Faast3 Downloadable New User or Update Kit Installation & Getting Started Instructions Faast-3 for PC-386 (and higher) Personal Computers, using Windows or DOS Release 3.3L, May, 1999 (applicable to later releases until superseded) Page Contents ---- -------- 1 I. Installation General Instructions ... 2 II. Creating a Target Directory or Folder for Faast ... 3 III. Installing Faast ... 4 IV. Installing the Optional Windows Icon for Faast ... 5 V. Running Faast-3 (Testing with the Demonstration Problem) ... 7 VI. Understanding the Demonstration Problem ... 9 VII. Getting Started with Faast-3 ... 11 VIII. Viewing and/or Printing your Faast results ... 12 IX. Testing your 386, 486, & pentium PC high-memory environment ... I. Installation General Instructions ... ---------------------------------------- Hardware: --------- Running Faast-3 requires your computer to have a processor which is compatible with a 386, or higher, at least 2 Megabytes of memory, and a hard-disk with at least 5 Megabytes of available space, plus one industry-standard floppy disk drive if installing from disk. Faast-3, release 3.3L, supports both color and monochrome video graphic systems, and if run under DOS, Faast-3, releases with identification fields similar to "3.3L-PCx" (but not "3.3L-WNx"), support dual monitor systems (color and monochrome at the same time). Operating Systems: ------------------ Faast-3, release 3.3L-PCx, may be installed for MS-DOS, PC-DOS, MS-Win 3.x, and Win-9x/XP (and other systems, such as OS/2, at your own risk). Due to a known con- flict, releases with "-PC" in the identification field will not operate under Windows-NT4. A separate release ("-WNx") is available for use on NT4. When using any version of Windows, you have the choice of running Faast-3 from a window icon, from the "Run" command, from a "DOS window", or from the DOS prompt. Release Identification: ----------------------- Each release of Faast-3, whether distributed on floppy disk or electronically transmitted, has a release identification field, which ends in a letter indicating the version, for example: "3.3L-PCE", meaning, in this example: "release 3.3, revision L, PC Extended version". This legend also appears on-screen and in print files. User Identification: -------------------- Each license validation file (F3LICENS.VAL) and each distribution disk has a user serial number which identifies the licensed user to whom it was issued. Subsequent updates to the same user will bear the same number. Distribution Disks: -------------------- If you received Faast-3 on a floppy disk, under NO circumstances tamper with the "write-protect" on the distribution disk. This is either a foil covering a notch on 5-1/4" floppy disks or a sliding tab on 3-1/2" disks. Always store distribution disks in a safe place, where they won't be bent or damaged, and away from sources of heat, cold, magnetism, dirt and moisture. We CAN remake damaged distribution disks, but a charge will be made if the write-protect has been altered or the disk was damaged after leaving our offices. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 2. Distribution over Internet: --------------------------- New releases of Faast may be sent to you by internet email, or downloaded by you from our web page using the FTP protocol (activated by a web-page link). Installation Files: ------------------- Faast-3 is installed from a "self-extracting", compressed library file, called FST3INST.EXE, delivered as a file which may be "emailed" or "downloaded" over the internet. When "run", the installation file expands and creates certain files on your currently active hard disk directory. These files can also be individually extracted with the popular "PKUNZIP" utility program, if it were necessary to reinstall a single file. In the discussions which follow, the symbol [return] or [enter] means you should press the CARRIAGE RETURN key, which may be labeled RETURN or ENTER or labeled with a cryptic arrow, depending on your keyboard. Need help? Call, write, or email to us at ... Email support@faast.com. Telephone 925-381-8057 (California time = Greenwich -8) Write Faast Software, 3062 East Avenue, Livermore CA 94550 USA II. Creating a Target Directory or Folder for Faast ... ------------------------------------------------------ If this is a new installation, create a separate directory (or "folder") for the Faast system. We suggest using: C:\FAAST3 as the target location. The Windows ".PIF" and ".GRP" files are pre-configured for this working directory. If