Lesson 4 - What You Need to Get Started

This is a “hands-on” Course.  That is, while you are taking it, you are expected to simultaneously use the software. As a result, if possible, it is recommended that you use a large (or high resolution) screen with this Course on one side of the screen and GoldSim on the other,  an extended desktop (e.g., using two monitors) or perhaps two computers (a computer for the software and a tablet for the Course).

Therefore, to take this Course, you need to have an activated version of GoldSim on your computer.  If you do not already have GoldSim, you can request a free, fully-functional Evaluation version of the software from the GoldSim website.  The Evaluation version will work for 30 days from the time that you activate it (and you can request for it to be extended if you run out of time). If you are a student or a teacher, you can request a free Academic license (that lasts for 6 months and can be renewed).

During the Course we will refer to a number of Examples and Exercises. Prior to starting, you should download these (a zip file containing a folder with all of the GoldSim models) to your Windows Desktop.  You can download the zip file here. Download the zip file and unzip it to your Desktop (it will unzip to a folder named “Basic GoldSim Course” that contains several subfolders).

Note: The screen shots you will see in this Course, as well as all of the model files (referred to as Examples and Exercises) require the latest version of the GoldSim software (which can be found here). That is, you will not be able to open the Examples and Exercises in an older version of GoldSim.

Note that GoldSim has a very extensive set of reference documentation that you should use to augment this Course (and refer to afterward as you continue to explore GoldSim’s many features).  PDF versions of the documentation are automatically installed on your computer when you install the software. If you are the type of person who likes to have printed copies of the documentation, you can simply print these PDFs.  However, printed, bound copies of the manuals are also available on Amazon. These are priced to simply cover the cost of printing, and you will likely find that it is less expensive to purchase these than print them yourself.

The integrated Help system (accessed within GoldSim by pressing F1, the Help button on any dialog or Help | Help Topics from the main menu) contains everything in the manuals (with the exception of the appendices). The Help system is context-sensitive and has an extensive Index.  In addition to being integrated into the GoldSim application, a web-based version of the Help system is also available (it is identical to the integrated system). In fact, within this Course, if we want to draw your attention to something in the documentation, we will provide a direct link to the appropriate section of the web-based version of the Help system.  It will look like this:

Although you don’t need to follow these links, doing so is an excellent way to dive deeper into learning the software.

If you have any questions regarding GoldSim as you take the Course, an excellent resource is the GoldSim Forum. You can post questions to the Forum, or just browse existing posts.  The Forum is frequented by many experienced users and is actively monitored by GoldSim staff.

Finally, please note that the site “remembers” which Units and Lessons you have viewed.  This allows you to easily come back directly to the section where you left off.

OK, now let’s get started!