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Old 08-11-2016, 02:02 PM   #1
Flyndaran
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Default Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

New computer means new programs. But the new Open Office won't let me put in a real number for Outer Arrow Diameter. It forces drop down menu for TL6 or less, 7, or 8. Obviously this invalidates all data making every important line #VALUE!
Yes, I re-downloaded the Spreadsheet just in case.

Oddly, it starts with the default 0.53, but typing any number tells me it's an invalid value.

Edit: It has that same TL drop down menu for every modifiable line on the arrow page except the one for arrowhead type.
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Last edited by Flyndaran; 08-11-2016 at 02:12 PM.
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Old 08-14-2016, 02:30 PM   #2
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

Seriously, not a single post, suggestion, or help? :(
I thought this was a popular article.
Or is it that no one uses Open Office?
Should this have been posted on a different sub-forum?

Edit: I guess I can still use the bow page, and guess on everything arrow related. But still, poop.
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Last edited by Flyndaran; 08-14-2016 at 02:55 PM.
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Old 08-14-2016, 02:59 PM   #3
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

Well, personally, I don't have Open Office, and the only time I've used The Deadly Spring, I had weight and speed figures (from a WWII spy-tech crossbow) which I could turn into joules and then into damage with the formulae provided, without needing the spreadsheet.
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Old 08-14-2016, 03:07 PM   #4
DouglasCole
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
Or is it that no one uses Open Office?
For me, as the author, it's 100% this. I've been an Excel user for years, and I'm in the middle of what's currently a 365,000 word project so I don't have a lot of spare time to dig into a program structure I simply don't use.

I am happy to check results or consult if someone wants to take a hack at it, and would be even happier if a programmer would automate in a system-agnostic way the sheets, so we could give them to Steven and he could perhaps make them available. But right now, I don't have time to learn the peculiarities of OpenOffice, so oddly enough I'm just the wrong guy to help.
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Old 08-14-2016, 03:57 PM   #5
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

Basically, OpenOffice/LibreOffice is absolute crap as a spreadsheet program (and not much better for anything else, but notably worse for spreadsheets).

I'm on Linux, I don't even own a Windows system anymore, and I still find it painful enough that it's easier for me to install and use a copy of Microsoft Office that's over a decade old through a Linux/Windows compatibility layer.

If you don't have a valid license for any version of MS Office less than 20 years old (lots of people do, what with bundling with old computers — even if you don't have the install media anymore, you can often download it from Microsoft's MSDN), Office 365 is a remarkably cheap (if ongoing) expense: if you're a student, teacher, or otherwise work in education (with the simplest proof being ownership of a .edu or otherwise-recognised educational email address) it's free. Otherwise it starts at USD $7/mo. or $70/yr., or $150 for a one-time standalone purchase.

If none of those are affordable, I've heard good things about SoftMaker FreeOffice's compatibility with Microsoft, but I haven't actually used it myself.

Last edited by Celti; 08-14-2016 at 04:01 PM.
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Old 08-14-2016, 04:43 PM   #6
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

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Originally Posted by Celti View Post
Basically, OpenOffice/LibreOffice is absolute crap as a spreadsheet program (and not much better for anything else, but notably worse for spreadsheets).
...
If none of those are affordable, I've heard good things about SoftMaker FreeOffice's compatibility with Microsoft, but I haven't actually used it myself.
I didn't know it was on the low end of effectiveness. I know little about programs and computers in general. My eyes light up over weird obscure biological facts, but roll back into my head over basic important techie stuff.

But free is free, so I'll give that program a shot. Thanks.
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Old 08-14-2016, 04:51 PM   #7
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

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Originally Posted by Flyndaran View Post
I didn't know it was on the low end of effectiveness. I know little about programs and computers in general. My eyes light up over weird obscure biological facts, but roll back into my head over basic important techie stuff.

But free is free, so I'll give that program a shot. Thanks.
I do understand that — and even among techies, it takes a strange sort to get excited over spreadsheets! 😉

I would honestly recommend even Google Docs over OpenOffice/LibreOffice for most spreadsheet purposes where free software will do — and in fact, I literally just tested the Deadly Spring spreadsheet in Google Docs and it seems to work flawlessly, though quite slow on my current underpowered laptop (I suspect it would be faster if I opened Google Docs in Chrome instead of Firefox).
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Old 08-14-2016, 05:26 PM   #8
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

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Originally Posted by DouglasCole View Post
...
I am happy to check results or consult if someone wants to take a hack at it, and would be even happier if a programmer would automate in a system-agnostic way the sheets, so we could give them to Steven and he could perhaps make them available. But right now, I don't have time to learn the peculiarities of OpenOffice, so oddly enough I'm just the wrong guy to help.
I wouldn't be so presumptuous as to beg or demand help from an author. Just getting the awesome product, even if I'm having a problem using it with my free-crap-ware, is more than enough.
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Old 08-14-2016, 05:30 PM   #9
Flyndaran
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

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Originally Posted by Celti View Post
I do understand that — and even among techies, it takes a strange sort to get excited over spreadsheets! 😉

I would honestly recommend even Google Docs over OpenOffice/LibreOffice for most spreadsheet purposes where free software will do — and in fact, I literally just tested the Deadly Spring spreadsheet in Google Docs and it seems to work flawlessly, though quite slow on my current underpowered laptop (I suspect it would be faster if I opened Google Docs in Chrome instead of Firefox).
The weird thing is that it did work perfectly for ages... on my previous computer. But this new "better" one seems to glitch on just the arrow page. But I haven't tested my other Gurps-y spreadsheets, so... ugh.

My mom's an accountant and lives on spreadsheets, but that just makes it all the more frustrating, truth be told.

Google Docs? So two suggestions. Great, thanks again.
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Old 08-15-2016, 04:10 AM   #10
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Default Re: Getting Deadly Spring Spreadsheet to work with new Open Office, please help

It seems to be working in FreeOffice. Thanks again, guys.
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