you are going to install the Windows icon, it is important that you use this location, or be willing to edit the ".PIF" and ".GRP" files to use a different location (instructions for editing the PIF and GRP files are on page 4 under "Installing a Windows Icon"). Creating directories (or folders) is done with the DOS MKDIR command at the DOS prompt, or with the "Create Directory ..." option in the Windows 3.x File Manager "FILE" menu, or Win-9x/XP "My Computer" screen or "Start/Run/CMD" screen in XP. To make a first-level directory (folder) called FAAST3 at the DOS prompt or Windows' "FILE/RUN" command line, type this: MKDIR C:\FAAST3 [return], or in the Windows "FILE/Create Directory ..." dialog box, type: C:\FAAST3 [return]. Then designate this directory (folder) to be your current, active directory by using the DOS CD command, or by using "File Manager" in Windows 3.x or the "My Computer" screen in Win-95/98/XP. Faast-3 program files are installed onto your active disk and directory (folder), so verify that you are "in" the correct directory. In Windows, use FILE MANAGER to verify the active folder. You may also use the DOS DIR command. Both will display the current drive and directory name, plus any file names in that directory. A newly created directory should show only the entries "." and ".." in the DIR command display, but usually nothing in Windows File Manager display. If you need more information on how to make or change directories, please refer to your computer's operating system reference manuals. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 3. III. Installing Faast ... ------------------------- Update Installations: --------------------- Before installation, make sure that you have "back-up" copies of all files from any earlier Faast release. Look at the file list below, and decide whether to delete, rename, move, or overwrite any old, conflicting files. Avoid overwriting your existing .CFG, .GRP, and .PIF files since these files may have been customized by you, and you would lose the changes. Be sure that all old, conflicting files have been moved, renamed or have "read-write" status. If a conflicting file is write-protected, then over- writing (and the installation) will fail. Read-write status is set with the DOS ATTRIB command (use the "-r" option) or Windows FILE/Properties menu. You will be prompted whether to overwrite any conflicting existing file. To overwrite a file respond Y, while to not overwrite, respond N. All Installations: ------------------ A. The installation program installs all files to your currently active disk drive and directory (folder), therefore your hard disk and desired directory must be the currently active drive and directory at the time of installation. If installing from within Windows, the compressed library installation file must be located in the target directory or folder. If this file is not in the target directory, move or copy it from its current location (e.g. your internet folder) to the target directory before installing. Use the Windows File Manager or "My Computer" screen, or the MS-DOS window to move or copy the installation file to the target directory. B. IF INSTALLING FROM DOS, go to step D.1. below. C. IF USING WINDOWS, you have a variety of choices: you may exit from Windows, or obtain the "FILE/RUN ..." dialog box (Win-3.x) or obtain the DOS prompt from the MS-DOS icon within the MAIN window (Win-3.x) or from the "Start" menu (Win-9x/XP). Windows users may alternately select and run the install program from the Windows "File Manager" or "My Computer" screen, as in step D.2. below. D. Do either step D.1., or step D.2. below ... 1. Using the DOS prompt (or Windows RUN dialog box, or MS-DOS Window) execute the install program by using its file name as a command. If installing from a secondary disk, use the disk drive letter (D:, E: or whatever) in the command. If installing from your main hard disk target directory, you may omit the drive symbol (C:) from the command. To install, type: C:FST3INST [return]. 2. Alternately use the Windows "File Manager" or "My Computer" screen to select the file FST3INST.EXE and press [enter], or double-click the file name icon. To use this method, the installation file icon must be in the target (C:\FAAST3) directory, not on secondary disk. The first 4 files listed below should remain in the same hard disk directory at all times. Similarly, the Plotit files should share a common directory, but not necessarily the same directory as the Faast-3 program files. After testing, you may delete certain files. See page 7 for more information. License validation files (F3LICENS.VAL) are included with releases distributed on floppy disk, but are separately emailed to download users. