Combining Projects

If you wish to observe multiple project files in one Gantt chart, you need to combine your projects into one, Master, file. You can combine your project files using drag & drop or Merlin menus.

Why should I combine projects?

Here are some scenarios that might benefit from combining projects:

  • Master and Sub-Projects: Often extremely long or large projects are divided into different sub-projects, which are, supervised by several project managers. These sub-projects can be consolidated in one master project.
  • Multiple Projects Overview: In many firms or project organizations a certain number of projects is always in progress. To keep an overview of the “big picture,” individual projects (even if only temporarily) can be combined together.

How to combine projects:

  1. Locate the projects you would like to combine.
  2. Drag all of the desired projects onto the Merlin application icon
  3. Determine if you wish to open the files individually or combine them

You can also accomplish the same using the "File - Combine Projects…" menu.

Things to know about combined files

Combined files considerations

Although projects are combined into one master file, the following issues need to be kept in mind.

  • Changes to each file will be saved back to the individual file
  • Each project has it own calendar, settings, resources and resources calendars
  • Dependencies that cross projects can not be created.
  • If resources are used across multiple combined projects, you will see multiple instances of the same resource in the Resources View. This is expected behaviour

How to save a "Master" file

If you wish to combine the projects into one master file that you can reuse, you need to save the master file. Here is how to do it.

  1. Combine your projects as described above
  2. Choose "File - Save As…"
  3. Select the location and name of the master file

Remember that the master file is a conduit to the other project files. Even after saving the master file, changes to the combined files will be saved back to there respective files.

Note: We recommend you focus on using the "Utilization" view as it lists all the resources and their assignments. The following columns might be useful to show.


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