Run TUFLOW Right-Click Windows XP

Introduction

This page describes the process to setup Windows XP to allow you to right click on a .tcf file in Windows Explorer and allow a TUFLOW simulation to be started. The method described in in the Windows 7 uses a free utility called FileMenu Tools and is also compatible with Windows XP.



1. Open Windows Exlorer and open the Folder Options dialog box by selecting Tools >> Folder Options
2. Go to the ‘File Types’ tab and click the ‘New’ button. Type in ‘TCF’ and click ‘OK’. Refer to the dialog below.
The TCF file is being associated with the TUFLOW engine (TUFLOW.exe), and with the text editor. This way, when we double click on a TCF file in Windows Explorer, it opens in the text editor. However, if we right click on the TCF file, the option to run TUFLOW directly from Windows Explorer appears.
3. Select the newly created TCF file type from the list and click ‘Advanced’ to open the Edit File Type dialog box below.
Create a new action to run TUFLOW as follows.
4. Click on the ‘New…’ button to open the New Action dialog box below.

5. Enter a description of the action, “Run TUFLOW”, into the ‘Action:’ text box.
6. Enter the file path to TUFLOW.exe or use the ‘Browse…’ button to locate it. If the file path has spaces in it, the entire string should be enclosed in quotation marks. After the file path, leave a space, then enter “%1” including the quotation marks. This tells TUFLOW that the TCF file to run is the one selected in Windows Explorer.
7. Click on ‘OK’.
8. If you wish, repeat this process to associate TCF files with the text editor you are using.
9. Click on ‘OK’ on the Folder Options dialog to return to Windows Explorer.

Conclusion

We’re now ready to run TUFLOW for the first time.