The main MPMileage dialog box looks like this:
MPMileage requires a database for input, and the results are also written to this database. For pushpin locations, a MapPoint (.ptm) map file containing these pushpins is also required for input.
The database must contain a table with one row per route to be calculated. It should have field(s) that specify the start location, field(s) that specify the destination location. Depending on the location type, there should also be a primary key to allow rows to be uniquely identified (pushpins do not need a primary key because pushpin names can work as their own primary key). 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.
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. Location field information is also set via this dialog box.
MPMileage is capable of running multiple MapPoint instances in parallel. On multi-cpu computers, this can result in significant increases in processing speed. Set the number of instances ('threads') using the Number of processing threads box. With a fast, local database and an idle computer, you should be able to set this at or near the number of cpu cores that you have (e.g. 3 or 4 threads on a quad core PC).
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.
MPMileage can require a lot of parameters to be set. To make it easier, configuration parameters can be saved or restored using the Configuration buttons.
The Using MPMileage with an Access database example includes a walk-through of all these parameters.
