Alternative for Excel for running Inventor?

[Anonymous]

Hi Guys,
Could anyone tell me whether there is an alternative (preferably cheaper) to Microsoft Excel when creating threaded parts in Inventor, e.g. Open Office.
Thanks,
TR.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Andy. That should be a great help to me.

[Anonymous]

OK I've been quiet on this thread for a while. While I am no fan of Windows and it's complexities (and holes) what else is out there that does what Windows does? Linux. Not quite. The hardware and software hasn't caught up yet. Mac OSx? Great OS but where is the engineering software. OS2? Unix? XWindows? Dos? MS Bob? (anyone remember that one) OK, now onto Office. I can understand people wanting to use different OSs (I'd use a Mac if I could) and web browsers (IE is indeed full of holes). But what's wrong with Excel and Word? You can break some of the ties to IE and plug up the security holes in these apps pretty easily. Why the hatred. Word and Excel are two of the most advanced packages out there. Other than general anti-MS feelings why such hatred towards them? Do they cost more than open source software? Sure. Will they be around a lot longer, time will tell (my hunch is yes). -- Sean Dotson, PE Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert http://www.sdotson.com Check the Inventor FAQ for most common questions www.sdotson.com/faq.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Bob Schader" wrote in message news:3ffcae76$1_1@statler... > I bet if they opened up the API far enough, someone could probably do > an addin so that another spreadsheet could be used. AutoDesk could > probably do this without violating any integration contracts as long as > it was a 3rd party addon. > > Bob > > "Donovan Cox" wrote in message news:3ffc7c5d$1_2@statler... > > i doubt it, didn't autodesk announce a partnership with ms, so looker for > > tighter integration, not a break away > > > > "Jason M" wrote in message > > news:3ffc6427$1_3@statler... > > > YES YES YES!!! Please start cutting the Microsoft dependencies. > > > > > > Open Office is a great piece of software.... > > > > > > Also, can IV be made to run with Mozilla instead of MSIE? Please?!? > > > http://www.mozilla.org/ - Best web browser on the net. > > > > > > -Jason > > > > > > > > > Mark A. Bystry wrote: > > > > ...could Open Office possibly work with Inventor? It's free, works in > > > > Windows, and 100% compatible with Excel. It can even be set up to save > > as > > > > .xls format. now that would be a great piece of software to bundle with > > > > Inventor... > > > > > > > > i encourage you guys to check out Open Office 1.1. i use it here and at > > > > home (along with Microsoft Office) and it works great. > > > > > > > > http://www.openoffice.org/ > > > > > > > > > > > > >

[Anonymous]

I haven't ever used any OS' except DOS and Windows, but I have to think that if some of these other apps (the ones on the other side of the fence) were as mainstream as MS equivalents, there would be a similar number of security holes found in them as well. If I was a hacker, I would exploit something that everybody uses, not something that a few people use. I don't want to turn this into a MS against the world thread, but, it has been my experience that the link between IV and Excel is pretty seamless and trouble free. I think this link may not be as tight if there is accommodation made for other spreadsheets. my $.02 -- Cory McConnell BJ Pipeline Inspection Services Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

[Anonymous]

Cory,
I don't think anyone is criticising the link between IV and Excel on a technical basis. I've never found any trouble with it. But I think the cost of Inventor is enough wihout adding on three or four hundred Euro for MS Office!!! It's just a little frustrating from my point of view.
Tom.

