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## 5 Customization: `.geomview` files

When Geomview is started, it loads and executes commands in a system-wide startup file named `.geomview`. This file is in the `data` subdirectory of the Geomview distribution directory and contains GCL commands to configure Geomview in a way common to all users on the system.

Next, Geomview looks for the file `~/.geomview` (`~` stands for your home directory). You can use this to configure your own default Geomview behavior to suit your tastes.

After reading `~/.geomview`, Geomview looks for a file named `.geomview` in the current directory. If such a file exists Geomview reads it, unless it is the same as `~/.geomview` (which would be the case if you are running Geomview from your home directory). You can use the current directory's `.geomview` to create a Geomview customization specific to a certain project.

You can use `.geomview` files to control all kinds of things about Geomview. They can contain any valid GCL statements. Especially useful is the `ui-panel` command which controls the initial placement of Geomview's panels. For an example see the system-wide `.geomview` file mentioned above. See GCL. See `(ui-panel ...)`.

It is a good idea to enclose all the commands you put in a `.geomview` file in a `progn` statement in order to cause Geomview to execute them all at once. Otherwise Geomview might execute them sequentially over the first few refresh cycles after starting up.

To change, e.g. the focus policy of the camera window such that they pick up the focus policy of the window manager (instead of being activated when the mouse cursor crosses the window), you could put the following in your `~/.geomview` file:

         (progn
           (ui-cam-focus focus-change)
           ... # other stuff
         )

You can put any valid `GCL` command into your `.geomview` files,see GCL. See `(progn ...)`. See `(ui-cam-focus ...)`.