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HomeTechniques and Tips@RISK Simulation: Graphical ResultsCreating and Using Report Templates

7.19. Creating and Using Report Templates

Applies to: @RISK for Excel 5.x–7.x

New in @RISK 7.0: If you have @RISK 7.0 or newer, and you're just trying to customize the Quick Reports, take a look at the Custom Reports option in Excel Reports. Items there can be edited, deleted, and rearranged; you can also add further items. That may meet your needs, but if not then read on ...

You can use RiskResultsGraph( ) and the @RISK Statistics Functions to place simulation results in any worksheet. They are filled in automatically when you run a simulation. However, the next time you run a simulation the results will be overwritten with new results.

If you want to create a set of custom-formatted results that do not get overwritten, place them in a report template. To create a report template:

  1. Within this workbook, create a new worksheet.

  2. Give the sheet a name that begins with RiskTemplate_, such as RiskTemplate_Projections. (The underscore is required.)

  3. Set up a worksheet the way you want your results, using any combination of @RISK and Excel functions. You can put any valid Excel formulas and @RISK functions in the template sheet, but these are especially useful in reports:

    • To embed means, percentiles, or other statistical results, use the statistic functions. In @RISK, click Insert Function » Statistic Functions » Simulation Results.

    • To create graphs of several types, use the RiskResultsGraph function. Click Insert Function » Other Functions » Miscellaneous; or click into an empty cell, type =RiskResultsGraph( including punctuation, and press Ctrl+A.  The RiskResultsGraph function provides limited customizations for the supported graph types; please see the help text for details.  (If you want to do more customization, use the RiskGraph object in Visual Basic. For more information, please click Help » Developer Kit (XDK). In the submenu, Automation Guide gives a brief introduction in the topic "Displaying Graphical Results of a Simulation"; @RISK XDK Reference documents all objects and methods in detail, and the Examples include several on creating graphs and reports. You need the Professional or Industrial Edition, release 6.2 or later, for the RiskGraph object.)

  4. In Simulation Settings » View, check (tick) "Automatically generate reports at end of simulation". On the selection dialog that opens, check (tick) "Template Reports".

Each time you run a simulation, @RISK will create a copy of any template sheets and will put that simulation's results in the copy. The original template, and any previous results created from the template, are undisturbed.

@RISK includes an example showing how to use a report template. Click Help » Example Spreadsheets » Other @RISK Features and select RiskTemplate.xlsx.

See also: Template Report Contains Formulas in Place of Numbers

Last edited: 2015-08-07

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