Mechanical APDL Basic Analysis Guide - Ansys

Chapter 20: File Management and Files
The ANSYS program uses many permanent and temporary files during an analysis. The following file-management
topics are available to help you understand how ANSYS handles files and what you can do to
customize and manage files:
20.1. File Management Overview
20.2. Changing the Default File Name
20.3. Sending Output to Screens, Files, or Both
20.4.Text Versus Binary Files
20.5. Reading Your Own Files into the ANSYS Program
20.6.Writing Your Own ANSYS Files from the ANSYS Program
20.7. Assigning Different File Names
20.8. Reviewing Contents of Binary Files (AUX2)
20.9. Operating on Results Files (AUX3)
20.10. Other File Management Commands
20.1. File Management Overview
The ANSYS program uses files extensively for data storage and retrieval, especially when solving an analysis.
The files are named filename.ext, where filename defaults to the jobname, and ext is a unique twoto
four-character value that identifies the contents of the file. The jobname is a name you can specify when
entering the ANSYS program via the /FILNAME command (Utility Menu> File> Change Jobname). If you
specify no jobname, it defaults to FILE (or file).
File names (both jobname and extension) may appear in lowercase on some systems. For example, if the
jobname is bolt, you may have files at the end of an ANSYS analysis which could include:
bolt.db
bolt.emat
bolt.err
bolt.log
bolt.rst
Database file
Element matrices
Error and warning messages
Command input history
Results file
Table 20.1: Temporary Files Written by the ANSYS Program (p. 299) and Table 20.2: Permanent Files Written by the
ANSYS Program (p. 300) show a list of files written by the ANSYS program. Files that are generated and then
deleted sometime before the end of the ANSYS session are called temporary files (Table 20.1: Temporary Files
Written by the ANSYS Program (p. 299)). Files that remain after the ANSYS session are called permanent files
(Table 20.2: Permanent Files Written by the ANSYS Program (p. 300)).
20.1.1. Executing the Run Interactive Now or DISPLAY Programs from Windows
Explorer
If you are running ANSYS on a Windows system, you can double-click on the following types of files from
the Windows Explorer to execute the Run Interactive Now or DISPLAY programs:
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of ANSYS, Inc. and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
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