The program functionality is heavily based on use of different data and control files. Essential functions are file opening, saving and their settings.
Because the file paths and names are often quite long, program has several ways of shortening them. This can happen by replacing the beginning of the path with alias name ([user]\file.xyz), replacing the middle part of the path with three dots (c:\dir\...\file.xyz) or by using relative paths (dir\file.xyz).
Program knows three common alias names: [user], [common] and [program]. The first one [user] refers to user's own setting directory containing application settings and result files from program functions. By default this is My Documents/3D-system/3D-Win, but it can set to some other directory. User must have write rights to this directory. The second alias [common] refers often to the same directory as [user], can be set to point network directory common for all users. Setting and control files are then first searched from [common] directory and after that from [user] directory. Third alias [program] points to application installation directory. Program newer writes anything to [common] and [program] directories.
Second way of shortening paths is to replace the middle part with three dots. This is used in many dialog fields and in recently used file and directory menu lists. Subdirectories are removed from the middle of the path until it is short enough for given space. The middle part of the path is stored internally by the program and restored automatically, when the full path is needed. If the path in the dialog field contains three dots, it should not be edited directly, but through the adjacent browse button.
Attribute data attachments can use relative paths. The attribute itself contains only the name or latter part of the path (dir/file.pdf). The full path is then created by appending this attribute to the directory of the file containing attribute.
All three shortened paths can be expanded to the full length by pressing browse button with Alt-key modifer.
Application uses external programs for some purposes. The most important is text editor used for control file editing and displaying results.
Other programs are used for displaying some result files (e.g. rtf) and attribute attachments (e.g. pdf). By default application uses programs registered for handling given file extension.
Program installation creates common Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SOFTWARE \3D-system \Threedee. For each user the key HKEY_CURRENT_USER \SOFTWARE \3D-system \Threedee is created, when the program is started first time. However, these keys are not currently used for storing application settings.