1.

Introduction

1.1 This manual

This manual provides complete instructions for using Spec Manager. The first part of this chapter
provides a brief overview of the software. This is followed by installation instructions and a section on
getting started. This begins by showing you how to start up the program, register it and log in, and
then introduces the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box and the main Spec Manager window. All
illustrations in this manual show the program running under Windows 3.1 but it can also be run under
Windows 95.

1.2 Overview

Spec Manager is a powerful software utility for specifying the configuration of commercial vehicles
and predicting their performance. To help the configuration process, Spec Wizard (see Section 2.2)
allows you to make basic choices to give suitable values for the primary specifications and sensible
defaults for the more specialized settings. Having produced a basic specification, you can then refine it
using commands in the Edit menu. Alternatively, you can use these commands to build a
configuration from scratch. Configuration buttons are provided to give quick and easy access to the
edit commands.
Tools are provided to calculate axle ratios for the configuration (see Section 8.2), to compare the
effects of choosing different axles from a supplier (see Section 8.3) and for calculating the effect of
using Optimized Idle (see Section 8.4).
As you create a new configuration, or edit an existing one, Spec Manager provides advisory notes
warning of possible problems and conflicts that might arise from the settings you have chosen (see
Section 5.18). You can also get individual hints to help solve specific problems.
Once you have produced a specification, you can view a wide range of predicted performance
characteristics graphically or in tabular form (see Section 5.2). Buttons in the Toolbar (see Section 4.1)
allow you to open and close these performance windows as a quick alternative to choosing commands
from a menu.
You can have up to four configurations open at the same time, and you can display a table comparing
their performance characteristics (see Section 5.12).
Spec Manager also allows you to analyze the performance dynamically by simulating a journey made
with different configurations for the vehicle (see Section 6.1). Spec Manager comes with a large
number of predefined routes, which you can combine to make a composite route (see Section 6.2), but
also allows you to create your own routes (see Section 6.4). You can view the simulation results
graphically and in tabular form and compare the results for the different configurations in a table (see
Section 6.9).
You can print detailed reports showing the performance of the configuration and simulation results
(see Section 2.7). You can also print a blank form so that you can fill in a customer’s requirements
when working off line (see Section 2.8).
Spec Manager comes with a complete context-sensitive Help system providing full instructions on
how to use the program. There is also an on-line version of “Bulletin 52, On-highway Driveline
Specifications” providing detailed technical help for vehicle configuration.

1
1.3 Installation

To install Spec Manager:

1 Insert Disk 1 of the Spec Manager distribution disks into your
floppy disk drive.
2 Choose Run from the File menu in Program Manager or File
Manager to display the Run dialog box.
3 In the Command Line box, type a:setup (or b:setup if the
floppy drive is your b drive).
4 Press OK to start the installation program.
5 After a short time, the Type of Installation dialog box will be
displayed (see Figure 1-1).

Figure 1–1 Type of Installation dialog box

6 Press Local to set up a stand-alone installation on your PC.

Press Server if you are working on a network and want to install the
Spec Manager files on a server. In this case you will need to run the
setup program that will be installed on the server to install the
program on each workstation (including the server if you want to
use the server as a workstation).
Press Exit if you have changed your mind about installing Spec
Manager.

2
 Unless you exit the installation, the Spec Manager Install dialog box will
be displayed (see Figure 1-2).

Figure 1–2 Spec Manager Install dialog box

7 Enter the directory you want to use to hold the Spec Manager files
(it will be created if it doesn’t exist already).
8 Press Continue to continue the installation.
9 As the installation proceeds, you will be asked to insert the other
installation disks.
If you are performing a local installation, a new program group will be created containing icons for the
Spec Manager program and help information. You will then be asked if you want to reboot the PC.
You will need to reboot the PC before you can run Spec Manager, but you do not need to do this
immediately.
No program group is created for a server installation, but you will need to perform a workstation
installation for each of the workstations you want to use.
To install Spec Manager on a workstation connected to a server installation:
1 Choose Run from the File menu in Program Manager or File
Manager to display the Run dialog box.
2 In the Command Line box, type
x:\server_directory\setup
where x is the drive letter on the workstation PC for the server drive
where you installed the Spec Manager files, and
server_directory is the directory holding the files.
3 Press OK to start the installation program.
4 A new program group will be created containing icons for the Spec
Manager program and help information.
You will then be asked if you want to reboot the PC. You will need to reboot the PC before you can
run Spec Manager, but you do not need to do this immediately.

3
1.4 Getting started

After you have installed Spec Manager and rebooted your PC you can run the program.
To run Spec Manager:

Double-click on the Spec Manager icon in the Spec Manager

program group.

1.4.1 Logging in
The Login dialog box (see Figure 1-3) is displayed when you start up Spec Manager (or when you
choose Login from the File menu to log in a new user).

Figure 1-3 Login dialog box

1 Enter your Name and the Password “DDC”.

2 Press OK to log in the new user; press Cancel to stop starting up
Spec Manager (or leave the previous user logged in).
If the password is recognized by Spec Manager but a new name is used, you will be asked if you want
to create a new user (see Figure 1-4).

Figure 1-4 New user dialog box

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 3 Press No to return to the Login dialog box.
Press Yes to display the Details dialog box (see Figure 1-5) so that
you can enter details for a new user.

Figure 1-5 Details dialog box

4 Fill in the new details (you must fill in the Name and Company
Name; the other fields may be blank.)
5 Press OK to confirm the addition and close the dialog box.

After you have logged in, the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box (see Section 1.4.2) will be
displayed (unless you have disabled it, in which case the main Spec Manager window will be
displayed, without any windows open.
Once you have logged in, Spec Manager is able to identify you and will, for example, use any units
preferences you have set (see Section 7.2). Your user name is also stored in any configurations (see
Section 2.3) and routes (see Section 6.4) you create. It is then displayed in the dialog box when you
select a configuration or route, making it easier to identify them. The user name also appears in some
of the printed reports (see Section 2.7). (You can also select a customer name (see Section 2.1) while
working with Spec Manager, which is also stored with configurations and routes, and printed in
reports.)

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1.4.2 Welcome dialog box
The Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box (see Figure 1-6) is displayed after you have logged into
Spec Manager (provided you have not already disabled it using the check box in the dialog box itself
or using Options from the Customize menu: see Section 7.3).

Figure 1–6 Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box

Check the box at the bottom of the dialog box if you do not want the Welcome to Spec Manager
dialog box displayed when you open Spec Manager in the future. You can re-enable or disable the
display of the welcome dialog box at a later time using Options in the Customize menu (see Section
7.3).
You can begin work in Spec Manager by pressing one of the buttons:
• Spec Wizard: Starts up the Spec Wizard. This will take you step-by-
step through the process of configuring a vehicle, suggesting suitable
values to use at each stage: see Section 2.2 for full details.
• Customers: Displays the Customers dialog box to select a customer,
add new customers to the database or change the details for existing
customers: see Section 2.1 for full details.
• Open Configuration: Displays the Open Configuration dialog box to
open an existing configuration: see Section 2.4 for full details.
• Continue: Closes the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box so that
you can begin work in the main Spec Manager window (see Section
1.4.3).

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1.4.3 The Main Spec Manager Window
The Main Spec Manager window is divided into a number of areas (see Figure 1-7).

Figure 1–7 The Main Spec Manager window

The title bar at the top of the window shows the name of the current configuration file.
The menu bar below the title bar allows you to choose the commands that control Spec Manager.
Detailed instructions for using each of the commands in the menus are given in turn in the remaining
chapters in this manual.
The Toolbar below the menu bar provides shortcuts for using menu commands (see Section 4.1for a
table showing what each tool button does).
The configuration buttons below the toolbar provide shortcuts for commands in the Edit menu that
allow you to create or modify a vehicle configuration (see Section 3).
The Status Bar shows messages and whether Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock are set.
The window area between the Status Bar and the configuration buttons can display a variety of
windows giving information about configurations, the results of simulations, or performance
comparisons between several configurations or the results of several simulations. Full details of how
to use these windows and the information they give are given in the remaining chapters of this manual.

7
2. File Menu

2.1 Customer

When you print reports, you can include a Summary Letter, which will be addressed to the Current
Customer. When you open a configuration file (see Section 2.4), the Current Customer is
automatically set to be the customer saved with the configuration file. The customer saved with the
configuration file is the customer that was current when the configuration was saved.
Note that there is only one Current Customer at a given time. If you have several configurations open,
they will all have the same Current Customer even if they were originally saved with several different
customers.
Use the Customer command to select a customer to be the Current Customer, and to manage the
customer list by adding or removing customers, or changing their details.

8
 To carry out any of these operations:
Choose Customer from the File menu to display the Customers
dialog box (see Figure 2-1).

Figure 2-1 Customers dialog box

(You can also display the Customers dialog box by pressing the Customers button in the Welcome
to Spec Manager dialog box: see Section 1.4.2).
The Customers box lists all the customers in the customer database. The Current Customer box
shows the currently selected customer.
When you have finished using the Customers dialog box, press Close to return to the main Spec
Manager window (or the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box).

2.1.1 Selecting a new current customer

To change the current customer:

1 Click on the new customer’s name in the Customers list box (scroll
the list if the name is not displayed). The name will be highlighted
to show it is selected in the list.
2 Press Select Customer.

The selected customer’s name and company will appear in the Current Customer box.
Note that opening a configuration file also sets the current customer (to the customer saved with the
configuration file).

9
2.1.2 Adding a new customer

To add a new customer to the Customers list:

1 Press Add Customer to display the Details dialog box (see Figure
2-2)

Figure 2-2 Details dialog box

2 Fill in the new details (you must fill in the Name and Company
Name; the other fields may be blank).
3 Press OK to confirm the addition, close the dialog box and return to
the Customers dialog box.
The new customer’s name and company name will appear in the Customers list.

2.1.3 Changing a customer’s details

To change a customer’s details:

1 Select the customer’s name in the Customers box (scroll the list if
the name is not displayed).
2 Press Change Details to display the Details dialog box (see Figure
2-2) filled in with the customer’s current details.
3 Change the customer’s details as required.
4 Press OK to return to the Customers dialog box.

10
2.1.4 Removing a customer

To remove a customer from the Customers list:

1 Select the customer by clicking in the Customers list (scroll the list
if the name is not displayed).
2 Press Remove Customer. You will be asked to confirm that you
want to delete the customer and associated details.

2.2 Spec Wizard

The Spec Wizard guides you through the process of creating a new configuration for a vehicle as an
alternative to using the configuration commands in the Edit menu or the configuration buttons (see
Section 3).
The Spec Wizard provides sensible default values for configuration parameters, which, even if they
are not all exactly what you require, provide a good starting point for fine-tuning using the
configuration commands.
Note that you can have no more than four configurations open at the same time. If you already have
four open configurations, you should close one of them (to close a configuration, close its
Configuration Summary window: see Section 5.1.1) before starting the Spec Wizard.
To start the Spec Wizard:

1 Choose Spec Wizard from the File menu to display the first Spec
Wizard dialog box (see Figure 2-3).
(You can also start Spec Wizard from the Welcome to Spec
Manager dialog box: see Section 1.4.2).

