Function Wizard

In Synthesis Workbooks and General Spreadsheets in Weibull++/ALTA, RGA and BlockSim, you can use the Function Wizard to build and insert functions that utilize a referenced analysis (data source), such as reliability and probability of failure.

Note: In General Spreadsheets, you can also still use the Function Wizard to add math, date, logic and other functions that don’t require a data source. For the new spreadsheet module in Synthesis Workbooks, you can now insert those functions directly from the Formulas tab in the ribbon. (See Formulas Tab and Insert Function.)

To open the Function Wizard in a Synthesis Workbook, choose Home > Report > Function Wizard. In a General Spreadsheet, choose Sheet > Sheet Actions > Function Wizard.

The contents of the Function Wizard window will vary depending on where you are using it. The following picture shows the most complex configuration as an example.

There are three steps to use this tool:

Select the function and enter the inputs
Select the data source (if applicable)
Insert the function

Select the Function and Enter the Inputs

First select one of the available functions from the panel on the left side. The list of functions will vary depending on where you’re using the wizard.

The right side of the wizard displays some information about the function that is currently selected and allows you to make relevant inputs, if any. Note that:

The Help on this Function link provides a quick reference with additional information about any inputs that may be used in the function.
For spreadsheet functions, brackets indicate that the input is optional. For example, the Add Time and Confidence Level parameters are optional in this Weibull++ function:

RELIABILITY(Data_Src,Age,[Add Time],[Confidence Level])

For word processing module functions, the brackets are part of the function field and are not optional.

[RELIABILITY(Source Number)(Time)]

When you are working in a spreadsheet, you can use cell references as inputs, if desired. For example, instead of entering 1000 for a time input, you could specify to use whatever time is currently entered into cell A10, using either the relative reference (A10) or the absolute reference ($A$10). (See Cell References.)

When you are working in a spreadsheet, you can also use variable names as inputs. (See Defined Names.)

Select the Data Source (If Applicable)

When you are creating a function that obtains data or results from an existing analysis, there are two ways to specify the data source. Both options are available in spreadsheets. Only the data source index option is used in the word processing module for Synthesis Workbooks.

Using the Data Source Name (spreadsheets only): If you want to ensure that the function always returns the result from a specific data sheet or diagram, you can place the name directly in the function expression. For example, =MODEL("Weibull!Folio1!Data1") will always return the distribution that was used to calculate the data sheet called "Data1" in the Weibull++ standard folio called "Folio1.”

To do this in a spreadsheet’s Function Wizard, clear the Use Default check box and use the Select button to choose the data source, as shown next. (In the General Spreadsheet’s Function Wizard, you will always need to choose a specific data source.)

Using a Data Source Index (spreadsheet and word processing module): If you anticipate that you will be reusing the same template with a variety of different data sets, you can configure the function expression to use a data source index number. For example, =MODEL(Default2) will return the distribution or model that was used to calculate whatever data source is currently second in the list of associated data sources.

To do this in a spreadsheet’s Function Wizard, select the Use Default check box and choose a number from the Data Source Index drop-down list, as shown next. (In the word processing module, you will always need to choose the appropriate index from the drop-down list.)

Insert the Function

When the function is fully defined, click Insert to place it into the report at the current cursor location. You can move and/or modify the defined function expression after it has been inserted. Note that the functions inserted in the word processing module will not return any results until you either switch to the Review tab or generate the report in Microsoft Word.

For spreadsheets, you can also type the function expressions directly in the cell once you are familiar with the syntax. For more information, see Data Entry Tips for Functions. For the word processing module, you must use the Function Wizard to initially add a function. After doing so, you may copy the function and change its inputs.

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