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 4. If you received a distribution disk, remember to store your distribution disk in a safe place! For release 3.3L-PCx (the non-NT4 version), the following files should be in your Faast3 hard disk directory (there is a different list for 3.3M-WNx, the NT4 version). File Purpose --------------------------- C1.CMD Sample pipe problem data file, C2.CMD Sample pump problem data file, C3.CMD Sample pressure reducing valve data file, C4.CMD Sample sprinkler data file, F3-DEMO.CMD Demonstration sample problem data file, with graphics, F3CFG.CFG Dummy file for user-customizable configuration file, F3HELP.HLP Help message text file (new with each release), F3LICENS.VAL License validation file (disk distribution only), see above, FAAST3.EXE Executable program image file, FAAST3.GRP Windows "Faast3 Group info file" (used by Windows-3 only), FAAST3.PIF Windows "Program Info File" (used by Windows-3 and -9x/XP), FCONVERT.EXE Binary data file conversion utility, FST3INST.EXE Compressed distribution library file, if copied to hard disk, INSTALL.DOC This file (which may be viewed with an editor and/or printed), PLOTIT.CFG Plot file conversion utility plotter standard configuration, PLOTIT.EXE Plot file conversion utility executable program image file, PLOTIT.HLP Plot file conversion utility help message text file, README.NOW Release notes and supplemental documentation, TESTENV.EXE PC high-memory environment test program, first part, TESTPENV.EXE PC high-memory environment test program, second part. IV. Installing the Optional Windows Icon for Faast ... ------------------------------------------------------- If NOT using Windows, or NOT installing the Windows icon, skip to Page 5, "Running ..." Windows users have a choice of running Faast from a DOS-prompt or from an icon. To run Faast-3 from a Windows 3.x icon, several steps are required to install the icon. Fewer steps are required for -95/-98/XP. In addition, using a Windows icon requires that the drive and folder location of the Faast-3 files be precise and consistent in several places in the Windows setup information. The following instructions have been tested on a variety of Windows versions. All mentions of Win-95 apply to -98 and -XP as well. A. If using Win-9x/XP go to step B, below. For Win-3.x (not -9x/XP) do the following steps: 1. In PROGRAM MANAGER go to the FILE menu, and choose NEW. 2. In the "New Program Object" dialog box, choose "Program Group." 3. In the "Program Group Properties" dialog box, skip the "Description" box, go to the "Group File" box. In this box, type the actual drive and directory path for your Faast-3 program files (if using the normal drive and directory, type the line below, otherwise change as necessary) ... C:\FAAST3\FAAST3.GRP 4. Select OK. If you are using C:\FAAST3 as your drive and directory, you are now done installing the Faast3 icon, go to Step C, below. If you are using a drive\directory other than C:\FAAST3, make three more changes: a. Edit the FAAST3.PIF file to show the actual drive\folder you are using. To do this, go to the Windows MAIN screen and select the PIF EDITOR. Use the FILE menu to Open the drive\directory that contains your Faast files, then Open the FAAST3.PIF file. Change the "Start-up Directory" box to your actual drive\directory. Do not change other properties. Save, then Exit from PIF EDITOR. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 5 b. In the Windows PROGRAM MANAGER, select the Faast3 Group, (click it once with your mouse) but do not open it. Go to FILE and choose Properties. Verify it shows the correct Group File location. If wrong, fix it. c. Now open the Faast-3 Group. Highlight the icon for Faast-3 (if it is not already) but do not run the program. Go to FILE and choose Properties. Change the "Working Directory" box to show the correct drive and directory for Faast3. Go to Step C. B. For Windows-9x/XP (not 3.x) do this: If you are using C:\FAAST3 as your drive\folder, you have nothing to change, go to Step C, below. If you are using a drive\folder other than C:\FAAST3 then you must change the .PIF file "Properties" (for Win-9x/XP the group file is not used). In the "My Computer" screen, highlight the icon for FAAST3.PIF but do not run the program. Go to FILE and choose