The ensight_reader_extension.map file is used to associate file naming conventions with a reader within EnSight. This association allows EnSight to use automatically select a reader for specific files. The Drag and Drop system uses this mechanism to properly identify datasets for example. A default version of this file is provided with the EnSight distribution and is placed in the $CEI/ensight251/site_preferences directory. A user can override this file by placing their own version of the file in their private EnSight preference directory (see the section introduction for pathname details).

Historically, EnSight looked explicitly at the filename extension, hence the name of the file, but limitations of this approach with modern filesystem and common file naming schemes have required the use of more generic filename comparison schemes. The extension map file uses filename wildcard matching known as globbing. The EnSight wildcards include * for any number of character and ? for a single character.

A description of the format is contained in the file itself. A portion of the file is given below (it contains only a few file formats, but it should be easy to see how this file is formatted). The file begins with the line 'EnSight file extension to format association file':

EnSight file extension to format association file

Version 1.0 
# 
# Comment lines start with a # 
# 
# The format of this file is as follows: 
# 
# READER_NAME: reader name as it appears in the Format chooser in the 
#              EnSight Data Reader dialog 
# 
# NUM_FILE_1: the number of file_1_ext lines to follow 
# 
# FILE_1_EXT: a 'glob' expression for the first filename 
#             There should be one definition after the :  
#             Multiple FILE_1_EXT lines may exist 
# 
# NUM_FILE_2: the number of file_2_ext lines to follow 
# 
# FILE_2_EXT: the 'glob' expression for a second file that will act as  
#             the result file. This is only used for formats that require  
#             two filenames. As with FILE_1_EXT, there may be multiple 
#             FILE_2_EXT lines. 
# 
# ELEMENT_REP: A keyword that describes how the parts will be  
#              loaded (all parts will be loaded the same way). 
#              One of the following: 
#                  "3D border, 2D full" 
#                  "3D feature, 2D full" 
#                  "3D nonvisual, 2D full" 
#                  "Border" 
#                  "Feature angle" 
#                  "Bounding Box" 
#                  "Full" 
#                  "Volume" 
#                  "Non Visual" 
#               If the ELEMENT_REP option is not set then  
#               "3D border, 2D" full is used 
# 
# READ_BEFORE: (optional) The name of a command file to play before reading 
# the file(s) 
# 
# READ_AFTER: (optional) The name of a command file to read after loading 
# the parts  
# Definition for Case files  
READER_NAME: Case 
NUM_FILE_1: 3 
FILE_1_EXT: *.case 
FILE_1_EXT: *.encas 
FILE_1_EXT: *.enc 
ELEMENT_REP: 3D feature, 2D full  
# Definition for EnSight5 files  
READER_NAME: EnSight 5 
NUM_FILE_1: 2 
FILE_1_EXT: *.geo 
FILE_1_EXT: *.geom 
NUM_FILE_2: 4 
FILE_2_EXT: *.res 
FILE_2_EXT: *.res 
FILE_2_EXT: *.results 
FILE_2_EXT: *.RESULTS 
ELEMENT_REP: 3D border, 2D full  
# Definition for Nastran files  
READER_NAME: Nastran OP2 
NUM_FILE_1: 2 
FILE_1_EXT: *.op2 
FILE_1_EXT: *.mop 
ELEMENT_REP: 3D border, 2D full  
# Definition for LS-Dyna files  
READER_NAME: LS-DYNA3D 
NUM_FILE_1: 2 
FILE_1_EXT: *d3plot* 
FILE_1_EXT: *.d3p 
ELEMENT_REP: 3D border, 2D full