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Figure 2-3 The first Spec Wizard dialog box

2 Choose the general type of application by clicking on the

appropriate Type radio button.
3 Choose the specific application from the list below the radio
buttons.
4 Choose from the Performance drop-down list box whether you
want to optimize Performance or Fuel Economy, or have a
Balanced configuration between the two.
5 Choose the type of terrain that the vehicle will be used on from the
Terrain drop-down list box.
6 Enter the vehicle’s weight in the Weight box.
7 Enter a speed limit for the vehicle in the Vehicle Speed Limit box.

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 8 Press Cancel if you change your mind about using Spec Wizard and
want to leave any current configuration unchanged, or press Next to
move on to the second Spec Wizard dialog box (see Figure 2-4).

Figure 2-4 The second Spec Wizard dialog box

The drop-down list controls showing Quick pick in this dialog box
will use the Quick Pick logic to select the best choices for these
items. Apart from Engine Type these controls are disabled so you
cannot change the selection from Quick pick.
9 If you do not want to leave Spec Manager to choose the Engine
Type, choose a specific type from the Engine Type drop-down list
box.
10 Choose the Transmission Manufacturer you want to use from the
drop-down list box.
11 Choose the Number of gears you want to use from the drop-down
list box.
12 Choose the Axle Manufacturer you want to use from the drop-
down list box.
13 Press Cancel if you change your mind about using Spec Wizard and
want to leave any current configuration unchanged; press Prev if
you want to go back to the previous dialog box to change settings
there; or press Finish to save the selected configurations and close
Spec Wizard.

A Configuration Summary window (see Section 5.1.1) will open showing details of the configuration.
The configuration will also be saved automatically with the name QPICKnn.CFG, where nn is an
automatically generated number.
The configuration will be added to the Performance Comparison window (unless it already contains
four configurations), which will be opened if necessary: see Section 5.12 for full details.
You may now wish to refine the configuration using the configuration commands in the Edit menu or
the configuration buttons (see Section 3).

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2.3 New Configuration

Note that you can have no more than four configurations open at the same time. If you already have
four open configurations, you should close one of them (to close a configuration, close its
Configuration Summary window: see Section 5.1.1) before creating a new configuration.
To create a new configuration:

Choose New Configuration from the File menu to open a new

empty Configuration Summary window (see Section 5.1.1).
To define the new configuration you will need to use the configuration commands in the Edit menu or
the configuration buttons (see Section 3).

2.4 Open Configuration

Note that you can have no more than four configurations open at the same time. If you already have
four open configurations, you should close one of them (to close a configuration, close its
Configuration Summary window: see Section 5.1.1) before opening another configuration.
To open an existing configuration:

1 Choose Open Configuration from the File menu to display the

Open Configuration File dialog box (see Figure 2-5).

Figure 2-5 Open Configuration File dialog box

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.

14
 3 Select the drive containing the required file from the Drives drop-
down list box.
4 Select the directory containing the required file from the
Directories scroll box. The File Name scroll box will list all the
configuration files in the selected directory.
(The List Files of Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only open
configuration files in this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.)
5 Click on the file name in the File Name scroll box so that the name
appears in the File Name edit box. Alternatively, type in the name
of the file.
You can use the information shown in the File Details box to help
you choose the correct file. It shows the application (see Section
3.3) and engine (see Section 3.4) used in the selected file, the
customer (see Section 2.1) selected when it was saved, the user
name (see Section 7.1) of the person saving the file and the date it
was saved.
6 Press OK to open a new Configuration Summary window (see
Section 5.1.1) containing the configuration saved in the file in the
File Name box; press Cancel to close the dialog box without
opening a new configuration file.

The configuration will be added to the Performance Comparison window (unless it already contains
four configurations), which will be opened if necessary: see Section 5.12 for full details.

2.5 Save Configuration

To save the current configuration:

Choose Save Configuration from the File menu.

If you have already saved this configuration to a file, the file will be updated so that it contains the
current settings. If you have not saved the file previously, Save Configuration behaves as if you had
chosen Save Configuration As so that you can choose where to save the configuration.
Note that the file will be saved with whoever the Current Customer is set to be. Remember that the
Current Customer setting can be changed by opening another configuration with a different saved
customer as well as by using Customer in the File menu (see Section 2.1).

15
2.6 Save Configuration As

To save the current configuration with a new name:

1 Choose Save Configuration As from the File menu to display the
Save Configuration File dialog box (see Figure 2-6).

Figure 2-6 Save Configuration File dialog box

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive for saving the file from the Drives drop-down list
box.
4 Select the directory for saving the file from the Directories scroll
box. The File Name scroll box will list all the configuration files in
the selected directory.
(The Save File as Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only save
configuration files using this dialog box, so by default only these
are listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the
selected directory.)
5 Type in a name for the new configuration file. (You can click on a
file name in the scroll box to make the name appear in the File
name edit box, but if you use this file name again, when you press
OK you will be warned that the file will be overwritten.)
6 Press OK to save the current configuration with the name given in
the File Name box; press Cancel to close the dialog box without
saving the file.
Note that the file will be saved with whoever the Current Customer is set to be. Remember that the
Current Customer setting can be changed by opening another configuration with a different saved
customer as well as by using Customer in the File menu (see Section 2.1).

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2.7 Print Reports
To print a report showing the performance of the current configuration or the
results of the current simulation:

1 Choose Print Reports from the File menu to display the Print
Reports dialog box (see Figure 2-7).

Figure 2-7 Print Reports dialog box

2 Choose whether to print performance or simulation reports: click on
Performance to show the list of performance reports; click on
Simulation to display a list of simulation reports (see Figure 2-8).

Figure 2-8 Print Reports dialog box (simulation reports)

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 3 Click on a report in the Reports list to select it for printing.
Shift-click on another report to extend the selection by adding all
the reports between the first and second clicks; Ctrl-click on a report
to add it to the selection.
Alternatively, press Select All to select all the reports.
4 Check Use Pre-printed Cover Page if you want to print the cover
page data on a pre-printed cover page instead of allowing Spec
Manager to print a graphic. (You will need to put the pre-printed
cover page in the printer at the appropriate time.)
5 Press Preview to preview how the reports will be printed (see
Section 2.7.2).
6 Press Print to display the Print dialog box (see Section 2.7.1) so
that you can choose how to print the selected reports.

Advisory notes are always printed with either performance or simulation reports.

2.7.1 The Print dialog box

The Print dialog box is displayed when you choose Print Reports or Print Worksheet (see Section
2.8) from the File menu (in the former case after you have selected the reports to print).

Figure 2-9 Print dialog box

1 Click on All to print all the pages, or click on Pages and enter start
and finish page numbers in the From and To boxes. (Selection is
permanently grayed.)
2 Choose what Print Quality to use (the options available will
depend on your printer).
3 Enter the number of copies you want to print.

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 4 If you are printing more than one copy, check Collate Copies if you
want complete sets of pages printed out one after the other
(123..,123.. etc) or leave it unchecked if you want all copies of each
page printed out in turn (111..., 222... etc).
5 Press Setup to display the Printer Setup dialog box so that you can
change the printer used or set options for using the selected printer.
This is also displayed if you choose Printer Setup from the File
menu (see Section 2.9).
6 Press OK to close the dialog box and print the reports or worksheet;
press Cancel to close the dialog box without printing.

2.7.2 Preview
The print preview (see Figure 2-10) is displayed when you press Preview in the Print Reports dialog
box. The toolbar at the top of the preview window allows you to control how the preview is displayed.

Figure 2-10 Preview

• Press Print to close the preview and print the reports.

• Press Next Page to preview the next page of the reports.
• Press Prev Page to preview the previous page of the reports.
• Press One Page (or Two Pages) to switch between previewing the
reports one or two pages at a time.
• Press Zoom In for a magnified view of the preview.
• Press Zoom Out to return from a magnified view to a full page view.
• Press Close to close the preview without printing the reports.

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2.8 Print Worksheet

To print a blank worksheet so that you can fill in a customer’s requirements when
working off line:
Choose Print Worksheet to display the Print dialog box (see
Section 2.7.1) so that you can choose how to print the worksheet.

2.9 Printer Setup

To change printer or change the way the selected printer is set up:
1 Choose Printer Setup form the File menu to display the Printer
Setup dialog box (see Figure 2-11).

Figure 2-11 Printer Setup dialog box

(This dialog box is also displayed when you press Setup in the
Print dialog box: see Section 2.7.1).
Portrait orientation is always used, so Landscape is permanently
grayed.
2 Network is available if your PC is connected to a network. Press
Network if you want to connect to a new network printer.
3 To choose a different printer:
Click on Specific Printer and select the printer you want to use
from the drop-down list box.
or
Click on Default Printer to choose the default printer again.
4 Select the size of paper and source from the Paper drop-down list
boxes. The options available depend on the printer selected.
5 Press Options if you want to display a dialog box allowing you to
set specific options for the selected printer (see the printer’s
documentation for details).

20
 6 Press OK to close the dialog box and accept the changes selected;
press Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes.

2.10 Files recently opened in Spec Manager

The configuration files you have opened most recently are listed towards the bottom of the File menu
so that you can reopen them easily.
Note that you can have no more than four configurations open at the same time. If you already have
four open configurations, you should close one of them (to close a configuration, close its
Configuration Summary window: see Section 5.1.1) before opening another configuration.
To reopen a recently used file:
Choose the file’s name from the list near the bottom of the File
menu.

The configuration will be added to the Performance Comparison window (unless it already contains
four configurations), which will be opened if necessary: see Section 5.12 for full details.

2.11 Login

To log in a different user:

Choose Login from the File menu to display the Login dialog box.
This dialog box is also displayed when you start up Spec Manager:
see Section 1.4 for how to use it.
Note that any open configurations, the Current Customer and any current route remain unchanged
after you have logged in a new user.

2.12 Exit

To close down Spec Manager:

Choose Exit from the File menu.
If there are any unsaved changes in any open configurations or comparison tables, you will be asked if
you want to save each of them before Spec Manager is closed (for example, see Figure 2-12).

Figure 2-12 Save Changes dialog box

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3. Edit Menu

3.1 Copy

Copy is enabled if one of the Performance (see Section 5.2) or Simulation (see Section 6.1) windows
showing graphical results is currently selected.
To copy the contents of the selected window to the clipboard:

Choose Copy from the Edit menu.

The contents of the window are copied as a bitmap picture.

3.2 Defining configurations

When you create a new configuration using New Configuration in the File menu (see Section 2.3),
the configuration is incomplete until you have fully defined it. You cannot view performance data or
run simulations for an incomplete configuration. To completely define a configuration you need to
specify options in six configuration areas, each of which is controlled by a command in the Edit menu
(or its Configuration button equivalent).
Choosing one of the configuration commands or pressing the equivalent button displays a dialog box
so that you can specify that configuration area. When you close a configuration dialog box, its button
becomes checked (see Figure 3-1). This shows that you have completed that stage of the configuration
process (all of the buttons are unchecked when you create a new configuration).

