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J
JGPrice1-Visitor
1-Visitor
July 22, 2022
Question

Excel Family Table Adding Decimal Places

  • July 22, 2022
  • 2 replies
  • 2926 views

While attempting to verify family instances, additional decimal values are being created.  This family table was created using the excel interface.  Length increases from 10.00" to 20.00", in increments of 0.01".  This was achieved by several methods in excel; dragging, function, or simply typing.  After saving the spreadsheet, all instance length values are correct.  Once an attempt is made to verify the instances, many "batches" of them fail, and it seems to be random.  When the spreadsheet is opened, some length instances have values of, for instance, 10.00000000009, instead of 10.10.  From what I can tell, this is out of the sensitivity range for the dimension that is being changed, so the instance fails.  If the instance is opened and the sketch containing the dimension is edited, the sensitivity scale displays, you click "OK" and the part regenerates correctly.  Any help greatly appreciated.  Thanks!

    2 replies

    V
    VladimirN24-Ruby III
    24-Ruby III
    July 24, 2022

     Hi,

     

    What version of Microsoft Excel are you using?

    J
    JGPrice1-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    July 25, 2022

    for Microsoft 365 MSO.

    One of our CAD admins was able to fix our family table.  It was at the part level.  A very small feature was creating the issue.  Still - I wonder why the change in value from Creo to Excel.  

    R
    remy21-Topaz I
    21-Topaz I
    July 29, 2022

    Some rounding issues have showed up in your family table when edited with Excel. This is unexpected yes and no. 

    Excel even though is suggested by Creo when browsing File > Edit with Excel... is not the tool of choice when handling tabulated files. 

    Good practice in CAD data migration have it to refrain from using it.

    With this said, can you clarify what you mean by:

     

    @JGPrice wrote:

    This family table was created using the excel interface.  

    Do you mean that an xls file was created from scratch then imported in Creo with the command File > Import Table... :

    remy_0-1659100426779.png

    Or can you confirm you created that table with Edit with Excel in the first place?

     

    J
    JGPrice1-VisitorAuthor
    1-Visitor
    August 1, 2022

    Hi, Remy

    I created the family table and edited with Excel.

    R
    remy21-Topaz I
    21-Topaz I
    August 2, 2022

    You confirm the family table was created from Excel from scratch and this introduced some rounding errors. I'm sorry to share that this is unsurprising and this reinforces the practice to refrain from using Excel when it comes to tabulated files.

     

    It is well known in the industry that Excel introduces meta data behind your back. Some tricks to iron these out consists in:

    • saving to .csv instead of .xlsx
    • make sure the encoding is supported. In our instance the ptd file is encoded with UTF-8-BOM

    In your instance, I recommend to start the family table with Creo then either:

    • export to ptd and then use Excel if you prefer or rather use something like Notepad whose footprint more neutral or 
    • File > Edit with Excel. This will fire Excel and keep Creo in the background the main idea being to keep Creo in the loop at all time

     

     

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