Frequently Asked Questions

Question Answer
Why does Excel2DWG create named ranges in my spreadsheet? Because without named ranges, there is no way to know if you have inserted/deleted rows/cols. Because of named ranges, our software has the ability to shrink or expand the results on update!
Why are some of my spreadsheet cells shifted vertically? The problem is that Excel2DWG creates Mtext objects and these objects have no baseline justification. That means we have to use a bottom, middle, or top alignment. The shift problem occurs if you use bottom justification and the cell contains lowercase letters with ascenders like "g". This problem can also occur if using top justification and the cell contains tall characters like "(".

The best approach is to format the cells in Excel using the vertical center option. Select the data range in Excel, choose the Format menu, then Cells, then on the Alignment tab set the vertical alignment to center.
Why are lines drawn through my merged rows and/or columns? Sometimes Excel will report incorrect merge information. There is a possibility that some Excel spreadsheets were created (or modified) in a spreadsheet product other than Microsoft Excel. This can usually be fixed by this procedure:
  1. Place your cell cursor in the merged area.
  2. Click the <a> Merge & Center button to unmerge the cells.
  3. Click the button again to remerge the cells.
  4. Repeat at step 1 for additional areas.

After this change to the spreadsheet, Excel will report the correct merge information and Excel2DWG will not draw lines through the merged areas.
Excel2DWG is not wrapping the lines at the same place that Excel is. Keep in mind that Excel2DWG does not determine where the line wraps. It creates Mtext objects with a specified width, and the CAD software determines where the words wrap. Excel will often wrap on a dash in a string with no spaces where CAD won't.

Here is the proper way to achieve in-cell carriage returns:

To push contents down to the next line, some Excel users have inserted spaces until Excel Word wraps. This approach does not port well. The proper way is to place your cursor at the point you want to begin a new line, and press ALT+ENTER to insert the carriage return.
Is there a limit to the number of named ranges that can created? The limit appears to be slightly more than 65,000, certainly more than should be needed. This is named ranges, not the number of cells.