PROPERTIES. Change the "Start-up Directory" and the "Working Directory" boxes to show the correct drive and folder for Faast3. Avoid changing other properties. Click SAVE then click EXIT. Now, Go to Step C, below. C. For Both Windows-3.x and -9x/XP: When the Group file, PIF file, and pro- gram icon all agree as to the drive and directory (folder) for Faast and its files, you may run Faast-3 from an icon. V. Running Faast-3 (Testing with the Demonstration Problem) ... ----------------------------------------------------------------- Faast-3 may be run from either the DOS prompt (from DOS itself or within Windows), or from a Windows icon. Do either "A", "B" or "C" following ... A. Running Faast-3 from the DOS prompt ... 1. If necessary, "change directory" to the Faast-3 directory. 2. When "IN" the Faast directory, type the following command at the DOS prompt ... FAAST3 READ F3-DEMO [enter]. Faast-3 should begin running, display a sign-on message and then read the demonstration data file. Note that after the program name ( FAAST3 ) you may type any valid Faast-3 command - in this case it is the RUN command which causes Faast to begin reading a data file. Now, go to step D on page 6. B. Running Faast-3 from Windows without an icon: Faast-3 has been run on several versions of Windows, but if you have not installed the icon (described earlier), you must first obtain a DOS prompt, or open a DOS-prompt window. There are three ways to do this. With the first 2 methods (below), Faast has full control over the video system and all graphics work correctly. 1. (Windows 3.x only) From the Program Manager screen select the File menu, choose RUN, and type the command line (step A.2. above) to execute Faast-3. The Windows display will disappear and Faast-3 will execute. 2. (Both Windows-3.x and -9x/XP) Go to the Program Manager/Main screen (Windows-9x/XP "Start" menu), then double-click on the MS-DOS icon. The Windows display is removed from the screen and a conventional DOS prompt appears. Type the command line (step A.2. above) to execute Faast-3. 3. (Both Windows-3.x and -9x/XP) Go to the Program Manager/Main screen (Windows-9x/XP "Start" menu), then double-click on the MS-DOS icon. The Windows display is removed from the screen and a conventional DOS prompt appears. Type ALT-ENTER (that is, hold the ALT key and press ENTER). A window labeled MS-DOS Prompt appears. Other icons and data remain on Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 6 the screen. Type the command line (step A.2. above) to run Faast-3. How- ever, Faast-3 does not have full control of the video system. If you do a text-only session, it will run normally, but errors may occur if Faast-3 attempts to do video graphics when running within Windows 3.x in this man- ner. Windows 9x/XP allow graphics, but the graphics screen may not re- fresh correctly when using GIN. mode graphic input to CENTER or ZOOM. Return to Windows by typing EXIT after the session. Go to step D, below. C. Running Faast-3 from a Windows icon (do whichever of 1. or 2. applies): 1. (Windows 3.x) First go to PROGRAM MANAGER, then select the Faast3 Group, and within it select the Faast-3 program icon. Go to 3. 2. (Windows-9x/XP) First select the Faast folder (usually from the "My Computer" screen), then select the Faast-3 program icon. 3. (Both Windows-3.x and -9x/XP) Faast-3 should begin running, display a sign-on message and then prompt you for a command ( Command ? ). At the Faast command prompt type the following ... READ F3-DEMO [enter]. D. Regardless of how you execute Faast-3, it should read and solve the demonstration problem, draw a screen-graphic of the test problem model with pressure contours, and write a plot file. If you saw an error message concerning "DOS-Extender", or nothing happened, go to the appendix on testing your system environment, page 12. When Faast is waiting for keyboard input of a command, it will prompt: COMMAND ? If Faast should be reading a data file, but it could not find the data file, you will see a different prompt: FILE ? If you get this prompt, try typing the file name again (you may have typed it wrong the first time). If you still get the FILE ? prompt, press [enter] or [return] to clear the prompt, then at the COMMAND ? prompt, type the "dir" command, followed by [enter] or [return] to see if the data file is on disk. If it is not, exit from Faast with the "end" command and rectify the missing file problem. When Faast finds the demo data file, it should read and solve the demo problem, draw a screen-graphic