LIMITED LICENSE AGREEMENT

 

Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. hereby grants you, and you accept, a Limited License to use the software provided, user manual(s), and any related materials (collectively called the "Software" in this Agreement).  You may use the Software only on a single application site.  If you wish to use the Software on more than one site, you must either license an additional copy of the Software or request a multi-use license from Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc.  You may not transfer, sell, or sub license, either temporarily or permanently, you’re right to use the Software under this Agreement.  You as the sole licensed owner of the Software, may not transfer, sell, or sub license the Software to another party, without prior written notification from Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc.  Said sale, transfer or sub license to another party will require a new license agreement and license fee.

 

The Licensed Program, Reference Manual, product names, documentation and other support materials provided to you are either patented, copyrighted, trademarked or owned by Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. as trade secrets and/or proprietary information.  You agree not to take any actions in derogation of such rights and may not remove any product identification or notices of such proprietary restrictions from Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. products.  Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. retains exclusive ownership of its products and trademarks.

 

This License is effective from the date of acceptance and shall remain in full force until terminated.

 

If any of the terms and conditions of this Agreement are broken, Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. has the right to terminate the Agreement and demand that you return the Software to Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc.  At that time you must also certify, in writing that you have not retained any copies of the Software.

 

This Agreement is to be governed by, and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the United States and the Provinces of Canada.  Any terms or conditions of this Agreement found to be not enforceable, illegal, or contrary to public policy in any jurisdiction will be deleted, but will not affect the remaining terms and conditions of the Agreement.

DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT

 

All programs written by Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. are protected by United States and Canadian Copyright Law, and International Treaty provisions.  You must treat this software like you would treat a book.  This means that you may not make copies of this software for the purpose of giving it away, or selling it. There is one exception.  You may make archival copies of this software for the sole purpose of backing up this software and protecting your investment from loss.

 

Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. specifically disclaims all warranties, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, fitness for any particular application.  In no event shall Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. be liable for any loss of profit, or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

 

PRICE CONVERT (ELECTRONIC PRICE BOOK) DISCLAIMER

 

All price converts sent out are the most recent that Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. has been able to obtain through available channels.  Manufacturers may make available for other products more frequent updates, may make changes to pricing structure or dates of effectiveness or release dates to price books without us being notified.  In no event shall Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. be liable for any loss of profit, or any other commercial damage, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

 

In case of changes or discrepancies in price converts, the dealer should notify Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc., and provide verification of the change or discrepancy so corrections may be made in a timely manner.

 

Changes in price converts may result in additional releases and/or charges, as well as changes in support due to additional expenses incurred in processing and dispersing information.

LIMITED WARRANTY

 

Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. warrants all products from defects in material and workmanship under normal use by the original recipient for the lifetime of the original product beginning on the date of receipt.  During a one-year period, from date of receipt, any material or parts deemed defective will be replaced without charge unless damaged by misuse.  After the one-year period a nominal handling and shipping fee will be imposed.

 

PATHFINDER COMPUTER SYSTEMS, INC.

345 5th St. NE

Barberton, OH  44203

Phone: 330 928-1961

Fax: 330 928-0837

Technical Support: Tech@PathfinderCS.com

General Inquiries: Office@PathfinderCS.com

Sales:  Sales@PathfinderCS.com


RECOMMENDED SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

(or better)

 

·        700 MHz +, Pentium Class Processor

·        128 MB Ram (256 megabytes of RAM when using Windows 2000/ME/XP (Pro or Server).

·        Microsoft Windows 98/NT/2000/XP (Pro or Server)

°  Microsoft Windows XP Home and ME should only be used in single computer environments with pcs Odyssey.

·        1Gig byte continuous hard drive space (actual requirement may vary depending on Price files installed)

·        Floppy Drive

·        Internet connection with E-Mail (this is how you get software updates)

·        800x600x16M screen resolution

·        16X or better CD-ROM

·        Zip, Tape Drive or CDRW Backup (recommended) device

·        Networking – 10 Base T Ethernet (On-Board LAN is not recommended) NO WIRELESS

·        Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)

·        Laser or Ink Jet printer recommended (Dot Matrix printer workable)

 

GENERAL INFORMATION

 

Please NOTE:  All software updates are available only through our Web site.  We do not send software updates on disk.  See section on ‘Obtaining Software Updates’.

