Plutocalc Designer - Excel user interface

Run calculations directly from Microsoft Excel spreadsheets

Introduction

The Excel interface takes inputs from spreadsheets and returns the results to the same spreadsheet allowing the user to integrate with other calculations or use customized formulas and graphics. It is convenient to engineers and designers that normally use Excel for other tasks.

The interface requires an Add-In to perform the calculations. After processing the data, the spreadsheet can be saved as XLS or XLSX, opened and edited in other computer, with or without the Add-In installed.

Plutocalc Designer is available from the Microsoft Office AppSource.

Requirements

• Microsoft Excel:
• 365 or Windows version 1907 (Build 11929.20306) or later
• for iPad version 16.0 or later
• for MacOS version 16.3 or later
• for web (online) version October 2019 or later
• Internet connection: The add-in must contact Plutocalc Server to process the calculations.

Installation

1. Open Microsoft Excel with a new or existing spreadsheet
2. Go to the Insert menu tab and click on the Get Add-In button
   
   
   



3. Search for Plutocalc in the store and click the Add button



4. A new group for the Plutocalc Add-In will appear in the Home menu tab
   
   
   

Using the Add-In

1. Select a computation model. If no model appears in the list, please check your internet connection or firewall settings.
2. Select a target cell in the spreadsheet. This will be the top left column for the model data. Make sure you don't have any customized cells in the next 4 columns to the right in the bottom of that 4 columns
3. Click the Set active cell button
4. Download a template for this specific model
5. Click the Calculate button to test the model
6. Modify the input data, change the units, play with it
7. Hit the Calculate button again
8. When you are done you can continue using your spreadsheet normally. The Add-In is only required for performing the calculations.
   
   

FAQ

Do I need to remain connected to the internet after running the calculations?
No. The server outputs normal numbers and texts, not references or active links. Once the calculation is done, the Add-In and the internet connectivity are not required.

Does Plutocalc Designer Add-In uploads my entire spreadsheet to the server?
No. Only the data range from the template cells is sent to the server. The server does not collect any personal user data except for the license key (if required).

First check the reference/target cell. It should be the top left in the data range. If the cell is correct, try downloading a new template in a blank sheet and re-enter the data. If the model was updated to a newer version, old templates might stop working because the structure changes.

My company uses an older version of Excel Desktop or has blocked the installation of add-ins
In this case try using the online Excel version. It should work from there. After performing the calculations you can download the spreadsheet and use from your desktop computer.