Business Objects has released a free, lightweight version of its spreadsheet visualization software Crystal Xcelsius. Called CX NOW, it’s a Windows desktop application that connects with Excel, Powerpoint and Word to offer an interface for creating dynamic graphs and charts based on spreadsheet data.
The best thing about the software is that it lets you use GUIs like sliders and dials to change a particular field in the spreadsheet and both your spreadsheet and visualization change in real time along with the slider.
We threw up a quick and dirty example below; visualizations like this can be embedded in Word files, PowerPoint slides and on the web. Once it’s set free on the web, the visualization obviously no longer changes the .xls file, but it does when both are on your desktop.
The company has a well made screencast demonstration that’s worth checking out. There’s a fair amount of creativity made possible and the company is holding a contest that will award $10,000 to the creator of the best visualization with its tools.
The full Crystal Xcelsius software is far more powerful but CX NOW is a fun, fast and free way to create some slick little presentations.
Slick and impressive indeed. Nice one.
when i clicked on the link in the story the link was broken, so here is another one: http://www.busi...com/jump/cxnow/
Real Time and/or Dynamic content are imperative if a start up want to survive.
This is great…I have used Xcelsius. in the past and been really happy with the slick graphics and interactivity…Way to go in coming up with a free version.
Those ppl in (formerly known Seagate Software) BO are real survivors.
Seems nice software. I sure hope the export fucntions work far more efficiently than any it used to be.
This is a pretty powerful visual tool because graphic representation of data is so important. I have always admired the Crystal Xcelius tool but it was way over priced for my needs, this is a nice compromise.
With Google rushing to provide a web based office solution, it would be nice if they also put some effort in improving/expanding the functionality of traditional office apps, instead just making things web based. To me BO has added significant value to the traditional table/spreadsheets by improving the visual impact of the numbers. Thats innovation!
As a professional Data Miner I have to say this looks like a really great suite of graphical data presentation software. And BO is always really solid in thier primary product and I imagine in this. However looking on thier specs this is truely a pretty lightweight solution best for a single client system. The enterprise solution looks good, although it would be nice if it had a wider range of DB compatabilities (like .NET).
@MistOne
Agreed Google should provide a data visualization toolset, further if they optimize it to run against any data set on thier web based platform an end user could overlay Googles data visualization tool on just about any spreadsheet they come across, but lets hope they take a Tufte course before they design it….
Side Note: It was great to see the XML compatability for this SW, this could parse and aggregate large quantities of text based data for visualization if the coding and DB optimization was done correctly.
Also anyone looking for SQL/.Net compatability: http://www.dotn...g.com/home.aspx
Very slick. But, is it accessible? Do they provide any mechanism for exposing text equivalents of the data?
and… are the widgets operable from a keyboard? Or, is this stuff just for the sighted people and those with no mobility constraints?
MistOne makes a great point, about Google developing something web-based., oh…and free. Also, my needs are rather minimal other, basically just want a slick interface, and the more complex features are lost on me..Free stripped down version..I’m on it.
This spreadsheet visualization software is also FREE:
http://www.agilegraph.com
Simple, easy to use graphing features, slick interface.