[Anonymous]

Actually I think Excel was developed for Mac. Microsoft liked it so much they bought it and ported it over to Windows. I'm with you on Excel. It's a mature product that the majority of users already own anyway. Costly? Good grief! Amortize the thousands of dollars invested in AIS plus an FEA package plus the computer to run it on, add the subscription fees for these and you have a pretty steep annual cost. Excel can be bought for a few hundred dollars and you can get away with upgrading it once a decade. Excel is costing 10's of dollars per year vs 1,000's per year, IOW 1%. Could ADESK replace the functionality for a 1% increase in cost (or 1% decrease somewhere else)? Would it be as good? Could they support 5 or 10 other spreadsheet programs? Richard Sean Dotson wrote: > OK I've been quiet on this thread for a while. > > While I am no fan of Windows and it's complexities (and holes) what else is > out there that does what Windows does? Linux. Not quite. The hardware and > software hasn't caught up yet. Mac OSx? Great OS but where is the > engineering software. OS2? Unix? XWindows? Dos? MS Bob? (anyone > remember that one) > > OK, now onto Office. I can understand people wanting to use different OSs > (I'd use a Mac if I could) and web browsers (IE is indeed full of holes). > But what's wrong with Excel and Word? You can break some of the ties to IE > and plug up the security holes in these apps pretty easily. Why the hatred. > Word and Excel are two of the most advanced packages out there. Other than > general anti-MS feelings why such hatred towards them? > > Do they cost more than open source software? Sure. Will they be around a > lot longer, time will tell (my hunch is yes). > > -- > Sean Dotson, PE > Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert > http://www.sdotson.com > Check the Inventor FAQ for most common questions > www.sdotson.com/faq.html > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > "Bob Schader" wrote in message > news:3ffcae76$1_1@statler... > >>I bet if they opened up the API far enough, someone could probably do >>an addin so that another spreadsheet could be used. AutoDesk could >>probably do this without violating any integration contracts as long as >>it was a 3rd party addon. >> >>Bob >> >>"Donovan Cox" wrote in message > > news:3ffc7c5d$1_2@statler... > >>>i doubt it, didn't autodesk announce a partnership with ms, so looker > > for > >>>tighter integration, not a break away >>> >>>"Jason M" wrote in message >>>news:3ffc6427$1_3@statler... >>> >>>>YES YES YES!!! Please start cutting the Microsoft dependencies. >>>> >>>>Open Office is a great piece of software.... >>>> >>>>Also, can IV be made to run with Mozilla instead of MSIE? Please?!? >>>>http://www.mozilla.org/ - Best web browser on the net. >>>> >>>>-Jason >>>> >>>> >>>>Mark A. Bystry wrote: >>>> >>>>>...could Open Office possibly work with Inventor? It's free, works > > in > >>>>>Windows, and 100% compatible with Excel. It can even be set up to > > save > >>>as >>> >>>>>.xls format. now that would be a great piece of software to bundle > > with > >>>>>Inventor... >>>>> >>>>> i encourage you guys to check out Open Office 1.1. i use it here > > and at > >>>>>home (along with Microsoft Office) and it works great. >>>>> >>>>>http://www.openoffice.org/ >>>>> >>>> >>> >> > >

[Anonymous]

That and add a bunch more $$$'s for a box to run it on. It seems that some people seem to forget to include the hardware in the total cost. Bottom line is that going to 3D is expensive (compared to 2D) and that shame and eternal misery should be brought upon any VAR that tries to circumvent this fact. QBZ "TOM_R" wrote in message news:13018206.1073579337241.JavaMail.javamailuser@localhost... > Cory, > I don't think anyone is criticising the link between IV and Excel on a technical basis. I've never found any trouble with it. But I think the cost of Inventor is enough wihout adding on three or four hundred Euro for MS Office!!! It's just a little frustrating from my point of view. > Tom.

[Anonymous]

If they did bundle Excel with IV, they would have to raise the price of IV to cover their Excel cost. I'd be rather irritated if they were charging me for something that I, and probably at least 80% of other IV users, already own. -- Kevin Wehner "TOM_R" wrote in message news:13018206.1073579337241.JavaMail.javamailuser@localhost... > Cory, > I don't think anyone is criticising the link between IV and Excel on a technical basis. I've never found any trouble with it. But I think the cost of Inventor is enough wihout adding on three or four hundred Euro for MS Office!!! It's just a little frustrating from my point of view. > Tom.

