Cost Software - Questions & Bug Reports

[Bill Riley]

Please use this discussion for questions and bug reports on the software. Please put rules and table questions in the discussion entitled "Cost Rules - Discussion of New 2009 Rules"

[Bill Riley]

Please use this discussion for questions and bug reports on the software. Please put rules and table questions in the discussion entitled "Cost Rules - Discussion of New 2009 Rules"

[D Collins Jr]

Is there any way to add records to the Sections Table? Or am I limited to what is there for now?

Also, does anyone else's "help" feature work? I'm very lost and confused when trying to get through the format of how to update and include items right now.

[ghost]

I was trying to retrieve my already entered parts from Assembly information view and im getting an error message "The Microsoft Office Access database engine cannot find a record in the table 'tblsystems' with key matching field(s)'System number'.
Can anyone please guide me how to delete or edit the parts i already entered??

[hicks_bw]

I am getting numerous error messages with the database software:

1) When trying to add new entries into the part area (materials, processes, fasteners, tooling) I am faced with an error stating "The following error has occurred: 6". This happens when pressing the '+' button to add an entry.

2) If I manually add the entry, I again face the "6 error" but am allowed to fill in the cells. However, when I have finished them all, and would like to move on to the next entry, the software says "Index or primary key cannot contain a null value"

I have tried refreshing the database, restarting the program, and remaking the individual assembly and part sections, but it has been to no avail. Please help!

[Bill Riley]

Thank you for the feedback. I have forwarded these to the programmer.

If you haven't please email your database to fsae.cost@gmail.com.

Bill Riley

[hicks_bw]

Mr. Riley,

I have discovered another error, one that is quite detrimental to the ability of our team to complete this report by the stated deadline.

Last night during one of the syncs with the sever for data sharing, a large majority of our cost report magically disappeared. Prior to the sync all of our data was in the proper places, and now it is gone. Given that we must have the report in the mail by tomorrow, it seems hardly fair that we must re-complete this daunting task in under 24 hours.

Normally, I would say that we should have been better prepared, and had the cost report done sooner, but in this case it was done, and then the software provided by SAE caused us to loose all of our data.

Punishing teams for not having a cost report in on time because of faulty software is not in the spirit of the competition, and definitely does not reflect the enthusiasm, time, effort, and innovation that we have all put in this year.

[AWilson]

Hi Mr Riley

I also get the error message ''The following error has occurred: 6'' however I get this message when I follow the software update guide and enter 'FixID()' in the run command box. Is there something I can try to rectify this or if I ignore this error message do I run the risk loosing data later on?

Regards

Alister

[Jakob Wikefeldt]

Mr Riely

I'm expering im having the same error message as AWilson, - The following error hasoccured:6 -
After runing FixID(), durring the update.

[SapienzaCorse]

I'm sorry i know this in not the right place but...

We don't find our team in the database...
We followed instructions about this problem.
They said us to update fsae software with "GetAdminTables()" and we found the following problem:
We aren't in the list.
How to do for registering ourselfs?? Where?
Who to ask??

Thankyou. Sc fsae team.

[Matthias Raab]

Hi Mr. Riley,

Matthias Raab, Teamcaptain Scuderia Mensa, UaS Wiesbaden, Germany.

I just installed the update from May, 9th.
After typing in FixID() and pushing the "run" button, I always get the message: Update was UNsuccesful.

Sync does not work either. It tells me:
Missing Authentication Number - Sync Stopped

But I typed in our authentification number in the team data window.....

Any help to the two probs is appreciated, thank you.

Best regards
Matthias Raab

[nickpearson]

Hi guys,
I am also getting the "Missing authentificiation number, sync stopped" error, i have tried re-entering, re-starting and the help function and all the data i have entered has been lost. Can anybody help? (deadline looming)
Cheers,

Nick Pearson
FS Portsmouth

[Tony Lee]

This was answered by Bill in the larger cost report thread, but basically...

in the folder
<install directory> \FCA\

there is an invisibile file "fcakey" (no extension)

open this file in notepad or wordpad

inside the file, you should see

##-xxxxxx

## is your team number
xxxxxx is where your authentication number should be, if it isn't type it in and save.
now try and sync with the server.

[Matthias Raab]

Thanks, Tony. Sync works, after I changed working place from office to home (no university-firewall blocking the stuff).

But the software seems to have MANY bugs.It is not possible, to work with it. From pop-up-windows, when I click the "pencil"-button or into the "material"-, "Process"- or "Fastener"-field over no explanations for all the "units" and "sizes" to discrepancies between the newest materials tabel and the materials table in the software (example: machining for all the lathe- and mill-work is combined to "machining" in the latest version 18 of the process table, but is still spread out in detail in the software.

