Application questions

The following quick guides are available in the Merlin Project documentation area:

• Introduction

Basic Functions:

• Keyboard & Mouse
• Drag & Drop
• Scroll bars
• Save as...

First Steps

• First steps with new projects
• Creating content
• Project structures
• Creating dependencies
• Resources
• Given values

Adjustments and Configuration

• Calendar
• Project settings
• Project content
• Views
• Traits column
• Titel column
• Duration units
• Finance
• Library
• Styles
• Gantt labels
• Time scale
• Restrict Date Range
• Non-working time
• Printing
• Filter
• Find & Replace
• PDF
• Reports
• Publishing
• AppleScript
• Earned Value

The following quick guides are available in the Merlin Project Express documentation area:

Basic Functions:

• Keyboard & Mouse
• Drag & Drop
• Scroll bars
• Save as...

First Steps

• First steps with new projects
• Creating content
• Project structures
• Creating dependencies
• Resources
• Given values

Adjustments and Configuration

• Calendar
• Project settings
• Project content
• Views
• Traits column
• Titel column
• Duration units
• Finance
• Styles
• Gantt labels
• Time scale
• Non-working time
• Printing
• Find & Replace
• PDF

You may find the following Merlin Server quick guides in the Merlin Server documentation area:

• LAN or WLAN
• Sharing documents
• Subscribing documents
• Publishing accounts

Some project templates are already integrated in Merlin Project:

• Client-Website
• General Project Management Plan
• HR Interview Plan
• Product Localization
• Product Roadshow
• Project Kick-Off
• Simple Milestone Basis
• Single Family Home
• Software Development
• Software Selection and Implementation
• Strategic Plan

In Merlin Project on macOS, the templates are available via "File > New from Template".
Merlin Project Go on the iOS device, offers the templates when you tap on '+' in the Documents list and select afterwards 'New Document…'

Some project templates are already integrated in Merlin Project Express:

• Big birthday
• Online advertising campaign
• Road trip
• Simple activity plan
• Start of self employment
• Wedding

The templates are available via "File > New from Template".

Yes. Merlin Project supports Kanban. It is delivered with two Kanban views: Kanban and Kanban Compact.

Just use the Kanban view to gather your to-dos as cards in the left column. Then simply move the cards column-by-column to the right as the project progresses until they are completed.

You can either use the pre-configured Kanban boards or create your own arrangements and card layouts.

Read more in our Kanban quick guide.

In some predefined 'Work breakdown' and 'Report' views and in the 'Plan' inspector, Merlin shows Status information. The status is presented in form of traffic light-colored shapes which are abstract but easily identifiable even to those with vision problems:

Black = check mark
Red = square
Yellow = triangle
Green = circle
No colour = empty circle

The activity status can not be assigned manually, as it is a calculated value. These are its possible states:

Black: Activity is complete
Red: Activity behind schedule (>10%)
Yellow: Activity slightly behind schedule (=<10%)
Green: Activity on time
No colour: Future or unscheduled activity, activity pending

Yes, in Merlin Project. This is controlled by the resources contained in a project file. Just declare a resource as a user (by enabling its 'is user' option) and you may define a password and/or access permissions.
A password-protected file will prompt you for a user-resource name and password even if opened in Merlin Project, Merlin Project Express or Merlin Project Go.

Currently, all Merlin products are available in English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and simplified Chinese; additional languages are to follow.

You don’t need to load a specific language version. The application starts in the language you configured in the system preferences.

If using Merlin Project on your mac, you can however select to run the application in another localization. To do so, select the desired application language in the Merlin Project preferences.

Merlin Project Go always runs in the system language of the iOS device, or defaults to English.

Currently, Merlin Project Express is available in English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese and simplified Chinese; additional languages are to follow.

You don’t need to load a specific language version. Merlin starts in the language you configured in the system preferences.

Cloud-based file sharing and synchronization services like iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive etc. are very popular. Users like them, because they synchronize changes among different locations and devices. Applications however need to take extra care to avoid crashes or even data loss.

Yes, Merlin Project supports all cloud services.

Technical details

A Merlin Project document is a complex database organized in so-called bundles. Such bundles are nothing else than concealed folders which contain subfolders and files. With the exception of iCloud Drive, typical Cloud services do not support the concept of bundles. Merlin Project prevents synchronization conflicts with Cloud services and therefore avoids possible issues.

