General Questions

Sometimes it is not easy to boil down pros and cons before you buy, while other times it is a gut-level decision. In order to help address issues that customers may contemplate before making the decision, let's take a look at what can occur while evaluating MasterDRAIN trial version or what may just cross your mind.

• Do I need any prior knowledge?
• A lot depends on what you want to do with the program. A basic knowledge of drainage design and its vocabulary is important, along with a working knowledge of the Windows operating system. More advanced usage will require a deeper knowledge of the intricacies of drainage design. Remember that this is not an exact science and invert levels to the millimetre exist only in the mind of the perfectionist! Help is always available at the end of a phone.

• How do I install this product?
• Firstly check that the default Windows folders (Documents) have not been redirected to another location, such as on a server. See the 'Before you start' sheet. If these are correct, place the CD in your drive and let it install in the default directories. If incorrect, either install on a stand-alone computer such as a laptop, or consult your network manager.

• Setting folders
• You will need to set the data directory for the program to store data in - use the default Documents/Mstdrain data folder. This can be reset at any time if you wish to use a specific folder to store data for a particular job. The Images directory should also be set - this is C:\Program Files (x86)\Mstdrain\Images. Use the Options dropdown in the SW program to set the Data directory or the Options dropdown in the Hydrology program to set both directories.

• What about upgrades?
• Upgrades may be downloaded through the program by going to the Help dropdown and clicking on Upgrade program. This will need a live internet connection. Make sure that no other Masterdrain program is running. When the calling program is closed, the setup program runs. This copies all program files into a backup directory C:\Program Files (x86)\Mstdrain\Backup and then installs the new files. There is no charge for the upgrade. Upgrades should be made every couple of weeks to get the latest additions and the rare bug fix.

• What about FEH data
• FEH data is available from the FEH web site at a cost. This is currently £25 per 'enquiry' and is paid for by using pre-purchased credits.
  The config file has the facility to store FEH data as well as FSR data - once you have the FEH data, just use the 'Edit config' function in the Hydrology program to enter it.
  See list of useful web pages .
• I get faults and error messages
• These are mostly due to the Data or Images directories not being set. Network drives can also cause this to happen as the programs cannot find the one file they need to start up. Should this happen please contact Masterdrain immediately (01983 740064) or email to support@mstdrain.co.uk. Messages such as 'Permission denied' indicate that you do not have sufficient privileges to carry out the task - you should take this up with your network administrator as there is nothing that we can do about this.

• Test the installation
• a) Run the SW program. Click on Files\Edit file and load a demonstration SW file. The screen will display the data for the first section. The data directory is correct.
  
  b) Run the Hydrology program. Click on Hydrology\Manual reference\Set and type in a National grid reference with two letters and four figures e.g. TQ2575. Click on OK - the reference is displayed in the status bar. Click on Maps\Show 4 maps and the screen should display the four Wallingford maps that contain the reference- marked by a red cross. The display on the right shows an enlarged image around the mouse pointer. The Images directory has been correctly set.

• How do I use the programs?
• a) SW Help. To see how to run a function, click on the blue Q button in the toolbar, then click on the required function in the drop down menu. A dialog box is displayed with short instructions. If there is a 'more>>>>' at the bottom of the dialog, clicking on this will give detailed instructions from a PDF file (loads Acrobat automatically). This is a work in progress and new PDFs are continually being added.
  
  b) The Hydrology and Foul programs still use the older workbooks - these are PDFs and can be loaded from Accessories\Show workbook. These will be changed to be similar to the SW help.
  
  c) A lot of dialogs have a ? next to the red X close box. Click on this and the cursor will change shape to a question mark. Click on an item in the dialog box and a short description of the control function is displayed.

• Are there training facilities?
• We will always advisee over the phone for urgent enquiries. If you email a problem, please include the SW data file so that we can replicate the problem on our computers. Skype is an option that has been used successfully. We have software that will let us take over your machine and demonstrate the program or fix a problem - your firewall and computer security must allow this but it is generally better to do this on a stand-alone machine connected directly to the internet. On-site training is available for the cost of expenses incurred.

• What happens at the end of the trial period.
• The programs will stop running at the end of the trial period. If you wish to purchase the program, contact us for the current price and terms of sale. The three month trial period should be long enough to see whether or not this program is of use in your business. If you purchase before the end of the trial period the program will just continue running. If you decide that these programs are not suitable for your use, just uninstall them in the usual manner using Control Panel.