FAQ: Configuring Recognition of External CAD Formats in Windows

Unable to double click files in Windows to automatically launch SpaceClaim

• External formats such as IGES, STEP, etc are not recognized as file types that should be automatically opened in SpaceClaim when double clicking a file in Windows Explorer
• Setting the file association manually from the Properties is unavailable or does not remain in place

This issue is related to a missing or outdated value in the Windows registry.  The root cause is usually insufficient user permissions at the time of installation, or changes to the Windows registry being blocked by an antivirus program.

The exact value of the registry key is variable, because each user’s PC will have a different string for the User ID.  The highlighted area below will vary from one PC to the next.

The key that needs to be modified is:

HKEY_USERSSoftwareClassesApplicationsSpaceClaim.exeshellopencommand

The key is named (Default)

Use Ctrl + F to search the HKEY_USERS folder for the value of the key.

Search for: spaceclaim.exe” “%1” 

(there should be no “ before spaceclaim.exe)

There may be multiple entries that turn up that value

Ignore any entries located in folders for other programs, such as ANSYS17, ANSYS18, etc.

The value of the registry key should be* :

“C:Program FilesSpaceClaim 2019.2spaceclaim.exe” “%1”

It may be necessary to look through the various HKEY_USERS folders to find the right one.  For example, the folder name may look something like:

S-1-2-34-567890123-456789012-345678901-234567

*For future releases, the file path simply needs to be updated to reflect the installation folder file path.