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Formula Syntax

EngCanvas formulas combine variables, units, cell references, operators, and functions into expressions that are evaluated with full dimensional analysis.

Variables​

Assign a variable with =:

L = 20 ft
w = 1.5 kip/ft
Fy = 50 ksi

Variable names can include letters, digits, underscores, and apostrophes:

f'c = 4 ksi            // concrete compressive strength
A_g = 144 in^2          // gross area
E_s = 29000 ksi         // steel modulus

Variables are case-sensitive: L and l are different variables.

Variable vs. cell reference

A bare identifier like A1 is treated as a variable name, not a cell reference. To reference cell A1, use $A1 or $A$1. This allows natural engineering variable names like L, M, b, d, N.

Numbers with units​

Attach a unit directly after the number:

10 ft
1.5 kip/ft
4000 psi
30 deg

Numbers without units are dimensionless:

ratio = 0.85
n = 10

See Working with Units for the full unit reference.

Operators​

Standard arithmetic and comparison operators, listed by precedence (lowest to highest):

PrecedenceOperatorsDescription
1 (lowest)+, -Addition, subtraction
2*, /Multiplication, division
3^Exponentiation (right-associative)
4:Range operator
5!Sheet reference
6 (highest)[i,j]Index access

Comparison operators: =, ==, <, >, <=, >=, <> (not equal).

See Operators for detailed behavior with units.

Cell references​

Use $ to mark cell references:

$A1              // absolute column, relative row
A$1              // relative column, absolute row
$A$1             // fully absolute
$A1:$B10         // range

See Cell References for the complete guide.

Cross-sheet references​

Reference cells on other sheets using the ! operator:

'Sheet 2'!$A1

The sheet name is quoted when it contains spaces. For single-word sheet names:

Sheet2!$A1

Functions​

Call functions with parentheses:

M = SQRT(L^2 + d^2)
total = SUM($A1:$A10)
stress = IF(ratio > 1, "FAIL", "OK")

Functions are case-insensitive: SUM, Sum, and sum all work.

Aggregate functions​

Aggregate functions accept ranges and multiple arguments:

SUM($A1:$A10)
AVERAGE($B1:$B20)
MAX(10 ft, 12 ft, 8 ft)
MIN($A1:$A5, $B1:$B5)
COUNT($A1:$A100)

Conditional functions​

Apply criteria to filter values:

SUMIF($A1:$A10, ">5")
COUNTIF($B1:$B20, "<>0")
AVERAGEIF($A1:$A10, ">=10 ksi")
SUMIFS($C1:$C10, $A1:$A10, ">0", $B1:$B10, "<100 ft")

Criteria support: >, <, >=, <=, <>, =, and wildcards.

Logical functions​

IF(fb < Fb, "OK", "NG")
AND(x > 0, x < 100 ft)
OR(type = 1, type = 2)
NOT(failed)
IFS(ratio < 0.5, "Light", ratio < 1.0, "OK", ratio >= 1.0, "Over")
SWITCH(grade, 50, "A992", 36, "A36", "Unknown")

Lookup functions​

VLOOKUP(W14x22, $A1:$D50, 3, 0)
HLOOKUP(key, $A1:$Z3, 2, 0)
INDEX($A1:$C10, 3, 2)
MATCH(50 ksi, $A1:$A20, 0)
XLOOKUP(target, $A1:$A10, $B1:$B10, "Not found")

Matrices​

Define matrices with brackets and semicolons:

M = [1, 2; 3, 4]           // 2×2 matrix
v = [10 kip; 20 kip; 30 kip]  // column vector with units

Access elements with index notation:

M[1, 2]                    // row 1, column 2 → 2

Table references​

Reference cells in embedded tables:

TableName[A1]              // single cell
TableName[A1:C10]          // range

Box references (Report Canvas)​

Reference calculation boxes on the report canvas:

Box7                        // value from Box 7

Strings​

Use single or double quotes:

'Hello World'
"Steel Grade A992"

Comments​

Text after // is treated as a comment and ignored by the parser:

L = 20 ft    // span length
w = 1.5 kip/ft  // distributed load

Mixed fractions​

EngCanvas supports mixed fraction notation:

38 3/8 in     // equivalent to 38.375 in

This is parsed as 38 + (3/8).

Next steps​