of the test problem model with pressure contours, and write a plot file. For screen graphics, Faast should automatically detect what kind of video system you are using (color, monochrome, or both), and configure itself accordingly. Also in your Faast hard disk directory are several sample data sets, contained in files with names like C1.CMD, which you may run and study. Refer to the list of files on page 4. Windows users: -------------- When running Faast from the icon, Faast leaves its final messages on the screen in an inactive window so that you may read those messages after the session. The messages include the names of files which were created during the session. You may minimize, close and/or exit this inactive window at your pleasure. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 7 Important - After Testing: -------------------------- The distribution file (FST3INST.EXE), the .CMD files, INSTALL.DOC, README.NOW, and the TESTxxx.EXE files may be moved to another directory or deleted as convenient to you. See the Faast-3 Reference Manual, Chapter 2, for information on file residence, paths, and environment variables. If not using Windows you may also delete those files noted as "used by Windows only." You should test the PLOTIT plotter-driver and re-configure it for your plotter, as necessary. The Plotit User Manual is reprinted in the Faast-3 Reference Manual as Appendix P. There you can read about the "summary" command and the commands which change the PLOTIT configuration. After testing configuration changes you should use the PLOTIT SAVE command to save the new configuration. After installation, testing, and configuration, you should make the FAAST-3 and PLOTIT programs, configuration, and help files "Read-Only" with the DOS ATTRIB command (with the +r option) or the Windows "File / Properties" menu. Then make back-up copies of the as-installed files. VI. Understanding the Demonstration Problem ... ------------------------------------------------ The demonstration problem you just ran illustrates many features of Faast-3. Following is the text of that data file, with some notes on what the modeling commands do. To fully understand the Faast modeling language, you should refer to the Faast-3 Reference Manual or the short-form reference card while studying Faast-3 data files. You may also read command descriptions while in a Faast session, with the Faast HELP command. setup on=echo, scroll=120 jobtitle SAMPLE PIPE SYSTEM C-1 (with coordinates & contour plot) PARAMETERS 15 15 FILE RESULTS SINGLE FILE LIST SINGLE CASE 1 INITIAL CONFIGURATION , INPUT UNITS The first command above sets options: to echo commands and to allow 120 lines of output to the screen before pausing. The second command provides a model title. The third command defines the maximum numbers of nodes and elements. Then two commands set both parts of the print file to be single spaced. The last command begins input for a new case, and gives the case a title. C COORDINATES FOR ALL NODES, IN X, Y, Z ORDER, WHERE Z = ELEVATION C COORDINATE 1 0 1000 2100 2 500 1000 2050 3 1000 1000 2000 4 1500 1000 1950 5 500 500 2000 6 1000 500 1950 7 1400 500 1900 8 500 0 1950 9 1000 0 1900 10 1400 400 1850 11 2500 400 1800 These commands define node coordinates, X, Y, Z, as noted in the comments. The Z coordinate is the only one required, and may be separately input with hydraulic information. X and Y are needed only for graphics purposes. C NODAL BOUNDARY VALUES FOR ALL NODES, SAME AS IN FAAST-II C HEAD 1 2120 Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 8 FLOW 2 -3 FLOW 3 -4 FLOW 4 -5 FLOW 5 -5 FLOW 6 -6 FLOW 7 -5 FLOW 8 -5 FLOW 9 -4 FLOW 10 -3 HEAD 11 1820 These commands define hydraulic properties at nodes, either fixed flow into or out of the system, or fixed fluid energy at a node - such as at a reservoir, tank, or well. Fixed energy may be expressed either as pressure or head. Unspecified nodes default to zero flow (zero "demand"). NEWPAGE PIPE 1 1 2 500 6 140 PIPE 2 2 3 500 6 140 PIPE 3 3 4 700 6 140 PIPE 4 2 5 800 6 140 PIPE 5 3 6 700 4 140 PIPE 6 4 7 1000 6 140 PIPE 7 5 6 600 4 140 PIPE 8 6 7 400 4 140 PIPE 9 5 8 800 6 140 PIPE 10 6 9 1000 4 140 PIPE 11 7 10 100 6 140 PIPE 12 8 9 900 6 140 PIPE 13 9 10 800 6 140 PIPE 14 10 11 1500 6 140 SOLVE The commands above define the pipes in the model and solve it. The commands below are preceded by on-screen explanatory comments. +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | A VIEW will be produced, using AUTOMATIC MONITOR