Figure 3-1 A configuration button showing that the configuration

selections are valid
After you have defined a configuration area, the relevant details in the configuration’s Configuration
Summary Window will be completed.
If you choose options that make selections in another configuration area incompatible, the check next
to the relevant button changes to a cross (see Figure 3-2). For example, if you change the engine to
one with peak torque greater than the selected transmission’s torque limit, the transmission button will
get a cross next to it. This shows that you have to change (or possibly confirm) your choice. Until you
do this, you will not be able to view any performance characteristics for the configuration.

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 Figure 3-2 A configuration button warning of incompatible selections
If you choose a Quick Pick option (see Section 3.2.1), the mark next to the relevant button becomes a
query (see Figure 3-3) until you have completed the configuration.

Figure 3-3 A configuration button warning of incomplete Quick Pick

selections

3.2.1 Quick Pick

The Engine Configuration (see Figure 3-8), Transmission (see Figure 3-9) and Axles (see Figure
3-16) dialog boxes each has a Quick Pick check box. If you check Quick Pick, most of the other
options in the dialog box become disabled. This is because choosing Quick Pick means you are
asking Spec Manager to make the best choices for you.
When you press OK to close these dialog boxes after selecting Quick Pick, a query mark will appear
next to the Configuration button (for example, see Figure 3-3).
When you complete the last of the six configuration items, if you have selected Quick Pick for any of
them, the Quick Pick dialog box will be displayed (see Figure 3-4).

Figure 3-4 Quick Pick dialog box

The items you selected as Quick Pick (Engine, Transmission and/or Axles) will show Quick pick
(in the Type and Rating, Model and Ratio boxes, respectively), otherwise the boxes will show the
values you selected. The Type box is always enabled, but any other boxes showing Quick Pick will
be disabled.
1 If you chose Quick Pick for the Engine but want to choose a
particular engine type, select it from the Type box, otherwise leave
it as Quick Pick.

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 If you didn’t choose Quick Pick for the Engine, you can select it
now by choosing Quick Pick from the Type or Rating box
(choosing Quick Pick for Type automatically selects it for Rating
as well).
2 If you didn’t choose Quick Pick for the Transmission or Axles,
you can select it now by choosing Quick Pick from the Model or
Ratio box
3 If you have changed your mind about any of the settings for the
Transmission or Axles items, choose new settings.
4 Press OK to complete the configuration; press Apply to try out the
configuration without closing the dialog; press Cancel to close the
dialog without creating the configuration.

3.2.2 Completed configurations

When a configuration is complete, all of the Configuration buttons will have checks next to them (see
Figure 3-5).

Figure 3-5 The Configuration buttons with a complete configuration

When you have completed a configuration, if the configuration generates any advisory notes, the
Advisory Notes window (see Section 5.18) will be updated if it is open. If you have made changes that
mean there are no longer any Advisory Notes, the Advisory Notes window will be closed if it was
open.
The configuration will be added to the Performance Comparison window (provided it does not already
contain four configurations), which will be opened if necessary: see Section 5.12 for full details.

3.2.3 Editing configurations

If you press a checked, crossed or queried button (or choose the equivalent command), the relevant
dialog box is displayed with the current settings so that you can edit the configuration. If the
configuration is complete and compatible after your changes, its Configuration Summary window (see
Section 5.1.1) and any of the performance windows (see Section 5.2) that are displayed will be
updated to reflect the new settings.

3.3 Application

See Section 3.2 for general information about defining and editing configurations.
To set or change the vehicle application:
1 Choose Application from the Edit menu,
or
press the Application configuration button,
or
double-click on an application parameter in the Configuration
Summary window (see Section 5.1.1).

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 All of these actions display the Vehicle Application dialog box (see
Figure 3-6).

Figure 3-6 Vehicle Application dialog box

2 Click on one of the Type radio buttons to select the general type of
application.
The Application scroll box shows the specific vehicle applications
of the selected Type.
3 Select the specific application you require by clicking on it in the
Application scroll box.
4 Click on one of the radio buttons to select the type of tractor
required.
(The Tractor buttons are only enabled if an appropriate
Application is selected.)
5 Choose the Surface Type and Terrain on which the vehicle will be
used and how you would like to optimize the Performance from
the drop-down list boxes.
6 Enter the required dimensions of the vehicle in the Dimensions box.
(You can change the units using Units in the Customize menu: see
Section 7.4.)

25
 7 Press Options to display the Options dialog box (see Figure 3-7) so
that you can set user-entered drag figures, the number and type of
trailers and the aerodynamics (the options available depend on the
application selected in the Vehicle Application dialog box).

Figure 3-7 Options dialog box

8 If you want to enter your own figure for the drag, check User-
Entered Drag and enter a figure in the edit box.
9 Select the number of trailers from the Trailers drop-down list box,
enter the gap between trailers in the edit box, and click on the radio
buttons to specify the type of trailer.
10 Click on a radio button to set how the aerodynamics will be
modified, if at all.
11 Press OK to close the dialog box and accept the changes selected;
press Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes.
You will be returned to the Vehicle Application dialog box when
the Options dialog box is closed.
12 Press OK to close the Vehicle Application dialog box and accept
the changes selected; press Apply to confirm the choices you have
selected without closing the dialog box; press Cancel to close the
dialog box without making any changes selected since you opened
the dialog box.

26
3.4 Engine

See Section 3.2 for general information about defining and editing configurations.
To set or change the engine configuration:
1 Choose Engine from the Edit menu,
or
press the Engine configuration button,
or
double-click on an engine parameter in the Configuration Summary
window (see Section 5.1.1).
All of these actions display the Engine Configuration dialog box
(see Figure 3-8).

Figure 3-8 Engine Configuration dialog box

2 If you want Spec Manager to make the best choices for most of your
settings, check Quick Pick. When Quick Pick is checked, all the
other controls except Cruise Control (see Steps 6 and 7 ) and
Speed Limit (see Step 8) are disabled. (Note that Quick Pick is
only available for selected Vehicle Applications – see Section 3.3)
3 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, choose which rating
type to use from the Rating Type drop-down list box.

27
 4 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, choose which year’s
rating certification to use from the Year drop-down list box.
5 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, select the engine type to
use from the Engine Type scroll box.
6 Check Cruise Control if you want to fit a cruise control.
7 Cruise Speed is ungrayed when you check Cruise Control. Enter
the cruise speed you require. (You can change the units using Units
(see Section 7.2) in the Customize menu.)
8 Enter the Speed Limit you require. (You can change the units using
Units (see Section 7.2) in the Customize menu.)
9 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, enter the Droop figure
you require.
10 The Rating box is disabled if you are using Quick Pick. Otherwise,
its contents depend on what Engine Type and Rating Type you
have selected and whether Cruise Control is selected. Click in the
box on the rating that you require to select it.
11 Press OK to close the Engine Configuration dialog box and accept
the changes selected; press Apply to confirm the choices you have
selected without closing the dialog box; press Cancel to close the
dialog box without making any changes selected since you opened
the dialog box.

See Section 3.2.1 for more information about what happens when you close the Engine
Configuration dialog box if you have selected Quick Pick.

28
3.5 Transmission

See Section 3.2 for general information about defining and editing configurations.
To set or change the transmission configuration:
Choose Transmission from the Edit menu,
or
press the Transmission configuration button,
or
double-click on a transmission parameter in the Configuration
Summary window (see Section 5.1.1).
All of these actions display the Transmission Configuration
dialog box (see Figure 3-9).

Figure 3-9 Transmission Configuration dialog box

The main scroll box in the Transmission Configuration dialog box lists the transmissions made by
the manufacturer selected in the Manufacturer box that have the number of gears selected in the
Gears box. Transmissions listed in gray (rather than black) in the main scroll box have a torque limit
less than the peak torque of the selected engine. You can select these transmissions, but you must be
aware of the risks involved.

29
You use the Transmission Configuration dialog box to select a transmission (see Section 3.5.2); to
specify any auxiliary transmission to be used (see Section 3.5.3); to select the shift schedule and the
boundary regions for a DDEC III Progressive schedule (see Section 3.5.4); and to specify the torque
converter for an automatic transmission (see Section 3.5.5).
You can also use the Transmission Configuration dialog box to enter data for any new transmissions
not already included in the Spec Manager database (see Section 3.5.1).

3.5.1 Specifying, editing and removing a new transmission

To specify the characteristics of a new manual transmission:

1 Press Add in the Transmission dialog box (see Figure 3-9) to
display the Transmission Data Editor dialog box (see Figure 3-
10).

Figure 3-10 Transmission Data Editor dialog box

2 Choose the Manufacturer from the drop-down list box, or type in

the name if it isn’t listed.
3 Enter the reference code for the new transmission in the Model box.
4 Enter the Torque Limit for the new transmission.
5 Enter the Number of Forward Gears and then the ratio for each
gear in the appropriate text box. The ratios should decrease as gear
number increases.

30
 6 Enter the Number of Reverse Gears and then the ratio for each
gear. The ratios should decrease as gear number increases.
7 Press OK to close the dialog box and accept the changes selected;
press Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes.
To edit the characteristics of a transmission that you have added:
1 Select it in the Transmission dialog box (see Section 3.5.2).
2 Press Modify in the Transmission dialog box (the button is
ungrayed when you select a transmission you have added) to
redisplay the Transmission Data Editor dialog box (see Figure 3-
10).
3 Make the changes you require.
4 Press OK to close the dialog box and accept the changes selected;
press Cancel to close the dialog box without making any changes.
(If you press View instead of Modify, the entries are grayed to show that you cannot change the
values. You can use View to display the properties of any of the transmissions, not just ones you have
added.)
To remove a transmission that you have added:
1 Select it in the Transmission dialog box (see Section 3.5.2).
2 Press Delete in the Transmission dialog box (the button is
ungrayed when you select a transmission you have added).

3.5.2 Choosing a transmission

1 If you want Spec Manager to make the best choices for most of your
settings, check Quick Pick. When Quick Pick is checked, all the
other selection controls are disabled apart from the Manufacturer
and Gears boxes. (Note that Quick Pick is only available for
selected Vehicle Applications – see Section 3.3)
2 In the Manufacturer box in the Transmission dialog box (see
Figure 3-9), select which manufacturer’s transmissions to list in the
main scroll box, or select All to list all the manufacturers’
transmissions.
3 In the Gears box, select how many gears the transmissions listed in
the main scroll box should have, or select All if you do not want to
restrict your choice to a particular number of gears.
4 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, click on the model in the
main scroll box to select it.
To view the characteristics of the selected transmission:
Press View in the Transmission dialog box to display the
Transmission Data Editor dialog box (see Figure 3-10) showing
data for the selected transmission (the entries will be grayed,
showing that you cannot change them).

