SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

PROFILER CONFIGURATION

LICENSE ACTIVATION

LICENSE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Pentium III-500 processor 
Microsoft Windows 95, 98, or XP. Vista is not yet supported.
128 MB RAM
300 MB of Disk Space on Hard Drive
PCI or AGP Video Card with 4 MB Video RAM
CD-ROM drive
16-bit Windows compatible sound card and speakers (or headphones)
Microsoft-compatible Mouse and Keyboard
19-inch monitor
Any direct input force feedback steering wheel with foot pedals (accelerator and brake)
Color printer (recommended)
 

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INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you have not already done so, install the steering wheel and printer according to manufacturer's instructions and check their operation before you install Profiler.   It is important to install these items according to the manufacturers directions in order to get the latest drivers.  In the case of the Logitech USB wheel, install the software from the Logitech CD BEFORE CONNECTING THE WHEEL to the computer.  Otherwise, Windows may automatically install outdated drivers as soon as it detects the wheel, and problems may result.

2. Close any open applications on the computer.

3. Insert the Profiler CD into the CD-ROM drive. After a few seconds, a dialog box will appear, requesting permission to install Profiler on your hard drive. Click OK to install the program files in the default directory c:\profiler. 
 (NOTE: If Auto-run is disabled on your system, nothing will happen when you insert the CD. In this case, double click the "My Computer" icon on your desktop, double click the CD-ROM icon in the "My Computer" window, and double click "Profiler31_Install.exe" in the CD-ROM window.)

4. A dialog box may request your permission to check your system for the latest version of  Direct X and to upgrade to the latest version. Click OK.

5. A dialog box may request permission to restart your computer. Click "Restart computer" to complete the installation.

6. Activate your license.  If you have purchased a License for Profiler, then you must activate it to use the additional test analyses it provides.  See License Activation below for instructions on how to activate.

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PROFILER CONFIGURATION

Before testing your students, you can choose which information Profiler prompts them to enter and which group of test samples Profiler will use to generate the normative score:

1. Launch the program by double-clicking on the Profiler shortcut icon on your desktop. (The Profiler CD-ROM is not needed to run the program once it has been installed.)

2. Click  "Play".

3. The mouse cursor appears as an ignition key. Click the "Drive" button.

4. Before testing any group of students, the instructor must configure the test settings. Type the word "instructor" as the first name in the log-in dialog box.

5. A dialog box prompts you to "check fields to enable student dialog entries." This determines which fields will be active the first time a student logs in and encounters the prompt, "Please Answer A Few Questions About Yourself." If you check Optional Field 1 and/or Optional Field 2, you can type the desired field names in the text boxes at the bottom. Click "OK."

6. The next dialog box allows you to modify "Testing Site Configuration Information."

a. Company Name (optional)

b. System ID (default is your Computer Name or System1) 
- This can be any alphanumeric string, but cannot contain the following characters:
: \ / : * ? < > |
It is important to choose a unique System ID for each system (or distinct grouping of students), because this ID is used to identify the score file names. Every test that Profiler scores will generate a score file in C:\Profiler_DataFiles. Each score file is named by the system ID, followed by an underscore, a 5-digit number, and the .prf file extension. For example, if you identify one class of students with the system ID "Class 1," the first score file to be generated will be named Class1_00001.prf, the second one will be named Class1_00002.prf, the hundredth one will be Class1_00100.prf, and so on. 

c. Norm File Name
- This item allows you to choose the norm file, the set of sample test results against which Profiler will score your students. A drop-down list provides a choice of norm files, including cadets.nrm, public.nrm, empty.nrm and national.nrm. Respectively, cadets.nrm and public.nrm contain test data gathered from Police cadets and from a cross-sectional sample of civilian drivers. National.nrm includes all drivers whose scores have been submitted to Profiler at the time it was released. The empty norm file contains a flat distribution of score data which can be used to display the raw scores without any particular norm group being referenced. 
Note: You may choose to create a new norm file by entering a new name here.  When you do so, the percentile ranking that Profiler generates as a score will only have significance in relation to the group of students who take the test on your testing system. Therefore, the first student to take the test, as a sample group of one, will score a 50 (in the 50th percentile) in every area and overall. Scores based on a new norm file will only become meaningful as the number of test takers grows above 30. 

