Excel based ballistic software VBA

Zxthinger · 14-03-2021 12:09pm #1

Has anyone here looking into software development that's tailored to their own needs. I can only imagine that the task of creating such software would take a team of people weeks.

Rather than go to all that trouble it might be convenient to start off using someone else's work and then modify it to my own ends.. and I understand all about copyright.. thanks..

Anyone have any knowledge on this subject..

I can't reload (ever), I can't hunt, I can't go out with covid so I have turned to excel and VBA enabled macros..

It's a great tool.. it's slow going, but the learning is one thing and a possible useful application is probably not practical..

Regards Zx

clivej · 14-03-2021 3:41pm

Zxthinger wrote: »

Has anyone here looking into software development that's tailored to their own needs. I can only imagine that the task of creating such software would take a team of people weeks.

Rather than go to all that trouble it might be convenient to start off using someone else's work and then modify it to my own ends.. and I understand all about copyright.. thanks..

Anyone have any knowledge on this subject..

I can't reload (ever), I can't hunt, I can't go out with covid so I have turned to excel and VBA enabled macros..

It's a great tool.. it's slow going, but the learning is one thing and a possible useful application is probably not practical..

Regards Zx

Going to a lot of work for something that may or may not be good.
Just download Strelok on ur mobile device. Choice of free or paid app.

Zxthinger · 14-03-2021 6:49pm

I suppose, I am doing it because I like maths, engineering, computers, shooting.

It's the same logic, why hunt if you can buy meat in the butchers.. lol

otmmyboy2 · 14-03-2021 7:49pm

Zxthinger wrote: »

Has anyone here looking into software development that's tailored to their own needs. I can only imagine that the task of creating such software would take a team of people weeks.

Rather than go to all that trouble it might be convenient to start off using someone else's work and then modify it to my own ends.. and I understand all about copyright.. thanks..

Anyone have any knowledge on this subject..

I can't reload (ever), I can't hunt, I can't go out with covid so I have turned to excel and VBA enabled macros..

It's a great tool.. it's slow going, but the learning is one thing and a possible useful application is probably not practical..

Regards Zx

This might be worth looking at:
https://www.bfxyz.nl/

I actually wrote a ballistic calculator for my final project in university.
Enter in all your rifle & ammo data, pick the target you want and the distance, wind speed, direction, etc and it'd generate where you needed to aim on the target to hit the bull.

You could also drag the aiming point around if say there was a target with a dozen bowling pins, or some playing cards so you could hit each one.

My examining professors didn't really understand the use, or the concept, despite the several PHDs among them :rolleyes:

Zxthinger · 14-03-2021 10:45pm

Was it through excel?

otmmyboy2 · 14-03-2021 10:59pm

Zxthinger wrote: »

Was it through excel?

Oh lord no, it was a website using JS, HTML, PHP, CSS framework, etc.
Excel wouldn't have been deemed complex enough for the task set or sufficiently user friendly for what I wanted it to be(accessible on all devices with an internet connection, easy to use, lightweight, intuitive, etc).
And honestly it was faster to build that than the same logic in excel, with less resultant functionality.
Probably lighter-weight, but definitely less feature rich.

Had I trotted out anything excel I would have gotten through the explanation & demo and they would have asked where the project was too

Vegeta · 15-03-2021 12:44pm

Have you picked Excel and VBA for a particular reason? Useful for another role, job, home project etc etc

Zxthinger · 15-03-2021 3:24pm

Vegeta wrote: »

Have you picked Excel and VBA for a particular reason? Useful for another role, job, home project etc etc

I use it in work and I have created several small applications to to select sizes and types of suitable structural elements (beams both steel and RC concrete) once I input the expected loads.

Vegeta · 15-03-2021 3:51pm

I've never used VBA for anything complex so am not in a position to comment on suitability. Would definitely be interested to hear how you get on with it and see if you can get close to something like the Applied Balistics engine.

riffmongous · 15-03-2021 3:59pm

I programmed the mathematical functions years ago in R or MATLAB for university, but never anything with calibrated with real data.

I'm not familiar with VBA to comment if it's the best tool for the job but something like R or Python are very general programming tools you can do pretty much anything with

Feisar · 15-03-2021 4:03pm

Someone correct me if I'm wrong however don't all the apps pretty much use the same drag functions to spit out the data. All that really changes is the interface and a couple of features?

otmmyboy2 · 15-03-2021 4:25pm

Feisar wrote: »

Someone correct me if I'm wrong however don't all the apps pretty much use the same drag functions to spit out the data. All that really changes is the interface and a couple of features?

Equations wise, yes, because the underlying math is always going to be the same, it is the implementation of said math that will vary across the languages and interfaces chosen.
Some languages & interfaces would be more suited to this application of physics than others, but that just comes down to the best tool for the job.

You could use a hammer or a wrench to pound in a nail, but either way that nail needs a pounding

Zxthinger · 15-03-2021 9:10pm

All these programs can do is just add and subtract.. they can't do direct intergration of complex equations. They all use numerical forms of direct intergration which are approximations..

I'm sure there are better platform..

Wasn't one of the differential mathicical equations for determining rate of change of drag 'drag during flight' only solved two years ago by a bloke in Mumbai India.
Currently up till that point in time this particular portion of the ballistic formula was based on empirical methods. But it's of little concern as all the formula approximations similar to Runga Kutta

Vegeta · 16-03-2021 10:22am

Zxthinger wrote: »

All these programs can do is just add and subtract.. they can't do direct intergration of complex equations. They all use numerical forms of direct intergration which are approximations..

I'm sure there are better platform..

If I were in your shoes, I would search out those platforms. Well, I always think that experience with different platforms may be beneficial to your career. Look at it this way, it is another interesting toolset to learn about, you already know what Excel can do.

Applied Math is not my particular field of expertise so I am hesitant to point at any specific tools in case I blinker you

Zxthinger · 16-03-2021 12:26pm

I have more questions now than when I started, which is good..
.

riffmongous · 16-03-2021 12:31pm

Zxthinger wrote: »

All these programs can do is just add and subtract.. they can't do direct intergration of complex equations. They all use numerical forms of direct intergration which are approximations..

I'm sure there are better platform..

Wasn't one of the differential mathicical equations for determining rate of change of drag 'drag during flight' only solved two years ago by a bloke in Mumbai India.
Currently up till that point in time this particular portion of the ballistic formula was based on empirical methods. But it's of little concern as all the formula approximations similar to Runga Kutta

If you know what the Runge-Kutta methods are then you should be a bit beyond excel I think :pac:

Zxthinger · 16-03-2021 3:32pm

riffmongous wrote: »

If you know what the Runge-Kutta methods are then you should be a bit beyond excel I think :pac:

Knowing maths is not knowing computer programming..

badaj0z · 16-03-2021 10:43pm

Time to dig out the Fortran Compiler.

Feisar · 16-03-2021 10:59pm

badaj0z wrote: »

Time to dig out the Fortran Compiler.

Not the first thing I had to google the meaning of in this thread.
I always say shooting is the nerdiest of sports. Meme needed of: what people think I do/what the government think I do/what my wife thinks I do/what I actually do, Clive sorting 22LR ammo!

clivej · 17-03-2021 10:38am

Feisar wrote: »

Not the first thing I had to google the meaning of in this thread.
I always say shooting is the nerdiest of sports. Meme needed of: what people think I do/what the government think I do/what my wife thinks I do/what I actually do, Clive sorting 22LR ammo!

I built this Mini McQeen target system, plenty of programing went into that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zmAC46XlmY

Shooting Forum - Firearms licencing information

Excel based ballistic software VBA

Comments