diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/MainApplication.java b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/MainApplication.java
index 2fbfa43..4022696 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/MainApplication.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/MainApplication.java
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ public class MainApplication extends javax.swing.JFrame
         open_board_button = new javax.swing.JButton();
         restore_defaults_button = new javax.swing.JButton();
         message_field = new javax.swing.JTextField();
-        message_field.setText("-de or -di not specified");
+        message_field.setText("Neither '-de <design file>' nor '-di <design directory>' are specified.");
         this.window_net_demonstrations = new WindowNetDemonstrations(locale);
         java.awt.Point location = getLocation();
         this.window_net_demonstrations.setLocation((int) location.getX() + 50, (int) location.getY() + 50);
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ public class MainApplication extends javax.swing.JFrame
             main_panel.add(restore_defaults_button, gridbag_constraints);
         }
 
-        message_field.setPreferredSize(new java.awt.Dimension(230, 20));
+        message_field.setPreferredSize(new java.awt.Dimension(400, 20));
         message_field.setRequestFocusEnabled(false);
         gridbag.setConstraints(message_field, gridbag_constraints);
         main_panel.add(message_field, gridbag_constraints);
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteDetailParameter.java b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteDetailParameter.java
index 636e404..b4903ee 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteDetailParameter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteDetailParameter.java
@@ -23,6 +23,9 @@
  */
 package eu.mihosoft.freerouting.gui;
 
+import java.awt.*;
+import java.text.DecimalFormat;
+
 /**
  *
  * @author Alfons Wirtz
@@ -85,7 +88,7 @@ public class WindowAutorouteDetailParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
         main_panel.add(start_pass_label);
 
         start_pass_no = new javax.swing.JFormattedTextField(number_format);
-        start_pass_no.setColumns(2);
+        start_pass_no.setColumns(4);
         this.start_pass_no.addKeyListener(new StartPassFieldKeyListener());
         this.start_pass_no.addFocusListener(new StartPassFieldFocusListener());
         gridbag_constraints.gridwidth = java.awt.GridBagConstraints.REMAINDER;
@@ -163,6 +166,7 @@ public class WindowAutorouteDetailParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
         number_format = java.text.NumberFormat.getInstance(p_board_frame.get_locale());
         number_format.setMaximumFractionDigits(2);
         final int TEXT_FIELD_LENGTH = 2;
+        java.text.NumberFormat float_number_format = new DecimalFormat("0.0");
         for (int i = 0; i < signal_layer_count; ++i)
         {
             layer_name_arr[i] = new javax.swing.JLabel();
@@ -171,13 +175,13 @@ public class WindowAutorouteDetailParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
             gridbag_constraints.gridwidth = 3;
             gridbag.setConstraints(layer_name_arr[i], gridbag_constraints);
             main_panel.add(layer_name_arr[i]);
-            preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i] = new javax.swing.JFormattedTextField(number_format);
+            preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i] = new javax.swing.JFormattedTextField(float_number_format);
             preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].setColumns(TEXT_FIELD_LENGTH);
             preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].addKeyListener(new PreferredDirectionTraceCostKeyListener(i));
             preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].addFocusListener(new PreferredDirectionTraceCostFocusListener(i));
             gridbag.setConstraints(preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i], gridbag_constraints);
             main_panel.add(preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i]);
-            against_preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i] = new javax.swing.JFormattedTextField(number_format);
+            against_preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i] = new javax.swing.JFormattedTextField(float_number_format);
             against_preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].setColumns(TEXT_FIELD_LENGTH);
             against_preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].addKeyListener(new AgainstPreferredDirectionTraceCostKeyListener(i));
             against_preferred_direction_trace_cost_arr[i].addFocusListener(new AgainstPreferredDirectionTraceCostFocusListener(i));
@@ -188,6 +192,11 @@ public class WindowAutorouteDetailParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
             against_preferred_direction_trace_costs_input_completed[i] = true;
         }
 
+        javax.swing.JLabel applyValuesNote = new javax.swing.JLabel("(note: you need to press Enter to apply the new values)");
+        gridbag.setConstraints(applyValuesNote, gridbag_constraints);
+        main_panel.add(applyValuesNote, gridbag_constraints);
+
+
         p_board_frame.set_context_sensitive_help(this, "WindowAutorouteDetailParameter");
 
         this.refresh();
diff --git a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteParameter.java b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteParameter.java
index 229c5e4..b8e7725 100644
--- a/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteParameter.java
+++ b/src/main/java/eu/mihosoft/freerouting/gui/WindowAutorouteParameter.java
@@ -120,9 +120,9 @@ public class WindowAutorouteParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
         gridbag.setConstraints(passes_label, gridbag_constraints);
         main_panel.add(passes_label);
 
-        this.fanout_pass_button = new javax.swing.JRadioButton(resources.getString("fanout"));
-        this.autoroute_pass_button = new javax.swing.JRadioButton(resources.getString("autoroute"));
-        this.postroute_pass_button = new javax.swing.JRadioButton(resources.getString("postroute"));
+        this.fanout_pass_button = new javax.swing.JCheckBox(resources.getString("fanout"));
+        this.autoroute_pass_button = new javax.swing.JCheckBox(resources.getString("autoroute"));
+        this.postroute_pass_button = new javax.swing.JCheckBox(resources.getString("postroute"));
 
         fanout_pass_button.addActionListener(new FanoutListener());
         autoroute_pass_button.addActionListener(new AutorouteListener());
@@ -217,9 +217,9 @@ public class WindowAutorouteParameter extends BoardSavableSubWindow
     private final javax.swing.JCheckBox[] signal_layer_active_arr;
     private final javax.swing.JComboBox[] combo_box_arr;
     private final javax.swing.JCheckBox vias_allowed;
-    private final javax.swing.JRadioButton fanout_pass_button;
-    private final javax.swing.JRadioButton autoroute_pass_button;
-    private final javax.swing.JRadioButton postroute_pass_button;
+    private final javax.swing.JCheckBox fanout_pass_button;
+    private final javax.swing.JCheckBox autoroute_pass_button;
+    private final javax.swing.JCheckBox postroute_pass_button;
     private final WindowAutorouteDetailParameter detail_window;
     private final DetailListener detail_listener;
     private final String horizontal;