31
 5 If you have chosen not to use Quick Pick, depending in some cases
on the application and your other selections, you can choose:
An auxiliary transmission (see Section 3.5.3);
A shift schedule (see Section 3.5.4);
A torque converter (see Section 3.5.5).
6 Press OK to close the Transmission Configuration dialog box and
accept the changes selected; press Apply to confirm the choices you
have selected without closing the dialog box; press Cancel to close
the dialog box without making any changes selected since you
opened the dialog box.

See Section 3.2.1 for more information about what happens when you close the Transmission dialog
box if you have selected Quick Pick.

3.5.3 Choosing an auxiliary transmission

(This option is only available for on/off highway applications (vehicles for use both on and off
highway): see Section 3.3)
1 Check Auxiliary Transmission in the Transmission dialog box
(see Figure 3-9). The Auxiliary Ratios button will no longer be
grayed out.
2 Press Auxiliary Ratios to display the Auxiliary Transmission
dialog box (see Figure 3-11).

Figure 3-11 Auxiliary Transmission dialog box

3 Click on one of the radio buttons to show whether you want 2, 3 or

4 auxiliary ratios.
4 Enter the required ratios in the text boxes. The ratios should be
entered in descending order and lie between 0.5 and 4.0.
5 Press OK to confirm the auxiliary ratios you have set and return to
the Transmission dialog box.

If you choose to use an auxiliary transmission, when you press OK or Apply in the Transmission
dialog box, the Remove Unwanted Gears dialog box is displayed (see Figure 3-12) so that you can
remove redundant gears.

32
 Figure 3-12 Remove Unwanted Gears dialog box

To remove a gear:
1 Click on the gear to select it.
2 Press Remove. The selected gear will become grayed.
3 Repeat for any other gears.
4 If you change your mind about removing a gear, select it and press
Restore.
5 Press OK.

3.5.4 Choosing a shift schedule

To select the shift schedule you want to use:

Select Standard, Progressive, or DDEC III Progressive from the
Shift Schedule drop-down list box.
When you select DDEC III Progressive, the Boundary Regions button is no longer grayed out.
To specify the boundary regions for a DDEC III Progressive shift schedule:
1 Press Boundary Regions in the Transmission dialog box to
display the DDEC III Progressive Shift Schedule dialog box (see
Figure 3-13) so that you can choose the boundary speeds and RPM.

33
 Figure 3-13 DDEC III Progressive Shift Schedule dialog box

2 Enter the boundary speeds and RPM for each range in the text
boxes. (You can change the speed units using Units in the
Customize menu: see Section 7.2).The speeds should increase as
you go to higher ranges.
3 Press OK to confirm the boundary regions you have set and return
to the Transmission dialog box.

3.5.5 Choosing a torque converter for an automatic transmission

The Torque Converter button in the Transmission dialog box is enabled if you have selected an
automatic transmission.
To select a torque converter:
1 Press Torque Converter to display the Torque Converter dialog
box (see Figure 3-14).

Figure 3-14 Torque Converter dialog box

2 Click on one of the torque converters to select it.

3 Press OK to confirm the torque converter you have selected and
return to the Transmission dialog box.

34
3.6 Tires

See Section 0 for general information about defining and editing configurations.
To set or change the tires configuration:
1 Choose Tires from the Edit menu,
or
press the Tires configuration button,
or
double-click on a tire parameter in the Configuration Summary
window (see Section 5.1.1).
All of these actions display the Tires dialog box (see Figure 3-15).

Figure 3-15 Tires dialog box

2 Select the type of tire from the Type box. This determines the tire
models shown in the Model box.
The Model box lists tires of the selected Type.
3 Select the model of tire from the Model box.
4 The Size box shows the standard size of the selected tire. You can
override this if necessary by typing in your own figure. (You can
change the units using Units in the Customize menu: see Section
7.2).
5 Press OK to close the Tires dialog box and accept the changes
selected; press Apply to confirm the choices you have selected
without closing the dialog box; press Cancel to close the dialog box
without making any changes selected since you opened the dialog
box.

35
3.7 Axles

See Section 3.2 for general information about defining and editing configurations.
To set or change the axles configuration:
1 Choose Axles from the Edit menu,
or
press the Axles configuration button,
or
double-click on an axle parameter in the Configuration Summary
window (see Section 0).
All of these actions display the Axles dialog box (see Figure 3-16).

Figure 3-16 Axles dialog box

2 If you want Spec Manager to make the best choices for most of your
settings, check Quick Pick. When Quick Pick is checked, all the
other selection controls are disabled apart from the Manufacturer
box (see Step 3). (Note that Quick Pick is only available for
selected Vehicle Applications – see Section 3.3).
3 Select a manufacturer from the Manufacturer box.
4 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, enter the number of
axles required in the Number of Axles box.
5
Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, click on a radio button
to choose Single or Tandem drive axles.
6 Unless you have chosen to use Quick Pick, click on the Single
Speed or Two Speed radio button to select the Axle Speeds.

36
 If you have selected a single speed axle, select a ratio from the
Ratio drop-down list box.
If you have selected a two speed axle, enter the required ratios in the
text boxes. (Ratio 1 must be greater than Ratio 2, and both must lie
between 2 and 12.)
You can use Ratio Calculator and Axle Comparison in the
Utilities menu (see Chapter 8) to calculate the effect of choosing
different axle ratios.
7 Press OK to close the Axles dialog box and accept the changes
selected; press Apply to confirm the choices you have selected
without closing the dialog box; press Cancel to close the dialog box
without making any changes selected since you opened the dialog
box.
See Section 3.2.1 for more information about what happens when you close the Axles dialog box if
you have selected Quick Pick.

3.8 Accessories

To set or change the accessories configuration:

1 Choose Accessories from the Edit menu,
or
press the Accessories configuration button,
or
double-click on an axle parameter in the Configuration Summary
window (see Section 5.1.1).
All of these actions display the Accessories dialog box (see Figure 3-17).

Figure 3-17 Accessories dialog box

37
 2 Click on a radio button to specify the type of fan to be used,
or
click on User-Entered Loss and enter a value in the edit box if you
want to enter your own value.
(You can change the units using Units in the Customize menu: see
Section 7.2).
4 Check Air Conditioning if you want to fit air conditioning to the
vehicle.
5 Check Enter Accessories Loss and enter appropriate figures in the
edit boxes if you want to use your own values rather than the
defaults for losses due to other accessories.
6 Press OK to close the Accessories dialog box and accept the changes selected; press
Apply to confirm the choices you have selected without closing the dialog box; press Cancel
to close the dialog box without making any changes selected since you opened the dialog box.

38
4. View Menu

4.1 Toolbar

To choose whether to display or hide the Toolbar (see Figure 4-1):

Choose Toolbar from the View menu.
The command is checked when the Toolbar is visible and unchecked when it is hidden.

Figure 4-1 The Toolbar

The Toolbar contains buttons, which with two exceptions (see Sections 4.1.2 and 4.1.3), provide
shortcuts to some of the more frequently used menu commands. The list in Section 4.1.1 shows what
the equivalent command is for each button.

4.1.1 The tool buttons

The table below shows the menu equivalent for buttons in the toolbar.
Button Command Menu Further
information
New Configuration File Section 2.3
Open Configuration File Section 2.4
Save Configuration File Section 2.5
Copy Edit Section 3.1
Print Reports File Section 2.7
Program Help Help Section 10.1
No equivalent Section 4.1.2
Spec Wizard File Section 2.2
Configuration Summary Performance Section 5.1
Acceleration Performance Section 5.3
Fuel Economy Performance Section 5.4
Gradeability Performance Section 5.5
Operating Range Performance Section 5.6
Shift Schedule Performance Section 5.7
Startability Performance Section 5.8
Vehicle Power Performance Section 5.9
Capabilities

39
 All Graphs Performance Section 5.11
Run Simulation Simulation Section 6.3
No equivalent Section 5.1.1
Time In Load/RPM Simulation Section 6.6
Bands
Fuel Used in Load/RPM Simulation Section 6.7
Bands
Gear Shift Summary Simulation Section 6.8
Advisory Notes Performance Section 5.18
Change Format View Section 7.4
Idle Fuel Analysis Simulation Section 6.14

4.1.2 Context-sensitive help

The context-sensitive help button does not have a menu command equivalent. It is used to display
context-sensitive help for areas of the windows, buttons or menu commands.
To display context-sensitive help:

1 Press the context-sensitive help button to change the pointer to the

context-sensitive help pointer (see Figure 4-2).

Figure 4-2 Context-sensitive help pointer

2 Move the context-sensitive help pointer over the area of the

window, a button or a menu command.
3 Click.
The Help system will open showing specific help for the item selected.

4.1.3 Simulation Summary

The button is shown as depressed in the toolbar when the Simulation Summary window for the
currently selected configuration is displayed.
To close the Simulation Summary window for the currently selected configuration:
Press the simulation summary button.

When you close the Simulation Summary window for a configuration, any other simulation windows
open for that configuration will be closed and cannot be reopened without running the simulation
again.

40
4.2 Status Bar

The Status Bar shows messages and whether Num Lock and Caps Lock are set.
To choose whether to display the status bar at the bottom of the main Spec
Manager window:
Choose Status Bar from the View menu.
The command is checked when the Status Bar is visible and unchecked when it is hidden.

4.3 Change Format

To change the display in the currently selected Performance window (see Section 5.2) or Simulation
Results (see Section 6.1) window from a table to a chart or a chart to a graph:
Choose Change Format from the View menu.

41
5. Performance Menu

5.1 Configuration Summary

Configuration Summary is enabled if there is an open configuration (see Section 2.4 for opening a
saved configuration, Section 2.3 for creating a new configuration and Section 2.2 for using Spec
Wizard to create a new configuration).
To close the Configuration Summary window, and hence the configuration:

Choose Configuration Summary from the Performance menu.

When you close the configuration, any associated Performance or Simulation windows will also be
closed. If the configuration had any unsaved changes when you close the window, you will be asked if
you want to save it (see Section 2.5).

42
5.1.1 The Configuration Summary window
The Configuration Summary window shows a summary of an open configuration. It is displayed
automatically when you create a new configuration using New Configuration (see Section 2.3) or
Spec Wizard (see Section 2.2) in the File menu, or when you open a previously saved configuration
using Open Configuration (see Section 2.4) in the File menu.

Figure 5-1 A Configuration Summary window

You can have up to four configurations open at the same time.
To select an open configuration, do one of:
Click in its Configuration Summary window.
Or:
Choose its Configuration Summary window from the list at the
bottom of the Window menu.
Or:
1 Choose Select Configuration from the Utilities menu.
2 Select the configuration from the drop-down list in the dialog box
that is displayed.