DETECTION. If you | | DO NOT see a graphic image, press the [RETURN] or [ENTER] key and | | use MANUAL MONITOR SELECTION, with the VIEW command "MON= " option. | | The HELP command can show you how manual monitor selection works, | | if you want to find out, type HELP VIEW | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ VIEW ON=plot,HCON CONLO=1830 CONHI=2100 CONINT=40 ZONE=1 COLOR=3,4 +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Following is a display of results, suitable for you to use in making | | interactive design changes. The command which does this is ... | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ WHATS ELEMENT RESULTS 1 > 15 +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | enter the READ command at the prompt below to get a display of | | node results (pressures and HGLs) | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ RETURN C THE COMMAND TO DISPLAY NODE RESULTS, INCLUDING DEMANDS ( - FLOWS) IS ... WHATS NODE RESULTS 1 > 15 +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | To browse the commands, type HELP , or you may explore the graphics | | with the VIEW command. To END the session, enter the END command. | +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ SETUP OFF=ECHO SCROLL=25 RETURN The last command above returns program control to the interactive keyboard. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 9. VII. Getting Started with Faast-3 ... --------------------------------- Most questions from new Faast users are related to preparing the data which Faast uses to solve your fluid system. This memorandum will help you organize your data for Faast-3. FIRST- ------ The Faast-3 Reference Manual contains several sample problems which are in- tended to serve as examples of how to organize your data. Chapter 3 in the Manual comprises a comprehensive sample problem (from the field of municipal water supply) which starts with a subdivision map, proceeds to a schematic diagram, then data collection, then interactive input of the system data with screen graphics and data correction. Also, Manual Appendix C contains several small sample problems of a more varied nature. The correct answers for these problems are printed in the Manual, but you are expected to do your own data preparation. In case you have difficulty with the problems in Appendix C, the data files for these problems are included on the Faast release disks or tapes as data files C1.CMD through C4.CMD (or similar file names). You may run Faast using these samples or you may wish to read these data files as you assemble your own data. SECOND- ------- When building new models, you may interactively enter the data into Faast-3, using Chapter 3 as a guide. You might want to start with a small, test system for learning purposes. Then use the RERUN file produced by the initial session as a disk data file to avoid retyping data. Edit the RERUN file, delete or correct any input lines which you later changed. Now run Faast-3 and tell it to READ the disk file. After the disk file is fully read, you may interactively add-to or change your model. Each Faast session produces a new RERUN file, with a new name. THIRD- ------ When organizing your model data be sure to NOT use the same node or element number for two different purposes. Node numbers do not conflict with element numbers, but you will get inexplicably wrong results if you have used a par- ticular node number in two different places. Element numbers do conflict with each other - this is actually a feature which allows you to intentionally change an element from one type another (for example: change a pipe into a valve or a valve into a pump) in order to explore alternative modifications to your system. Faast-3 provides a warning message when you reuse element numbers. For exam- ple, if you use the same number for both a pipe and a pump then when Faast-3 encounters the second use of the number it warns you. Inadvertent duplicate use of node and element numbers is one of the most common data input errors. If you replace an element with another, you may get a "Disconnected Node" error message when your system is being solved. How does changing an element type cause a disconnected node? Simple: assume that PIPE 47 connects nodes 62 and 63, and that no other element connects to node 62. Assume further that you inadvertently reuse element number 47 elsewhere in the model. Node 62 is now disconnected. Another way to get a disconnected node message is by not connecting that node to any elements, perhaps by mis-typing a node number on either a node or element command. