The XESS spreadsheet system provides a programmable, network-enabled spreadsheet interface component and powerful application programming interface. This product offering from AIS makes it easy to integrate a customized, intuitive spreadsheet paradigm with the most demanding data-driven process models.
EDS Unigraphics is using the XESS spreadsheet technology to implement powerful UG features in the context of spreadsheet functionality. For example, Unigraphics uses customized XESS spreadsheet functionality as an intelligent expression editor for UG modeling applications, including several design optimization options. Parameters changed within an associated spreadsheet data model can be checked for validity with standard XESS constraint-checking and then applied to the design with a single mouse click. While many UG users may find that simply being able to accomplish related spreadsheet tasks within Unigraphics is benefit enough, others may want to integrate their own customized extensions and can do so by licensing the XESS spreadsheet system from AIS or EDS.
"Once you see a demonstration of how the XESS spreadsheet is used within Unigraphics, the benefits and power are immediately obvious. Users want to know how they can do more. They realize there's much more to AIS's spreadsheet technology than balancing checkbooks! The expansion of our training and consulting services is in direct response to the increasing demands from the Unigraphics user community," said Anne Hartley, vice president of AIS.
AIS is now offering a UG/XESS class designed to help Unigraphics users maximize the benefit of the spreadsheet technology and incorporate their own spreadsheet extensions -- similar to those provided in Unigraphics. Customized UG/XESS training and consulting services are also available from AIS.
"Users quickly realize that integration of the XESS spreadsheet system with Unigraphics is a powerful combination with direct impact on both enterprise and personal UG productivity. They want to learn how they can achieve greater benefit," said Dave Ochser, EDS Unigraphics product marketing manager. "EDS Unigraphics welcomes AIS's efforts to expand its services to address the specific needs of the Unigraphics user community and is pleased to endorse this initiative."
AIS is a 24-year-old supplier of software products and solutions targeting multi-vendor integration and advanced client/server applications. XESS is a powerful spreadsheet system for X Windows that can be used either as a standalone end-user productivity tool or as a programmable spreadsheet component for customized integration with other applications. The end-user spreadsheet component includes the fullest range of computational and graphical tools for both financial and scientific/engineering applications. The application programming interface (XESS Connections API) is protocol-independent and supports the C programming language. The XESS system is available for most Unix, OpenVMS, and Windows NT systems.
EDS Unigraphics develops, markets, sells, implements and supports mechanical CAD/CAM/CAE and PDM software and services designed to improve their clients' total product development processes. Offerings include Unigraphics for design-through-manufacture applications, IMAN for workgroup- and enterprise-wide product data management, and product-related services including computing and communications, systems support and management, best practice consulting, and training.