Fire and Environmental Research Applications Team

Fuel Characteristic Classification System Software Downloads

Installation Requirements

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).

Installation Instructions and Program Download

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.

This version of FCCS was created to run with the latest version of Java (v 7.0). Because many computers already have Java 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).  

Step 1. Download the installation file (fccs22.zip).  For Windows users, right click the file and select Save Link As (or Save Target As) to save the file to your computer to a destination of your choice.

Step 2. Unzip (or extract) the file fccs22.zip. File extraction will depend on your computer’s operating system and unzip utility.

• For Windows 7 Users: Once the download is complete, right click the file and select Extract All.  The file will unzip to the folder FCCS22.  You can move the folder to a destination of your choice (e.g., C:\FCCS22).
• For Windows XP and/or WinZip Users: Once the download is complete, you will likely have to create a folder for fccs (e.g., c:\fccs22), move the fccs22.zip file to that folder and then unzip it.  In this case, remember to delete the zip file once you have extracted the files.

Step 3. Open the FCCS source folder (e.g., c:\FCCS22)

Step 4. Double-click the StartFCCS.bat file to launch the FCCS.  A Windows security window will pop up -- click “run”.  Depending on your computer's processing speed, the program may take a few moments to load.  The FCCS will open two windows: a Welcome screen and a (black) command window.  Closing the command window will close the application.

Note: you may wish to make a shortcut of the StartFCCS.bat file and save it to your desktop.  For Windows users, right click the file and select Create Shortcut, then drag the shortcut file to your desktop.

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

More specific fuelbeds have been developed for focused studies in the West. These may prove to be useful for others who are working with forests similar to the ones studied. Many were developed for long-term forest planning; specifically, to anticipate future conditions based upon multiple management scenarios.

1. Select the supplementary set of fuelbeds of interest.

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.

Location	Maps	ArcInfo Files	Fuelbeds Files (.xml)	Fuelbed Pathways	Complete Package
File type	.zip or .pdf	.zip	.zip	.zip or .pdf	.zip
Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest (Forest and Districts)		13.2 MB	(FB 500-799) 1.6 MB	148 mb
Lake Tahoe Basin	3.5 MB		(FB 1100-1199) 616 kb	4 MB
Central Oregon	unavailable	unavailable	(FB 800-1099) 1 MB	unavailable
Northeastern Oregon	unavailable	unavailable	(FB 1500-1710) 1 MB	Handbook 4 MB Appendix 5 mb

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.