Welcome to Blockpad
Blockpad is a new kind of 'spreadsheet' that helps engineers do their work faster and more clearly. It's built to be flexible and easy to use.
These pages go deeper into the capabilities of Blockpad. For a shorter introduction, check out the quick start guide or the videos on the support page.
Click on the links to learn about the topics below, or start with Calculations and work your way through.
Calculations with math display
Math is done with spreadsheet-like formulas, but displayed in mathematical notation.
Math with units
Blockpad formulas incorporate units, complete with conversions and unit tracking.
Name values easily
In Blockpad, it's easy to assign names to values that you input or calculate. Then you can reference them from anywhere in the document.
Mini-spreadsheet tables
Blockpad tables are like mini-spreadsheets. You can put them in documents and reference values between the tables and documents.
The spreadsheet you know
In Blockpad, you can have a document with a full, normal spreadsheet.
Function library
Blockpad has a library of math, text, lookup, and engineering functions you can use in your calculations.
Create custom functions
It's easy to create your own functions in Blockpad- you can do it in a normal formula.
Solve systems of equations
The solver section can solve systems of equations with intuitive, formula style input. Then you can reference the results in the document.
Live drawings in documents
You can insert a fully functioning Blockpad drawing into a document - with point snapping and formulas.
Matrix math
Blockpad formulas let you input matrices and do math with them. Matrices and spreadsheet arrays play nice together too.
Date and time arithmetic
Calculations with dates are easy in Blockpad - dates and times interact intuitively.
Array formulas
Array formulas are easy in Blockpad. You can go back and forth between matrices in formulas and arrays in spreadsheets.
Link spreadsheets, drawings, and documents
You can have formulas in spreadsheets, reports (word processors), and drawings, and you can reference values between them like with sheets in conventional spreadsheets.
Complex numbers
In Blockpad, complex number math is easy and intuitive - just type in i or j like you would write it by hand.
Table of Contents
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- Start a new document
- Dynamic equations
- Unit tracking
- Value names
- Reference unnamed values
- Text values
- Other value types
- Referencing a value
- Value name rules
- Names used multiple times
- Renaming and auto-updated references
- Built in values
- Visual editor
- Math layout options
- Show steps and more
- Value formatting
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- Text values
- Date and time arithmetic
- Logic and Boolean values
- Matrices and arrays
- Enter an array or matrix
- Array names
- Matrix calculations
- Item-by-item calculations
- Arrays - more than just numbers
- Array formulas in spreadsheets
- Array parentheses lookup
- Assign individual value names
- Advanced array functions
- Complex numbers
- Spreadsheet in a file
- Sort and filter
- Conditional formatting
- Blockpad specific features
- Open a CSV file
- Mini-spreadsheets in a document
- Reports in a file
- Header and footer
- Page layout properties
- Comments
- Document navigation
- Document-wide formatting
- Start a drawing
- Drawing objects
- Lines, points, and shapes
- Text labels
- Linear dimension labels
- Textboxes
- Images
- Selecting multiple objects
- Ordering objects
- Using the point snapping
- Points you can snap to
- Horizontal and vertical from points
- Parallel or perpendicular lines
- Point snap options
- Transformations - resizing and moving
- Format drawings
- Keyboard input and canvas scales
- Notebooks in a file
- Reference values from other top level frames
- Working in a notebook
- Notebook pages
- Top level frames
- Frames in Frames
- Value containers and location
- Frames and sections are containers
- Containers inside containers
- Dot notation to specify a value in a container
- Capture values
- What is a block?
- Block example
- Use the block results
- Block inputs
- View block as table
- Block instances and block definitions
- More examples
- Create a block
- When to make a block
- Make a block with Blockpad calculations
- Update a block definition
- Create a block using scripts
- Block tables
- Examples library
- Use library items in a document
- Use the long form library item name
- Assign a shortcut name to the library
- Include a library in a file
- Use a library number value
- Use a library function
- Use items in a library frame
- Use a library data table as function
- Use library blocks
- Core, built-in, and subscription libraries
- Create personal libraries
- Save items to your library
- Manage your library online
- Library subscriptions
- Console basics
- Read values from the console
- Overwrite values from the console
- Use read and write to manipulate values
- Assign units to numbers in a cell range
- Stemscript basics for scripts
- Macros
- Module functions