+'&title='+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+'&overview='+encodeURIComponent(document.title)+'&urllanguage=en&urlaffiliate=32003&encoding=UTF-8&urlpicture=http://www.viadeo.com/v_img14/shareit/viadeoflower.gif')
My Excel version is built from shapes. I made the pies from a pie chart and then copied it to an image (wow, two uses for a pie chart in a month!). This illusion is both subtle and strong - very interesting... All of the animation is done with VBA. As always, the Excel animation looks startlingly better than the above animated GIF.
Here is the file.
Excel Hero Academy coming soon! I have scheduled a start date for October 11, 2010. I will try to get the details out this week!
If you like my blog, please be sure to sign-up for the new Excel Hero Newsletter. Subscribers receive all of my articles AND extra Excel Hero tips.
Why do I share these optical illusions? The techniques that are used to make them, when mastered, can be used in many other Excel projects, in charting, formula crafting, and formatting. Learn them. They will aid you on your journey to become an Excel Hero.
Here is a list of other Excel Optical Illusions here at Excel Hero:
- Enigma
- The Haze Illusion
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Your optical illusions are nice but a little borring yet.
Why don´t you write articles like "The Venerable SUMPRODUCT" or "I Heart IF". Don´t forget what you wrote in article "What's an Excel Hero?": "I want this blog to be that valuable." And now it is a indecent exposure a little.
Interesting point Pvav. But I think Daniel tries to use optical illusions as a platform to share little secrets in charting, vba and excel spreadsheet setup. Sometimes a standalone article on REPT or SUMPRODUCT can be a little dull, where as a prop like illusion, flags or something else can make the topic entertaining.
I agree (especially with the word "sometimes"). I was also excited about the first optical illusions, but in fact I am more interested in such articles as were the articles from January.
Maybe it is only my opinion.
@Pvav -
Thanks for the interest in the blog.
Chandoo is absolutely right about the illusions - they are a combination of inspiration and Excel practical application all wrapped up into small engaging showpieces. But beyond that, I sort of made a commitment to release a new illusion every week - and for 32 straight weeks I have found the time to do just that.
HOWEVER, I have published many, many other items as well during that same time span. Articles, visualizations, animations, business charts, engineering charts, database lookup techniques, Sudoku solver, art pieces, VLookup tutorial, Range tutorial, Shortcut Range References in VBA, mutli-threaded VBA simulation, geocoding and location mapping, Excel to PDF Form filling, climate analysis, chess game viewer, etc., etc.
That's an extremely wide range of topics that you will not find anywhere else. In each and every case I try to make these dry topics interesting by showcasing high-caliber practical application.
If I am understanding you, it sounds like you would prefer more theory and less application. I can respect that. In fact you are probably an excellent candidate for Excel Hero Academy, which I have been spending most of my free time on as of late. It mixes theory and application in a very intensive way and will be starting up next month.
Honestly, it has been a Herculean task to ready the Academy in time, while at the same time ensuring that the blog receives attractive, engaging material, AND keeping up with client commitments!
All in all, my opinion is that the blog has delivered an incredible amount of useful information by any measure. And when you factor in that it has only been nine months since I started it and that it has been done on a very part-time basis, I would say that I am proud without qualification.
I have faith that language translation tainted your first comment :)
At any rate, please understand that I am posting for a wide audience.
Kind regards,
Daniel Ferry
excelhero.com