Many common software questions are answered in the categories below. If you can’t find a response for yours, try checking our User Forum, or, contact HelpDesk for direct assistance
| ReportMaker » Reporting |
Q: What are Custom Reports, and what are they used for?
A: Custom Reports are used to create reports suited specifically to your needs, when those in Report Maker don’t.
If Report Maker (RM) lacks a desired report type, there are two ways around this:
If RM has a report that is similar to what you need, run that report, and then make tweaks in Excel to arrive at the desired result. Ideally, you would record these ‘tweaks’ in a macro, so that you could easily transform subsequent reports in the same manner. More information is available on recording macros here, and elsewhere online. (We advise against recording macros for any Excel tasks involving graphs however, as they tend to complicate things. Instead, use macros or table and data work, and generate the graphs by hand afterwards.)
If RM doesn’t have any report that matches your need, then the best way forward is to run the “custom reports†in RM. In Report Maker, the option given is to “list data for a custom reportâ€. You will rearrange and reformat that data as needed, and here again, you may use macros to simplify future reports.
The main format options available for custom reports are:
Time across format, which is good if you want monthly numbers, such as kWh, $, etc.
Time down format, which is good if you want everything else, such as tuning equations, R2 values, balance points, or any other values that aren’t monthly data. (Time down format reports can also produce monthly data, but we recommend the time across format for reports containing monthly amounts.)
There is also the option to show 24-hour or TOU data.
If you are interested in a custom report, but do not have the time available to design one yourself, our staff can help out! Contact us to learn more about our rates for this service.
A: Custom Reports are used to create reports suited specifically to your needs, when those in Report Maker don’t.
If Report Maker (RM) lacks a desired report type, there are two ways around this:
If RM has a report that is similar to what you need, run that report, and then make tweaks in Excel to arrive at the desired result. Ideally, you would record these ‘tweaks’ in a macro, so that you could easily transform subsequent reports in the same manner. More information is available on recording macros here, and elsewhere online. (We advise against recording macros for any Excel tasks involving graphs however, as they tend to complicate things. Instead, use macros or table and data work, and generate the graphs by hand afterwards.)
If RM doesn’t have any report that matches your need, then the best way forward is to run the “custom reports†in RM. In Report Maker, the option given is to “list data for a custom reportâ€. You will rearrange and reformat that data as needed, and here again, you may use macros to simplify future reports.
The main format options available for custom reports are:
Time across format, which is good if you want monthly numbers, such as kWh, $, etc.
Time down format, which is good if you want everything else, such as tuning equations, R2 values, balance points, or any other values that aren’t monthly data. (Time down format reports can also produce monthly data, but we recommend the time across format for reports containing monthly amounts.)
There is also the option to show 24-hour or TOU data.
If you are interested in a custom report, but do not have the time available to design one yourself, our staff can help out! Contact us to learn more about our rates for this service.
I can’t find the answer to your question ? Try checking our User Forums.
Otherwise feel free to contact our Tech Support staff at (805) 329-6565, or via email at helpdesk@abraxasenergy.com.