Excel Animation

[Cyrius]

I've been working with a set of data events that get captured in time by an electronic tracking device. I've managed to manipulate the data to calculate equipment idle time and utilization. Then, I created menus using checkboxes to generate dynamic charts that enable you to choose a particular equipment and the month to display. However, after studying this sample (even though is not done in excel).

http://projects.flowingdata.com/walmart/

Can it be possible in excel to read line by line each of the time captured events and have a chart display the equipment utilization in a similar way to the example provided?

Thank you for your help.

 

[Hui]

Cyrius

Once you have your data organised animation is a relatively simple process of:

+ retrieving/calculate the new data,

+ update the chart,

+ show the chart,

+ repeat.


You will need to be comfortable with named ranges and a bit of VBA but it is not too difficult.


Have a look at

http://www.excelhero.com/blog/2010/05/excel-optical-illusions-15.html


Daniel has put a list of animated charts at the bottom of the post

Spend some time going through them and you will see how each is made.

Good luck

 

[Cyrius]

Hui,


I've studied the same Walmart example from excelhero.com and the only part I cannot figure out is how does he increase or decrease the X and Y chart ranges using the scroll bar (ndx) value.

 

[Hui]

Cyrius

A Scroll Bar is linked to a cell value

That cell value can be used to specify a starting or ending value for a range or the number of months in a range given a starting value


Which specific example is that in?

 

[Cyrius]

It is the excel sheet in this page


http://www.excelhero.com/blog/2010/04/excel-location-mapping.html

 

[Hui]

Cyrius

NDX is a named range refering to Data!Q1.

The Scroll Bar is used to change the value of Q1.

NDX It is used to select the data from the Start (1962) up to what ever year is shown by adding 1962 to the value in cell data!Q1.

The selection is done by 2 named ranges Longs and Lats

which are subsequently plotted on a scatter chart.


So checkout the Named Ranges Lats and Longs

You will notice that the Lats and Longs are listed in Chronological order on the left side of the Data Sheet.

Lats and Longs use a helper area over at Column AI which has list of how many stores opened each year, hence the sum(..) part of the Lats/Longs Named Range.