Ranch Vision On-line Manual

CHAPTER 2: TUTORIAL

Figure 2.1 Ranch Vision

We have prepared a tutorial which allows us to help you get started using Ranch Vision. First, however, we will identify the parts of the Ranch Vision program and define some terms as they are used in the manual. Figure 2.1 shows the Ranch Vision program. Choose -This term is used for carrying out a menu command or a command button on a dialog box.

Select - Used interchangeably with "choose."
Click on- This refers to pressing the left mouse button while the cursor is positioned over the item in question.
Menus - The different commands listed on the menu bar.
Menu items - The choices appearing below a menu once it has been chosen.
Task Bar -Shows helpful messages about what you are doing.

When you first enter Ranch Vision or create a new Ranch Vision file, the menu bar will look like figure 2.2.

Figure 2.2 Menu Bar

Find the tutorial ranch by choosing the menu item Open in the File menu. Here you will find lists of the folders and files containing the ranches you have analyzed with Ranch Vision.
Now choose the file named "tutorial.rvd" and then select the OK button. This will open the file and bring you back to the main window, figure 2.3.

Figure 2.3 Main Menu Bar with "tutorial.rvd"

Now you are looking at the analysis known as "tutorial.rvd." You know this because on the top of the screen you will see (C:\RANCHV\TUTORIAL.RVD). This tells you that you are in the "C" drive, in a folder called, "ranchv" working with the file called "tutorial.rvd."
Now choose the menu item Setup in the Ranch menu. You will see a dialog box like figure 2.4. When you begin a ranch analysis, you will always start here. The rest of the program will be inaccessible until this dialog has been completed.

Figure 2.4 Ranch Setup with "tutorial.rvd"

You can see that we are analyzing the "EZ Ranch." If this were your ranch you would enter your ranch information here.
Ranch Vision provides a context sensitive Help system with all dialog boxes. To see how this works choose the Help button on the lower right corner of the dialog box. The cursor will take the appearance of a question mark (?). Then move the cursor to anything within the dialog that you wish to know more about and click on it. Information concerning that item will then be displayed. For example, choose the Help button and then move the cursor to the question "What month was your inventory taken?" and click on it. A Help window like figure 2.5 will appear explaining the question.

Figure 2.5 Ranch Setup-Inventory Help window

You can obtain more information on highlighted topics within a Help window by choosing them. For example, choose the highlighted phrase, inventory date. The definition of inventory date should appear on the screen.
Under See Also you will find related topics. You can access these by selecting them. Choose the topic Ranch Setup - General Information. A Help window like figure 2.6 will appear.

Figure 2.6 Ranch Setup-General Information Help window

This is the general Help window for the entire dialog box. Each dialog will have a general Help window. It provides general information concerning the entire dialog box with information on specific areas of the dialog accessible through the topics listed under See Also.
Once you are on a Help window you have direct access to all other parts of the Help system. For example, choose Contents in the upper left corner of the Help window. A Help window detailing the contents of the Help system will appear, see figure 2.7.

Figure 2.7 Ranch Vision Help - Contents

This window provides a discussion on and alternate access to the various parts of the Help system. Try exploring the Help system at this time; when you are finished you can exit the Help window by clicking outside the Help window or by choosing Exit in the File menu.
On returning to the Ranch Setup dialog, you will see that the "EZ Ranch" is analyzing both cattle and goat enterprises but not sheep enterprises. Now choose the Done button to close the Ranch Setup dialog and return to the main window.

Figure 2.8 Ranch menu (for "tutorial.rvd")

Next choose the Ranch menu to see the menu items listed under it, see figure 2.8. You see that General Sheep Information appears "grayed out" and cannot be accessed. This is because the ranch is not interested in analyzing sheep enterprises. Ranch Vision automatically closes sections of the program not being used in order to prevent you from wasting time in areas that do not apply to you. Parts of the program that are closed will appear "grayed out" and should be ignored.

Choose General Cattle Information in the Ranch menu. You will see that the "EZ Ranch" is analyzing a cow-calf enterprise, that the inventory was taken between calving and weaning, that heifers first calve as two year olds and that they are interested in analyzing stocker enterprises including stockers acquired from outside the cow-calf herd. If you have questions regarding any of these things, you can get an explanation through the context sensitive Help system by first choosing the Help button in the lower right corner of the dialog box.

When you are finished, choose the Done button to exit the dialog box and return to the main window.

Now choose the Current Plan menu to see the menu items listed under it. These are the reports Ranch Vision creates. In order to receive the reports one must first complete certain input sections. When you click on an unavailable, "grayed out," report you will be presented with a Help window identifying which input sections must be completed in order to receive that report.

For example, choose Herd Size under the Current Plan menu and then click on Breeding Sheep. You will be presented with a Help window like figure 2.9.

