Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sun-barr!newstop!sun!aeras!rob
From: rob@aeras.uucp (Rob Rogers)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Wings vs. Excel (was Excel Contour Maps)
Summary: 2 different animals
Message-ID: <1991Apr12.232924.10786@aeras.uucp>
Date: 12 Apr 91 23:29:24 GMT
References: <1991Apr9.211914.7246@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <1991Apr10.212728.5934@cc.helsinki.fi> <1991Apr11.013943.26293@gn.ecn.purdue.edu>
Reply-To: rob@aeras.UUCP (Rob Rogers)
Organization: Arix Corporation, San Jose, CA.
Lines: 73

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