A 3D Animated Roller Coaster Model in Excel

A 3D animated roller coaster in Excel... !!!!!!! DOWNLOAD A RECENTLY UPDATED VERSION (runs faster) here: excelunusual.com/a-3d-animated-excel-roller-coaster-video-preview/ Please make suggestions as comments on my blog about what exactly you would like to see in future videos!!! I do special applications, games and animation. I am not interested in data formatting/cleaning, vlookup, xlookup, pivot tables, data search, removing duplicates, etc (i.e. standard excel). My approach is targeted to the practical person who enjoys tinkering and does not want to learn standard syntax, but use Google and common sense to create cool work in a "step by step" approach. The person who thinks life is short, wants to get a general programming sense, but would rather play than study hard to get a promotion. The person who would start hitting buttons from the start, rather than read the user manual. Of course everyone else is welcome. Some basic geometry and very basic math/physics might be required here and there, but as minimal as possible. No need to go back to books or too school, but refresh things when needed using Google. Download: https://excelunusual.com/a-3d-animated-excel-roller-coaster-video-preview/ My original tags :) : NRA, foot locker, Champs, Eastbay, End of the World, Suzy Favor Hamilton, December 21 2012 There are several ways of doing 3D ray tracing in Excel. If you want to do simple wireframe (like this model) no problem, you can use a chart and curves (drawn as broken lines. There are two simple formulas to go from (x,y,z) which is real life to (u,v) coordinates on a screen. As a second option, you can use free shapes (which have textured faces). A Hungarian guy did a model I believe in 2007, there is an article in Gamasutra (https://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3563/microsoft_excel_revolutionary_3d_.php). Not difficult, but it can be veeeery slow for complex shapes especially in excel 2007 and newer. Another way is to use Python, there is a way to connect it with Excel. There another very nice way to use 3D API functions in Excel "forms" popup (look up Isidoro Martinez Prieto, isi76@ya.com, http://www.excelgame.net/3dviewer.asp). I am looking into this, I found it out today from a friend on Linkedin. Also check "Solly" a fellow who is doing game level ray tracing. You can find him on YT. Also look at this Russian guy who built a whole game engine in Excel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jyOJsJlLhI). There is also a French Professor who built a 3D rendered maze using cell formulas. Good luck!