Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

Fuel Characteristic Classification System Software Downloads

FCCS Installation Instructions

FCCS will run on many different operating systems, including Linux, Macintosh, and Microsoft Windows. To run FCCS, your computer must have a current version of Java Virtual Machine (version 1.6 or greater) installed. Because many computers already have this installed, it is probably easiest to install FCCS first. If FCCS does not open, your computer probably needs a Java update (see “Java Installation” below).

Administrative Privileges

If you do not already have administrative privileges on your computer, you must obtain them before installing FCCS. To check if you have administrative privileges, double-click on the time at the bottom right of your desktop. If you are allowed to change the date and time on your computer, you already have administrative privileges. If you do not, please contact your administrator for assistance.

FCCS Installation for Windows

Step 1. Download (save) the file fccs_installer_2_2.msi [25.11 MB] to your computer. Remember where you put it.

Step 2. Double-click on the self-extracting file fccs2_1.msi that you've saved to your computer (above) to launch the installation. The installer will create an FCCS icon for your desktop.

Step 3. To open FCCS, double-click the FCCS icon. Depending on your computer's processing speed, the program may take a few moments to load. If the program does not open, please see instructions for upgrading your computer's version of Java Virtual Machine.

FCCS Installation for Other Operating Systems

Step 1. Unzip the file fccs_2_2.zip [25.42 MB] to a destination of your choosing (e.g., c:\fccs).

Step 2. Open your file manager and migrate to the FCCS folder.

Step 3. Double-click the fccs.bat file to open the FCCS. Depending on your computer's processing speed, the program may take a few moments to load. The FCCS will open two window: a Welcome screen and a Command window. Closing the Command window will close the application.

Java Installation (If Needed)

The FCCS needs the free software called Java to run. If FCCS does not open, you probably need to install Java Virtual Machine (version 1.6 or greater. Administrative privileges are necessary for this installation.

If FCCS does not open, you probably need to install Java Virtual Machine (version 1.6 or greater).

Step 1. To verify you have administrative privileges, double-click the time on the toolbar in the lower right corner of your screen. If you have administrative privileges, you can change the date and time on your computer. If you do not have administrative privileges, please contact your system administrator for assistance.

Step 2. Go to http://www.java.com and click the Free Java Download button.

Step 3. You will be asked if you accept the "Terms of Use." Click Continue. Once the installation is complete, try reopening FCCS.

Step 4. If there is a different problem with your installation please contact FCCS Tech Support (pnw_fccshelp@fs.fed.us) for help diagnosing the problem.

Contacts for Assistance:

Susan Prichard (509) 341-4493; sprich@u.washington.edu

Ellen Eberhardt (541) 750-7481; eeberhardt@fs.fed.us

Roger Ottmar (206) 732-7826; rottmar@fs.fed.us

Supplementary Fuelbeds

1. Select the supplementary set of fuelbeds you are interested in.

2. Save the file to your hard drive and extract (i.e., unzip) the folder into the folder where (....\conf\fuelbeds\user_fuelbeds)

3. You will now have a folder named OkWenFuelbeds (for Okanogan-Wenatchee) or FB_1100_1199_LT (for Lake Tahoe) inside the user_fuelbeds folder that you can open and view within the FCCS.

• Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests (.zip 1.6 MB): The Okanogan-Wenatchee NF fuelbeds were constructed using fuel development pathways to represent fuel conditions over time and under different management scenarios.
• Lake Tahoe Basin (.zip 616 kb) and Fuelbed Pathways Handbook (.pdf 4MB)

Troubleshooting

Problem: The program closes when I hit "Calculate"

Possible Problems:

1. A data error or a programming problem has occurred. The data in the fuelbed you are trying to calculate has errors in it. This means that the number you've entered is not an "allowable" number. All Mode boxes must have numbers, or the words "Not Present" in them. Examples of numbers that are real: 4, 4.5, 0.35. Examples of numbers that are not real: 4.5.65, 4t6, or -- again -- a blank space in the Mode.

The message in the black command-line screen running behind FCCS should help you to identify which field is in error. If you can not do that, please zip the fuelbed file (the .xml file in your ..fccs/conf/user_fuelbed folder) and email it to Tech Support and we can evaluate it for you.

Problem: You get a an error mentioning a ".cab" file when installing FCCS

Possible solution:

The file you downloaded is incomplete. Please check the size of the .msi file on that you downloaded, and compare it with the size the file was supposed to be (noted on the website). If it is NOT the same, delete the file you have on your computer, download the .msi again, and try installing a second time.

Problem: Vista users installing FCCS

Vista users will find it necessary to (1) run fccs21_setup.msi as an administrator, (2) increase user permissions, or (3) run in Compatibility Mode with an earlier version of windows. Right click on the FCCS icon and open the Properties tab to access these options.