In FORScan do you modify the AS Built Module or the Plain one?

[MountainGoat]

I got my FORScan set up and already made a bunch of changes, probably all the ones I will need to make. In the video tutorial I watched the guy modifies both "As Built" and regular modules without distinction. Is there any preference? I modified only the plain one because I figured the AS Built was supposed to be an original file. If it was the wrong one I suppose I will go air up in my bicycle tires.

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[machinist85]

I've always used the plain one. As long as you made a backup it might not matter.

 

[MountainGoat]

I've always used the plain one. As long as you made a backup it might not matter.

Yeah I saved the stock profile in Forscan and record the changes in an excel. Even if I didn't do the "complete" save/export procedure I just downloaded the AS Built Module from Ford.

I have a brand new Sync update too, does that tend to screw up anything when updating?

 

[JesseS]

The 'Plain' is just text versions of the HEX codes related to all functions and options. That being said not all HEX codes have been cross coded to text, so for the ones that haven't you will need to change those codes in HEX. The 'text' version just translates to hex in any case, it just makes it easier for most people to find what they want to change.

 

[MountainGoat]

The 'Plain' is just text versions of the HEX codes related to all functions and options. That being said not all HEX codes have been cross coded to text, so for the ones that haven't you will need to change those codes in HEX. The 'text' version just translates to hex in any case, it just makes it easier for most people to find what they want to change.

Solid. So if something doesn't work it might need to be done in as built.

So far everything is good. The tire size in mm -3.2% was spot on.

 

[JesseS]

Solid. So if something doesn't work it might need to be done in as built.

So far everything is good. The tire size in mm -3.2% was spot on.

No, if something doesn't work it will normally be a invalid value imputed, whether text or HEX.

 

[Big Blue]

OK, lets try and get a few things straight with Forscan.
First, saving the profile when you log in does not save all your current settings. The profile is just a configuration file that lets Forscan know about your truck, like what modules (mini computers) it has.

Second, The way Forscan works is this. It only changes a configuration file for the module you are working on. when you press the "run" button it down loads the file from the truck into the computers memory. You then modify the file in memory and write it back into the truck after you make changes. you can make changes using either the As Built or the configuration file, changes made in one show up in the other. The only one the truck really uses is the As Built file. The Configuration is just an easier way to make changes using menus instead of editing the HEX codes the truck uses. Big thank you to the Forscan developers by the way. Once you finish your changes you then write the file back to the truck and the module reboots using the new settings. Forscan does not change any programing (firmware) in the modules. It only changes settings in the module within preset limits.

Third, Now about backing up your current settings. This is where the "As Built" term comes from. You need to open up "run" each module As Built file individually and do the export/save. you are saving to a file on your computer. This should have been the first thing you did on you first log in to your truck. you should name the file with the name of the module your saving and something like "original" or "factory" or even "as built". that way you will know that these are the original settings. You need to do this for EACH of the As Built files in the list. Now you have a backup of your original settings.

Forth, It is also a good idea to make backups of your settings after you make changes. To do this if you make changes using the configuration file, after you write your changes to the truck and "stop" the file you will load the As Built file for that module and "run" it and do a export/save. This time naming the file with a date or some way of telling what version it is. DO NOT overwrite your original backups. You only need to do this for the modules you changed in that session. This way you will always be able to go back to a previous version of your settings if you don't like what you changed or it didn't do what you wanted. Also you can go back to your factory settings.

Hope this helps some of the Newbies with what Forscan is actually doing. See posts by so many new people jumping into Forscan with no knowledge of what it does or how. It is a neat program and allows us to tweak things on our truck how we want them. It is pretty hard to really screw things up, but it does help to have some computer skills and knowledge.

 

[MountainGoat]

OK, lets try and get a few things straight with Forscan.

Thanks great info, I understand it now. This post deserves a sticky!

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