excel tips for engineering

8/6/2019 Excel Tips for Engineering

1/17

Microsoft Office Excel for EngineersExcel Primer

Created By:

Darren Henry, Director of Product Marketing

Dassault Systmes SolidWorks Corporation

2009 Dassault Systmes, All Rights Reserve

This document outlines many of the commands reviewed in theSolidWorks screencast Microsoft Office Excel Tips for Engineers


2/17

Data Population

Quickly populate adjacent cells with series of values

Saturday Sunday Monday TuesdayJanuary

Cell Addressing

To lock down the cell location insert a dollar sign "$" in the cell address.

quation How Excel interprets the address

=A5 relative addressing

=$A$5 equation will always reference cell A5 no matter where it is copied

=$A5 equation will always reference column A, but will adjust the row number as it is c

=A$5 equation will always reference row 5, but will adjust the column letter as it is copi

In formulas, Excel uses relative addressing by default. As you copy formulas through your

spreadsheet it will adjust the cell locations.

Darren's Tips: Use the F4 key to quickly cycle through the various address

combinations


3/17

pied

d


4/17

Data Validation (List)Location: Data Data Validation

Possible Uses:Prompting for options and accessories

Selecting languages, units, or styles

Example:

Color hexadecimal

Blue 16711680

Color Red Green Blue Hexadecimal

Black 0 0 0 0

Red 255 0 0 255

Orange 255 128 0 33023

Green 0 255 0 65280

Blue 0 0 255 ###

Purple 255 128 255 ###

Turquoise 0 255 255 ###White 255 255 255 ###

Use Data Validation to make user friendly pick lists

Darren's Tips: The list used for validation must reside on the same workshthe cell being validated. The "Source" field of a Data Validation list can utilfunctions to add another level of customization.


5/17

eet asize "IF"


6/17

IFSyntax: IF(logical_test,value_if_true,value_if_false)

Possible Uses:

Caster?

Example: Yes R

value if a condition you specify evaluates to TRUE and another value if itevaluates to FALSE.

Millions of uses, from conditional formulas based on dimensions, to partnumber prefixes based on options. When driving CAD models with Excel,use IFfunctions to control whether a component is suppressed or resolved.

Darren's Tips: You can nest up to six IF functions, but if there is more thanthree, consider storing data in a table and use Vlookup.

$STATE@Caster

Darren Henry:Here an IFfunctionsuppresses or resolvesa caster componentbased on a user'schoice. Type in "No" incell B11 to see thechange.


7/17

CONCATENATESyntax: CONCATENATE (text1,text2,...)

Possible Uses:

Piecing together part numbers

Material Length ole spacing

Example: SS 12 1.5

Special Character

- Part Numb SS-12-1.5

.

Darren's Tips: You can explicitly type in any symbols that separate prefixesand suffixes, but I find if you list them in individual cells, it aids in edit-ability


8/17

&Syntax: "Text1"&" Text 2"

Possible Uses:Piecing together part numbers

Darren's Tips: Remember to add " " Space between variables when desired

material Length hole spacing

Example: SS 12 15

Part Number SS - 12 - 15

.

Darren Henry:Here we used a simpleformula with & to piece

together a partnumber. We explicitlytyped in the dashesand spaces.


9/17

VLOOKUP

Possible Uses:

Example: Color hexadecimalBlack 0

Color Red Green Blue Hexadecimal

Black 0 0 0 0

Red 255 0 0 255

Orange 255 128 0 33023

Green 0 255 0 65280

Blue 0 0 255 16711680

Purple 255 128 255 16744703

Turquoise 0 255 255 16776960White 255 255 255 16777215

Syntax: VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_look

Searches for a value in the leftmost column of a table, and then returns avalue in the same row from a column you specify in the table.

Use instead of writing nested IFstatements, finding part number prefixes andsuffixes, finding correct hexadecimal color code, etc

,not find a match if there is and extra space in the text string. You canVlookup from different worksheets, so organize your tables by storing data onother worksheets

Darren Henry:Vlookup is locatingthe color in the tableand then returningthe correspondingvalue in the 5thcolumn.


10/17

p)


11/17


12/17

INTSyntax: INT(number)

Rounds a number down to the nearest integer.

Possible Uses:Use when calculating number of instances in patterns

Example 1: Number Integer

2.8 2

Example 2: overall length 18hole spacing 3.5

number of holes 5

Darren's Tips: INTdoes not round up, so accurate hole calculations may require multipleformulas


13/17

Custom ViewsFound under Views --> Custom Views

Quickly toggle betweens showing your control panel, and the entire designtable

Darren Henry:a few custom viewshave been created. Goto View->Custom Viewto see them.


14/17

CONVERTSyntax: CONVERT(number,from_unit,to_unit)

Possible Uses:

Heat Converter2400 J equals 2.275 BTU

Use Convert to convert a number from one unit of measurement toanother.

.spreadsheet to specify the type of units they are familiar with, andconvert all data to suite.

Darren's Tips: Specify the from_unit and to_unit in cells, so they canbe changed quickly.

Darren Henry:Convert was used inthis cell to calculate thevalue of BTUs

Darren Henry:Enter any value in thiscell and it will beconverted from Joulesto BTUs


15/17

Paste SpecialLocation: Available from Right Mouse Button, once a cell has been sele

Possible Uses:

Update price sheets or quantities in BOMs

Price New Price Multiplier

$100.00 0.9

$150.00

$200.00

$250.00

$300.00

$350.00

Enables the user to copy more than a cells value. Includes the ability to copydata validation restrictions as well as perform bulk mathematical tasks.

Darren Henry:Select cell D20 and chooseCopy, then highlight theprices and use Paste Special,Multiply. All the numberswill be multiplied by 0.9


16/17

cted for copy


17/17

Copying from PDF files

Many product spec sheets and property tables are available as PDF files. Often youmay copy the data for use with 3D CAD models.

In Adobe Acrobat, when selecting large amounts of tabular data, use the rightmouse button option: "Copy as Table" to aid in copying the data

excel tips for engineering

Documents