The best just got better!

 It's now become a bit of an annual ritual - a new version of Wessex Professional. This time it is version 4.4.16 (You can check your version by going to "Help" > "About", and view which version you have).

If you are new to Wessex Professional - welcome!

If you already use the program I would really encourage you to take the trouble to upgrade as this will give you a more reliable, user friendly experience. Also, it's free to upgrade! 

Go to the Wessex Pictures website and navigate to the Pricing Programs section . Select the Free 30 Day Trial and download. Your web browser will probably come up with various warnings, but have a look at this post to complete the download.

Before you start the new installation it's sensible to take a copy of your database file (V3.mdb) and the Labels & Values file (user.xml). These two file contain all your data, so treat them well!

Double click on the downloaded file (SetupWPP4_4_16.msi) and install. Run the program and check that all is well - and you're done!

Below is a screenshot of the changes -

When you have got Wessex Professional up and running, if you haven't done it already, set up a automatic backup - it could save a lot of frustration. Have a look at this post for more information.

New for 2023

 It's been nearly a year since the last update to the Wessex Pricing Program, there haven't been any embarrassing glitches revealed (phew!) so this new update sorts out some features that were fine originally but now feel rather "clunky". 

The new update is version 4.4.15 (you can check your version by going to "Help" > "About" on the main program screen).

The first change is - instead of the measurement system (Mm. Cm. or Inches) being shown as three separate selections below the dimension boxes, it is now in one box next to them. Simply click the box to change.

The next change is  to the collection dates. The collection date is derived from the turnaround time (in days) set in "Setup" > "Options"  and selecting the "Turnaround" tab. 

Previously if the collection date worked out to be a Sunday then that date would be moved on to a Monday. Now you can set the days of the week that you are closed and any collections for those days are moved on.

The messages printed at the bottom of the invoice have been made easier to change. Go to "Setup" > "Options" and select the "Print" tab.

You can choose to hide the collection date, just show the date, or show the date and a short message. 

In addition you can set a footer message of up to 115 characters. 

The final new feature is when you view an individual work ticket, by holding the mouse over the moulding Id you can see some information about that moulding, this now includes the current amount in stock. (This assumes you keep your moulding stock up to date.) Also this stock amount is printed on the work ticket.

Hope you find the updates useful. 😊

Size Matters

 I'm sure that you have noticed that the size of the Wessex Pricing Program is fixed. There is a reason for that (skip the following paragraph if the brain is feeling a bit tired).

Computer screens are not only measured by size (usually diagonally across the screen) but also by "resolution" stated in "pixels". The more pixels the better detail that the screen can show. The computer I'm writing this on has a resolution of 1920 x 1080. Not too many years ago a resolution of (say) 1200 x 800 more would have been considered good. When you set a size for a form in a program it is set in pixels, not inches or Cm. So it will look smaller on a higher resolution screen, and larger on a lower resolution screen. 

Wessex Professional has stayed the same size ever since it was released. This way it would be good for older monitors. However, the difference between old and new monitor resolution is becoming quite pronounced and although there are things you can do to show the program at a larger size, what is really needed is the ability to resize the program to suit your screen. This is easier said than done. There are at least 27 "controls" (buttons, textboxes and so on) in the main screen and each one needs to be resized in proportion to its neighbour.

The problem is finally solved in the latest version (4.4.12). You can now resize and reposition the main form to suit your screen and the program will remember that for the next time.

The above screenshot shows the standard size, with the program always starting centre-screen.

This screenshot shows the program enlarged and repositioned. It will remember the size and position for next time it starts.

By the way, the computer these screenshots were taken from is running Windows 11. Wessex Professional is perfectly happy running on that.

Also in the new version is an improved "Moulding Needed" section ("Tools" > "Mange Database" > "Mouldings", click "Views" and choose "Moulding Needed" to show the moulding you'll need for your current jobs, and which you're likely to have to order).

The "Save invoice as PDF" in the Print section has had some potential errors corrected and should be more consistent. 

All that remains is to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year.

version 4.4.6

Wessex Pricing Program version 4.4.6 - so what's new?

