Speed -vs- Appearance:
This product has the ability to produce a near perfect likeness of the Excel spreadsheet inside the drawing, but sometimes at a cost in speed. The most likely bottleneck is AutoCAD's drawing of objects, especially truetype text and hatches. Also note that recent versions of AutoCAD process large quantities of truetype text much better.
Modifying Named Ranges:
The cell area linked to the drawing is a named range in Excel. If you insert/delete rows/cols inside the initial area, Excel automatically expands/contracts the named range. If you later do an XL2CAD update the new (or removed) rows/cols will show.
However if you begin typing a new row/col outside the previous window (such as a new row on the bottom), Excel does not change the range. To include these new rows/cols (or any other window changes) use this procedure in Excel.
- Choose Insert → Name → Define.
- Highlight the appropriate XL2CAD###### in the list.
- Type in the new range letters/numbers or click the selection button in the lower right and highlight the new range.
- Choose to change the range.
Note: If you move a range to a different sheet, you will need to change the properties of the table reference in the drawing.
Using Borders:
Using Borders in Excel is preferred over a simple grid as you have more control over the appearance. In Excel, simply highlight the range, choose Format → Cells → Border, then click Outline & Inside. Other border controls are explained in the Excel documentation.