43
 To change one of the configuration parameters listed in the Configuration
Summary window:
Double-click on it to display the appropriate configuration dialog
box: see the commands in the Edit menu (Chapter 3) for details.
You can close the Configuration Summary window, and hence the configuration, in the following
ways:
• by choosing Configuration Summary in the Performance menu,
• by pressing the configuration summary button in the Toolbar, or
• by choosing Close Window from the Window menu when the
Configuration Summary window is selected (see Section 5.1.1), or
• by clicking on the control box at the top left-hand corner of the window
to display the window’s control menu and choosing Close
• (In Windows 95) by clicking on the close box at the top right-hand
corner of the window.
When you close the configuration, any associated Performance or Simulation windows will also be
closed. If the configuration had any unsaved changes when you close the window, you will be asked if
you want to save them (see Section 2.5).

5.2 The Performance windows

The Performance windows give a graphical or tabular view of the performance of the selected
configuration. (Note that you can only view performance data for complete configurations: see Section
3.3 for using the configuration commands and buttons for defining configurations and Section 2.2 for
using Spec Wizard to create a new complete configuration.)
You can view the vehicle’s
• Acceleration
• Fuel Economy
• Gradeability
• Operating Range
• Shift Schedule
• Startability
• Vehicle Power Capabilities.
To display (or close) a Performance window for a configuration:
1 Select the configuration by clicking in its Configuration window or
using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see Section 8.1).
2 Choose the command for the window from the Performance menu
(see the entries in the rest of this chapter for details) or click on its
Toolbar button (see Section 4.1.1).
Note that the Performance windows for a configuration will be closed automatically if you close the
configuration by closing the Configuration Summary window.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can also change the display of the selected
window between graphical and tabular formats by choosing Change Format from the View menu
(see Section 4.3).

44
5.3 Acceleration
See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.
To open or close the Acceleration window to display a table (see Figure 5-2) or
chart (see Figure 5-3) showing acceleration data for the selected configuration:

Choose Acceleration from the Performance menu.

Acceleration is checked in the Performance menu and the button depressed in the Toolbar when the
window is open.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-2) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-2 The Acceleration window - table view

The graphical view (see Figure 5-3) shows plots of vehicle speed (using a blue line and the left-hand
vertical axis) and distance (using a red line and the right-hand vertical axis) against time.

45
 Figure 5-3 The Acceleration window - graphical view

5.4 Fuel Economy

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Fuel Economy window to display a table (see Figure 5-4) or
chart (see Figure 5-5) showing fuel economy for the selected configuration:

Choose Fuel Economy from the Performance menu.

Note that the Fuel Economy window cannot be displayed for automatic transmissions.
When the window is open, Fuel Economy is checked in the Performance menu and the button
depressed in the Toolbar.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).

46
The table view (see Figure 5-4) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-4 The Fuel Economy window - table view

The graphical view (see Figure 5-5) shows plots of fuel economy against speed for the two highest
gears.

Figure 5-5 The Fuel Economy window - graphical view

5.5 Gradeability

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Gradeability window to display a table (see Figure 5-6) or
chart (see Figure 5-7) showing gradeability data for the selected configuration:

Choose Gradeability from the Performance menu.

When the window is open, Gradeability is checked in the Performance menu and the button
depressed in the Toolbar.

47
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-6) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-6 The Gradeability window - table view

The graphical view (see Figure 5-7) shows what grade the vehicle can climb at peak torque and shift
RPM.

Figure 5-7 The Gradeability window - graphical view

48
If you click on one of the bars in the chart, a dialog box is displayed showing the data numerically (see
Figure 5-8).

Figure 5-8 Data dialog box for the Gradeability chart

5.6 Operating Range

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Operating Range window to display a table (see Figure 5-9)
or chart (see Figure 5-10) showing the range of operating speeds for each of the
forward gears in the selected configuration:

Choose Operating Range from the Performance menu.

When the window is open, Operating Range is checked in the Performance menu and the button
depressed in the Toolbar.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-9) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-9 The Operating Range window - table view

49
The graphical view (see Figure 5-10) shows the range of operating speeds for each forward gear.

Figure 5-10 The Operating Range window - graphical view

If you click on one of the bars in the chart, a dialog box is displayed showing the data numerically (see
Figure 5-11).

Figure 5-11 Data dialog box for the Operating Range window

5.7 Shift Schedule

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Shift Schedule window to display a table (see Figure 5-12)
or chart (see Figure 5-13) showing the shift schedule for the current
configuration:

Choose Shift Schedule from the Performance menu.

When the window is open, Shift Schedule is checked in the Performance menu and the button
depressed in the Toolbar.

50
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-12) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-12 The Shift Schedule window - table view

The graphical view (see Figure 5-13) shows the speeds at which gears are shifted.

Figure 5-13 The Shift Schedule window - graphical view

51
5.8 Startability

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Startability window to display a table (see Figure 5-14) or
chart (see Figure 5-15) showing the startability index for the first reverse and first
three forward gears in the current configuration:

Choose Startability from the Performance menu.

When the window is open, Startability is checked in the Performance menu and the button
depressed in the Toolbar.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-14) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-14 The Startability window - table view

The graphical view (see Figure 5-15) shows the startability index for the first reverse and first three
forward gears. The Recommended Limits plaque suggests minimum values for different applications.

Figure 5-15 The Startability window - graphical view

52
If you click on one of the bars in the chart, a dialog box is displayed showing the data numerically (see
Figure 5-16).

Figure 5-16 Data dialog box for the Startability window

5.9 Vehicle Power Capabilities

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open or close the Vehicle Power window to display a table (see Figure 5-17)
or chart (see Figure 5-18) showing the vehicle’s power capabilities for the current
configuration:

Choose Vehicle Power Capabilities from the Performance menu.

When the window is open, Vehicle Power Capabilities is checked in the Performance menu and the
button depressed in the Toolbar.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Performance windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view (see Figure 5-17) shows the data in tabular form.

Figure 5-17 The Vehicle Power window - table view

53
The graphical view (see Figure 5-18) shows, in blue, the power capability of a vehicle with the current
configuration at different speeds. For comparison, the white lines show the power required to climb
various grades at different speeds.

Figure 5-18 The Vehicle Power window - graphical view

5.10 Optimized Idle

Optimized Idle is no longer grayed out after you have run a simulation (see Section 6.3).
To display an analysis of the effects of using Optimized Idle:
Choose Optimized Idle from the Performance menu to open the
Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis window (see Section 5.10.1).
While the window is open, the command is checked in the menu.
To close the Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis window:
Choose Optimized Idle from the Performance menu again.
The window will be closed and the command unchecked in the menu.
Note that the window will also be closed automatically if you close the configuration’s Simulation
Summary window.

5.10.1 The Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis window

The Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis window can display an analysis of the effects of using Optimized
Idle graphically (see Figure 5-19) or in table form (see Figure 5-20).

54
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for the Optimized Idle window using Format in
the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and tabular
formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see Section
4.3).

Figure 5-19 The Optimized Idle window - graphical view

The graphical view of the window (see Figure 5-19) contains plots showing the fuel economy with
different percentages of idle time with Optimized Idle (blue line) and without (red line).

Figure 5-20 The Optimized Idle window - table view

55
5.11 All Graphs

See Section 5.2 for general information about Performance windows.

To open all of the Performance windows to show the performance of a
configuration:
1 Select the configuration by clicking in its Configuration window or
using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see Section 8.1).

2 Choose All Graphs from the Performance menu.

5.12 Performance comparison tables

The Comparison Tables submenu in the Performance menu provides commands for managing
performance comparison tables. Performance comparison tables are displayed in the Performance
Comparison Table window (see Figure 5-21).

Figure 5-21 Performance Comparison Table window

The Performance Comparison Table window lists the configuration details (INPUT DATA) of
selected configurations and compares their performance (OUTPUT DATA). Values in the second,
third and fourth tables that differ from the values in the first table are highlighted by underlining.
The Performance Comparison Table window can be opened manually by creating a new performance
comparison table (see Section 5.13) or by opening a saved performance comparison table file (see
Section 5.14).

56
The Performance Comparison Table window can also be opened automatically if it isn’t open when
you open a previously saved complete configuration (see Section 2.4) or use Spec Wizard (see Section
2.2) to create a new configuration. When the window is opened automatically in this way, it will have
a column showing data for the new configuration and will be saved in a file called AUTOCOMP.PCT.
Note that if you want to save the comparison table for future reference, you should also save it in
another file (see Section 5.16), since the AUTOCOMP.PCT gets overwritten each time the
Performance Comparison Table window is opened automatically.
If the Performance Comparison Window is already open (and the table has fewer than four columns),
when you open a saved complete configuration or use Spec Wizard to create a new configuration, a
column will be added to the table for the new configuration and the performance comparison table file
will be saved. However, if the table already has four columns, the new configuration will not be added
and you will be advised that you need to delete a configuration before you can add the new one (see
Section 5.17 for adding and deleting configurations in a performance comparison table).
Note that the values shown in the comparison table are the values calculated when the configuration is
added to the table (either manually or automatically). If you edit a configuration, you will need to
delete it from the comparison table and add it back in order to see the new values (see Section 5.17 for
adding and deleting configurations in a performance comparison table).

5.13 New (performance comparison table)

To create a new performance comparison table:

1 If you want to add an open configuration to the table, select the
configuration by clicking in its Configuration Summary window or
using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see Section 8.1).
2 Choose New from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the Edit Performance Comparison Table
dialog box (see Figure 5-22).

Figure 5-22 Edit Performance Comparison Table dialog box

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 3 If you want to add the selected configuration, enter a brief
description in the Description box. This appears at the top of the
column giving data for the configuration in the Performance
Comparison Table window (see Section 5.12).
4 If you want to add the selected configuration, press Add Current
Configuration. The description and brief details of the
configuration will appear in the Configurations box.
5 Add a Comment if required. This will be shown in the Open
Performance Comparison Table dialog box (see Figure 5-24)
when you open a performance comparison table.
6 Press OK.

If you already had an open comparison table with some unsaved changes, you will be asked if you
want to save them before the new comparison table is opened (see Figure 5-23).

Figure 5-23 Save changes to performance comparison table warning

• Press Yes to save the changes before displaying the new performance
comparison table.
• Press No to display the new performance comparison table without
saving the changes in the previous comparison.
• Press Cancel to abort creating a new comparison and leave the
previous comparison unchanged.
Provided you did not Cancel the operation, the Performance Comparison Table window will display
the new performance comparison table with data for the selected configuration only if you chose to
add the selected configuration, otherwise it will be empty. You can add further configurations to the
table by selecting them in turn and using Edit in the Performance→ Comparison Tables submenu
(see Section 5.17). You can also use Edit to remove configurations.
You can use Save (see Section 5.15) or Save As (see Section 5.16) in the
Performance→ Comparison Tables submenu to save the comparison table, and Open (see Section
5.14) to open a previously saved table.

5.14 Open (performance comparison table)

To open a previously saved performance comparison table:

1 Choose Open from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the Open Performance Comparison Table
dialog box (see Figure 5-24).

