smartRush Helpcenter

smartRush is an addin for Microsoft Office to automate and standardize repetitive, error-prone tasks in PowerPoint and Excel.
smartRush supports collaboration using Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams and Microsoft OneDrive.
The smartRush product suite consists of the slideRush addin for Microsoft PowerPoint and the sheetRush addin for Microsoft Excel.

Quickstart – start here

The following videos quickly give an overview of some of the main features:

Link PowerPoint to Excel

Create an Excel formula map

smartRush Helpcenter – Table of Contents

• slideRush Ribbon and taskbar in PowerPoint
• sheetRush Ribbon and taskbar in Excel
• Linking Excel data to PowerPoint
• Review of complex Excel models
• Data protection and privacy
• Efficiency when working with PowerPoint
• Efficiency when working with Excel
• Other topics

slideRush Ribbon and Taskpane in PowerPoint®

slideRush Ribbon

The slideRush ribbon can be found in PowerPoint. Please note you can easily access the help article for each button when you press and hold the Right Alt (Alt Gr) key while clicking the respective button. The help article will open in your default browser.

• Panel: Contains the button to show or hide the slideRush taskpane
• Excel Links: Contains the controls to Insert and Manage smartRush items as well as to Add or Manage files
• Privacy: Contains all controls for the Privacy Mode
• Report Finalization: Contains the Report Cleaner, Slide Status and Send presentation or slides
• Font: This group contains PowerPoint’s default font controls so that you do not have to switch ribbon tabs while working
• Color: This group contains PowerPoint’s default color controls
• Helpers: This group contains some common PowerPoint controls
• Shape Tools: Contains controls for shapes including the Switch Position, Cut or Multiply and Align in matrix features. In addition the Select similar shapes features can be found here. The third column contains controls to temporarily hide shapes and to Convert tables to shapes
• Snapshot Align: This group contains all controls in connection with the Snapshot Align feature
• Regular Align: This group contains the default PowerPoint alignment features. When using these buttons the alignment will respect any default slide borders set by the user. The dialog to configure the Default Slide borders can also be found in this group.
• Spacing and Size: This group contains the controls to quickly increase or decrease the spacing between shapes. In addition PowerPoint’s default shape size controls can be found here.
• Stretch and Dock: This group contains the controls for the Stretch and Dock fucntionality
• Navigation: Controls for bookmarks and easy slide navigation can be found here
• General: You can access the Help via this group. By clicking Info you can send logfiles or manage your license. General settings are entered here and Shortcuts can be managed here.

slideRush Taskpane

The slideRush taskpane in PowerPoint can be toggled by using the Toggle Panel button on the left side of the smartRush ribbon.

The slideRush taskpane contains five main categories in connection with linking Excel files to PowerPoint:

• The first tab is to manage the active smartRush item, to update, highlight or unlink smartRush items and to show the history of an item
• The second tab is to apply number, text or date/time formats to smartRush text items
• The third tab is to insert and manage smartRush items
• The fourth tab is to add and manage files including adding files from SharePoint Online or changing passwords

The fifth tab of the slideRush taskpane can be activated by clicking the Report Cleaner button in the slideRush ribbon.

sheetRush Ribbon and Taskpane in Excel®

sheetRush Ribbon

The sheetRush ribbon can be found in Excel. Please note you can easily access the help article for each button when you press and hold the Right Alt (Alt Gr) key while clicking the respective button. The help article will open in your default browser.

• Panel: Contains the button to show or hide the sheetRush taskpane
• Review Tools: This group contains the tools to review complex workbooks including the Formula Analyzer, the Workbook Analyzer, buttons to create formula maps and work with them, including live maps. In addition this group contains the controls to trace dependents and precedents of formulas.
• slideRush: Contains the controls to manage slideRush items in Excel.
• Workbook: This group contains workbook tools including the Workbook Manager, tools to open the current folder, to insert hardcoded values and to send worksheets or the full workbook.
• Font: This group contains Excel’s default font controls.
• Color: This group contains Excel’s default color controls. In addition the Replace Colors functionality can be found here.
• Helpers: This group contains some of Excel’s commonly used helper tools
• General: You can access the Help via this group. By clicking Info you can send logfiles or change your license. General settings are entered here and Shortcuts can be managed here.

sheetRush Taskpane

The sheetRush taskpane in PowerPoint can be toggled by using the Toggle Panel button on the left side of the sheetRush ribbon.

The sheetRush taskpane contains five categories:

• Formula Analyzer to decipher complex Excel formulas
• Formula Map to create formula maps, work with them and work with live maps
• Workbook Manager to organize large workbooks
• Workbook Analyzer to find orphant data
• slideRush items for linking Excel to PowerPoint

Documentation

Linking Excel® data to PowerPoint®

Linking items

• Linking items while working on reports or presentations using the live insert functionality
• Linking items while writing text paragraphs using the quick insert functionality
• Linking items while designing slides or report pages using the smartRush sidebar
• Working with the link library

Working with linked items

• Managing the active slideRush item via the taskbar and the In-Place editor
• Updating linked items
• Interpreting the update summary
• Highlighting linked items
• Unlinking smartRush items
• Finding hardcoded numbers

File management

• Add new Excel workbooks as datasources
• Add files from Microsoft Sharepoint Online
• Add a new Microsoft Sharepoint Online server
• Enter workbook passwords if open or write passwords are required
• Change Excel workbook passwords
• Change any Excel source file to another Excel file and automatically update all links
• Manage Excel files in PowerPoint
• Manage slideRush items in Excel

Managing duplicate issues and settings

• Resolve issues with file IDs
• Fix duplicate items
• Advanced settings

Formatting of linked text items

• Predefined and custom number format
• Predefined and custom text format
• Predefined and custom date and/or time format

Review of complex Excel® workbooks

• Creating formula maps for an efficient and comprehensive review
• Working with formula maps and interpreting results
• Working with live map data directly in the workbook

Data protection and privacy

• Use Privacy Mode when working in public places
• Remove confidential information from Excel using the Workbook Analyzer
• Identify orphant external links and data protection risks in workbooks using the Workbook Analyzer

Efficiency when working with PowerPoint®

• Create perfectly looking presentations using the Report Cleaner
• Save loads of time in PowerPoint using smartRush Shape Alignment
• Quickly adjust shape dimension using Stretch and Dock
• Rearrange slide elements using Switch Positions
• Handle large presentations using Navigation and Bookmarks
• Design once and recycle using Cut or multiply shapes
• Bring your shapes in order using Align shapes in matrix
• Get an overview of the current report status using Slide status
• Savely istribute your reports or presentations using Send slides or presentation
• Set default slide borders for alignment operations
• Additional shape operations

Efficiency when working with Excel®

• Use the Formula Analyzer to manage complex formulas while saving loads of time
• Manage workbooks and worksheets with the Workbook Manager
• Tracing multiple precedents and dependents to quickly understand where numbers come from
• Identifying the source of large workbooks using the Workbook Analyzer
• Savely distribute your workbooks using Send worksheets or workbook
• Remove all formulas in the workbook using Insert hardcoded values
• Easily update colors in your workbook using Replace colors
• Additional Excel tools

Other Help Topics

• Manage shortcuts
• About dialog