Crystal Xcelsius Best Practices Web Site

Posted below are a variety of Crystal Xcelsius sample files developed by Evolving Technologies Corporation. We hope they give you food for thought and encourage you to put your data to work. Should you need assistance in your endeavors, feel free to contact us (send us a note at: Xcelsius Assistance Request).

Listing of sample Crystal Xcelsius files
Click on image below to launch the 3D Data Viewer.

Sample 001: Simplified ETC/3D aXis™ Viewer

One of the pleasures of working with the Xcelsius product is that the visualization helps you to connect the data (with all the numbers and decimal points) to a meaningful interpretation.

Though it takes a little ingenuity to design a simple tool like this, the efforts are well worth it; as it can be readily adapted to graphing a broad diversity of datasets.

This file shows an example of how data can be viewed from any angle in three dimensions. The data that's displayed initially appears two dimensional. That is because you are viewing the data from a specific angle. Use the sliders to rotate the data and reveal the hidden structure.

Now ask yourself: "What dataset might I want to be examining with a tool like this?" Remember, when viewing data in three dimensions, you get to view three sets of data simultaneously. Excel only gives you two and uses a pseudo-3D representation for it. The ETC/3D aXis™ tool shown here is a full 3D viewer, not pseudo-3D.

Click on image below to launch the BCP Calculator.

Sample 002: Business Continuity Assessment Planner

There are three easy guidelines for making effective visual calculators:

Use the visual calculator to communicate something complex with a simple visualization.

Put the interactivity to use, so that it is easy for people to pose questions on the spot and get answers.

Make sure your visual calculator is not cluttered components and widgets. Keep the user focused on using the tool for decision analysis or what ever your end goal happens to be.

You can read more about this tool on the overview page. Also, the Excel spreadsheet used for this dashboard is published in the CD-ROM for the book Escape from Excel Hell which goes to print in March 2006.

Click on image below to launch the Calculator.

Sample 003: Constructive Cost Model

The xcelsius webcast (May 26, 2005) features a discussion on the Constructive Cost Model used to estimated staffing resources and expenses in software development projects.

We will post a link to the webcast so you can follow the discussion.

Click on image below to launch the Calculator.

Sample 004: Interactive Retirement Calculator

As you sail through to retirement, you will want to make sure you have an adequate nest egg.

Actually, this Xcelsius Visual Model (XVM) is an example presented in the white paper "Going Beyond Spreadsheets: how visual modeling can enhance decision analysis" which can be requested from the Business Objects web site or can be downloaded from HERE.

Click on image below to launch the Calculator.

Sample 005: Preview of sample file from the book Escape from Excel Hell

In the upcoming book, Escape from Excel Hell by Loren Abdulezer, Crystal Xcelsius is introduced as a way to incorporate a spreadsheet in online dashboards.

When you open the dashboard, not only can you adjust the sliders, you can also click and drag the numeric values of various piece of data, such as the number of units in the second column or the rent charged (Try it!).

Listing of sample Crystal Xcelsius files
Click on image below to launch the 3D Data Viewer.	Sample 001: Simplified ETC/3D aXis™ Viewer One of the pleasures of working with the Xcelsius product is that the visualization helps you to connect the data (with all the numbers and decimal points) to a meaningful interpretation. Though it takes a little ingenuity to design a simple tool like this, the efforts are well worth it; as it can be readily adapted to graphing a broad diversity of datasets. This file shows an example of how data can be viewed from any angle in three dimensions. The data that's displayed initially appears two dimensional. That is because you are viewing the data from a specific angle. Use the sliders to rotate the data and reveal the hidden structure. Now ask yourself: "What dataset might I want to be examining with a tool like this?" Remember, when viewing data in three dimensions, you get to view three sets of data simultaneously. Excel only gives you two and uses a pseudo-3D representation for it. The ETC/3D aXis™ tool shown here is a full 3D viewer, not pseudo-3D.
Click on image below to launch the BCP Calculator.	Sample 002: Business Continuity Assessment Planner There are three easy guidelines for making effective visual calculators: Use the visual calculator to communicate something complex with a simple visualization. Put the interactivity to use, so that it is easy for people to pose questions on the spot and get answers. Make sure your visual calculator is not cluttered components and widgets. Keep the user focused on using the tool for decision analysis or what ever your end goal happens to be. You can read more about this tool on the overview page. Also, the Excel spreadsheet used for this dashboard is published in the CD-ROM for the book Escape from Excel Hell which goes to print in March 2006.
Click on image below to launch the Calculator.	Sample 003: Constructive Cost Model The xcelsius webcast (May 26, 2005) features a discussion on the Constructive Cost Model used to estimated staffing resources and expenses in software development projects. We will post a link to the webcast so you can follow the discussion.
Click on image below to launch the Calculator.	Sample 004: Interactive Retirement Calculator As you sail through to retirement, you will want to make sure you have an adequate nest egg. Actually, this Xcelsius Visual Model (XVM) is an example presented in the white paper "Going Beyond Spreadsheets: how visual modeling can enhance decision analysis" which can be requested from the Business Objects web site or can be downloaded from HERE.
Click on image below to launch the Calculator.	Sample 005: Preview of sample file from the book Escape from Excel Hell In the upcoming book, Escape from Excel Hell by Loren Abdulezer, Crystal Xcelsius is introduced as a way to incorporate a spreadsheet in online dashboards. When you open the dashboard, not only can you adjust the sliders, you can also click and drag the numeric values of various piece of data, such as the number of units in the second column or the rent charged (Try it!).

Xcelsius Best Practices