Basic and Full versions
Well, the first thing corrects an anomaly where if you changed the default moulding markup only the mouldings added subsequently to the database used that new default. You would have to change the existing records individually if you wanted them to use the new markup. Not user friendly!
In the new version any moulding which has the old default as its markup will be automatically updated to the new default.

Full version
The database has room for 50 characters (inc. spaces) in the mount record (made up of the mount type and the colour(s)). It was possible to get all the way to the point where you saved the invoice only to find an error because in one job you had tried to use more than 50 characters in the mount record.
Now, if you try to use more than 50 characters you are warned when you try to add the job to the invoice.

Full version
The other noteworthy change in this version had me thinking "Why didn't I think of that before?"!
The workticket has two dates - the date the work was received and the date that the job needs to be completed by.
Now, when the work is collected and you edit the workticket to tick the "collected" box, the complete-by date is changed to that day's date, thus giving you a record of when the work was taken by the customer.

You can view collection records by going to "Tools" > "Manage Database" > "WorkTickets" and then click "Find Record". Initially "Find Records by" and "invoice number" is shown. Click the downward pointing arrow and choose "Collection Date". Then you'll be able to pick a date to see the jobs collected on that day.
The program knows when you installed the update, so only worktickets after this date are changed. (ie. worktickets before that date will still read "Collect on" and the original completion date. Only records after that date will have the actual collection date.)

Major Upgrade for the Pricing App

A major new upgrade to The Framers Pricing App has been released.

The internal file structure has been completely rewritten which means that -

• You can now have as many items in the Mount, Glass and Sundries lists as you like (previously only 5 items)
• Each item can now have its own fixed cost (labour cost or cutting charge), rather than one cost to cover all items.
• You can choose as many Sundry items to add to the overall cost as needed (previously only 1)

This makes the App far more versatile.

I've also brought the App upto date to comply with the new Google Play security requirements (coming into force later this year) and to work with the latest Android versions.

Another New Year - More new features

I've been working on some new features in the program (WPP4) for the latest version which is about to be released (4.3.2).

There are two major new features -

The first is the ability to work with a picture size, rather than a rebate size. (But don't worry, you can still go on using the program in exactly the same way if you are happy with the way things were.)

The way it works is like this. If there is no mount then we are using rebate size anyway, so nothing changes. If there is a mount then we can enter the picture size (the size of the mount opening), make a mount selection and then enter a margin. 

(Note that the dimension label has changed from "Rebate Size" to "Picture Size")
This is useful if the customer is unsure about the margin they want.
The program can work out what the actual rebate will be (it assumes even margins all round) and so still tell the amount of moulding needed etc.

The other feature is the ability to print the staff member issuing the invoice on the paperwork.

Very useful if there is a query on a workticket.
The staff names can be entered in "Setup" > "Customise Labels". If there are no names, then the program doesn't show a list. (Note - this is only available on the Full version)

I have also taken the opportunity to improve some of the error messages, as well as getting the program to behave more nicely if it is transferred to a new computer.

So, keep an eye on www.wessexpictures.com for the update (4.3.2) which should be posted in the next couple of weeks (13/01/15).

Some changes in ver. 4.2.4

It's that time of year again, just before the NEC and I've just finished putting together the latest version of the Wessex Pricing Program (4.2.4).
It contains the latest Wessex & Frinton lists as well as some tweaks that make the program easier to use. The main ones being - better deposit information, and in the Customer records, details for how much the customers has spent, how many jobs etc.
I've made a small, but interesting change to the way the program works out the price of multiple items. Users may have noticed that 2 items are not always double a single item (eg one frame = £24.44, two frames = £48.89). This is because the program works out the price of one frame to many decimal places, then multiples by the number required and THEN rounds to the nearest penny. (eg. one frame = 24.44401,this equals £24.44. But two frames = 48.88802 this rounds to £48.89) Working out the price this way is the most accurate but not the most logical to us humans.
The effect is even more noticeable if the framer is using the "Whole Pounds" option. Using the above figures - one frame = 24.44401 equals £25. But two frames would equal £49.
So, now all that is changed, by rounding the price to the nearest penny for the first frame and then multiplying by the number required. Leaving us with I hope a more user friendly experience.