Opening Project Files

Opening a project file in the same software version in which it was saved, with or without results, is straight forward and there are several methods to open a file.

See the Saving Project Files topic for useful details about saving a project file to include calculated results.

Starting with Thermo-Calc version 2022b, all older project files including results generated and saved in Thermo-Calc versions 2015a to 2022a, can only be opened with results in the original software version. You can still open a project file without results and then re-perform the calculation. However, this can require a review and update to the settings and configurations, especially if there is a wide gap between versions.

For old project files being opened in a different software version, see the topic Converting Project Files to a Newer Version of Thermo‑Calc, where you can also learn about regenerating the results and the automatic creation of backup files in these instances.

Opening Project Files in the Same Version of Thermo-Calc

  1. To open a project file with or without results in the same version of the software in which it was created, choose a method below:
    • On the toolbar, click the Open Open File button button.
    • From the main menu, select File → Open File button Open Project.
    • Press <Ctrl+O> (Windows) or < ⌘ + O> (macOS).
  2. On the Open File window review the checkboxes that control global plot themes and results:
    • By default the Apply plot theme from Tools/Options checkbox is selected and depends on whether the global setting checkbox is also selected on the Options window, which applies a predefined or custom theme globally to the project file. Click to deselect the checkbox to keep the original plot design in your project file. For more information about the settings, see About Project Files and Plot Themes for additional details.
    • For macOS users, Tools/Options refers to the Options window, which is accessed differently. Select Thermo-Calc <version> → Preferences or press <⌘> on the keyboard.
    • By default the Open project with results if present checkbox is selected. Click to deselect the checkbox if you want to exclude results for a file saved in the same version of the software.
  3. If you are opening an older project file with results (in which case the file is converted), you are prompted by a secondary window that includes related version information and options to continue or not. Even if the checkbox is selected, old project files still cannot be opened with results. See Converting Project Files to a Newer Version of Thermo‑Calc.
  4. When you are ready, navigate to the file on your computer and click Open.

Navigate to the project file on your computer then choose between these methods:

  • In an open instance of Thermo-Calc, drag and drop it into the Project window. This replaces any other project already open.
  • Double-click to open it. This launches a new instance of Thermo‑Calc.

The checkbox controls Open project with results if present and Apply plot theme from Tools/Options are not available when dragging and dropping or double-clicking to open.

For macOS users, Tools/Options is the same as the Preferences menu that accesses the Options window.

For old projects with results, and if you are dragging and dropping or double-clicking to open, you are also prompted to decide what to do next. See Converting Project Files to a Newer Version of Thermo‑Calc.

Opening Recent Project Files

Select File → Open Recent Project and choose from the list of projects. Up to the last 10 projects are listed and numbered in the order in which they were last opened. You can click Clear Recent Projects to reset the list.

About Project Files and Plot Themes

When opening project files, a predefined or custom plot theme can be automatically applied to all plots. There are two checkboxes that control this, one is a global setting and one is a local setting applied to a specific file as it is opened.

If you double-click or drag and drop to open a project file it automatically uses the global settings in Thermo-Calc (which may or may not be to apply a theme). This means you may inadvertently apply a theme to your plots without realizing it.

On the Open File window, the Apply plot theme from Tools/Options checkbox is selected by default and applies a theme locally to the specific project file being opened. Click to clear the checkbox to allow the specific file to keep existing plot settings.

If this checkbox is selected or cleared it only applies to the specific project file being opened, i.e. the global settings Apply the selected theme to opened file [.tcu] checkbox on the Tools → Options window does not change.

For macOS users, Tools/Options is the same as the Preferences menu that accesses the Options window.

See Working with Plot Themes for the details about how the checkbox interacts with its counterpart.

If you have a project file with calculated results and local settings applied to plots i.e. applied from the Visualizations window to a specific plot via the Plot Properties settings window, then click to clear the local setting as you open the file using Apply plot theme from Tools/Options checkbox. Otherwise the default global settings are applied to all plots and you would need to individually change these settings back to your original design. Alternatively, experiment with applying a predefined theme, e.g. Publication, as this could be sufficient for your final output.

Opening Project Files Including Results and with Different GES Versions

When projects with calculated results created with a different Gibbs Energy System (GES) version than selected from the Options window, the results are discarded as these are not 100% compatible.

GES6 (Version 6 is the default, but some may be using GES5 (Version 5). See Global General Settings for more information.