Crystal Xcelsius

Crystal Xcelsius is an intuitive stand-alone Windows application, designed to create engaging, interactive visual analytics from ordinary Excel spreadsheets. It is tightly integrated with Microsoft Office products, and requires no programming.

Crystal Xcelsius™ bridges the gap between data analysis and visual presentations, empowering users of all proficiencies to create visually stunning interactive reports and applications.

The Technologies That Drive Crystal Xcelsius:

Crystal Xcelsius™ combines two of the most widely used software applications in the world:
· Microsoft Excel
· Macromedia Flash Player

How It Work:
Crystal Xcelsius uses a simple point-and-click interface to import Excel data and formulas, and output interactive dashboards, charts and graphs, financial presentations, and business calculators directly to PowerPoint, PDF documents and the Web.Utilizing an intuitive and easy-to-use “point-and-click” interface, Crystal Xcelsius converts dull Excel spreadsheets into visual models in 3 simple steps:
Import an existing Excel spreadsheet.
Create a visual data model with point-and-click Crystal Xcelsius
Output your Excel based dashboard to PowerPoint, PDF, Outlook or the Web – with one click!




Components Available:

Following are the available components to create a Visual Data .

1 Charts:
Following collection of charts that can be used on any model.

· Bubble Chart: Despite its apparent complexity, the bubble chart is one of the most powerful analytic tools available. It lets you compare a group of items or series based on three different parameters. It has an X-axis and Y-axis to represent the item location over the chart area, and a Z value to represent the item size. You could, for example, use this chart to represent the market composition with the X-axis representing the ROI by industry type, the Y-axis representing the Cash Flow, and the Z-axis representing the Market Value.

· Line Chart: A single- or multi-line chart ideal for showing tendency over a period of time. Use this chart in models that emphasize a trend line, such as Stock Prices and Revenue History.

· Pie Chart: A chart that represents the distribution or participation of each slice (item) over a certain total that is represented on the overall pie value. The Pie Chart is appropriate for models, such as Revenue Contribution by Product. The overall pie size represents the total revenues. Each slice represents a different product.

· XY Chart: A powerful chart that displays data requiring two magnitudes to complete the analysis. The XY chart shows each data point as a result of the intersection of X values and Y values. You can, for example, use the XY chart in models that compare ROI (X axis) against Market Value (Y axis) for a group of companies.

· Combination Chart: A combination Column and Line chart ideal for displaying a range of values and a trend line for those values.

· Bar Chart and Column Chart: A single- or multi-bar chart ideal for showing and comparing one or more items over a period of time or in a specific range of values.

· Stacked Column Chart and Stacked Bar Chart: A powerful chart that allows you compare several variables over a period of time. Stacked bars allow you to compare one or more variables by adding one variable on top of another. These type of charts are ideal when comparing several variables over a period of time i.e,: Marketing Cost, General Cost, Administrative Cost. Each one of the cost components is presented in a different color and each portion represents a different variable. The total bar size represents the Total Cost.

· Area Chart: A standard chart with vertical and horizontal axes. Each point along the horizontal axis represents a data point. The actual values for each data point are plotted against the vertical axis. For each series, colored areas are created by connecting the plotted points and the horizontal axis. Depending on the situation, the areas can sometimes make analysis of the data more intuitive than without.

· Radar Chart and Filled Radar Chart: A chart with axes that radiate outwards from the center of the chart. Since, these charts can have several axes, they are useful for plotting multi-dimensional sets of data. In the Filled Radar Chart, the shape created by connecting the points along each axis is filled in with color.

· Stacked Area Chart: A standard chart with vertical and horizontal axes. Each point along the horizontal axis represents a data point. The actual values for the data points are plotted against the vertical axis, with each series adding to the total value.


2 Single-Value

This group of components permits user interactivity with other components, such as a chart. These components can be classified in two groups: Output components and Input components.

· Dial: Input Component. Represent a variable that can be modified to affect other components. For example, use a slider to represent the Price per Unit.

· Slider: Input Component. Represent a variable that can be modified to affect other components. For example, use a slider to represent the Price per Unit.

· Progress Bar: Output Component. Represent a value that changes and fills the progress bar area depending on its value.

· Gauge: Output Component. The Gauge measures the result of changes in the Excel cell to which it is linked. If you link the Gauge to a cell that contains a formula, the Gauge reflects the modifications each time the value changes.

· Value: The Value component represents a single cell of your Excel file.

· Spinner: Input Component. Represent a variable that can be modified to affect other components. Users can interact with the Spinner by clicking on the up and down arrows or by typing a value into the text box. Pressing the up arrow increases the value and pressing the down arrow decreases the value.

· Play Button: Input Component. Use the play button to increase the value of a cell in your model. For example, link the Play Button to a cell that contains the headcount. What will happen if the headcount increases by one, two, three, or more? The play button takes the initial headcount value and increases its value systematically.

3 Selectors

Selectors are probably the most powerful components of all. Their overall functionality lets you create a model with multiple selections. When you combine a selector with any other component such as charts, the result is a powerful dynamic model that is elegant and easy to create.

· Combo Box: A standard user-interface component that drops down a vertical list of items when it is pressed. Users can then select an item from the list in the same manner as the List Box

· List Box: A standard user-interface component that allows users to select items from a vertical list.

· Label Based Menu: The Menu component allows users to select items from either a vertical or horizontal list.

· Radio Button, Menu, Combo Box & List Box: These options are some of the industry favorites. They permit one selection at a time from a group of selectable items. They are easy to understand and use.

· Fish-Eye Picture Menu: The Fish-Eye Picture menu is a visually engaging menu that allows users to select from a set of pictures or icons. As the mouse is moved over each item in the menu, the item emphasized by being magnified. The closer the mouse is to the center of the item, the more the item is magnified. This creates an effect similar to that of a fish-eye lens.

