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See bug #146330 comment #10. Specifically the intent is for the default directory in the file chooser to be set to the parent of the selected file.
In core-main #d93590275223 (for post-7.0 builds) I introduced a flag -J-Dnetbeans.openfile.197063=true which restores the 6.8 behavior for the more limited case that the file selection is in fact an open editor window (as opposed to e.g. an accidental node selection in the Projects tab). This would likely not be triggered in e.g. wobster's use case of setting up a tool, but it will be triggered when you probably want it - when browsing files located somewhere arbitrary on disk, if you ask to open a new file you probably are interested in something nearby. (Emacs's C-x C-f sensibly works this way.) If the flag proves desirable enough, a GUI option might be useful, though I am not sure where you would put it or what you would label it; or this could be the standard behavior.
Integrated into 'main-golden', will be available in build *201103250400* on http://bits.netbeans.org/dev/nightly/ (upload may still be in progress) Changeset: http://hg.netbeans.org/main/rev/d93590275223 User: Jesse Glick <jglick@netbeans.org> Log: #197063: File > Open should start from edited file where applicable. Currently controlled just by a system option.