 

It is expected that the user will have a basic understanding of the Windows operating system that is installed on their computer.  This includes (but not limited to) the understanding of mouse movements and use, dialog boxes, drop down menus, selection buttons, the <Tab> key and navigating the on board ‘HELP’.

 

When pcs Odyssey is first started, the Pathfinder logo and the program options appear on the screen.  The drop down menus on the Menu Bar has less commonly used features. 

 

If your system does not have a mouse, see the Windows ‘HELP’ documentation for other methods of navigating windows.

 

The screen layout is designed for 640 x 480 resolution (800 x 600 recommended).  Increasing to a higher resolution decreases font size. This is not changeable.  Colors used are taken from the Windows setup.

 

Many of the scrolling tables in pcs Odyssey (Windows terminology now calls it a browse box), have a locator field.  The locator field is a small box above the browse box.  By typing in a value in the locator field then that value is found within the table.  The locator is also capable of doing a “fuzzy” search.  A “fuzzy” search provides a way of getting close to information without knowing or entering it all.  Enter the first few characters of a name, say “JO”; the locator bar will highlight the closest match “JONES”.  Clicking on the locator field empties it, and moves the highlight bar to the browse box’s first entry.

 

Information displayed on any screen that appears grayed out is not accessible.  Some of this information may be available depending on selections made.

 

Lookup button:

  ¬ This is a lookup button.  It is located in many places in pcs Odyssey.  Left clicking on the lookup button provides access to a database of selections for the entry field it is located by.  For example, the screen asks:

                        Customer: __________________

If you can’t remember the customer name or need to add a new one, click on the lookup button to find, add, or change the customer.

 

Toolbars:

Toolbars are horizontal areas at the top of the screen that either have button or menu selections.  In Odyssey, these are the 2nd and 3rd gray horizontal bars at the top of the screen.  These cannot be changed.

The first toolbar - Three of the drop down menus, File, Edit and Window  are a part of the Windows environment itself, not a part of pcs Odyssey.  The user should refer to the Windows documentation regarding the usage of File, Edit, Window and Help. The Archiving button allows the moving of all invoices (Invoicing, Work Order & Rental), for a specified date range, into an Archive data file.  This helps reduce processing time in the main data files during daily use.  The E-Mail button allows mass E-Mailing selected customers an E-Mail.

 

The second toolbar - These buttons allow for quick access, at any time, to many of the more popular features. The large buttons to the center left are where you should primarily access the software.  The toolbar buttons should be used ONLY when you are in the middle of doing some other process and do not want to back out of.

 

The pcs Odyssey program was designed so that more than one person could use it at a time over a LAN (Local Area Network) for looking up information, etc.  However, there are some activities (mostly updates) that require exclusive access.  If the system ever needs exclusive access, the user receives a warning and cannot continue until processing is done.  If the user is not running pcs Odyssey on a network, the warnings are not displayed.

 

The terms price file and price book will be used synonymously in the pcs Odyssey program help files and documentation.

INSTALLATION:

 

The disk(s) you have received contain pcs Odyssey programs, databases, and price files.

 

The pcs Odyssey install program creates a folder on the computer’s hard disk and loads the data and program files to the hard drive. The software will install into a folder named \ODY.  The Base System will occupy approximately 15 megabytes of disk space on your hard drive.  Each price file installed will occupy additional disk space in a folder called \SYSCCA.

 

NOTE:  Wireless networking IS NOT supported for use with pcs Odyssey.

 

It is STRONGLY recommended that you run “Scandisk” and “Disk Defragmenter” before pcs Odyssey is installed.

 

NOTE:  Windows XP Home IS NOT recommended for use with pcs Odyssey.

