MS Project import – User defined fields
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 12. March 2010
If you have MS Projects containing user defined columns and need to edit them in Merlin, simply save those files in the MS Project XML exchange format. Open the XML file later on in Merlin, click any activity in your project and check the ‘User Defined Fields’ tab. You will find them all listed there displaying their contents.
Please note:
MS Project will not save the custom titles into the XML file, so Merlin displays their column identifier.
Tip:
- If you have only one user defined field simply edit its title in the ‘User Defined Fields’ tab
- If you have imported various user defined fields at once, you may want to display first the columns on the outline to know which column title fits which content.
Isn’t great? Not only seamless import of MS Project files but also to this deeper extend. Merlin never ceases to amaze me 
Tags: MS Project, User defined fields, XML
Merlin on a web browser
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 5. March 2010
The other day we received the following question in support:
We are testing Merlin for project management on the Mac and are very interested to use your solution but there is one functionality which seems to be not covered in the web access; we are not able to add elements (risk, issue, or files)
That’s correct. Merlin in the web module allows users working on other platforms to collaborate on Merlin files using a web browser*. It is not just another implementation of the Merlin Mac OS X application for the web.
While behaving similarly to the native Merlin application, its functionality and graphical user interface is deliberately minimalized** to insure better usability from web users not having deeper Merlin knowledge.
_
*) Supported web browser: IE7, IE8 in compatibility mode, Safari 4, Firefox 3
**) All differences between Merlin on Mac OS X and in the Web module: here
Tags: Elements, Merlin, Merlin Web
Merlin import of EXCEL files
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 2. March 2010
Merlin can import seamlessly lots of file formats, here a list of the currently supported formats:
- MS Project (.mpx, .mpp, .xml)
- OmniOutliner (.ooutline, .oo3)
- OmniPlan (.omniplan)
- NovaMind (.nmind)
- MindManager (.mmap)
- Merlin 1 (.merlin)
- Merlin 2 (.xml)
- Text files (.txt, .csv, .tsv)
- OPML files (.opal)
So you look on the list above, have project WBS saved in MS EXCEL and don’t know how to proceed?
Tags: Excel, Import, Integration, Merlin, Merlin 101
Applescript: Shifting activity starting dates at once
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 26. February 2010
From time to time we get asked in support, how to shift all given planned starting dates at once in Merlin projects to a new date while maintaining the slacks.
If the activities are linked together, the user may use the dynamic shifting project setting, and define a new planned starting date for the first activity. The linkages between activities will shift the successor activities as needed.
If the activities are set to specific starting dates, and you want to shift them all by the same amount of time, you may consider writing an AppleScript to read the given planned earliest start dates of the activities, apply the desired time offset, and write the new date back onto the activities of the project.
But why bothering writing a new Applescript from the scratch, when there is already one which we have just written doing so? Spend your time on managing your projects, not on scripting. Be lazy and productive. Just click here to download it
Tags: Applescript, Merlin, Merlin 101
Merlin: CSV duration units
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 22. February 2010
There is a new feature in Merlin 2.7.6 and its CSV reading & writting possibilities.
You can now define the unit for the durations and choose one of the following: Seconds, Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, Calendarweeks, Months and Years.
This is very practical in case you want to import project information in spreadsheets of MS Excel, Numbers, etc and need further calculations referencing duration data.
In this case simply choose the appropriate unit when exporting. Merlin will recalculate project durations if necessary in the output.
Merlin: PM Templates
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 4. February 2010
It’s so easy starting new projects in Merlin. It comes with a number of PM templates for you to use. Simply call File > New Project… and choose the appropriate one. Do you want to hire a consultant, plan product design, engineering projects, software development, etc? You are all setup with Merlin.
In Merlin’s user forum in Google and in support we find occasionally the question, where one could find more project management templates.
(more…)
Tags: Merlin, Merlin 101, Templates
How similar is Merlin to…
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 27. January 2010
One of the questions we get from experienced project managers which have used MS Project on Windows and are looking now for a project management on the Mac, is the following:
How similar is Merlin to that product?
Well, Merlin and MS Project are both programs for project management but for different operating systems and with different concepts. Merlin is designed for Mac OS X only and works perfectly together with the integrated software like Address Book or iCal.
The easiest way to see the differences is to download the demo version from our website and give it a try.
If you prefer doing some reading before testing, here you are. A post of a Merlin user comparing the two software approaches: Merlin vs MS Project
Tags: Merlin, Merlin vs MS Project
Merlin: iCal calendar import
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 11. January 2010
Did you know? I had not until now. You can import iCal calendar onto your project or resource calendars and get the entries added as exceptions. Cool, isn’t it?
For those of you, like me, not knowing this functionality until now, here is how to proceed:
- You locate the iCal calendar you want to import(*) to your Merlin project.
- Open your Merlin project, select the top most entry in the outline, switch to the calendar tab on the inspector and call ‘Import…’. (more…)
Tags: Calendar, iCal, Integration, Merlin, Merlin 101, Screencast
MerlinDayliteLink update available
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 9. December 2009
Our partner LgoConsulting updated MerlinDayliteLink.
What’s that?
MerlinDaylite-Link is a tool that allows information to be shared between the two programs, Merlin and Daylite. This gives you access to the power of Merlin for professional project management to manage and plan a project, whilst sharing the outcome with Daylite’s team and business management tools.
What’s new, why updating?
- Changed the menu names to make simpler to use.
- Added the ability to send Milestones to Daylite as Events.
- MerlinDayliteLink takes the expected dates from Merlin rather than defaulting to the planned dates.
- A number of bug fixes.
More information on MerlinDayliteLite can be found here
Tags: Daylite, Integration, Merlin, Update
Merlin: Melting Clocks
Vicky Stamatopoulou on 8. December 2009
What is time? An illusion for some. What is time when planning a project? Double so…
There seams to be so much of it when entering activities or assigning resources, while deadlines come almost always earlier than expected…
But nothing to worry about. Merlin knows just exactly how to handle time.
Take the date format as displayed in columns or the inspector for example.
Tags: Merlin, Merlin 101
PMOT, AGILE Tweets
- RT @AgilistaPM: IT Contracting Growth in Jobs – 4% in 2010 http://bit.ly/c4nhUX #pmp #pmot #agile coolassmike (coolassmike)
- RT @vhernandez: Well-formed teams will exhibit a "team swarm" pattern after they mature; read more - http://bit.ly/bSfdtw #Agile #Scrum #Kanban #pm #pmot asplake (Mike Burrows)
- Green Eggs and Ham are... http://bit.ly/cbvAr4 #pmot #agile #kanban derekhuether (Derek Huether, PMP)
- RT @ninusch01: Skills and attidues of an #agile #developer: http://j.mp/dgYjvU - It's much more than just developing #pmot #scrum niravbpatel (Nirav Patel)
- IT Contracting Growth in Jobs – 4% in 2010 http://bit.ly/c4nhUX #pmp #pmot #agile AgilistaPM (Donna Reed)