Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

This compilation of frequently asked questions (FAQs) provides answers to common questions about the BehavePlus fire modeling system. Please check these FAQs and the Known Bugs page for answers to your questions before contacting the Fire Applications Help Desk.

• 1. BehavePlus Status
  • 1.1 What is the latest version of BehavePlus?
  • 1.2 What are the BehavePlus system requirements?
  • 1.3 How do I make sure I have the most recent version of BehavePlus?
  • 1.4 Who developed and maintains BehavePlus?
  • 1.5 Are there any supporting documents?
  • 1.6 Are there any training materials available?
  • 1.7 What are the BehavePlus license requirements?
  • 1.8 How does BehavePlus differ from previous versions?
  • 1.9 What is the relationship between BehavePlus Version 5 and the Fire Characteristics Chart program?
  • 1.10 How can I learn about the Fire Characteristics chart program?
  • 1.11 How do I get values calculated in BehavePlus version 5 into the Fire Characteristics Chart program?
• 2. Getting and Installing BehavePlus
  • 2.1 Where can I get BehavePlus?
  • 2.2 How do I install BehavePlus for the first time?
  • 2.3 How do I re-install or upgrade BehavePlus?
  • 2.4 How do I use Runs, Worksheets, Fuel Models, Moisture Scenarios, and Units Sets developed in Version 4 with Version 5?
  • 2.5 How do I know when there is an update?
  • 2.6 How do I subscribe to the News?
  • 2.7 Why did the installation program fail/stop/hang before it finished?
• 3. How do I ... ?
  • 3.1 ... print the contents of a help browser pane or dialog box?
  • 3.2 ... add a geographic place name for use in the Calendar Tool?
  • 3.3 ... trim a page that was captured and inserted into a Microsoft Word^® (doc) document?
• 4. Why doesn't something work?
  • 4.1 Why can I enter values into the shaded (gray or blue) input fields?
  • 4.2 Why can't I print or save the outputs of the Units Converter?
  • 4.3 I created and saved a custom fuel model (or moisture scenario set) and use it in a run that I also saved. But when I re-open the run file to use it, I get an Invalid Input error message saying the custom fuel model is an unknown choice.
  • 4.4 Why do the results of my run disappear after I save it and then later open it?

1. BehavePlus Status

1.1 What is the latest version of BehavePlus?

The most recent official version is BehavePlus Version 5.0.5, released on August 12, 2011.
The supplemental Fire Characteristics Chart program is version 1.0, released on June 22, 2011. (See 1.9)
For more information, please see the Change Log page.

1.2 What are the BehavePlus system requirements?

• Windows^® 95, 98, Me, 2000, NT, XP, Vista, or 7.
• Designed for 1024x768 monitors with 16-bit (64K) colors, but 800x600 with 8-bit (256) colors is adequate.
• 32 Mb memory (8 Mb of available memory).
• 50 Mb of hard drive storage.
• Adobe^® Reader or other PDF file viewer for browsing help files.

1.3 How do I make sure I have the most recent version of BehavePlus?

To ensure you have the latest version of BehavePlus, compare the build version of your installation with the build number on the Downloads page. The build number for BehavePlus is located in the program under Help -> Installation Info in the section entitled Program Information. The build number for the program is part of the file name. For example, the installation file for BehavePlus version 5.0.5 official release is bp_307.exe, and the Build number is 307.

1.4 Who developed and maintains BehavePlus?

Pat Andrews, research scientist, U.S. Forest Service, Fire Sciences Lab, Missoula, MT, manages the development of BehavePlus, designs and determines its feature set, performs alpha testing, and assists with the documentation.

Collin Bevins, research forester and president, System for Environmental Management, Missoula, MT, designs, develops, and tests all the BehavePlus computer code and helps determine its feature set and behavior.

Other people and organizations who have assisted in the funding and development of BehavePlus are listed on the Credits page.

1.5 Are there any supporting documents?

The BehavePlus User's Guide and Variables paper are part of the Help system and are available for download in Portable Document Format (PDF).

See the Publications page for additional documents.

1.6 Are there any training materials available?

See the Training page for lessons covering various aspects of BehavePlus.

1.7 What are the BehavePlus license requirements?

BehavePlus is freely available, without any warranty expressed or implied, to anyone who wants to use it. The License Agreement only requires that you send a postcard depicting your local area to:

1.8 How does BehavePlus differ from previous versions?

A comparison of the old BEHAVE program and BehavePlus Versions 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 is available for download as a PDF file.

1.9 What is the relationship between BehavePlus Version 5 and the Fire Characteristics Chart program?

While there is a fire characteristics chart output option in the SURFACE module of BehavePlus5, it is limited and can be used only for calculated surface fire behavior. The Fire Characteristics Chart program supplements BehavePlus5 and can be used for calculated or observed surface or crown fire. It offers many options for designing a chart suitable for presentations and reports.

1.10 How can I learn about the Fire Characteristics chart program?

The program Help system includes a publication that describes application, operation, and the mathematics of the fire behavior fire characteristics charts.

1.11 How do I get values calculated in BehavePlus version 5 into the Fire Characteristics Chart program?

Since there are few output values, those values calculated in BehavePlus5 are entered manually into the Fire Characteristics Chart program. Users can also enter observed fire behavior values or values from other fire behavior software.

2. Getting and Installing BehavePlus

2.1 Where can I get BehavePlus?

The BehavePlus program is available on the Downloads page.

