Preferences Utilities

The UTILITIES tab sets three things. It sets the file extensions that FlatCAM Evo associates with the Excellon, G-Code and Gerber file types. It sets the file extensions of the FlatCAM project files. It sets the keywords that the autocompleter uses.

Where to find it

• Menu: Edit > Preferences (shortcut: Shift+P).
• Tab: UTILITIES. See Preferences Overview.

Screenshot placeholder: images/Preferences-Utilities-1.png — the UTILITIES tab with the Gerber File associations group: the extension list, the Add Extension and Delete Extension buttons, and the Apply Association and Remove Association buttons.

Quick start

1. Select Edit > Preferences, then select the UTILITIES tab.
2. To add a file extension to a list, type it in the Extension box of the group. Select Add Extension.
3. Select Apply Association to write the association for the operating system.
4. Select Save in the Preferences tab to keep the list.

Parameters

Each group has its own list and buttons. The Key column of each table shows the key in defaults.py. The lists are long. The tables show a short description of each list. The full list is in defaults.py.

Excellon File associations

Source file: appGUI/preferences/utilities/FAExcPrefGroupUI.py.

The Extensions list shows the file extensions that open as Excellon files.

Control	Description
Restore	Restores the extension list to the default state.
Delete All	Deletes all extensions from the list.
Extension	The box where you type a file extension to add or delete.
Add Extension	Adds the extension in the Extension box to the list.
Delete Extension	Deletes the extension in the Extension box from the list.
Apply Association	Writes the file associations of the extensions in the list to the operating system.
Remove Association	Removes the file associations that Apply Association wrote.

Option	Description	Default	Choices	Key
Extensions list	List of file extensions to be associated with FlatCAM.	'drd, drill, drl, exc, ncd, tap, xln'	Text (multi-line)	fa_excellon

GCode File associations

Source file: appGUI/preferences/utilities/FAGcoPrefGroupUI.py.

The controls are the same as in Excellon File associations. The list holds the file extensions that open as G-Code files.

Option	Description	Default	Choices	Key
Extensions list	List of file extensions to be associated with FlatCAM.	Long list of G-Code extensions. See defaults.py.	Text (multi-line)	fa_gcode

Gerber File associations

Source file: appGUI/preferences/utilities/FAGrbPrefGroupUI.py.

The controls are the same as in Excellon File associations. The list holds the file extensions that open as Gerber files.

Option	Description	Default	Choices	Key
Extensions list	List of file extensions to be associated with FlatCAM.	Long list of Gerber extensions. See defaults.py.	Text (multi-line)	fa_gerber

FlatCAM Files associations

Source file: appGUI/preferences/utilities/FAFlatPrefGroupUI.py.

This group sets the file associations of the FlatCAM project and configuration files. It has two buttons: Apply Association writes the associations to the operating system, and Remove Association removes them. The group has no extension list.

Autocompleter Keywords

Source file: appGUI/preferences/utilities/AutoCompletePrefGroupUI.py.

The Keywords list holds the words that the autocompleter uses. The controls are Restore (restores the default list), Delete All (deletes all keywords), Add and Delete (add or delete the keyword in the Keyword box).

Option	Description	Default	Choices	Key
Keywords list	List of keywords used by the autocompleter in FlatCAM. The autocompleter is installed in the text editors.	Long list of keywords. See defaults.py.	Text (multi-line)	util_autocomplete_keywords

Advanced

• The tables show the stored value of each list in short form. Use the buttons of each group to change a list.
• To open files of a new type, see Importing Files.

See also

• Importing Files
• Projects
• Preferences Overview
• Preferences General
• Preferences Gerber
• Preferences Excellon
• Preferences Geometry
• Preferences CNCJob
• Preferences Plugins
• Tcl Shell