 

To install under Windows 98, Millennium, NT, 2000 or XP (Pro or Server):

It is strongly recommended to disable ALL power management options under the Windows environment.  All options should be set to 'Never'.  (These setting can be found under the Control Panel, Power Management)

 

Preparing the network server (Peer to Peer or dedicated server).

 

When using Windows networking, the following protocols MUST be used when configuring your network (server and work stations):  NetBIOS is NOT the same as NetBEUI.

                                                     TCP/IP

                                                     NetBEUI

For Windows XP (Pro or Server):

                                                     NetBEUI Protocol 2

                                                     Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

 

 

2 By default the NetBEUI protocol is not included in the Windows protocol list.  It is located on the Windows XP master disk folder \ValueAdd\MSFT\NET\NETBEUI and should be extracted.  If however you are unable to find the NetBEUI installer, we have provided it on the pcs Odyssey installation disk.  It is located in a folder called NetBeui4XP.

 

For Windows XP, 2000 (Pro or Server):

Write Cache - Write Cache must be disabled on all computers (Work stations and server).  The following is the general procedure for disabling Write Cache:

Right Click My Computer on the Desktop

                                    Select Properties

                                    Select Hardware Tab

                                    Under Device Manager, select Device Manager Button

                                    Select Disk Drives

                                    Right Click the first Drive

                                    Select Properties

                                    Select Disk Properties Tab

                                    Disable Write Cache (uncheck box)

                                    Repeat for all drives

Drive Compression - Under no conditions, should drive compression be used.

Screen Savers – It is NOT recommended to use a screen saver that has passwording enabled.

 

           

CRITICAL INFORMATION:

1)     When setting up a shared drive name, don’t get fancy with the name.  Leave the name as displayed when share is selected. (i.e. C, D, E, etc.)  Failure to follow this setup WILL cause connection problems when using 3rd party Graphical interface programs.

2)     When creating a shortcut for pcs Odyssey, use only a mapped drive.  DO NOT use a virtual drive or UNC (Universal Naming Convention) as this can lead to network lockups and data file corruption.

3)     Under no circumstances is the \ODY folder to be mapped as a drive OR to be placed in a sub folder.  The \ODY folder must be off the root of the installed drive.  The entire drive must be accessible to all workstations as there are multiple folders on the drive that pcs Odyssey must have available. Failure to follow this setup WILL result in data file corruption.

 

Insert appropriate disk into your computer disk drive.  Close all running programs.  If the disk does not automatically start the installation program, then click on the Start button.  Then select the Run… option.

 

For CD-ROM disks:  At the Open: prompt, type D:SETUP (or replace with your CD-ROM drive letter) and left click on ‘OK’.

 

For floppy disks:  At the Open: prompt, type A:SETUP (or replace with your floppy drive letter) and left click on ‘OK’.

 

Once the SETUP program starts, it will ask for a drive letter to install to.  Choose the appropriate drive letter and click on the OK button.  Follow any additional instructions given by the SETUP program.

 

For the pcs Odyssey program, a Pathfinder program group and desktop icon will be created.

 

To run the software after installation, double click on the pcs Odyssey icon.

 

Installing the pcs Odyssey icon on work stations (other computers) on the network:

This procedure will describe how to create a short cut on the Windows desktop.

 

Each workstation MUST have a mapped drive to the server.  See CRITICAL INFORMATION previously described.

 

  1) Find a blank area on the desktop and click once with the right mouse button.

  2) From the drop down menu, left click on NEW.

  3) From the next drop down menu, left click on SHORTCUT.

  4) A ‘Create Shortcut’ box will be displayed.  Left click on the BROWSE button.

  5) The ‘Browse’ box is displayed.  From the LOOK IN selection, find the server drive that has the pcs Odyssey program or \ODY folder.

  6) Once the correct drive is located, find a folder called ODY and double click the left button on the ODY folder to select.

  7) Just below the folders is a box labeled FILE NAME, click once with the left button in the box.  Now type in the name ODYSSEY, then left click on OPEN.

