Help
Mortgage Lens is designed to be very easy to use and offers you the ability to do far more than you could do with the other inferior mortgage presentation software programs on the market. This help page is designed to empower you so that you can unlock the full presentation potential of Mortgage Lens.
1. Getting started
- Mortgage Lens Login
Once you've checked out and downloaded your copy of Mortgage Lens, double click on the executable that you've downloaded. Then, just enter the email and password that you selected during the signup process.
You are ready to start using the most powerful analysis software on the planet!
Selecting a Module
- Selecting a Module
Once you start up Mortgage Lens, in the upper white area click the "Click Here to Start" bar to drop down a list of available modules. Click the desired analysis module to begin.
For more information on individual modules, go to the screenshots and demos page. Continue below for help doing analysis.
2. Entering and Manipulating Data
There are four principal objects that are used to enter data into Mortgage Lens for processing: sliders, knobs, fields and dropdown menus.
Numeric Fields and Text Fields
- Click and Drag to Change
- Update by Double-Clicking
The principal way to enter data into Mortgage Lens is with numeric or text fields.
Numeric fields are fields that are for entering and displaying numbers. When you move your mouse over them, your cursor turns into an up-and-down arrow. These fields can be edited in either of two ways: by clicking and dragging the value up or down until the appropriate value is selected or by double-clicking on the field and typing the desired value.
- Text Field
Text fields are even simpler. They are for displaying and entering non-number values. In a plain text box, just click the field and type the desired text.
- Slider
Sliders
Sliders are input objects that allow you to select a value from an allowed range. Often these are useful in representing percentages or other figures where the possible range of values is relatively small.
There are two ways to select a value with a slider. One way is to click on any point along the gray bar, making the selector jump to that point. The other way is to click directly on the selector and drag it to where the displayed value is correct. The second way is much more accurate.
If you are having trouble getting the value exact on your slider, you can also zoom in for more precise control (see "Zooming" below).
- Knob
Knobs
The knob objects are similar to the sliders in some ways. However, there is only one way to update the amount they represent: click and drag the around the knob until the correct value is displayed.
As with the slider, if you are finding it difficult to get an exact value with the knob, see the directions below for zooming.
Dropdown Menus
- Dropdown Menu
Dropdown menus, such as the one at the top of Mortgage Lens, are an easy way to select a value from a predetermined set of choices. Dropdown menus operate by clicking the down arrow to their right side. This will cause a menu of choices to "drop down". Select the appropriate value from the menu using the up and down arrows to scroll through the menu items if necessary.
Moving Between Fields
You can tab from one field to the next in web forms and many applications. However, Mortgage Lens was designed with to be mouse-driven and does not offer tab navigation functionality at this time.
3. General Usage
Make sure you review this section for tips on doing analysis and interacting with Mortgage Lens.
Moving and Resizing Mortgage Lens
- Moving Mortgage Lens
Mortgage Lens is only moveable by clicking and dragging on the logo area in the upper left-hand corner of the application. Simply release the mouse button once Mortgage Lens has been positioned where you want it.
- Resizing Mortgage Lens
If you'd like to resize Mortgage Lens either to occupy full screen or a portion of your screen, click on the "maximize" button in the upper right-hand corner. This will pop up a list of the currently supported resolutions of Mortgage Lens. Select your preferred dimensions from this list. If you are unsure which resolution is right for you, try them on until one fits!
- Change Client Name
Customizing Your Report For a Specific Client
When presenting a report to a client, most will want to personalize the report with the client's name. To do so, put your mouse over the area where "Valued Client" is written in blue letters, near the top center of your Mortgage Lens and click so that your cursor is blinking in the field. Backspace over the letters already in place, and enter the name of your client.
- Printing
Printing
- Printing
Printing
While you can print a Mortgage Lens screen by right clicking and selecting print, we do not recommend this as the module will not print correctly. The proper way to print a module is to use the screencapture icon in the upper right hand side of Mortgage Lens and print our the resulting screenshot.
The save screenshot feature in Mortgage Lens is set to save a screenshot with the name "Mortgage Lens Screenshot followed by a time stamp to your My Documents directory. To print a report, click on the screenshot in your My Documents. After clicking on the screenshot it will open in your Picture and Fax viewer. From there you can easily print your report to the printer of your choice
Switching to Print Mode
- Print Mode Toggle
To switch to and from print mode in Mortgage Lens, click the round toggle in the upper right-hand corner of Mortgage Lens. The background will turn white. Click it again to turn it back.
