COMPARE
CycleView vs Excel for machine timing charts
Most machine builders estimate cycle time in Excel: colored cells as a Gantt chart, timings typed by hand. It works — until a parameter changes and the whole sheet needs re-layout, or a customer asks “can I see it run?”. DynMech CycleView keeps Excel’s best part — your data stays a simple 5-column table — and replaces the drawing: the chart lays itself out, plays like an animation, and exports a frame-accurate MP4 and a searchable vector PDF. It is free, offline, and takes the same CSV your spreadsheet already produces.
Where Excel wins — honestly
- Everyone has it; zero learning curve; infinitely flexible.
- Fine for a one-off chart nobody will ever edit again.
- Your costing formulas can live next to the timing data.
Where the Excel approach breaks
| Task | Excel Gantt | CycleView |
|---|---|---|
| Change one interval from 100 ms to 60 ms | Re-color and re-layout affected rows by hand | Double-click the cell; chart and total recalc instantly |
| Serial actions on one mechanism | Compute each start time yourself | Auto-scheduled end-to-start |
| Show it running in a design review | Not possible | Space bar; variable speed; frame stepping |
| Put it in a bid | Screenshot of cells | Frame-accurate MP4 + A3 vector PDF with computed start/end times |
| Millisecond precision | Cell width ≈ your patience | Exact by construction |
| Hand the chart to someone without your fonts or Excel version | Fingers crossed | PDF opens anywhere, Ctrl+F searchable |
What you keep
Your data stays a spreadsheet: five columns (module, action, start, count, interval) plus an optional stage column. Edit it in Excel if you like — CycleView imports the CSV with row-level validation and tells you exactly which line is wrong.
What CycleView costs
Nothing. Free forever, commercial use allowed, no license key, no registration, fully offline with zero telemetry — and the Windows portable build runs inside restricted factory networks without installation.
What CycleView does not do
It handles the time dimension only. No overlap on the chart does not mean mechanisms cannot collide in space — for the 3D question, see DynMech Motion.
Frequently asked questions
Can I keep maintaining my timing data in Excel?
Yes. CycleView’s input is a plain CSV — edit it in Excel or any spreadsheet, then drag it into CycleView to visualize, play and export. Your data never gets locked in.
Is there a catch to “free”?
No. The EULA states it plainly: no license key, no trial clock, commercial use allowed, the installer may be redistributed inside your company, and the app makes zero network requests.
Does CycleView replace Excel?
No — it replaces the hand-drawn Gantt chart part. Costing formulas and BOMs stay in your spreadsheet; CycleView takes the five timing columns and turns them into a playing, exportable chart.