d. Vehicle Choice
- This item allows you to choose a vehicle image to be used in the test.  The choice of vehicle does not affect the test parameters, but does modify some of the images and sounds used in the test to better fit a particular set of drivers.

e. Monitor Size (inches) 
- This information will be useful for interpreting results because monitor size affects width of viewing field and image resolution, two factors that affect performance.

f. Notify When X Tests (or Days) Remain
- Profiler will warn you when your License is running out of tests or nearing the end of its term.  A reminder will appear each time a test is to be scored when the License is below this threshold (default is 15).

g. Minimum Passing Score for Practice Level
- The minimum score a student must achieve on the practice level before proceeding to the test. Default of 40 is recommended.

h. Perform Scoring After Test(recommended) 
- No score will be displayed for any tests unless this item is checked. A score provides constructive feedback and reinforcement that enhances the instructional value of time spent in the test lab.

i. Ask Before Scoring
- If this item is checked, students can choose whether or not they wish their performance rating to be displayed at the end of a test. If this item is not checked and Perform Scoring is selected, scores will be generated automatically at the end of each test.

j. Add Score to Norms File
- When this item is checked, each time Profiler scores a test, it will modify the active norm file to include the new test data. This is an easy way to build your own norm file while you test, but remember that the scores will not be reliable until the norm file contains at least 30 scores. If this item is not checked, the active norm file remains static. The sample norm files shipped with profiler are read-only files, and we do not recommend adding your scores to these file.  You may, however, make copies of these files and add your scores to the copies.

k. Display On-Screen Score
- With this item, you choose whether or not students see score information during all of the test laps. The on-screen score is always displayed for the practice laps (default is Off).

l. Allow Practice Laps
- This will allow students to choose between practice laps and a test.  Practice consists of one lap on the practice level.  Students may only practice after first completing a full test.

m. Steering Wheel Choice
- Settings are provided for popular force feedback wheels which we have verified.  Consult the manufacturer for button values if you must use a  wheel other than those listed.  Each entry contains the button code to use for a particular function.  The brake and gas should always use 10 and 9 for pedals.

n. Tests Remaining
- The last line informs you of the number of tests or days remaining on the license you are using.  You may use the 'License' button to activate a new License.

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LICENSE ACTIVATION

After Installing Profiler on a computer for which you have purchased a license, you must activate the license for that computer. 

1. While the Testing Site Configuration dialog is still visible, press the 'License' button near the bottom.
    (See Profiler Configuration above for how to display this dialog.)

2. This will display a form which will allow you to obtain and enter your License Registration Keys. 

.3. You must copy the two numbers displayed in 'User Code 1:___' and 'User Code 2:___'  and submit them to Profiler to receive your Registration Keys.  You can do this by using our Convenient Web Form, or by Phone, Email, or Fax.  We will then generate the correct Registration Keys to activate your license on this computer.  Once you have copied down the User Codes, click "Cancel".  Do not enter any values for Reg Key 1 or Reg Key 2 at this time, or the user codes you have written down could be invalidated.  Since we require that payment has been made before we issue the Registration Keys, you can submit your User Codes as soon as your installation is complete, and we will issue the Keys upon receipt of payment.  Note that each time you reorder, you will use a new set of user codes. 

4. Profiler comes pre authorized with 10 full tests, so you may use it even before your license is activated.  The Starter Kit also comes with 10 tests, and no license activation is required to use them.  Your Starter Kit installation can be converted to a full Profiler installation by simply purchasing a license and activating it as shown here.

LICENSE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

How do I renew/upgrade my Profiler license?