[Anonymous]

The cost of including Excel in the package should not be too expensive if Autodesk could agree a corporate deal. I also don't think that 80% of CAD workstations would have Excel already, 80% of home pc's maybe. I don't mean to complain about nothing but where else do you pay so much for a pruduct without getting an important part to make it work right. Imagine buying a car and being told you had to pay extra for the windscreen. You can drive it but kind of ruins the whole experience! 🙂

[Anonymous]

That I agree with. -- Cory McConnell BJ Pipeline Inspection Services Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

[Anonymous]

Sorry I misunderstood. I didn't realize were looking to do without spreadsheets completely. -- Cory McConnell BJ Pipeline Inspection Services Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

[Anonymous]

One more time. Maybe if I keep reading I will be able to understand before the weekend. Yes the expense part bothers me as well. The nice thing is that it still supports excel 97. -- Cory McConnell BJ Pipeline Inspection Services Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert

[Anonymous]

Shhhhhhhhh! Don't say that too loudly....Someone may hear you! 8^) "Cory McConnell" wrote in message news:3ffda4de_1@statler... > The nice thing is that it still supports excel 97.<

[Anonymous]

I'd just like IV to be it's own program and not depend on Excel or anything else except an OS to run. -- ______________ Rui ruivaz@cadmais.pt www.cadmais.pt "Sean Dotson" wrote in message news:3ffd6b26_1@statler... > OK I've been quiet on this thread for a while. > > While I am no fan of Windows and it's complexities (and holes) what else is > out there that does what Windows does? Linux. Not quite. The hardware and > software hasn't caught up yet. Mac OSx? Great OS but where is the > engineering software. OS2? Unix? XWindows? Dos? MS Bob? (anyone > remember that one) > > OK, now onto Office. I can understand people wanting to use different OSs > (I'd use a Mac if I could) and web browsers (IE is indeed full of holes). > But what's wrong with Excel and Word? You can break some of the ties to IE > and plug up the security holes in these apps pretty easily. Why the hatred. > Word and Excel are two of the most advanced packages out there. Other than > general anti-MS feelings why such hatred towards them? > > Do they cost more than open source software? Sure. Will they be around a > lot longer, time will tell (my hunch is yes). > > -- > Sean Dotson, PE > Autodesk Inventor Certified Expert > http://www.sdotson.com > Check the Inventor FAQ for most common questions > www.sdotson.com/faq.html > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > "Bob Schader" wrote in message > news:3ffcae76$1_1@statler... > > I bet if they opened up the API far enough, someone could probably do > > an addin so that another spreadsheet could be used. AutoDesk could > > probably do this without violating any integration contracts as long as > > it was a 3rd party addon. > > > > Bob > > > > "Donovan Cox" wrote in message > news:3ffc7c5d$1_2@statler... > > > i doubt it, didn't autodesk announce a partnership with ms, so looker > for > > > tighter integration, not a break away > > > > > > "Jason M" wrote in message > > > news:3ffc6427$1_3@statler... > > > > YES YES YES!!! Please start cutting the Microsoft dependencies. > > > > > > > > Open Office is a great piece of software.... > > > > > > > > Also, can IV be made to run with Mozilla instead of MSIE? Please?!? > > > > http://www.mozilla.org/ - Best web browser on the net. > > > > > > > > -Jason > > > > > > > > > > > > Mark A. Bystry wrote: > > > > > ...could Open Office possibly work with Inventor? It's free, works > in > > > > > Windows, and 100% compatible with Excel. It can even be set up to > save > > > as > > > > > .xls format. now that would be a great piece of software to bundle > with > > > > > Inventor... > > > > > > > > > > i encourage you guys to check out Open Office 1.1. i use it here > and at > > > > > home (along with Microsoft Office) and it works great. > > > > > > > > > > http://www.openoffice.org/ > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >