By popular demand I am coming back to Excel after a long hiatus. This is an update of an older model previously presented on this blog. > I added a few features to the roller coaster model as follows: 1) Performance log 2) All sorts of colors and color scheme selection 3) Speed control 4) Coaster length adjustment 3) Ground… Read More... "Excel Roller Coaster Update #1"
This is a video preview for the 3D animated roller coaster previously presented on this blog. A tutorial on this topic will be posted later. [sociallocker]>[/sociallocker] Read More... "A 3D Animated Excel Roller Coaster – video preview"
This section displays the landscape on a 2D scatter chart and also upgrades the joystick chart by adding a dial behind the joystick image. This technique of using a stack of a back chart to display dial sprites and a front chart with transparent background to display various control devices, indicator needles and text will extensively be used in this… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #7 – upgrading the joystick chart, adding a reset button and a throttle scroll bar"
This section finishes the macro analysis and continues with the conversion of the u-v 2D formula array into a chart-able 1D array. It also adds two columns to the chart-able array, a masking condition for each triangle and masked u-coordinate which will throw out of the visible portion of the chart any shape which has a minimum of one vertex… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #6 – macro review, scene derivation and integration, mapping of the 2D u-v data into a chartable 1D array, rejecting image artifacts"
This section explains the spreadsheet implementation of the perspective rotation and translation formulas within the Present array. It also shows the implementation of the 3D-2D conversion formulas within the Past array, then it goes on to presenting the VBA macros used (the Reset and JoyStick macros). [sociallocker][/sociallocker] A Basic Flight Simulator in Excel #5 – the worksheet implementation of the… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #5 – the worksheet implementation of the perspective handling formulas and VBA the macros"
This section explains the top level functionality of the model, it also allocates the data and formula arrays needed for manipulating the scene image. The roll rate, pitch rate and throttle formulas are implemented in the worksheet. [sociallocker][/sociallocker] A Basic Flight Simulator in Excel #4 – creating the initial, current and previous landscape matrices by George Lungu – This section starts… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #4 – matrix allocation and input parameter formulas (roll rate, pitch rate, throttle)"
This section deals with a simple method of creating the appearance of scene movement during the flight. Beside reviewing standandard rotation and translation formulas described before on this blog, the presentation begins to explain how to apply numerical-like methods to create a live and interactive model. A Basic Flight Simulator in Excel #3 – calculating the scene rotation and translation as a result… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #3 – scene rotations and translation"
This is the second part of a tutorial explaining the creation of an “in-cockpit” flight simulator (versus the remote control simulator) model in Excel 2003. This section introduces some basic piloting background and nomenclature. A Basic Flight Simulator in Excel #2 – airplane positioning, control surfaces and turn dynamics by George Lungu – This tutorial explains the basics of airplane… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #2 – basic airplane positioning, control surfaces and turn dynamics"
This is the first section of a tutorial explaining how to build a 3D flight simulator in Excel. This part deals with creating a joystick and a triangular ground mesh. The joystick model was explained in a previous post from January 2011 and the ground mesh was already used in the 3D roller-coaster. [sociallocker][/sociallocker] A Basic Flight Simulator in Excel #1 – using… Read More... "Flight Simulator Tutorial #1 – the joystick and a ground mesh"
This tutorial explains a pair of important user defined functions, the “Navigator_u()” and the “Navigator_v()”. These functions save the user nine columns of formulas by calculating the effects of: 3-dimensional shift, rotations around the three axes of coordinates and 3D-2D perspective mapping. These user defined functions are also easy to use compared to writing all the perspective mapping equations from… Read More... "Instant 3D-2D Perspective Mapping – the Navigator Functions – a convenient pair of user defined functions"
The first half of this presentation dealt with mapping a 3D scene onto a 2D surface which can be a computer screen, a projection screen or the retina of the eye. By doing so we preserve much of the feel of depth of the scene. Of course when we look at an picture we get only part of the feel… Read More... "3D-2D Perspective Mapping in Excel – part #2"
In computer graphics we often need to be able to display a three-dimensional image in two dimensions and preserve the perspective appearance. If we walk on a straight road, it appears that the road narrows with the distance. This is the perspective effect and it is a result of mapping a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface (i.e. a computer… Read More... "3D-2D Perspective Mapping in Excel – part #1"
The first two worksheets of this Excel workbook illustrate the creation and display of a rectangle by using a 2D scatter plot. They also show how to adjust its size, translate and rotate it. In the third worksheet a wire-frame cube is created. 3D-2D perspective calculations are done. The cube can be zoomed and it can also be rotated in… Read More... "Basic 3D-2D (Perspective) Visualization"
A roller coaster in Excel 2003 in 3-dimension (perspective view). To start de ride after download, click the little sun icon in the NE corner of the chart. Most of the calculations are done in the spreadsheet with very little VBA as a “glue”. The display is created on a plain 2D scatter plot. [sociallocker][/sociallocker] Read More... "Animated Roller Coaster in Excel"