Getting Started: First Run a Route
To generate a route, you need to enter at least two stops (an origin and a destination). We will enter an origin, a destination, and three intermediate stops. Your cursor should be in the Route 1 window, in the City field. (If you don’t see this window, click New Route in the Routes tab > General group.) For now, we’ll ignore the time‐of‐day, day‐of‐week, and traffic settings that are available in the route window.
1. As the first step, select the red File application menu (upper left corner of the PC*MILER window) > Application Settings and make sure Provide Pick List is checked. This option displays a pick list when there is more than one possible match in the PC*MILER database for a location you enter. Click Save to close the window.
2. In the City field of the route window, enter the trip origin as a city/state: type “sioux city, ia” (with or without a space between the city and state) and click Add Stop or press <Enter> . Click OK in the pick list that pops up to enter the first match on the list. You entered “51101 Sioux City, IA, Woodbury”. The Time Zone column to the right of the stop name tells us that the time zone at this location is Central Daylight Time (CDT)
3. Next, type “urbandale, ia” and click Add Stop. With “Urbandale, IA, Polk 50322” selected in the pick list, click OK or press <enter> to add this stop.
4. Type “52585” in the City field and click Add Stop. Choose “Richland, IA, Keokuk 52585” as the next stop.
5. Get help with spelling when you enter a third stop: type “ma,ia” and click Add Stop. In the pick list, scroll down and highlight “Manchester, IA, Delaware 52057” then click OK. (The cities at the top of the pick list are not in alphabetical order – this is because with multiple matches, PC*MILER will list the most densely populated and popular locations first, with an alphabetical listing of other potential matches underneath.)
6. Use the ZIP Code Helper to enter the final destination of the route: type 50 and click Add Stop. Scroll down the pick list and highlight “Armstrong, IA, Emmet 50514” then click OK.
TIP: In pick lists, use the type‐ahead search feature to easily find “Armstrong, IA”. For example, type “Arm” and the pick list will bring you to a match.
7. Click the Run button or press the <F10> key to generate your route.
PC*MILER will calculate the mileage for each leg of the trip, along with cost and time* estimates, and cumulative totals below the stop list. If PC*MILER|Tolls is
licensed and installed, toll costs will be calculated as well. The route will also be drawn and framed in the map window.
* This and subsequent routes in the Tour were run with PC*MILER|Traffic features enabled. If this add‐on was not purchased and installed, your drive time estimates will vary slightly from what you see in this tour.