Log in as Instructor to either Profiler or the Scoring Table application,  then from the Site Information Dialog press the License button.  A pop-up dialog will provide you two numbers that you must provide to us to perform licensing.  We will provide you one or two numbers to enter into that same  dialog (immediately or at a later date) to renew/upgrade your license.

 I bought an Annual license or a 100-test Limited license, and I just  installed Profiler.  It says I only have 10 tests.  Why?

Profiler ships with a 10 test starter license.  Once installed, you can only score 10 tests before the license will expire.  Any Annual or Limited license will need to be activated by contacting us to
upgrade your license after you have completed the installation.  Once you send us your User Codes, we will send you your Registration Keys and your license will be fully activated.

I get a message "Error #5: Clock turned back? Please correct." and Profiler will not score any tests.  What does this mean?

It is important for your computer to be set to the correct time and date when running Profiler or the Scoring Table application.  An incorrect clock may disable Profiler until you contact us.  If the clock has accidentally
been set back (to a time earlier than the last time you executed Profiler) you can simply reset the clock to the correct time, and it will run. If the clock was accidentally set forward, and Profiler or the Scoring
Table application were run, then once your clock is corrected the applications will be disabled and you will need to contact us to correct your license (or you can wait until your computer clock advances to the
 time that was incorrectly set).  Verify at all times that your computer clock is correct before running Profiler or the Scoring Table.

Can I move Profiler to another computer after it has been licensed?

You will need to contact us to move any license.  Each Profiler license is locked to a specific computer, and the software cannot be moved or copied to any other computer without our assistance.

I had 10 tests on my Limited License and then upgraded to an Annual license.  Now it says I have XX days on my license.  What happened to my 10 tests?

Once your Annual license expires, your license will revert to a Limited license and you will begin using your remaining tests.  If you log in as Instructor and press the License button, you can see
how many days _and_ how many individual tests you have remaining.

I ran some Profiler tests on one computer, but I did not score them. Then I copied the score files to another computer with an Annual license on it and tried to score them, but the Scoring Table will
not let me.  Why?

The Profiler licensing system will not allow an Annual license to score tests taken on a Limited license computer.

How many tests can I score with an Annual license?

An Annual license allows unlimited scoring for the period of one year.  Profiler takes about 30 minutes per student test from start to finish.  So, in an 8-hour day, one computer could theoretically run 16 students through the Profiler test.  So in a week you could perform 80 tests, and in 50 weeks you could perform 4000 tests. In a realistic training environment, the limit is much less than that, but you have the ability to greatly reduce your cost per student test with an Annual license.

My computer keeps displaying a dialog titled "Profiler Low Count/Date Warning" each time I score a Profiler test.  How can I make it stop displaying this message?

Log in as Instructor, and on the Site Information dialog there is an entry field for "Notify X Tests/Days Remain".  This is set to a default of 15 days or tests, and you are currently below that limit.
Adjust that number to an appropriate value for your site.

I removed Profiler from my computer after using up all the tests, and then I re-installed Profiler from the CD.  It still says I have 0 tests.  Why?

Profiler is licensed to a specific computer the first time you run the program, and notifies you with the "Initial Install Complete" popup dialog stating that you have 10 tests remaining.  Once a computer has a license that has expired, you must renew/upgrade that license to perform any more test scoring on that computer.

I want to renew/upgrade my license, but I don't want to keep Profiler running with the Licensing dialog up while I wait for you to send me my codes.  How else can I do this?

Profiler allows you to document your User Codes in the dialog, and then return to the program later and type in the Registration Keys that we send you.  As long as you have not attempted to defeat the  licensing system, the Keys we send you will be functional and accurate.

I need to upgrade my Computer system.  Will Profiler still be licensed when after I make changes to my system?

If you plan to replace the computer disk or change the operating system, you will need to contact us BEFORE doing so in order to preserve your Profiler license for activation on the newly configured system.  Simple changes like adding a printer, other devices or software will not affect your Profiler license. 

If you have additional questions concerning your license, please send them to Profiler_Support@profiler-vr.com