· Sliding Picture Menu: The Sliding Picture Menu is a visually engaging menu that allows users to select from a set of icons or pictures. The user scans use arrows to scroll through the icons or the menu can be configured to scroll through the items as the user moves the mouse.

The Sliding Picture Menu has a unique visualization, but it has all of the behavior of the traditional menu component. With each selection that is made, data corresponding to that selection is inserted into a range in the spreadsheet. All of the menu components are used to provide navigation for your model.

· Table: The Table component is a "What you see is what you get" representation of any group of cells from your Excel file. Each row allows multiple selections. For example, you can use the table to display a Balance Sheet for two years. When you click on each row, the table could display an additional chart that shows the historic balance for each account.

· Check Box: A standard user-interface component that allows users to toggle between two states: checked and unchecked.

· Icon: The Icon is one of the most simple and at the same time most functional components. The Icon can be used as a mobile selector or object. It can represent the value contained in one cell and be compared to its target or budget value. The Icon changes color depending on its value.

· Toggle Button: A standard user-interface component that allows users to toggle between two states: on and off.

· Filter: The Filter component takes a range of data that shares a common number of items and "filters" the content so that there are no duplicated records.

· Accordion Menu: The Accordion menu is a two-level menu that allows users to first select a Category and then select from items within that particular Category.

· Source Data Component: A special component that has no visual interface. It allows users to push data into other cells simply by changing the value of the component's Selected Index.

· Play Selector: The play selector sequentially inserts one row or column from a defined range. You can then use that row to create a chart that changes each time the play selector inserts a row or column. You might use the play selector, for example, in models that show sales by a large number of sales representatives. Instead of having to click several times to display a chart for each sales representative, you can create a model that automatically runs the charts with a single click.

4 Maps Library

This group of components provides specialized selector functionality in the form of maps. Maps are graphic representation of an area can be used as both an output and input component. Each region can represent an output value while at the same time having the same functionality as any other selector.

5 Art & Backgrounds

Art and Backgrounds can be used to enhance models. You can also use the background components to import images or Flash movies into your Crystal Xcelsius™ model.

· Image Component: The Image Component can be used to display JPG images, which allows you to add your own logos or artwork into a Crystal Xcelsius™ model easily. You can also add video, animations, and other interactive elements by importing a Flash movie.

· Ellipse: A simple ellipse that you can add to your models.

· Background: Backgrounds are a set of prebuilt artwork that you can add to your models to assist layout and improve design. They provide a way to create cohesive, visually stimulating models quickly and easily.

· Line: A simple vertical or horizontal line can enhance your models.

· Rectangle: A simple rectangle that you can add to your models.

6 Other

This section contains a set of components that you can use to enhance models.

· Trend Icon: The trend Icon changes its pointing direction, depending on the value of the cell to which it is linked:
o If the value is positive, the arrow points up;
o If the value is zero, the arrow is neutral;
o If the value is negative, the arrow points down.

· Interactive Calendar: The Interactive Calendar component is a selector that lets you incorporate date selection into your models.

· Local Scenario Buttons: Lets users save states of a Crystal Xcelsius™ model to their local machines. Afterwards, these states or "scenarios" can quickly be loaded, even after closing the model, making the Scenario Buttons well-suited for saving and reviewing results of what-if analyses. Since these scenarios are saved to the local machine, the scenarios will not be available if the model is opened on a different machine.

· Grid: A dynamic table that represents a group of rows and columns to dynamically display its content. The Grid lets you show the data just as it is on any table, or permits data modification that can impact other components.

7 Text

This section contains a set of components for labeling components in your model or entering text in the model.

· The Input Text component is a simple, yet powerful input component which allows users to input values into the model by typing.

· The Input Text Area, similar to the Input Text component, allows users to input text into the model. The Input Text Area, however, allows users to type multiple lines of text, making it useful for comments or entries where the size of the input is unknown.

· The Label component lets you add an unlimited amount of text to enhance your models. You can use the Label component to create titles, subtitles, explanations, help, and so on.

8 Web Connectivity

This section contains a group of components that provide various connectivity options for your models

Benefits:

Crystal Xcelsius uses visual modeling to bridge the gap between data analysis and visual presentation, so you can present and interact with business data in ways that were previously unachievable. Crystal Xcelsius gives you the power to create interactive and audience-friendly:

Dashboards and scorecards
Dynamic charts and graphs
Visual analytics
Pro forma budget consoles
Business presentations

Then, you can easily communicate your results to colleagues, with Crystal Xcelsius’ one-click integration of your interactive data visualizations and models into PowerPoint slides, PDF documents, Outlook and the Web.
The result: faster, more intelligent business decisions that let you capture lucrative market opportunities before your competitors even realize they exist.
Point-and-click ease. Crystal Xcelsius' intuitive interface, including pre-built components, skins, maps and charts – and one-click export – make it easy for non-technical users to develop.

Stunning presentation. Custom graphics and interactivity allow you to develop and present compelling yet easy-to-understand financial models and business summaries for the Web, intranets, and portals – any environment that supports Flash.Visual modeling. Sliders, gauges, filters, numerical input tools and other visual components allow you to quickly evaluate multiple “what-if” scenarios, with the click of a mouse.

Platform Independence Crystal Xcelsius visual models can be exported - with one click - to PowerPoint, PDF, Outlook and the Web. They can run on any PC, Mac, handheld or other device with the Macromedia Flash player.


References:

Taking references from following the above document is created.

1. Business Objects Site – www.businessobjects.com
2. Help of Crystal Xcelsius.