Graphics

We are moving in the direction of creating on air graphics for our "tables".

Is there information about table creation and data input that anyone can point us toward?

The tables are basically a series of columns and rows that then would populate with data that originates in Excel at this time.

Thanks for any help/guidance.

Anthony

I would advise creating the table template, then populating it using Datalinq. If you need varying size tables, you'll either need to create those scenes, or get into some scripting for Visual Logic in order to move it.

#XPression

Dan,

Make sense. Thanks.

I also just posted if there is any type of TABLE that exists in XP. Like a Powerpoint type table. So it's more automated.

Anthony

#XPression

There is no way of building a table in XPression that is equivalent to how it would be done in a Microsoft Office product.

#XPression

I have set up a project that populates cells in an Xpression project via Datalinq. However, I'm having an issue where the information in Xpression does not update despite altering it in the Excel spreadsheet. Live Update is checked. Even closing the Xpression project and reopening it does not display the newly saved information from the Excel document. The only way to implement the changes is to open up the Datalinq in each cell to set it to the new information. This is way too cumbersome.

Also, Xpression would not link the Excel spreadsheet until I saved it from a .xlsx file to the older .xls file format. AND I've noticed that the Datalinq does not display percentages, but instead shows the information in decimal format. We need it to show as a percentage.

#XPression

Is your Excel spreadsheet set to shared? You can set that on the Review tab of the excel ribbon bar.

Are you are using the Excel or ADODB connection in the Datalinq server to connect to the Excel spreadsheet?

If you are using the excel connection you might get better results using the ADODB connection (and you don't need excel installed to use the ADODB connection). These are the setting you would use (with the file path changed to your own file):

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/bUDIYVZ.png

[/IMG]

And make sure you have this setting:

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/XmJK8yE.png

[/IMG]

#XPression

And your data will not update in the viewport unless you have Continous animations turned on. (The Blue button at the top of the viewport)

#XPression

I have matched all the settings in the ADODB Datalinq with what you have described. I had also tried the Excel Datalinq at one point, but the ADODB worked better so I stuck with that. Still the information that is altered in the Excel spreadsheet does NOT update the Xpression project.

I have attached two images. The first shows the Xpression project with the older information. The red circled information no longer matches the Excel spreadsheet with which it is linked. The blue circled information appears as a decimal instead of a percentage.

The second image shows Excel spreadsheet. The red circled information in this is the newer information that fails to update automatically in Xpression. The blue circle shows the percentages that are erroneously appearing in Xpression as decimals.





Also, could you provide an image outlining this? I'm not entirely certain what sort of continuous animation I'm supposed to be applying for a Datalinq connection.

Garner: "And your data will not update in the viewport unless you have Continous animations turned on. (The Blue button at the top of the viewport)"

#XPression

Okay, for some reason the images didn't post. Rather annoying.

Perhaps this will work better.

Shutterfly



#XPression

Are you saving your excel sheet after you make changes?

Is the excel sheet running on the same PC as the Datalinq Server or is the Datalinq Server connecting to the Excel sheet over a network share/drive?



#XPression

And just in case that didn't work, perhaps this will.





#XPression

And in Excel you need to define "named ranges" around the fields of data that you want to be able to read from XPression. These then show up as "Tables" in the ADODB data source.

#XPression

Yes I save the Excel spreadsheet every time an alteration is made. It's been Shared from the Review tab since the beginning and it's all locally on the same machine. Not networking involved thus far.

I have the named Ranges set up. I can see them in Xpression. As you see from my photos. The Datalinq is established. That's how I inserted all of the information into the Xpression project to start with.

The problem is simply that Xpression does not update when alterations are made and saved in the Excel spreadsheets.

#XPression

Anthony,

Please email me at gmillward@rossvideo.com

#XPression

If you want the data to update while it is live on air, you need to make sure the "Live Update" flag is turned on for each text field (it is by default I think), and also set the "Refresh Every xx Seconds" configuration in the ADODB datalinq. Without these settings the data will only update when the item initially is prepared to go online.

#XPression

I have Live Update enabled. It has been the entire time. The Datalinq worked yesterday and now it's saying that it isn't the expected format. Nothing has been altered with the format. it is still a .xlsx file.

#XPression

The JET OLEDB provided does not support XLSX files. I'm not sure why this would have been working before. You need to use XLS files with it.

#XPression

I'm extremely puzzled why XLSX worked two days ago and then suddenly stopped as well. But that's an easily rectifiable issue. The other issues are significantly more pressing and unsolved as of this moment. Mainly the failure to Live Update as well as the conversion of percentages to decimals.

#XPression

At this point I think you would be best to contact myself or Technical Support (techsupport@rossvideo.com). The forum is not a quick enough medium to troubleshoot odd issues like this.

#XPression

Okay, thanks for the advice Garner. I shall do so.

#XPression

I noticed that if u use the excelsheet on the same machine where xpression is running on that after you make changes in the excelsheet u must save it and close it. After that xpr

update the info (I use build 3100)

I use openoffice and save the file as a xls file as shared document

#XPression

Hi Mark,

I have seen that issue with OpenOffice but have never had that behavior when using Excel. Openoffice seems to open the document in a locked mode so that XPression can not access it.

#XPression