  8)  Now, left click on NEXT, then left click on FINISH.

  9) The pcs Odyssey icon will be placed on the desktop.

 

It is strongly recommended that you perform data maintenance on your system at least once per week.  This would consist of running:

Generally, pcs Odyssey is the most commonly accessed program on the hard drive and thus the most spread out.  This system maintenance will help prevent cross-linked or lost files, thus optimizing software performance and reducing the occurrence of data errors.

 

Backup your data on a daily basis. If your data gets lost or corrupt and you have no current backup you will have to re-enter everything.  A recent backup reduces downtime in the event of lost or corrupt data.

 

Installation Check List:  (This insures the integrity of your data)

Make a copy of this page, check that each requirement has been done, have the page signed off, and fax back to Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. at 330 928-0837.

 

qPower management disabled

qTCP/IP installed

qNetBeui installed

qWrite Cache disabled

qScreen savers not used and disabled

qDrive compression not used

qEach workstation has a mapped drive to the server (no UNC)

qDrive where pcs Odyssey (and related folders) are installed is fully shared and accessable by all work stations.

qpcs Odyssey installed.

qShort cuts to pcs Odyssey have letters, not UNCs

qBackup device (preferably a CD writer) installed on a suitable computer to provide a backup of the pcs Odyssey software at Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. request. (other optional devices are, ZIP 100 or 250, QIC tapes up to 10Gig)

qUPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) installed on each computer and network switch.

 

 

 

 

            _____________________________________________________________

            Signed:

 

 

            _____________________________________________________________

            Company:

GETTING STARTED

 

Registration and New Company Database:

When you start the pcs Odyssey program the very first time, you will be asked to create a new ‘Company Database’.

1) The first line asks to enter a ‘Name’.  Enter your company name.

2) If you are a STANPAK customer, click on ‘Install Data using Stanpak Information’.

3) Click on ‘Use new data to start my own business system’.

4) Click on ‘OK’.

Before pcs Odyssey can be used, you must register your copy of the software. 

1) First time you run pcs Odyssey, you will be asked to enter your “Computer Login Name”.  Enter a name 5-8 characters long then click on ‘Login’.  (NOTE:  The name entered is usually the same as the one assigned to your computer.  However, any name will work as long as it is not duplicated by another name on your network.)  This question will be asked for each workstation that pcs Odyssey is installed on.

2) Click on Setup then the {General} button.

3) Enter your company name, address and other information.  Click on ‘OK’ to exit this section.

4) At the top left of the screen, click on ‘File’ then select ‘Registration code’.

5) Call Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. (330 928-1961) for your registration number.

6) If you are a STANPAK customer, you will also need to enable your STANPAK option, if not already enabled.

7) Continue with the following.

 

The following information is a brief outline of the steps needed to get up and running.

For detailed information, click on the ‘Help’ button on each screen.

 For help on an individual field, press the <F1> key.

Some basic information has been provided in the program as starting areas and examples.

 

At the minimum, the following steps (Steps 1, 3, and 4) must be completed prior to using the system.  Steps 5 and 6 can be done at the time an invoice is created.  Step 7 should be done before using Work Orders.

 

For Detailed “HOW TO” help, please left click on the Help at the top of the pcs Odyssey screen.  From the drop down menu left click on the “How To” Help selection.  The ‘Help’ will list each section of the program.  Double click on (lets say) Inventory.  This will present a list of How To’s.  Make your selection.

 

Setups:                                                                                                         Step 1

Click on Setup, then the {General Setup} button.  Click on each folder tab and fill in or select the information requested (if applicable).

General Tab:  Provides basic information on your company.  This information will be used on system-generated invoices.

·          The system default taxes are the taxes to be used as the primary tax for each customer and for cash sales.  To change this tax or add new taxes, click on the button to the right of the tax code box.  Be sure to check your tax rates. NOTE:  See section on How Taxes Work

·           Your Federal ID number and default Payment terms.

·           The “Next Customer Number” is the number automatically assigned to the next new customer.