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Figure 5-24 Open Performance Comparison Table dialog box

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive containing the required file from the Drives drop-
down list box.
4 Select the directory containing the required file from the
Directories scroll box.
The List Files of Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only open performance
comparison files in this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.
5 Click on the name of the required file in the File Name scroll box
so that the name appears in the File Name edit box. Alternatively,
type the name of the file into the File Name edit box.
The File Details box shows the customer who was the current
customer when the performance comparison table file was saved. It
will also show any Comment saved with the file: you can add a
comment when you create a performance comparison table
manually (see Section 5.12); the comment Automatic performance
comparison is added automatically if the comparison table is
created automatically (see Section 5.12). You can edit the
Comment using Edit in the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu (see Section 5.17).

59
 6 Press OK to open the comparison table named in the File Name
box; press Cancel to close the dialog box without loading the
performance comparison table.
If you already had an open comparison table with some unsaved changes, you will be asked if you
want to save them before the new comparison table is opened (see Figure 5-23).

5.15 Save (performance comparison table)

To save the contents of the Performance Comparison Table window:

Choose Save from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu.
If you have already saved this performance comparison table to a file, the file will be updated so that it
contains the current comparisons. If you have not saved the file previously, Save behaves as if you had
chosen Save As from the Performance→ Comparison Tables submenu so that you can choose where
to save the comparison data.

5.16 Save As (performance comparison table)

To save the contents of the Performance Comparison Table window with a new
name:
1 Choose Save As from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the File Save As dialog box:

Figure 5-25 Saving a performance comparison table

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive for saving the file from the Drives drop-down list
box.
4 Select the directory for saving the file from the Directories scroll
box.

60
 The Save Files as Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only save performance
comparison files using this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.
5 Type in a name for the new comparison file in the File Name edit
box. You can click on the file name in the scroll box to make the
name appear in the File Name edit box, but if you use this file name
again when you press OK you will be warned that the file will be
overwritten.
6 Press OK to save the current performance comparison with the
name given in the File Name box; press Cancel to close the dialog
box without saving the file.

5.17 Edit (performance comparison table)

Edit in the Performance→ Comparison Tables submenu allows you to change which configurations
are shown in the Performance Comparison Table window (see Section 0). You can remove any of the
configurations from the comparison, but you can only add the currently selected configuration.
To add an open configuration to the table in the Performance Comparison Table
window (you can have up to four configurations in a performance comparison
table):
1 Select the configuration by clicking in its Configuration window or
using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see Section 8.1).
2 Choose Edit from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the Edit Performance Comparison Table
dialog box:

Figure 5-26 Edit Performance Comparison Table dialog box

The Configurations box shows descriptions of the configurations
already included in the comparison tables.

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 3 Enter a brief description in the Description box. This appears at the
top of the column giving data for the configuration in the
Performance Comparison Table window.
4 Press Add Current Configuration. The description and brief
details of the configuration will appear in the Configurations box.
5 Add or edit text in the Comment box. This will be shown in the
Open Performance Comparison Table dialog box (see Figure 5-
24) when you open a performance comparison table.
6 Press OK.
To remove one of the configurations from the comparison table in the
Performance Comparison Table window:
1 Choose Edit from the Performance→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the Edit Performance Comparison Table
dialog box.
2 Click in the Configurations box on the configuration you want to
remove to select it.
3 Press Delete Configuration.

5.18 Advisory Notes

To display advice on any problems with your current configuration:

Choose Advisory Notes from the Performance menu to display the

Advisory Notes window (see Figure 5-27).
The Advisory Notes window shows advice about the current configuration:

Figure 5-27 The Advisory Notes window

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The Advisory Notes window can also be displayed when you have completed a new configuration or
loaded a saved one: if there are any notes, you are given the option to view them (see Figure 5-28).

Figure 5-28 Advisory Notes warning

If you edit an existing configuration, resulting in the production of some new advisory notes, the notes
shown in the Advisory Notes window will be updated to show the notes for the new configuration if
the window is open. If you have made changes that mean there are no longer any Advisory Notes, the
Advisory Notes window will be closed if it was open.
To get help on how to overcome a problem shown in the Advisory Notes
window:
1 Click on the problem in the Advisory Notes window to select it (see Figure 5-29).

Figure 5-29 The Advisory Notes window with a note selected

2 Press Hint to display the Hint dialog box (see Figure 5-30).

Figure 5-30 A hint for an advisory note

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 6. Simulation Menu

6.1 The Simulation windows

The Route Profile window is displayed when you select a route – see Section 6.2.3 for details.
A Simulation Summary window is displayed each time you run a simulation (there is a separate
window for each simulation) – see Section 6.3 for details.
The Simulation Comparison Table window is also displayed when you run a simulation, but the
results of further simulations are added to the table in the same window – see Section 6.9.1.
Once you have run a simulation, you can also display detailed results in graphical or tabular form
using the following Simulation Results windows:
• Time in Load/RPM Bands: see Section 6.6
• Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands: see Section 6.7
• Gear Shift Summary: see Section 6.8
• Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis: see Section 5.10
The first three of these Simulation Results windows are displayed or closed using commands in the
Simulation menu; the Optimized Idle Fuel Analysis window is displayed or closed using a command
in the Performance menu. There are also shortcut buttons in the Toolbar for displaying or closing the
Simulation Results windows.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Simulation Results windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can also change the display of the selected
window between graphical and tabular formats by choosing Change Format from the View menu
(see Section 4.3).
Note that all the Simulation windows for a configuration will be closed automatically if you close the
Simulation Summary window, or if you close the configuration by closing the Configuration
Summary window.

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6.2 Select Route

Before you can run a simulation (see Section 6.3), you must have both a current route and at least one
complete open configuration. The simulation is run for all open complete configurations running over
the current route.
The current route can be a single route chosen from a list of standard and user-created routes (see
Section 6.4), or a composite route made up of several individual routes.
To specify a new current route by selecting an existing route, or building a
composite route:
Choose Select Route from the Simulation menu to display the
Select Routes dialog box (see Figure 6-1).

Figure 6-1 Select Routes dialog box

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive containing your route files from the Drives drop-
down list box.
4 Select the directory containing your route files from the Directories
scroll box.

65
 The List Files of Type drop down list box allows you to choose
what types of file to list in the File Name scroll box. You can only
load route files using this dialog box, so by default only the route
files are shown, but you can also choose to show all the files in the
selected directory.
5 Scroll the File Name scroll box until the route you want to select is
visible and click on the route to select it.
The File Details box gives information about the file selected in the
File Name box.
Alternatively, you can use the search button to find the route you
require (see Section 6.2.2).
6 Press Add Route to add the selected route to the Selected Routes
box.
7 Follow the instructions in Section 6.2.1 if you want to build a
composite route.
8 Press OK to close the dialog box and make the selected route the
current route, or if you want to add other routes to make a
composite route, follow the instructions in the following section.
When you close the dialog box, the selected route is displayed in the Route Profile window (see
Section 6.2.3).

6.2.1 Building and editing a composite route

Having selected a route in the Select Routes dialog box, you can build a composite route by adding
further routes. You can do this before closing the dialog box, or you can choose Select Route from the
Simulation menu at a later stage to reopen it and add routes then. The instructions in this section
assume that you have followed steps 1 through 4 in the previous section to select the directory
containing the routes you want to add.
Note that for any two adjacent routes in a composite route, the second route must start at the same
altitude as the first one ends. This is guaranteed if all the routes are user-created routes, as they all start
and finish at the same altitude. However, to meet this requirement using standard routes you will
probably need to ensure that the second route begins at the same place as the first route ends.
To add a new route to the end of the list of routes in the Selected Routes box:
1 Select the route you want to add in the File Name box (or use the
search button to find the route you require: see Section 6.2.2).
2 Press Add Route.
To insert a new route before one already in the list of routes:
1 Select the route you want to add in the File Name box.
2 In the Selected Routes box, click on the route before which you
want to insert the new route, so that it is selected.
3 Press Insert Route.
You can repeat these steps to add or insert up to a total of five routes.
To remove a route from the Selected Routes list:
1 Click on the route in the Selected Routes box to select it.

66
 2 Press Delete Route.
Note that this just removes this component from the current route used for simulations; it does not
delete the route file from your disk.
When you have finished building the composite route:
Press OK to close the dialog box and make the composite route
listed in the Selected Routes box the current route.
When you close the dialog box, the selected route is displayed in the Route Profile window (see
Section 6.2.3).

6.2.2 Searching for a route

There are a large number of standard routes supplied with Spec Manager. You can also create routes
of your own (see Section 6.4) to add to these. This means it can be take some time to find the route
you want just by scrolling through the list in the File Name scroll box in the Select Routes dialog
box. To help with this problem, you can search for routes containing specific text in their descriptions.
For example, you could search for a city name.
To find a route and add it to the Selected Routes box:
1 Press Search in the Select Routes dialog box to display the Route
Description Search dialog box (see Figure 6-2).

Figure 6-2 Route Description Search dialog box

2 Enter the text you are looking for (a city name for example) in the
Search for the following text box.
3 Press Search to find all the files whose description contains the text
and list them in the Identified Files box.
4 Click on the file you want to add to select it.
5 Press Add to add the selected file to the end of the list of routes in
the Selected Routes box.
6 Repeat steps 1 through 4 for any other routes you want to add
(remember that for standard routes the new route should start where
the last one ended to make the altitudes match).
7 Press Close.

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6.2.3 The Route Profile window
Select Route in the Simulation menu allows you to load standard routes or add routes to the current
route to make a composite route.
When you have selected a route, the Route Profile window is displayed (see Figure 6-3).

Figure 6-3 The Route Profile window

The blue line in the Route Profile window plots altitude against distance for the current route; the red
line shows the speed limit set for different sections of the route.
Note that if you close the Route Profile window by clicking on its close box, or by choosing Close
from its control menu, you will no longer have a current route (you will not be able to run a simulation
until you create or load another route).

6.3 Run Simulation

Run Simulation is grayed unless you have at least one open and complete configuration. Note that
you will not be able to run a simulation if you have already run a simulation for the open
configurations and you have not closed their Simulation Summary windows.
To run a simulation of the open complete configurations:

1 Choose Run Simulation from the Simulation menu.

If you have a currently selected route, go straight to Step 3.
Otherwise, the Select Routes dialog box will be displayed first so
that you can select a route.
2 Select a route using the Select Routes dialog box (see Section 6.2).
A Simulation Summary window (see Figure 6-6) will be opened for
the first configuration and, if it is not already open, the Simulation
Comparison Table window (see Figure 6-21) will be opened.

68
 However, although you may be able to see some of the contents of
these windows at this stage, you will not be able to view them fully
until the simulation is complete.
The Simulation Details dialog box (see Figure 6-4) will be
displayed for the first configuration.
Note: The simulations are run on each configuration starting with
the configuration that was opened or created first in this session,
then the second, and so on. The Simulation Details dialog box will
be displayed before the simulation of each configuration, so that
you can enter different settings for each of them. However, the
choice that you make for Round Trip for the first configuration
will be applied to all configurations.