Saving and Loading Scenarios
- Saving a scenario
- Loading a scenario
Saving and loading scenarios is built in to the Pro and Premium packages of Mortgage Lens. To save a scenario, simply click the "Scenario" button at the top right of your screen. Click Save and enter the desired name into the field. You don't have to choose a location on your drive to save. To load or delete, click on the "Scenario" button again and click appropriate button. Select the saved scenario and click "Ok". To delete a save scenario you will be asked to confirm your choice.
Saving Scenario is only recommended for short-term storage of data. When a module is updated (through the autoupdate function of Mortgage Lens), the data previously stored will be lost.
4. Tips and Tricks
Here are a couple of helpful hints to help you maximize your Mortgage Lens experience!
Zooming
- Zooming In/Out
At times, you’ll find it useful to zoom in on a particular area of the report in order to focus on a certain set of data. Mortgage Lens gives you the ability to do so. To zoom in, right click on the area you'd like to zoom in on, and select "Zoom In" from the menu. Then, you can move the screen by clicking and dragging in any direction. You can proceed to zoom in further or zoom back out, by right clicking and selecting "Zoom Out" or "View All".
Exporting a Digital Copy of a Report
- Save Screenshot
To export a digital copy of one of your reports, for emailing to a customer or posting to the web, Mortgage Lens has a "Save Screenshot" button. To export, make sure Mortgage Lens is displaying the data you wish to export. Click the "Save Screenshot" button as shown in the image to the right. This will save an image in your "My Documents" with the information displayed in Mortgage Lens. The file will be named "Mortgage Lens Module Screenshot YearMonthDateTime.jpg".
Alternatively, a Print-to-PDF tool can be used to create a file which can then be sent to clients. There are free tools such as PDFCreator and PrimoPDF which work very well. Simply download, install one of the two and select your PDF printer as your default printer (see "Printing" above) and then print your report from within Mortgage Lens.
5. Using the Website
Once you have signed up for your Mortgage Lens account, all your configurations will happen through your Mortgage Lens Control Panel, including adding/removing seats, adding additional features or canceling. Please be aware that after the first month, prices for upgrades are processed immediately to avoid abuses.
Logging In
The first step to update your account in any way is to log in to your account. Go to the members area. This link is on most pages in the upper right-hand corner. You will have to log in with your email and password if you aren't already logged in. If you cannot remember this information, you can click the "Forgot Password" link to reset your password.
Updating the User Information Displayed in Mortgage Lens
- Updating Your Information
Your account information is displayed prominently in the first table in your Control Panel and is the same information that will be used to display your personal data in the Mortgage Lens program. You will be asked to provide your password to update.
Upgrading/Downgrading Your Account
Click the "Change Plan" link on your Control Panel. This will allow you to select a different plan. Please be sure of whatever changes you make in this part of the panel, as charges for upgrades made after your initial 30 days trial is up are processed immediately.
Purchasing Additional Modules
We believe that each Mortgage Lens package is a powerful toolset built to satisfy the needs of mortgage professionals. If you would like to extend one of the Mortgage Lens plans, you can do so by purchasing additional modules for $10/month.
Simply click on the desired module you wish to add to your account and confirm your purchase on the following page. You can preview the different modules on the Screenshots & Demos page.
Please note that if you are no longer within your 30 day trial period, upgrade charges will be processed immediately.
Editing Your Module Dropdown Menu
Mortgage Lens offers a comprehensive set of tools to solve most of your problems, but if you find yourself overwhelmed or notice that you simply don't use some of the modules, you can use the Menu Editor to remove those modules from your Mortgage Lens drop down menu.
To use the menu editor, just uncheck any of the modules you do not wish to have appear in your menu and click the "Update Menu" button. You will have to restart Mortgage Lens for the changes to take effect. Please note that these changes are not permanent and do not effect your billing.
Uploading a Custom Logo
The ability to custom-brand Mortgage Lens is one of our and our customers’ favorite features. To upload a logo, go to the "Upload a New Logo" section in Your Control Panel and browse for the file on your hard drive. This file must be a non-interlaced JPEG image 232x56 pixels in size. You can experiment with different images. You must restart Mortgage Lens for the changes to take effect.
A simple, web-based image resizer can be found here. Just select your photo by clicking "Browse" under "Step 1" to the upper left and then click "Upload". You will be taken to a screen where you can select the height and width of your image using a slider. Select your desired width (probably 232). Finally, click "ResizR".
Custom branding is included with the Premium plan subscription. You can add your own logo to either the Pro or Lens plans for just an extra $10 a month. To add custom branding to your account, use the "Change Plan" link in your control panel.
Upgrading Mortgage Lens
We make upgrades occasionally to Mortgage Lens that will require you to download a new version. You will be notified that Mortgage Lens needs to be updated after you launch the program when this happens. Click the link provided and download Mortgage Lens to your hard drive and then launch the new executable. You are upgraded!