2.2 How do I install BehavePlus for the first time?

The BehavePlus file you download is a self-installing executable for all Windows^® operating systems. It has a name like bp_307.exe. Simply execute this file to install or update BehavePlus.

The complete instructions for installing the most recent release of BehavePlus are detailed in the Release Notice installation instructions. These instructions may vary between releases, so it is important you follow the appropriate Release Notice.

2.3 How do I re-install or upgrade BehavePlus?

The complete instructions for upgrading or re-installing BehavePlus are detailed in the Release Notice upgrade instructions. These instructions may vary between releases, so it is important you follow the appropriate Release Notice.

Important Note: Do not remove or update BehavePlus using any method other than that described by the Release Notice (i.e., don't delete BehavePlus files or directories via Windows Explorer^® or via a command prompt). These methods do not remove old BehavePlus Windows Registry^® entries, and can cause subsequent installation problems.

2.4 How do I use Runs, Worksheets, Fuel Models, Moisture Scenarios, and Units Sets developed in Version 4 with Version 5?

Version 4 data files, including Run, Worksheet, Fuel Model, Moisture Scenario, and Units Set files, can be read by Version 5. BehavePlus only looks in the directory in which it was installed (e.g., Version 5 will only look in the folders in the BehavePlus5 directory). To use previously developed worksheets, you need to copy the file or entire folder containing the relevant files from the Version 4 directory to the Version 5 directory using Windows^® Explorer. For more information, please read Accessing BehavePlus Version 4 Files from Version 5.

2.5 How do I know when there is an update?

You can check the News page on the website (www.FireModels.org) or you can subscribe to receive News Items. When updates are available, we will send you an email with the information on the News page.

2.6 How do I subscribe to the News?

On the menu at the top of www.FireModels.org, there is a menu item entitled "Subscribe". When you click on it, it will take you to the Subscription page. You can subscribe and unsubscribe by following the instructions on that page.

2.7 Why did the installation program fail/stop/hang before it finished?

On the occasions this has been reported, it has been due to an incomplete or corrupted installation program (e.g., bp_307.exe). Since this is a fairly large file, it can sometimes get corrupted during the download process. Check the downloaded file size against that published in the table on the Downloads page.

3. How do I ... ?

3.1 How do I print the contents of a help browser pane or any dialog box?

Right-click inside the pane to bring up a print menu.

3.2 How do I add a geographic place name for use in the Calendar Tool?

This requires some hands-on editing. First locate and read INSTALLDIR/DocFolder/GeoFolder/GeoPlaceNames-FAQ, where INSTALLDIR is the BehavePlus installation directory. This file tells you how to add a new place name.

We recommend you create a copy of the Special.geo file and name it something such as MyPlaces.geo. It must have a .geo extension. Then edit MyPlaces.geo using a text editor (e.g., Notepad or Wordpad to add your new locations. Since MyPlaces.geo is not part of the BehavePlus installation, it will not be removed or overwritten by new installations, so any new place names you add will not disappear with new BehavePlus updates.

3.3 How do I trim a page that was captured and inserted into a Microsoft Word^® (doc) document?

A page can be captured from BehavePlus (using File > Save as an image) and inserted into a Word^® document using its Insert > Picture > From File menus. Excess blank space is trimmed by clicking on the image and using Crop from the Picture Tool Bar.

An alternative to using the BehavePlus capture feature eliminates the step of saving an image in a file. Use Alt-Print Screen to capture the BehavePlus window. It can be directly inserted into a Word document using Paste or Ctrl-v. The Crop feature available on the Picture Tool bar can then be used to trim excess space.

4. Why doesn't something work?

4.1 Why can I enter values into the shaded (gray or blue) input fields?

The shading on input fields is merely a visual advisory that the field is not currently required given the other input values. While fuel modeling, for example, it is not necessary to enter live fuel heat content if there is no live fuel load. But the moment you enter a non-zero live fuel load, live heat content is required and its shading is removed.

You may enter values into input fields while they are shaded. If you do, it is tested just like any other input field.

4.2 Why can't I print or save the outputs of the Units Converter tool?

The hidden trick here is to right-click just inside the outer border of the dialog box; this pops up a print menu (see also FAQ 3.1).

4.3 I created and saved a custom fuel model (or moisture scenario set) and use it in a run that I also saved. But when I re-open the run file to use it, I get an Invalid Input error message saying the custom fuel model is an unknown choice.

Custom fuel models and moisture scenarios must be attached to the BehavePlus session before they can be used in calculations. That is, you must tell BehavePlus where to find it since

• you could have saved it any of the fuel model subdirectories, and
• there could be several custom fuel models with the same name stored in different directories (e.g., there are probably hundreds of versions of fuel model 14 floating around out there).

BehavePlus has no way of knowing which one to use until you attach it.

To attach the fuel model (or moisture scenario), select Configure > Fuel model set selection (or Configure > Moisture scenario set selection) from the main menu. Highlight the FOLDER in which the custom models reside and press Ok. This attaches all the custom models in that folder to the BehavePlus run.

NOTE: Any folders that are not highlighted will not have their fuel models attached!

4.4 Why do the results of my run disappear after I save it and then later open it?

BehavePlus does not save run results, just the run inputs and configuration (module selection, input options, output variables, units of measure, etc). Saving results would significantly increase the size and complexity of saved run files. Results are always easily regenerated by pressing the Calculate button after reloading the run.