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 10. VII. Getting Started with Faast-3 ... (continued) ------------------------------------------------- What is a good way to prevent and/or detect wrong input data? A. Use Faast-3's graphics to visually verify that all nodes are in their correct locations, that all elements are connected to the correct nodes and that there are no missing nodes or elements. Graphic display requires node coordinates, which are input with your Faast data. B. You should also manually check your data. Here is how we do it: 1. Draw a clear system diagram and make a paper copy of it. 2. Make a paper printout of your Faast data file. This file could be the disk data file (if you have one), or the RERUN file produced by an interactive session, or the ".LST" file produced by a session. 3. Using the copy of your system diagram and a translucent "high lighter" marking pen, highlight each node on the diagram as you check its data on your printout. Simultaneously highlight the same node on the printout. You should have no unhighlighted nodes on your diagram and no unhighlight- ed nodes on your data printout. And, of course, nothing should have been highlighted twice in either place. 4. Repeat step (3) for all pipes and other elements in your system, verifying node numbers and other data as you highlight the diagram and the data printout. When done you should have no un-highlighted elements on the printout or on the diagram, nor any which were highlighted twice in either place. As an aid to model "debugging" you can run Faast with your model data, but with "STOP" or "DATACHECK" commands in place of "SOLVE" commands. The results file will contain a recap of your data input. You may use various Faast "PRINT" and "SHOW" commands to give you additional information about your model. Make a printout of the Faast results file. When you are satisfied that your data is correct, re-insert the SOLVE commands and run Faast for results. FOURTH- ------- If you enter your data into Faast-3 by means of a data file, be wary of compu- ter data editing programs, particularly word processing programs, which add special marks to the data - these marks may not be visible on your screen, but they may interfere with Faast. For example, the "WordStar" program activates the eighth bit in certain character bytes when operating in "document" mode (so use non-document mode). Faast detects and compensates for many of these special marks, and converts TAB characters to spaces, but Faast does not neces- sarily catch all of them. If you use a word processor program for creating or editing a Faast data file, tell it to create a plain text disk file instead of a word processing text file. FIFTH- ------ To actually "run" Faast, follow the procedure for your computer; see the por- tion of Appendix B that applies to your computer. You should also scan the "README.NOW" file which is installed onto your hard disk from the release disk. LAST- ----- Be suspicious of ALL computer results, from all computer programs. Remember - you can and should manually verify that flows are consistent with head changes (drops and rises) for all elements in the results from Faast. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 11. VIII. Viewing and/or Printing your Faast results ... --------------------------------------------------- You can view and/or print your results in several ways, during and/or after a session. During a Faast-3 Session: ------------------------- During a Faast-3 session you may use several commands to examine the compu- tational results. 1. Use the WHATS NODE RESULTS and WHATS ELEMENT RESULTS commands to interactively examine node and element results. With each of the above commands you must specify a list of 1 or more node or element numbers to be examined, or a range in the form of "n > m", where there are space characters before and after the arrow character ( ">" ). The arrow character by itself means the entire model. For example, type: WHATS NODE RESULTS 1 > 15 [enter] 2. Use the SHOW command to see the equivalent of a printout of various results. There are a number of SHOW options, including: SHOW CONNECTIONS shows how nodes are connected to each other and by which elements. SHOW COORDINATES tabulates coordinates of nodes SHOW FILES lists files currently in use by Faast SHOW FRACTIONS tabulates source contribution fluid fractions by nodes and elements. SHOW LINKS lists control system links currently