·           The “Next Purchase Order” is the number automatically assigned to the next new purchase order.

·           The “Next Invoice Number” is the number automatically assigned to the next new invoice, work order or rental agreement.

 

                        Cost Display area:

When the inventory or price file display screen is shown, these selections allow part cost to be displayed as follows:

Don’t Show Cost - No cost is displayed on the screen at all.  This is the default.

Show Cost- Displays ‘Issue Cost’ - Displays normal issue cost.

Show Cost as - If your cost is $12.00 this option will display it as        00001200.  It makes it a bit more difficult for a customer to know the cost, but still allows you to know the cost.  Same as 'Don't Show Cost' for the price file display screen.

 

·  “Flash Customer Notes”.  If the customer record has notes placed in the note section, checking this option displays those notes when selecting a customer for Invoicing, Work Order or Rental.  Shows only on the screen.

·  “Used in Canada”.  If you are a Canadian customer, check this option to change some of the displays for postal codes and provinces.

·  “Misc Charge Defaults”.  This allows setting default charges and tax status for the ‘Miscellaneous Charges’ option in Customer Invoicing, Work Orders and Rental.

 

Accounting Tab:

·        Default account numbers used in various places in the system.  These accounts are required even if you do not have the accounting package.  These Accounts can NOT be removed and should never be changed.

·        Change Accounting Password button provides basic passwording for the accounting modules only.

·        Chart of Accounts button provides access for changing or adding accounts.

IF THE ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE MODULE IS INSTALLED:

·        Date of Last Statement Run: - This allows you to view or change (check with Pathfinder Computer Systems, Inc. before changing) the date you last ran statements.

·        Accounts Receivable Statement Message: - This allows you to place specific information on each statement and is independent of the 'Statement Messages' in Accounts Receivable.  You can use this for advertising, holiday notifications, etc.

 

Printers Tab

l Use a default invoice printer selection.  Checking this allows you to set a specific printer to be used for printing invoices.  Click on the ‘Select’ button and the windows printer dialog box will be shown.  Select your printer from this selection and click on ‘OK’.  If you are using a 40-column ticket printer and want it to always be your default printer, check the box after the ‘Select’ button.

 

l Use a default work order printer selection.  Checking this allows you to set a specific printer to be used for printing work orders (not work order invoice, or work sheet).  Click on the ‘Select’ button and the windows printer dialog box will be shown.  Select your printer from this selection and click on ‘OK’.

 

IF THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE MODULE IS INSTALLED, the following setup is for Check Printing (on a Dot Matrix printer) only.

 

NOTE: Printer control codes may use extended ASCII characters to allow for a large number of commands.  To setup control codes in pcs Odyssey, you will need to know the DECIMAL value of the ASCII characters.  These values are always between 0 and 255.

 

Printing checks under Accounts Payable using a dot matrix printer requires the following setup.  Click on the Accounts Payable tab.  Select your printer by clicking ‘Fill Using Presets’ and finding the name in the drop-down.  You should notice the control codes filled in.  Click ‘OK’ to save your changes.

 

If Your Printer Is Not Listed In Presets:

You will need to find the control codes for setting page length in your printer manual.  Do to the number of printers and variety of control codes, we cannot provide you with control codes.  Setting page length is usually done by a simple code sequence and ending in an n value. The n is NOT a literal “n” but instead a variable representing the length you would like to set.  For our checks you will need to set the n variable to 7”.


 


Setup for IBM/Epson

 


Some printers such as the Okidata Microline series use two n values (n1, n2).  In this case you will need to set the n values to represent a number between 0-99.  On the Microline, page length is set in ½” increments and therefore need a value of 14 to make a 7” page.  n1 on the Microline is ASCII value of 1 (49) and n2 is the ASCII value of 4 (52).

 


Setup for Okidata Microline mode

 

You will also need to provide reset codes to clear the changed page length after printing checks.  This can often be achieved by simply sending the same code sequence, but replace the n value with 11” instead of 7”.

 


 


            Reset Page Length