Figure 6-4 Simulation Details dialog box

3 Check Exceed Speed Limit if you want to allow the speed limit to
be exceeded during the simulation.
4 Check Round Trip if you want the simulation to be run in both
directions.
5 Enter total Outbound Weight (and Return Weight if it is a round
trip).
6 Press OK to start the simulation.
While the simulation is being run, the Simulation Progress dialog
box is displayed so that you can monitor progress.

69
 Figure 6-5 Simulation Progress dialog box

7 Allow the simulation to complete, or press End to stop the

simulation of this configuration and keep the results calculated to
this point, or press Abort to stop the simulation of this
configuration and abandon the results.
Provided you do not abort the simulation, when the simulation is
complete, the Simulation Progress dialog box will close and the
results added to the configuration’s Simulation Summary window
and the Simulation Comparison Table window (note that the results
will not be added to the Simulation Comparison Table window if it
already contains any results for simulations run over a different
route).
8 If there are any other open complete configurations, the Simulation
Details dialog box will be displayed again for the next configuration
– repeat Steps 3, 5, 6 and 7 for each configuration.
When the simulation is complete, you will be returned to the main Spec Manager window and the
Simulation Summary windows (see Figure 6-6) for each configuration will show the results of the
simulation.

70
 Figure 6-6 Simulation Summary window
You can display further analysis of the simulation results using the following commands in the
Simulation menu:
• Time in Load/RPM Bands (see Section 6.6)
• Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands (see Section 6.7)
• Gear Shift Summary (see Section 6.8)
• Optimized Idle (see Section 5.10).
You can also compare simulation results using the Simulation Comparison Table window (see Section
6.9.1).
If you close the Simulation Summary window for a configuration, any of the other windows you have
opened to view the simulation results will be closed and the column for that configuration will be
removed from the Simulation Comparison Table window if it is open.

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6.4 Create Route

Before you can run a simulation, you must have selected a current route (see Section 6.2) and have at
least one open complete configuration. The current route can be made up of standard routes or have
components that you have created yourself.
To create a new route:
1 Choose Create Route from the Simulation menu to display the
Create Route dialog box (see Figure 6-7).

Figure 6-7 Create Route dialog box

The dialog box has two data entry areas: the route definition area;
and the Comment box. The route definition area is used to define
the route as a series of stages with different properties. When you
open the dialog box, the route definition area has a single row of
blank boxes for you to define the first stage in the route (the
example shows the dialog box after two stages have been defined).
2 Enter the data for the first stage in the row of boxes at the top of the
route definition area (the Surface Factor box displays a drop-down
list when you click in it so that you can choose which to use).
After you have entered some data in the blank row, another blank
row of boxes appears beneath it so that you will be able to add
further stages in the route.
3 Enter data for the next stage, if required.
If you want to add another stage before one of the existing stages,
click on the existing stage to select it and press Insert. A new row
of boxes will appear with default values so that you can enter the
data for the new stage.

72
 If you want to remove one of the existing stages, click on it to select
it and press Delete.
You can change the data in any of the boxes in the route definition
area by clicking in the box and editing the data there.
4 Enter a comment describing the route in the Comment box. If you
select the route in the Select Routes dialog box (see Section 6.2) to
be part of the current route, it will be identified in the Selected
Routes box by the comment you have entered.
You must have entered a comment before you press OK to save the
new route.
5 Press OK to display the File Save As dialog box (see Figure 6-8) so
that you can save the route; press Cancel to close the dialog box
without defining a new route.

Figure 6-8 Saving a user-created route

6 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
7 Select the drive containing your route files from the Drives drop-
down list box.
8 Select the directory containing your route files from the Directories
scroll box.
The File Name scroll box lists all the route files in the selected
directory. The Save Files as Type drop-down list box controls
what files are shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only
save route files using this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.
9 Type a name for the new route file in the File name edit box.

73
 You can click on the file name in the scroll box to make the name
appear in the File name edit box, but if you use this file name again,
when you press OK you will be warned that the file will be
overwritten.
10 Press OK to save the route with the name given in the File Name
box; press Cancel to close the dialog box without saving the route.
Your new route will now appear in the list of routes in the Select Routes dialog box when you choose
Select Route from the Simulation menu (see Section 6.2).
After you have created a route, you can edit it a later time using Edit Route in the Simulation menu.

6.5 Edit Route

To edit a route created using Create Route in the Simulation menu:

1 Choose Edit Route from the Simulation menu to display the Open
Route File dialog box (see Figure 6-9) so that you can select a route
file.

Figure 6-9 Opening a user-defined route for editing

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive containing the route file from the Drives drop-down
list box.
4 Select the directory containing the route file from the Directories
scroll box.

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 The File Name scroll box lists all the route files in the selected
directory. The List Files of Type drop-down list box controls what
files are shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only open
route files in this dialog box, so by default only these are listed.
However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.
5 Click on the file name in the scroll box so that the name appears in
the File Name edit box. (If you select a standard route, you will be
reminded that you can only edit user-created routes when you press
OK.)
The File Details box shows information about the file selected in
the File Name box.
6 Press OK to open the route file shown in the File Name box; press
Cancel to close the dialog box without opening the route file.
7 When you have selected a route, the Create Route dialog box will
be displayed so that you can edit the route. This dialog box is also
displayed by Create Route in the Simulation menu: see Section
6.4 for how to use it.

6.6 Time in Load/RPM Bands

Time In Load/RPM Bands is no longer grayed out after you have run a simulation (see Section 6.3).
To display an analysis of the time spent in different load/RPM bands:

Choose Time In Load/RPM Bands from the Simulation menu to

open the Time Used In Load/RPM Bands window (see Figure 6-
11).
While the window is open, the command is checked in the menu and the button depressed in the
Toolbar.
To close the Time Used In Load/RPM Bands window:
Choose Time In Load/RPM Bands from the Simulation menu
again.
The window will be closed and the command unchecked in the menu.
Note that the window will be closed automatically if you close the configuration’s Simulation
Summary window or Configuration Summary window.

6.6.1 The Time Used In Load/RPM Bands window

When the window is open, Operating Range is checked in the Simulation menu.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Simulation Results windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view of the window (see Figure 6-10) shows the data in table form.

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 Figure 6-10 Time Used In Load/RPM Bands window – table view
The graphical view of the window (see Figure 6-11) shows a three-dimensional plot showing how
much time is spent during the simulated period in different ranges of load and engine speed.

Figure 6-11 Time Used In Load/RPM Bands window – graphical view

If you click on one of the bars, a dialog box is displayed showing the data numerically (see Figure 6-
12).

76
 Figure 6-12 Data dialog box for the Time Used In Load/RPM Bands
window

6.7 Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands

Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands is no longer grayed out after you have run a simulation (see Section
6.3).
To display an analysis of the fuel usage in different load/RPM bands:

Choose Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands from the Simulation

menu to open the Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands window (see
Figure 6-14).
While the window is open, the command is checked in the menu.
To close the Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands window:
Choose Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands from the Simulation
menu again.
The window will be closed and the command unchecked in the menu.
Note that the window will be closed automatically if you close the configuration’s Simulation
Summary window or Configuration Summary window.

6.7.1 The Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands window

When the window is open, Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands is checked in the Simulation menu.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Simulation Results windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view of the window (see Figure 6-13) shows the data in table form.

77
 Figure 6-13 Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands window – table view
This graphical view of the window (see Figure 6-14) contains a three-dimensional plot showing how
much of the fuel is used during the simulated period in different ranges of load and engine speed.

Figure 6-14 Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands window – graphical view

If you click on one of the bars, a dialog box is displayed showing the data numerically (see Figure 6-
15).

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 Figure 6-15 Data dialog box for the Fuel Used in Load/RPM Bands
window

6.8 Gear Shift Summary

Gear Shift Summary is no longer grayed out after you have run a simulation (see Section 6.3).
To display an analysis of the time and distance spent in different gears:

Choose Gear Shift Summary from the Simulation menu to open

the Gear Shift Summary window (see Figure 6-17).
While the window is open, the command is checked in the menu.
To close the Gear Shift Summary window:
Choose Gear Shift Summary from the Simulation menu again.
The window will be closed and the command unchecked in the menu.
Note that the window will be closed automatically if you close the configuration’s Simulation
Summary window or Configuration Summary window.

6.8.1 The Gear Shift Summary window

When the window is open, Gear Shift Summary is checked in the Simulation menu.
You can set the default format (graphical or tabular) for each of the Simulation Results windows using
Format in the Customize menu (see Section 7.4). You can change the display between graphical and
tabular formats by selecting the window and choosing Change Format from the View menu (see
Section 4.3).
The table view of the window (see Figure 6-16) shows the data in table form.

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 Figure 6-16 Gear Shift Summary window – table view
This graphical view of the window (see Figure 6-17) shows a bar chart showing the time (in blue) and
distance (in red) spent in the different gears during the simulated period.

Figure 6-17 Gear Shift Summary window – graphical view

If you click on one of the bars, a dialog box is displayed showing the time or distance numerically (see
Figure 6-18 for an example of clicking on a time bar).

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 Figure 6-18 Data dialog box for the Gear Shift Summary window

6.9 New (simulation comparison table)

To create a new simulation comparison table:

1 If you want to add the simulation results for an open configuration
to the table, select the configuration by clicking in its Configuration
window or using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see
Section 8.1).
2 Choose New from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu
to display the Edit Simulation Comparison Table dialog box (see
Figure 6-19).

Figure 6-19 Edit Simulation Comparison Table dialog box

3 If you want to add the simulation results for the selected

configuration, enter a brief description in the Description box. This
appears at the top of the column giving data for the simulation in the
Simulation Comparison Table (see Section 6.9.1).

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 4 If you want to add the simulation results for the selected
configuration, press Add Current Simulation. The description and
brief details of the configuration will appear in the Simulations
box.
5 Add a Comment if required. This will be shown in the Open
Simulation Comparison Table dialog box (see Figure 6-22) when
you open a simulation comparison table.
6 Press OK.
If you already had an open comparison table with some unsaved changes, you will be asked if you
want to save them before the new comparison table is opened (see Figure 6-20).

Figure 6-20 Save changes to simulation comparison table warning

• Press Yes to save the changes before showing the current configuration in the
Simulation Comparison Table.
• Press No to show the current configuration in the Simulation Comparison Table
without saving the changes in the previous comparison.
• Press Cancel to abort creating a new comparison and leave the previous
comparison unchanged.
Provided you did not choose to Cancel the operation, the Simulation Comparison Table will show
data for the current simulation only (it will be opened if it was not already open). You can add further
simulations to the table by opening them in turn and using Edit in the Simulation→ Comparison
Tables submenu (see Section 6.13). You can also use Edit to remove configurations.
You can use Save (see Section 6.11) or Save As (see Section 6.12) in the Simulation → Comparison
Tables submenu to save the comparison table, and Open (see Section 6.10) to open a previously
saved table.