defined SHOW PROPERTIES tabulates pipe properties SHOW SPARES lists spare node and element numbers (those node and ele- ment numbers which are not in use) SHOW SUMMARY summarizes model statistics and power consumption SHOW UNITS tabulates unit-of-measurement names and conversion factors for them. Some of these commands may not be available on some demonstration releases. Find out more about using these commands with the HELP command. For example, within Faast-3 you may type: HELP WHATS [enter] to get a display of what the WHATS command does and how to use it. After a session: ---------------- Faast-3 produces a "plain-text ASCII" printable disk file which contains a recap listing of model input and tabulations of results. After a session you may view and/or print this file. The printable file contains page eject characters at the appropriate locations. View the print file by using the MS-DOS TYPE command, or a general purpose editing program, such as the MS-DOS editors EDIT or EDLIN, or a word pro- cessing program such as WordStar, WordPerfect, or Word. You may also use the Windows "Notepad" editor to view the print file. You may print the Faast print file using MS-DOS utility programs such as COPY or PRINT, or with the Windows FILE PRINT dialog box. Faast print files have printer control characters, and therefore many word-processing programs will probably NOT print them correctly. Use of DOS and Windows utilities is discus- sed in your computer system manuals. Installation & Getting Started Instructions, Page 12. IX. Testing your 386, 486, & pentium PC high-memory environment ... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Overview. The high-memory (or extended memory) versions of Faast-3 uses the "virtual memory" ability of the 386 and higher processors. Disk space is used to augment RAM memory and a program may therefore use more RAM memory than actually exists. This is like a DEC VAX and many main-frame, mini-, and "work-station" computers. 2. System Requirements. PC Faast-3 requires a PC with a 386 or higher processor, 2 Meg of total memory (including 1 Meg low memory), and about 3 Meg of unused hard disk space: 1 Meg for the program and data and 2 Meg for the virtual-memory "swap file." Required MS-DOS or PC-DOS is version 3.3 or newer. A math co-processor is recommended (but not required). 3. Memory Managers. A virtual memory manager (or "DOS-extender") is embedded within the FAAST3.EXE program file. Some terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs), particularly those which use extended memory (such as RAM-disk drivers, expanded-memory drivers, extended memory managers, print spoolers, network pro- grams, and "window" programs) might be incompatible, and, if so, they must be removed when running Faast. The Ms-DOS utility programs called DOSKEY, MODE and PRINT are TSRs, but do not seem to cause any problems. If you have a compat- ible "DOS-extender" already resident, Faast-3 will use it instead of its built- in manager. A "test-environment" program, called TESTENV.EXE is provided to ensure that your computer is suitably configured. TESTENV comes in two files, the second file (TESTPENV.EXE) is loaded by the first. If TESTENV fails, remove all TSR programs. This is usually done by creating an alternate AUTOEXEC.BAT file which does not load these programs after boot. Then restart your computer with the alternate AUTOEXEC.BAT in place. You may also need an alternate CONFIG.SYS file with high memory drivers deleted. Retest as necessary. Keep your original AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files for use when you are not using Faast. Our "486" AUTOEXEC.BAT file contains several SET commands, a PATH command, a PROMPT command, DOSKEY, and MODE (all for PC-DOS 5.0). We also use Faast-3 on a pentium system running DOS, another running Win-98, another running Win-XP, and on an XT computer with an 80386-SX add-in board, running DOS 3.3 with no TSRs. Our CONFIG.SYS file contains as little as: DEVICE= DOS ANSI.SYS FILES=30 BUFFERS=30 SHELL=C: COMMAND.COM /e:2048 /p 4. Recall File Compatibility. Faast-3 SAVE and RECALL commands work the same as on earlier low-memory versions of Faast-II and Faast-3, but the binary file structure of 386 versions of Faast-3 is different from that produced by ver- sions of Faast for low-memory PCs. We have included a 386 mode program called FCONVERT which reads the low-memory format Save/Recall files and writes a new file which is compatible with high-memory versions of Faast (or vice-versa). # # #