I decided not to use the software for the Silverstone event. Simply because it CAN'T be used. I'll have to go with plain excel-tables.

We appreciate the efforts of FSAE to help us with the cost report by providing a software tool. We really do. But so far, it caused more stress, problems and mainly delay, than it benefits.

Maybe I'm just a dumb user....I don'tknow. I give up.

Matthias Raab
UaS Wiesbaden,Germany

[TimBolz]

Hey Jungs,

also ich sehe, dass es hier mehrere gibt, die einfach riesen Probleme haben die Software zum Laufen zu bekommen. Wir sind mittlerweile auch am Verzweifeln, weil immer wenn es aussieht, als hätten wir es geschafft, taucht ein neues Problem auf.
Mal ne Frage: Gibt es hier irgend jemanden, bei dem die Software ohne Probleme funktioniert? Hat jemand das ganze Thema schon abgeschlossen? Über Tips oder ähnliches wären wir euch sehr dankbar.

Mit freundlichem Gruß Tim Bolz

[Thomas De Bleser]

I as well am having the error code 6. The program works but it's really annoying. I have Access 2007.

greetings
Thomas De Bleser

[Matt K]

I have been trying to install the cost software, and I keep getting the error message telling me that I need to have Office Access 2007 or Office Access 2007 Runtime installed. Our school has Office Access 2007 installed on all the school computers already, and I've also downloaded and installed the Access 2007 Runtime file, and I still keep receiving the same error message. Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[Bill Riley]

You installed the run time off the cost website and are still getting this error? If you, please try it on another computer and if you have the same problem email katklauz@aol.com with a description of the computer and your contact information. Make sure you don't have an older version of the runtime or Office installed on the same computer as the newer version.

[Formula North]

Hello Mr. Riley

I have a couple of questions regarding the cost application. We are currently signing up for FSAE Michigan:

1. My cost software application does not allow me to switch to the Brake section. This section does not appear in the "Jump to" directory and the left side button does not work as well.

2. After entering a value in "Assembly Materials", I get the error 2431.

3. If I use the material "Steel, Alloy", "Aluminum, Normal" etc, the material cost doesn't update when I either change the quantity, or update the "Size 1" or fill the Area, Length or density. I am using the same method we used for our cost report last year for materials and processes.

4. Must we use the cost application software this year? Can I use the excel tables instead? I am a bit paranoid as my application has crashed a couple of times, and I do not want to run into any problems while approaching the due date.

5. This may be a stupid question: But is there a Save button or does the application save automtically? How do you know when it saves?

[George 4]

Mr. Riley,

I have been having a few problems with the software. I also get the "error 2431" in the materials section, when I use a raw material such as steel or aluminum the cost isn't calculated when the area length and density information is put in. Another question is in the fastener section is the unit cost supposed to calculated automatically when the sizes are stated? If so the cost doesn't update there either. Also none of the costs update along the top of the entry screen.

[George 4]

Mr. Riley,

I have found another problem. When I attached files to the different parts/assemblies I can no longer view the report "BOM by system". When I try to just print the report I get an error 2103.

George

[Mike Howe]

I'm having a couple issues with syncing, and while they are not interfering with doing the cost report, they are things that need to be addressed.

First problem is that when I am syncing, sometime during the middle of the sync, it stops and pops up witha a box that asks to input a Fastener ID, and has "ok" and "cancel" buttons. I have just been hitting cancel and it continues on to sync just fine, but it would be odd if I'm the only person having this problem. It just started doing it on its own as well, I had synced before without any issues.

The next thing is going to be a problem when it comes time to submit the report. Everytime I sync, it makes partial copies parts and assemblies from the chassis section, and I end up with blank/partially filled out parts and assemblies that don't need to be there. Every time I go through and properly delete the records and refresh the entire report to make sure their gone, but when I sync again it will come up with them again, or make copies of something else.

Hopefully that describes the problems at least somewhat. While I can continue to work on the report, these problems are becoming quite frustrating (especially having to delete things everytime I sync)

Mike Howe
WWU FSAE
Cost Report Director

[R.Trickett]

Hey Mike, Ryan from UW here. Kudos for attempting to use the software. I tried that back in November and wanted to shoot myself. No way was i going to trust it. We're relying on the excel system we developed last year that worked quite well. Starting earlier and aggressively cutting costs.

BTW, nice job get started on this early. I remember talking to the women that you had working on it last year at the PACCAR open house and she was pretty frustrated with everything.

Good luck at MIS (and with the software)!

[Mike Howe]

Thanks for the support Ryan. After this latest announcment, my previous post can be disregarded as I have made the decision that we will be going back to our excel system as well. It is much more reliable and a lot easier to keep track of things, at least for me.

Good luck to you guys as well, and I hope the costing goes well for you!