6.9.1 Simulation Comparison Table window

The Simulation Comparison Table window (see Figure 6-21) is displayed automatically (if it isn’t
already displayed) when you run a simulation or if you choose New or Open in the
Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu. If the Simulation Comparison Table window is already
open when you run a simulation, the new results are added to the existing ones subject to there being a
maximum of four columns of results and provided the route for the new simulation is the same as for
the existing results.

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 Figure 6-21 The Simulation Comparison Table window
The window lists the configuration details (INPUT DATA) of the configurations and compares their
simulated performance (OUTPUT DATA) on the route specified at the top of the table. Differences in
values between the data for the second, third and fourth configurations and the first are highlighted by
underlining.
You can save the contents of the Simulation Comparison Table window in a file (see Sections 6.11
and 6.12) so that you can load them in at another time (see Section 6.10). You can add simulations for
open configurations to simulation tables and delete those for configurations already included using
Edit in the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu (see Section 6.13).

6.10 Open (simulation comparison table)

To open a previously saved simulation comparison table:

1 Choose Open from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu
to display the Open Simulation Comparison Table dialog box
(see Figure 6-22).

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 Figure 6-22 Open Simulation Comparison Table dialog box

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive containing the required file from the Drives drop-
down list box.
4 Select the directory containing the required file from the
Directories scroll box.
The List Files of Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only open simulation
comparison files in this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.
5 Click on the name of the required file in the File Name scroll box
so that the name appears in the File Name edit box. Alternatively,
type the name of the file into the File Name edit box.
The File Details box will show who the current customer (see
Section 0) was when the comparison file was saved and any
Comment that was added when the file was created (see Section
6.9) or edited (see Section 6.13).
6 Press OK to open the comparison table named in the File Name
box; press Cancel to close the dialog box without loading the
simulation comparison table.
If you already had an open comparison table with some unsaved changes, you will be asked if you
want to save them before the new comparison table is opened (see Figure 6-20).

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6.11 Save (simulation comparison table)

To save the current simulation comparison table (see Section 6.9.1):

Choose Save from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu.
If you have already saved this simulation comparison table to a file, the file will be updated so that it
contains the current comparisons. If you have not saved the file previously, Save behaves as if you had
chosen Save As from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu so that you can choose where to
save the comparison data.

6.12 Save As (simulation comparison table)

To save the current simulation comparison table (see Section 6.9.1) with a new
name:
Choose Save As from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables
submenu to display the File Save As dialog box (see Figure 6-23).

Figure 6-23 Saving a simulation comparison table

2 If your PC is connected to a network, you can press Network to

display a dialog box allowing you to connect your PC to a new
network drive.
3 Select the drive for saving the file from the Drives drop-down list
box.
4 Select the directory for saving the file from the Directories scroll
box.
The Save Files as Type drop-down list box controls what files are
shown in the File Name scroll box. You can only save simulation
comparison files using this dialog box, so by default only these are
listed. However, you can also choose to list all files in the selected
directory.

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 5 Type in a name for the new comparison file in the File name edit
box. You can click on the file name in the scroll box to make the
name appear in the File Name edit box, but if you use this file name
again when you press OK you will be warned that the file will be
overwritten.
6 Press OK to save the current simulation comparison with the name
given in the File Name box; press Cancel to close the dialog box
without saving the file.

6.13 Edit (simulation comparison table)

Edit in the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu allows you to change which simulations are
shown in the Simulation Comparison Table (see Section 6.9.1). You can remove any of the
simulations from the comparison, but you can only add the simulation for the currently selected
configuration.
To add the simulation for a configuration to the current Simulation Comparison
Table:
1 Select the configuration by clicking in its Configuration window or
using Select Configuration in the Utilities menu (see Section 8.1).
2 Choose Edit from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu
to display the Edit Simulation Comparison Table dialog box:

Figure 6-24 Edit Simulation Comparison Table dialog box

The Simulations box shows descriptions of the simulations already

included in the comparison tables.
3 Enter a brief description in the Description box. This appears at the
top of the column giving data for the simulation in the Simulation
Comparison Table (see Section 6.9.1).
4 Press Add Current Simulation. The description and brief details of
the configuration will appear in the Simulations box.

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 5 If required, add or edit the Comment. This will be shown in the
Open Simulation Comparison Table dialog box when you want to
open a simulation comparison table (see Section 6.10).
6 Press OK.
To remove one of the simulations from the current comparison table:
1 Choose Edit from the Simulation→ Comparison Tables submenu
to display the Edit Simulation Comparison Table dialog box.
2 Click in the Simulations box on the simulation you want to remove
to select it.
3 Press Delete Simulation.

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7. Customize

7.1 User Administration

To remove another Spec Manager user:

1 Choose User Administration from the Customize menu to display
the User Administration dialog box (see Figure 7-1).

Figure 7-1 User Administration dialog box

2 In the Users box, click on the name of the user you want to remove
to select it.
3 Press Remove User (this is grayed if you select the name you used
to log in).
To change your user details:
1 Choose User Administration from the Customize menu to display
the User Administration dialog box (see Figure 7-1).
2 In the Users box, click on the name you used to log in to select it.
3 Press Change Details to display the Details dialog box (see Figure
7-2) so that you can change your details.

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Figure 7-2 Details dialog box

4 Edit the details as required (the Name and Company Name fields
must contain entries).
5 Press OK to confirm the changes and close the dialog box; press
Cancel to close the dialog box without making the changes.

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7.2 Units

To set the units used within Spec Manager:

1 Choose Units from the Customize menu to display the Units dialog
box (see Figure 7-3).

Figure 7-3 Units dialog box

2 Choose which type of units to use as the default by pressing

English or Metric. This sets the units in all the boxes to the chosen
standard, but you can change individual units later.
3 Change any of the units listed in the dialog box by selecting the new
unit from the appropriate drop-down list box.
4 OK to confirm the changes to the units, close the dialog box and
return to the main Spec Manager window.

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7.3 Options

When you first open Spec Manager, the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box is displayed with a
number of entry points for using the program (see Section 1.4.2). It also gives you the option of
disabling the display of the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog box in future. You can also choose to
re-enable or disable the welcome dialog box at a later time.
To disable or re-enable the display of the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog
box:
1 Choose Options from the Customize menu to display the Options
dialog box (see Figure 7-4).

Figure 7-4 Options dialog box

2 Check the box to enable the Welcome to Spec Manager dialog

box; uncheck the box to disable it.
3 Press OK to accept the setting and close the dialog box.

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7.4 Format

To choose the default views (table or graphical) for the Performance windows and the Optimized Idle
window:
1 Choose Format from the Customize menu to display the
Customise Views dialog box (see Figure 7-5).

Figure 7-5 Customise Views dialog box

2 Choose Chart or Table from the All Charts drop-down list box to
set the default view for all of the windows at once.
And/or
For each of the windows, choose Chart or Table from the drop-
down list boxes as the default view for each of the windows.
3 Press OK to confirm your choices and close the dialog box.

You can change the format for an individual window by selecting it and choosing Change Format from
the View menu (see Section 4.3).

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8. Utilities Menu

8.1 Select Configuration

To select a configuration:
1 Choose Select Configuration from the Utilities menu to display the
Select Configuration dialog box (see Figure 8-1):

Figure 8-1 The Select Configuration dialog box

2 Choose the required configuration from the drop-down list box.

3 Press OK to confirm your choice and close the dialog box.
You can also select a configuration by clicking in its Configuration Summary window (see Section
5.1.1) or by choosing its Configuration Summary window’s name from the Window menu.

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8.2 Ratio Calculator

To calculate the vehicle speed, axle ratio, transmission ratio, tire size or engine
speed having fixed the other values:
1 Choose Ratio Calculator from the Utilities menu to display the
Ratio Calculator dialog box (see Figure 8-2).

Figure 8-2 Ratio Calculator dialog box

The initial values shown for Engine Speed (rated rpm), Tire Size,
Transmission Ratio (top gear) and Axle Ratio are those set in the
current configuration.
2 Click on the radio button for the value you want to calculate.
3 Change any of the other values if required.
4 Read off the calculated value next to the selected radio button.

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8.3 Axle Comparison

To view the effects of choosing different axle ratios:

1 Choose Axle Comparison from the Utilities menu to display the
Top Gear Axle Ratio Comparisons dialog box (see Figure 8-3).

Figure 8-3 Top Gear Axle Ratio Comparisons dialog box

The Current Selection column shows the currently selected Axle

Ratio and the Cruise Speed RPM, Speed Limit RPM, and
Geared Speed this produces.
2 Scroll the Alternatives box to see the effect on Cruise Speed
RPM, Speed Limit RPM, and Geared Speed of choosing other
Axle Ratios in the selected manufacturer’s range.

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8.4 Optimized Idle Calculator

To calculate the effect of using Optimized Idle:

1 Choose Optimized Idle Calculator from the Utilities menu to
display the Optimized Idle calculator (see Figure 8-4).

Figure 8-4 The Optimized Idle calculator

2 Fill in the fields in the Inputs column and read off the results from
the Results column.
3 Press OK to close the calculator.

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9. Window Menu

9.1 Cascade

To resize and arrange the open (non-minimized windows) in overlapping layers

so that their title bars are visible:
Choose Cascade in the Window menu.

9.2 Tile

To resize and arrange the open (non-minimized windows) so that they are side-
by-side and not overlapping:
Choose Tile in the Window menu.

9.3 Arrange Icons

To tidy up the icons representing minimized windows:

Choose Arrange Icons in the Window menu.

9.4 Close Window

To close the currently selected window:

Select Close Window from the Window menu.
When you close a Configuration Summary window (see Section 5.1.1), you will close the
configuration, so any performance windows (see Section 5.2) open for that configuration will also be
closed.
When you close a Simulation Summary window (see Section 6.1), you will close the configuration, so
any simulation results windows open for that simulation will also be closed.

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9.5 Close All

To close all currently open windows:

Select Close All from the Window menu.

9.6 Minimize All

To minimize all of the windows open in Spec Manager:

Select Minimize All from the Window menu.

9.7 Windows Open in Spec Manager

The windows currently open in the main Spec Manager window are listed at the bottom of the
Window menu.
To select one of these windows:
Click in the window if it is visible on the screen.
or
Select the window’s name from the list at the bottom of the Window menu. If there
are a large number of windows open, there may not be enough room to list them all in the
menu. If the window you want is not listed in the menu, choose More Windows to display a
dialog box showing all the open windows, and select the one you want from there.

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10. Help Menu

10.1 Program Help

To open the on-line Help system at its contents page:

Choose Program Help from the Help menu.

Note that the Toolbar also has a context-sensitive help button (see Section 4.1)

10.2 Using Help

To get help in using the on-line Help system:

Choose Using Help from the Help menu.

10.3 Technical Help

To display an on-line version of “Bulletin 52, On-highway Driveline

Specifications”:
Choose Technical Help from the Help menu.

10.4 About Spec Manager

To display a dialog box giving information about this version of Spec Manager:
Choose About Spec Manager from the Help menu.

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