.pth file at installation time. It is in the aview product subdirectory, underneath the installation directory, install_dir, on your machine.
The aview.pth file allows you to specify search paths for the different types of files that can be loaded into Adams. This is useful for files that are shared with other users, and are not in your current working directory. Below is an example of an aview.pth file:
.bin /install_dir/aview/
.idb $workdir/idbfiles/
.adm ~jsmith/Adams datasets/
.cmd /usr/aview/cmd_files/
.dat /usr/Adams test_data/
.gra /staff/my_home_dir/Adams output/
.req /staff/my_home_dir/Adams output/
.res /staff/my_home_dir/Adams output/
.igs /staff/my_home_dir/iges_files/
.dct /install_dir/aview/
Each line in the file specifies a search path for a specific file extension. The first line in the example file above specifies a search path for files with an extension of .bin. You can have multiple paths for each extension by adding another line with the same file extensions and an alternate path. Remember each line must begin with a file extension.
Any file extension can be put in the Adams path file. Therefore, you do not have to name your files with the standard Adams Solver and Adams View extensions. Use the following conventions to add a file extension to the path file:
■Begin each line in column one with the desired file extension.
■Begin each file extension with a . (period).
■Use the correct case for file extensions in the Path file. Adams is case sensitive with regard to file extensions. All Linux systems are case sensitive for the path.
■Separate the extension and search path for the extension with a space. You can use a single space and tab or combine spaces and tabs to create separation between the extension and search path.
■Complete each search path, starting from the root ('/') of the file system. You can begin a search path with the ~ character to indicate a Linux home directory, or with a $ character to indicate a Linux environment variable.
■End each search path with a trailing /.
■Ensure that each line is less than 255 characters in length.
If you want to make the changes to the path file affect all Adams users, edit the default aview.pth file mentioned above.
To make the changes only affect you:
1. Copy the default Adams path file to your current working directory.
2. Add, delete, or modify the file to specify your file search paths.
3. From the Adams Toolbar, right-click the Adams View tool 
, and then select Change AView Settings.
, and then select Change AView Settings.The searchPath is visible in the treeview.
4. Click searchPath and specify the full path to your local aview.pth file, including the file name. You can type in the path or use the browser to select it.
Startup Files
The three files that interface products read when they start up, where product is the name of the product, (aview, acar, and adriveline) are:
■product.cmd
■productBS.cmd
■productAS.cmd
In the file names, BS stands for Before Startup, meaning that Adams reads it before it reads other setup files, and AS stands for After Startup, meaning that Adams reads it after it reads other setup files.
The startup files contain Adams View commands that Adams executes on startup. You can edit any of the files to execute Adams as desired when it starts up. Note that many products overwrite the BS and AS files when you select to save options, so you may lose the edits you make. For more information on the content of command files and how to create them, refer to the Adams View online help.
Adams first searches for the command files in the current working directory. If a command file does not exist locally, Adams searches for it in the directories specified for .cmd files in the aview.pth file.
The command file names are hard-coded, and you cannot change them.
Log Files
The aview.log file is a text file containing a log of your commands for an Adams session. Adams creates this file in your local directory.
While running Adams, you can change the name of the log file for that session with the command:
FILE LOG_FILE FILE_NAME = "filename"
Adams overwrites any existing aview.log file each time it starts.
For more information on the content of log files and how to create them, refer to the Adams View online help.
Binary Files
Note: | When changing binary files for Adams Car, we recommend that you follow the instructions in Binary Files. |
The aview.bin file is a binary file containing the Adams View database. Adams View reads it on startup. Adams View first searches for aview.bin in the current working directory. If aview.bin does not exist locally, Adams View searches for it in directories specified for .bin files in the aview.pth file.
The aview.bin provided with Adams View contains database information for the standard menus, panels, and buttons. You can create your own copy of aview.bin to save a customized interface (menus, panels, and buttons you have modified). When you start Adams View again in the directory containing your version of aview.bin, Adams View reads in your customized interface and ignores the standard aview.bin file.
You can also create an aview.bin to save the state of your modeling session. If you use the name aview.bin for the file, the next time you start Adams View in that directory, Adams View automatically reads the aview.bin file and restores your modeling session. Alternatively, you can use a different name for the binary file you save. To restore the state of you modeling session, issue the Adams View command:
FILE BINARY READ FILE_NAME = "filename"
The name aview.bin is hard-coded in Adams View as the default binary file it reads upon startup. You cannot change it.