rob@aeras.uucp (Rob Rogers) (04/13/91)
In article <1991Apr11.013943.26293@gn.ecn.purdue.edu> jess@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Jess M Holle) writes: >In article <1991Apr10.212728.5934@cc.helsinki.fi> valsta@cc.helsinki.fi writes: >>Excel 2.2 does not do contour plots or other real 3-D. >> >>BTW, is Excel 3.0 already out. It's supposed to have 3-D graphics. >>In the mean while, WingZ does many kinds of 3-D (and reads excel files?) >> >>Lauri Valsta >>valsta@cc.helsinki.fi > >Excel 3.0 does not have contour plots, wireframe plots, of surface plots, at >least according to the MacWeek article I read about it. It will, however, >include 3D bar, pie, and line charts from what I understand. > >Wingz does read Excel files and will do wireframe, contour, and surface plots, >as well as 3D bar, pie, and line charts. > >Jess Holle >jess@mn.ecn.purdue.edu Microsoft wouldn't give Informix the file format for Excel when they found out they were building a super-spreadsheet (do you blame them?). So to transfer between Excel and Wings, you have to save the Excel document in ".SYLK" format (Lotus 1-2-3, I believe) first, then open it in Wings. One of the problems is that dates are stored differently between the two programs, so you have to redo them from scratch (Excel starts its dates from 1904, Wings from 1900, I think). Another problem is the way they want the information tabulated. To do a sales chart in Excel you would input: |Quarter #1 |Quarter #2 |Quarter #3 |Quarter #4 | ----------------------------------------------------------- Sales | 1000| 2000| 2300| 2400| ----------------------------------------------------------- Cost | 300| 320| 210| 270| ----------------------------------------------------------- whereas in Wings you would input: | Sales | Cost | ------------------------------ Quarter #1| 1000| 300| ------------------------------ Quarter #2| 2000| 320| ------------------------------ Quarter #3| 2300| 210| ------------------------------ Quarter #4| 2400| 270| ------------------------------ to get the same chart! Otherwise, Wings uses the Sales and Cost figures as the time input, and you get a really goofy chart. Wings also uses non-standard buttons and scrollbars (I believe they were taken from Hypercard), so you can't use another macro program like QuicKeys or Tempo. You have to use their "Hyperscript" stuff to re-define keys. Wings does do nice charts, but don't expect to "travel" between the two programs a lot. It also doesn't work the way I do. I put in the numbers, make the chart, then print the chart only. Wings makes me input the numbers, make the chart, hide the numbers, print the chart, (and if I need to change the numbers) show the numbers, change the numbers, hide the numbers, print the chart, etc., etc. What a pain. Since ARIX sells Informix, I should add that these are my opinions only, and not those of my employer. -- Rob Rogers Art Director, ARIX Computer Corporation {mips|sun|wyse|jade}!aeras!rob <> rob@aeras.UUCP <> 73377.1017@compuserve.com <> GEnie=R.ROGERS10 <> AOL=MacGun
jeffe@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (George Jefferson ) (04/15/91)
:>Wingz does read Excel files and will do wireframe, contour, and surface plots :>as well as 3D bar, pie, and line charts. The quality is not what I would call 'scientific'. For the 3d/contour stuff not only does your data need to be on a regularly spaced grid, it must be over a rectangular area. Also it wont do a plot with contour _lines_, just shaded areas. :transfer between Excel and Wings, you have to save the Excel document in : ".SYLK" format (Lotus 1-2-3, I believe) first, then open it in Wings. ..or text-only : :Another problem is the way they want the information tabulated. To do :a sales chart in Excel you would input: : :whereas in Wings you would input: : :to get the same chart! Otherwise, Wings uses the Sales and Cost figures as :the time input, and you get a really goofy chart. : Excell could handle the data in either arrangement, though I agree Wingz needs more flexability. :numbers, make the chart, hide the numbers, print the chart, (and if I need :to change the numbers) show the numbers, change the numbers, hide the :numbers, print the chart, etc., etc. What a pain. : surely there must be people out there who have created some pretty slick Wingz macro's to handle some of these problems. Anyone care to share them? -- -george george@mech.seas.upenn.edu
jess@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Jess M Holle) (04/16/91)
In article <41151@netnews.upenn.edu> jeffe@eniac.seas.upenn.edu (George Jefferson ) writes: >Also it wont do a plot with contour _lines_, just shaded areas. Version 1.1 does do plots with contour lines, simply check under Object Info... >surely there must be people out there who have created some pretty >slick Wingz macro's to handle some of these problems. >Anyone care to share them? I second the request for slick Wingz macros. Jess Holle
jess@gn.ecn.purdue.edu (Jess M Holle) (04/16/91)
In article <1991Apr12.232924.10786@aeras.uucp> rob@aeras.UUCP (Rob Rogers) writes: >One of the problems is that dates are stored differently between the two >programs, so you have to redo them from scratch (Excel starts its dates >from 1904, Wings from 1900, I think). Although you may encounter problems with some formulas involving dates which rely on the numeric storage format, Wingz does provide scripts to translate between its date format and others. >Another problem is the way they want the information tabulated. To do >a sales chart in Excel you would input: > > |Quarter #1 |Quarter #2 |Quarter #3 |Quarter #4 | >----------------------------------------------------------- >Sales | 1000| 2000| 2300| 2400| >----------------------------------------------------------- >Cost | 300| 320| 210| 270| >----------------------------------------------------------- > >whereas in Wings you would input: > > | Sales | Cost | >------------------------------ >Quarter #1| 1000| 300| >------------------------------ >Quarter #2| 2000| 320| >------------------------------ >Quarter #3| 2300| 210| >------------------------------ >Quarter #4| 2400| 270| >------------------------------ > >to get the same chart! Otherwise, Wings uses the Sales and Cost figures as >the time input, and you get a really goofy chart. Actually, Wingz can interpret either table in either way. The interpretation method is controlled by two menu options: Horizontal Parsing and Vertical Parsing. Jess Holle Disclaimer: I use Wingz a lot for reports, projects, etc, but otherwise have no connection.