Figure 2.9 Guide to Reports, Herd Size Help window

This informs you that before the Herd Size report for Breeding Sheep is available, you must first complete the menu items Setup and General Sheep Information under the Ranch menu as well as the menu items Inventory, Statistics, Management and Purchases under the Sheep menu. Be sure to use this feature whenever necessary.

Figure 2.10 Guide to Reports

A guide for all reports is also available to you through the Help system. You can find it by going to the Help menu and choosing Contents. Then choose the Guide button on the upper right corner of the page. You will be presented with a page like figure 2.10.
Choose Purchases Outflow on the Guide to Reports window to see an explanation of what must be completed in order to receive the Purchases Outflow report. You may wish to spend some time looking at the Guide To Reports. When you have finished, exit the page by choosing the Close button and/or clicking off the Help window. You will then return to the main program.

Figure 2.11 Cattle Inventory and Mortality Sec. 1 (Calving and Weaning), "tutorial.rvd"

Now choose the menu item Inventory in the Cattle menu to see a dialog box like figure 2.11. Here you will find a listing of cattle held by the "EZ Ranch."
Choose the More button in the lower right corner of the dialog to see the second dialog box of this menu item, figure 2.12.

Figure 2.12 Cattle Inventory and Mortality Sec. 2, "tutorial.rvd"

When you are finished choose the Done button for both of the dialogs to return to the main menu.
In the same way review the "EZ Ranch" information by looking at the menu items under the Ranch, Cattle and Goat menus.
When this is completed you can see what will happen to the "EZ Ranch" in the next several years under current ranch management. Under the Current Plan menu choose the menu item Herd Size and then choose the submenu Breeding Cattle. You will see a report like figure 2.13.

Figure 2.13 Breeding Cattle Report, "tutorial.rvd"

Press the F10 key, and you will be presented a table listing the values represented by the chart.
Press the F1 key and you will be presented with an interpretation of the report. These two features are available for all reports created by Ranch Vision.

You can analyze several reports at one time. Without closing the previous report, choose the menu item Purchases under the Current Plan menu and then choose the submenu Annual. You will be presented with the Annual Purchases Report.

Without closing the Annual Purchases Report, choose the menu item Sales under the Current Plan menu and then choose the submenu Breakdown. You will be presented with the Breakdown of Sales Report.

Without closing the Breakdown of Sales Report, choose the menu item Sales under the Current Plan menu and then choose the submenu Annual. You will be presented with the Annual Sales Report.

Without closing the Annual Sales Report, choose the menu item Profit and Loss under the Current Plan menu and then choose the submenu Annual. You will be presented with the Annual Profit and Loss Report.

Without closing the Annual Profit and Loss Report, choose the menu item Cash Flow under the Current Plan menu and then choose the submenu Annual. You will be presented with the Annual Cash Flow Report.

You can see all of these reports simultaneously by choosing Tile under the Window menu.

Now look at how changes in the management of "EZ Ranch" will affect projections. Choose Management in the Cattle menu, and change the % retained for breeding replacements from 25% to 45%. Then select the Done button. All reports will immediately reflect the change in management. If you wish to enlarge a report to inspect it more closely, click on the center button (right-hand button for Windows 3.1) in the upper right corner of the chart. When you are finished, return it to its previous size by again clicking on the center button in the upper right corner of the chart.

You can see how changes in the structure of the ranch will impact the ranch business in both the near and long term future. This analysis can be done for the "EZ Ranch" or your ranch without ever having to actually make the changes or live through the economic consequences of the decisions.

At this time you may wish to make various changes to the "EZ Ranch" and observe how the ranch business would be affected.

At any time, you can close reports that you do not wish to see. Close the Cash Flow Report by clicking on the square containing an "X" in the upper right corner of the report (or by double-clicking the system menu in the left corner of the report).

You have immediate access to the definitions of terms by going through the Glossary. Do this now by choosing Contents under the Help menu and then selecting the Glossary button. Now look up the definition of "cash flow" by choosing the letter "C" and then selecting the word "Cash Flow." The definition of "cash flow" will appear on the screen. When you have finished looking at the Glossary, exit it by choosing the Close button in the upper right corner of the Glossary window.

You will find discussions on important ranch management concepts, as well as how to manage a ranch using Ranch Vision, in Contents under the Help menu.

You are now ready to begin analyzing ranches for yourself.

When you wish to begin, choose New under the File menu. Choose Yes, when it asks if you are sure and then begin to enter information from your ranch.

At some point save your data by choosing Save As... under the File menu. A dialog box like figure 2.14 will appear.

In the upper left corner, type in what you wish to name the analysis. If you end the name with ".rvd", it should always be in the list when you use the Open command under the File menu.
Now select the OK button.