Finally, bring more tools for engineering calculationīlockpad has a ton of engineering-friendly features: In Blockpad, you can make custom functionsĭirectly in the document, and it isn’t that different from writing a normal equation.Īnd if you need more power, Blockpad has scripts and advanced functions for that. In many ways, Excel makes it’s more powerful features more complicated than they need to be.īlockpad aims to bring all the power of Excel, but make it easier.įor example, to make a custom function in Excel, you need to write macros, using a totally different toolset. You can connect your equations and tables naturally, and use Blockpad features like units intelligence. This isn’t some confusing Excel integration either, the spreadsheets are native to Blockpad. Which you can have as a separate “sheets” in a file, alongside your document. In Blockpad work like mini-spreadsheets, where you can store data or perform equations. Spreadsheets are great for this, so it makes sense to include spreadsheets in any calculation tool for engineers. Working with tables of numbers is important for engineering. Tables and actual spreadsheets for tabular data With units intelligence, you can work faster, and more importantly, mistakes are caught sooner or prevented. (or give you a warning if you can’t do something, like 1 foot + 1 pound). It’s straightforward to assign units to a number,Īnd once you do, the equations convert, cancel, and multiply units as needed Instead of painstakingly tracking and converting units manually, Units intelligence - let the computer do that This matches how engineers actually do equations, and it feels natural. In Excel, named cells are problematic because naming a value is separated from creating the value. No more hidden calcs or digging through cells. You get the convenience of spreadsheet formulas, but you can read along with the math. It’s important to see your work, so when an equation is entered in Blockpad, the formula appears in math notation. With Blockpad, you work in what feels like a word processor,īut when you press equals, a spreadsheet-style formula opens - functions and all. Make the tool feel like using a spreadsheet
EXCEL FORMULAS FOR CIVIL ENGINEERING SOFTWARE
The answer - build software that fixes the engineering-related problems, brings in familiar tools, So how do we build something better?Įngineers need something better than Excel, but what does that look like?Ī handful of programs exist, like Mathcad or EES, but those don’t seem to get to the heart of it. When you can explore numbers in a table without any fluff, you can analyze results and work with information much more naturally. Spreadsheets make tabular data feel so natural that people forget that’s what spreadsheets are for. When you come across a technical road block, you can almost always make Excel work, with a little googling. With Excel, it’s easy to learn the basics, but it doesn’t feel like you’re ever done learning! Low learning curveĮngineers shouldn’t have to spend their time figuring out complicated software or programming languages.Įxcel is quick and easy to pick up, especially for simpler equations. What Excel does rightĮven with all these problems, there’s a reason so many engineers prefer Excel over other programs,Īnd it’s not just because it’s cheap. In practice, this means few people take advantage of named values, so few people experience the benefits.
The workflow for naming cells is divorced from the calculations the names go with. Named variables are important for understanding your calculations and following along.Īlthough Excel does give you the power to name cells and regions, So why isn’t it available in other tools like spreadsheets? Poor naming tools
We’ve had the technology for units intelligence since Mathcad came out (at least), In Excel, you’re required to keep track of units,ĭoing all the conversions, cancellations, and multiplications yourself manually. Hidden, hard-to-read equations slow you down and make mistakes all too easy. It’s a jumbled mess of letters and numbers compacted together. When you can’t see the equations, it’s harder to follow what’s happening in the calculations.Įven when you take the effort to read the formula, Hidden, confusing equationsĮxcel hides the math where you can’t see it, and we all know it’s a problem. You’re probably all too familiar with Excel’s problems in engineering, but let’s go over the biggest offenders. It’s time engineers have a tool that brings all the benefits of spreadsheets, but none of the baggage. Excel has been great for engineering calculations, but it’s time for something betterįor years, mechanical, civil, and chemical engineers have depended on Excel for their calculations.īut there are known and widely discussed problems with using it for engineering
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