Hello there,
just out of curiosity, how satisfied are you with the current availability of math programs, especially for engineering purposes? Thinking of Mathcad, Mathematica, Maple, Smath and the like.
Would you like to have a more modern user interface? A lot of these programs look very outdated.
Furthermore, I personally made the observation, that a lot of engineers just use Excel if they want to be able to change certain input variables afterwards. But excel is very bad at displaying formulas and also can’t track units. Apart from excel, the formula function of word gets used a lot to document calculations more neatly.
If you use software like Mathcad, it soon gets expensive, especially if you just need a fraction of the capabilities of such a software.
I have the feeling, there is need for a modern software, that is easy to use like excel but also is better able to display formulas and document calculations.
I also tend to use excel for its convenience and due to my own familiarity with it. However, like @Latexman said, if it had more capabilities and was more easily readable, I wouldn’t be against that.
Thank you for the tip! I checked out calcpad once before but maybe I have to give it another shot.
I think this is great if you are accustomed to programming syntax.
What I would like to see in the future is a software, that has the ease of use of excel but more targeted for engineering and not datasets.
Excel formulas are perfectly readable if you name your cells. Excel is available to anyone who has to review my calculations. and the graphic functions are fairly user friendly.
If my calculations get messy, I use Octave. Octave is a Free Software MatLab clone.
How about TK Solver? I used/purchased it 20+ years ago and it worked great. unit flexibility for variables is outstanding as is formula display. something to ponder/consider . . .
i see that there are monthly subscriptions & not sure if a single user license can be purchased.
It is a continual bee in my bonnet if you read my past posts.
I was in love with Mathcad until it was sold to PTC. They broke the solver, and my heart at the same time. I got a perm license to R13 for one workstation while it was still possible. Tried prime and quit. That leaves no way to work with office colleagues.
I have convinced my office mates to adopt Smath instead, but it is a poor replacement.
Most in my office prefer Excel but they infuriatingly DO NOT use features like named fields, etc. Checking their calcs is always an adventure.
Calcpad has evolved quickly. Check it out.
I have found others you might like… let me get back to you with their names…
I’ll second SparWeb’s comments about Mathcad and PTC. I am still running R15 on a permanent license, while others in my office are running Prime on subscription licenses. So, only one-way compatibility between users, which is a big problem. Also, my understanding is that PTC will no longer issue license files for the old versions, now that their contract with the author of the solver engine has expired - meaning that I will be forced to upgrade to Prime at some point in the future when I get a new computer or have to reinstall for some reason.
EngineeringPaper.xyz is open source software trying fill some of the gap in this space (full disclosure, this is a project that I work on). Runs in the browser but allows for local file saving and can be installed locally from the Windows store or using the Chrome browser. The tutorial video is the best way to get started.
Hi Rev,
I have read you article and it helped me add discipline to my own use of Word and Excel. Thank you for the reminder, in case I have slipped a little.
For instance, I didn’t know that named fields can be limited to a single worksheet, or a whole file, until the day it really mattered. I had to improve my game when I built a “spreadsheet from hell” several years ago.
@Rev, minor correction to Office Suite Abuse article. In Data Tables, the aluminum is 2014-T6, not T4.
i extensively use range names and other features you mention. a good summary article though. i avoid using VBA unless absolutely necessary. For workbooks handling data, i create the workbook and set it up to get the results. Sort of like a template. then the data is imported or copied/pasted and workbook auto updates and results are interpreted. For example, i have a centrifugal compressor workbook. A sheet is used for calcs, another sheet is solely compressor data (predicted or certified), and other sheets for graphical display of the curves or a pulldown menu to select chart axis units type. i did the same for recip type compressors too.
i have never use Python before and i downloaded the app for OSX. I skimmed through some of the tutorial and note that what Python does, i can do in Excel. i realize there are differences, but for now, “wait and see”.
@MintJulep
This is going to cause problems for me.
Software used at work is generally going to need a paid license for our IT people to touch it.
I don’t think anyone at our company is going to look fondly on a cheque paid to a Russian software company these days!
The benefit of the open source solutions in this space, such as CalcPad and EngineeringPaper.xyz, is that the rug cannot pulled out from under the users. If the authors of these open source packages change things in ways that are harmful to users, the community can fork the project at the point before the undesired change occurred. It’s an insurance policy that closed source packages cannot provide.