BESHStatNG 0.4.6.0 is out: 3D Objects for XYZ Scatterplot, first batch of Excel UDFs, and Auto Update

BESHStatNG v0.4.6.0 delivers improvements aimed at making the add-in more visual, more “worksheet-native”, and easier to keep up to date:

XYZ 3D Scatterplot enhancements, including 3D wireframe objects (sphere and ellipsoid) and axis flipping.
A first batch of Excel User Defined Functions (UDFs) covering distribution CDFs, selected nonparametric tests, and survival-analysis related tests.
A new Auto Update feature to simplify receiving future releases.

Online help has been updated with usage details and examples:
https://beshstat.eu/beshstatng/help/latest/

1) XYZ 3D Scatterplot: overlay 3D objects (wire sphere & wire ellipsoid)

The XYZ 3D Scatterplot tool now supports overlaying 3D wireframe objects on the plot—currently sphere and ellipsoid. This is useful for annotating a 3D cloud with reference geometry such as regions of interest, tolerances, or expected bounds.

What’s new

3D Objects tab: define one or more objects in Excel as a table (range-based input).
Supported objects:
- Sphere (wire sphere)
- Ellipsoid (wire ellipsoid)
Axis flipping per axis to change direction (front/back, left/right) while keeping the plot readable.

How it works (high level)

The plot is rendered as a projected 3D → 2D visualization on top of an Excel XY scatter chart (not Excel’s native 3D chart type). Wire objects use the same projection pipeline, so they remain consistent with the point cloud during rotations, axis flips, and zoom/pan.

Inputs: mixed object table (single range)

Objects are defined row-by-row: type, center coordinates X/Y/Z, and then size columns. A single mixed table can contain both object types (recommended: use 7 columns so ellipsoids are supported):

Sphere: type, X, Y, Z, diameter
Ellipsoid: type, X, Y, Z, diameterX, diameterY, diameterZ

Supported type values are case-insensitive and include convenient aliases (e.g. s / sphere / wire_sphere, and e / ellipsoid / wire_ellipsoid).

Wireframe density and appearance

The wireframe quality and appearance are controlled via:

Number of latitude rings
Number of longitude rings
Points per ring
Color (RGB)

Higher values generally look smoother but can slow down rendering because the wireframe is drawn as series data in Excel.

See the full documentation for the XYZ 3D Scatterplot and 3D Objects:
XYZ 3D Scatterplot help.

2) Excel UDFs: first batch of worksheet functions (Distributions / Nonparametric / Survival)

This release exposes the first batch of Excel worksheet functions (“UDFs”), so you can compute key results directly in cells—useful for dashboards, reproducible sheets, and integrating BESHStatNG computations into larger models.

What’s included in the first batch

Selected distribution CDFs
Selected nonparametric test functions
Selected survival-analysis related tests

The UDF documentation is available online and is generated from the XML documentation in the codebase:
UDF documentation.

Where to find them in Excel

In Excel’s Function Wizard, these functions appear under categories such as:

BESHStatNG - Distributions
BESHStatNG - Nonparametric
BESHStatNG - Survival

3) Auto Update: smoother rollout of new releases

BESHStatNG v0.4.6.0 introduces an Auto Update feature to reduce friction in rolling out new releases. The goal is simple: when updates are available, users shouldn’t need to hunt for installers or wonder whether they’re running the latest version.

Note: In managed/enterprise environments, IT policies may affect installation and update behavior.

Help & documentation

All features above are documented in the online help:

What’s next

The 3D Objects architecture is designed to grow: spheres and ellipsoids are the first two building blocks, and additional shapes (e.g., prisms, pyramids, custom polyhedra) can be added without changing the core XYZ scatterplot workflow.

Similarly, the UDF set will expand over time—this release is the starting point for bringing more of the BESHStatNG engine into worksheet-level functions.