FAQ's & Help Page for my Mosaic Chart Creator template

You can find FAQ's and extended Help here for my Mosaic Chart Creator template for Excel. 

This page will be updated over time as needed - Please comment on this post if you don't find your answer here so that I can be sure to add your questions & issues to this page. 

FAQ's

• Can this be used for other types of charts? Because there are already online apps out there that create regular graphs, I didn't include that in this template. This template is unique in that it will help you create an Overlay Mosaic chart with the specific rules to that style of crochet.
  
  
• This chart uses Macros - is that dangerous? Macros in themselves are simply snippets of code that tell Excel (& other Office programs) what to do. Sometimes it's a recording of a series of steps, which can then be run by the click of one button (like in this template). Some hackers might use macros to try and phish for sensitive information or install malware, which is why you should always be sure that you trust the source of the file before opening it. However in THIS template, macros are how I've harnessed the magic of Excel to give this chart all of its functionality so that you can easily create your designs. In order for the buttons & charts to work, you will need to allow these macros to run.
  
  
• Which versions of Excel will work for this template? This template was created on a more current version of Excel, so it could have limited functionality on older versions. There is a sample template file you can download to test it out before buying the full version of the template. You can find that link on my main template information  page.
  
  
• Will this work on other spreadsheet programs? While parts of it may work, or even all of it, it was created using Microsoft Excel & VBA code, so it could have limited functionality using other spreadsheet programs. You can download the sample template to try it out & see if it works in the program you are using. That download link can be found on my main template information  page.
  
  
• Will this template expire - is it a trial version? This template runs on YOUR own Excel program so as long as your version of Excel is compatible as mentioned above, this template will work.  
  
  
• How can I create a bigger chart than any of the ones included in the template? The template comes with 8 different sizes that are common for many mosaic designs. You can re-use the smaller squares & rectangles for repeating motifs, or use the larger ones for pillows or blocks. The issue with anything larger than what's included is that you will run out of screen space and have to zoom out so far that it's hard to see what you are doing. If you want to create a larger chart, I suggest to create it in "blocks" using the Large Square or Rectangle charts, and then print them out and tape together to form the full design. If you are trying to create a computer image of this larger design, you can even do screen shots of each chart block & photo-collage them together. 
  
  
• Can this chart convert existing images to a mosaic chart? This template does not have that capability at this time, (Excel can only do so much!) but you could have an image open in one window & the template open next to it if you want to use it for inspiration.
  
  
• How can I share my designs? You can use the PDFs you create to share or sell your designs. You can also do a screen shot of parts of the chart if you don't need the full size of the PDF. Please do NOT share the actual Excel file, though, (even if you save/rename it), as this is a paid template that is available on Etsy.

HELP SECTION

ISSUE:  Nothing is working! Buttons don't work, squares don't change color..

SOLUTION: You need to Enable Editing when first opening the file, and you need to Allow macros to run if prompted. If you've already disabled them, you may need to modify your Excel settings by going through these steps. 

     Sometimes Microsoft will try and "help" by blocking it another way, in which you can unblock it by going to where the file is downloaded to (don't open the file yet, just find it on your hard drive), then right click, and select "properties". In the General tab, scroll down to the bottom where it says Security, and check the box where it says "unblock". Hit the Apply button, and then hit the OK button to close the box. Now when you open the template, the functions should work properly.

ISSUE: The very top & bottom rows don't change from white to grey when I click them.

SOLUTION: These rows will always be visible stitches & therefor white squares. They are included in the programming code that tells the other squares where to place the X's & question marks, which is why they are clickable, but not changeable.

ISSUE: I can't see some of the stitch numbers at the bottom as they appear as # symbols and not numbers.  

SOLUTION: Your zoomed too far out - Click the + sign "zoom level" settings in the lower right corner of your screen to zoom in for a better view.

ISSUE: How do I fix the Question Marks that appear on some squares?

SOLUTION: Remember the Overlay Mosaic rules that when you do a fldc, it will cover the square directly below it and stitch into the square 2 rows down. Therefore if you have a grey square with a "?", you need to change the square above it and below it to the darker blue color. If you have a light blue square with a question mark, you need to change it to darker blue, or change the grey square below it to white. See video below.

ISSUE: I'm having Printer issues - Print button doesn't work

SOLUTION: Please verify that you can print from your computer, and that your printer settings are enabled from Excel. Click on File, then Print, and verify that your preferred printer is showing. Also check that your printer is on & has paper. Also be sure you have the template version for your operating system - there is a PC version and a MAC version.

ISSUE: Where do I find the PDFs that I've created?

SOLUTION: The PDFs that are created when you hit the PDF button are saved in the same location on your computer as THIS template is saved.

ISSUE: Oops! I've accidentally moved some squares and now they are blank.

SOLUTION: Just hit the Clear button and it will restore the squares to their default state. Doing this will also clear your design so you might want to save to PDF before clearing.

ISSUE: I'm seeing dotted lines on some pages of this template.

SOLUTION: This is a page break setting in Excel that you can turn off. Go to File, then all the way down to Options. In options, click on Advanced. From there, scroll about halfway down to "Display Options for This Worksheet", and un-check the box for "Show Page Breaks"

ISSUE: I'm seeing little green dots/triangles in the corner of each square

SOLUTION: This is a default setting for some versions of Excel that you can turn off. Go to File, then down to Formulas. Scroll down to Error Checking, and un-check the box for "Enable Background Error Checking."

Please comment below if you have any other questions.