De-emphasising support files

[RobTipples]

I often find myself opening support files when I want to open the original simulation. This is due to several things:

1) When navigating to the location of the simulation, I always get to the support file first because it is on the level above

2) The icon is nearly identical

Speaking to colleagues, it's a fairly common problem.

The problem is that I've then got a support file for the support file created. When I was new to Autodesk CFD, I assumed that the support file was the main CFD file due to the above factors. This lead to many new support files being created.

Could you please either:

a) Put the support file within the main directory

b) Use a very different icon (preferably a different colour)

c) Only have .cfdst files shown by default when clicking 'open'. By all means have .cfz available as a separate option.

[Royce_adsk]

I can understand this point of view and have witnessed many users lost in the endless stream of opening up support files instead of their active model and not finding their results. I like the idea of having a different color.  Putting the share file into the main folder would create more issues because if you open the share file inside of that folder than you will start extracting that file into the design study folder of your product which isn't desireable.

[saainsworth]

I agree.  The whole thing seems overly complex and the automatic creation of folders and files seems adds to the confusion. Please STOP making subfolders!  It would be nice to get it all bundled up in one file (easier to use in vault as well). The archive file works well for this, however it seems that when I open one I'm treated to another subfolder.  The whole thing is very confusing and seems needlessly complex.  Ideal goal here would be:  Open a file, edit the file, close the file, end with the same files on the hard drive after as before the actions.  I don't see that this is the case now.

[marco.mueller]

one could change the file extension *.cfdst to *.dontshareme and *.cfz to *.Iamnodesignstudy

no, seriously, maybe there is a good and simple solution for this file extension confusion every new user has with CFD files. Maybe the share file could be placed inside the study folder? Or another icon color...

[ryan.arnaudin]

Thanks @marco.mueller. A similar concern was raised here: http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/cfd-ideas/de-emphasising-support-files/idi-p/4575783