The main MPMileage dialog box looks like this:
MPMileage requires a database and a MapPoint (.ptm) map file for input. The results are also written to the database.
The database must contain a table with one row per route to be calculated. It should have a field specifying the start location, and a field specifying the destination location. Both of these fields must be text fields that store the names of pushpins that are in the map file. The table must contain one (or more) data fields to store the results. The options are: distance, time, cost, and error. The error field must be a text field, but the others can be a number or text field. The errors are listed in the Error Results page. Supported databases include Microsoft Access, and ODBC connections. Microsoft Excel is also supported. Note that Excel is not a true database: it is very inefficient when used as a database, and is weakly typed. This can cause a range of setup problems, so we do not recommend the use of Excel. Potential problems and workarounds for Excel are explained further in the Frequently Asked Questions.
The MapPoint file should contain a pushpin for each location that will be used. The same names must be used for the pushpins and the locations in the database. These names must be unique. The pushpins do not have to be in the same pushpin set.
Set the database, table, and field definitions in the Database Parameters dialog box. This is displayed by pressing the database Change button. The database section of the main dialog box also provides a text description of which database parameters (if any) still have to be set.
The MapPoint Map box contains the map parameters. You must set the input MapPoint map file. The Advanced Options button displays the Advanced Options dialog box. This dialog box allows you set the number of MapPoint instances to use, and the MapPoint restart interval.
The Routing Parameters set the standard MapPoint routing parameters. These include the route type, units, speeds, preferences, and cost calculation parameters, and are described further on the Routing Parameters page.
The Start button is enabled when all the parameters have been set. Press this to start processing. The status indicator will report the present status. The Start button will be renamed Stop during processing. Press this to halt processing.
The Using MPMileage with an Access database example includes a walk-through of all these parameters.