There are numerous cloud storage services. Most popular services among iOS users are iCloud Drive, Dropbox, GoogleDrive, Box.com and OneDrive. In a perfect world Merlin Project Go would be able to open and edit files from all available services. Due to technical limitations - mainly because of the way the cloud storage services are implemented - not all services can be used for all kinds of file exchange.

So which cloud storage can be used for a round trip and which for import or export?

For a round trip to the Merlin Project file - that is for open, read and write access to the same file from a cloud storage - Merlin Project Go supports following cloud services:

• iCloud Drive by Apple, Inc.
• Dropbox

Note: To open a file from your iCloud Drive, start your Merlin Project Go app, switch to the Documents list, tap on '+', then on 'Load Document…' and finally on 'iCloud drive'.
To open a file from Dropbox, you proceed similar. You need however to add a Dropbox account first. To do so, tap on '+', then on 'Load Document…', afterwards on 'Manage Accounts…' and 'Add Account' to select 'Dropbox', where you enter your credentials in the next dialogue.

To import a file from another cloud storage - that is to open a file and save changes on the local iOS device - Merlin Project Go can access following cloud services in addition:

• Box.com
• Google Drive (as zip archive)

Note: Box.com or the GoogleDrive aren't listed in the popover which comes when you tap on 'Load Document…'.
To open a file from Box.com or the GoogleDrive, you need to tap on 'iCloud drive', then on 'Locations' and select Box, Drive or any other cloud service you have configured on your iOS device.

To export a file to a cloud storage - that is to share saved information from the local device to a cloud storage - Merlin Project Go supports:

• Dropbox
• Google Drive
• Box.com

Why not supporting Box, GoogleDrive, etc for the round trip?

One main difference among the various cloud services is whether or not they support file open or just import mode.

Important: File open mode is required for reading/writing changes from/into the same file.
File import mode allows you to read information from the file, makes it impossible to write the changes on the same file over the iOS app.

Further reason is that Merlin Project documents are so called bundles, which is actually folders containing several other files comprising the document. With the exception of iCloud Drive, cloud services do not know or fully support this concept. That means, some cloud solutions show a Merlin Project file as a folder with sub files, others zip the bundle file automatically.

Do you want to edit a file in multiuser mode?

When a round trip for one user isn't enough, the iCloud Drive/Dropbox synchronization cycles do not suffice, or your security policy does not allow you to use cloud services, you require a Merlin Server for Merlin Project. Merlin Server does not need a specific cloud storage service and syncs automatically changes from/to the various devices.

Is there another way to forward a file without cloud or Merlin Server?

Yes, you can share a Merlin Project Go file over AirDrop. AirDrop does not need a specific cloud storage service or a Merlin Server installation. Just tap on 'Share' and then on AirDrop to select another device listed there.

In case you setup WebDAV server on mac OS Sierra or El Capitan, it will be enabled in encrypted (secured) mode.

In Merlin Project you can use WebDAV for publishing.
To insert the account:

• Call 'Merlin Project > Preferences > Accounts'
• Insert the WebDAV account via ' + > WebDAV'
• Enter your access data to that WebDAV.
• And enable the Encryption.

Is everything correct, you will see a green dot for the connection status.

New activities are per default assigned to the Default Resource. Financial values or Available Units defined on the Default Resource apply to all unassigned activities. That lets Merlin calculate expected costs and scheduling information.

Also… when restricting permissions to a project by using user-resources, Default Resource is the user-resource which allows "Guest access" to the file. To disable "Guest access", you can simply disable the 'Is User' option of the Default Resource.

That being said, no… you are not allowed to delete the Default Resource from a project.

Yes, you can style any element of your project. That could be bars, cards or circles in the mind map, text of the rows, headers, separator lines between columns or rows, etc.
To style your bars simply perform a secondary click onto them and select 'Style and Content > Bars' to enter the Styles inspector.

To style the bars of the currently selected row(s), just use the options of the For Selection tab.

If you need to style multiple bars matching a specific condition, use the options of the By Rules tab and select first a matching condition, before performing any style changes.

Discover more about styles in the styles quick guide.

Related video

According to Apple GUI recommendations scrollbars are invisible per default and appear in a window when there’s content that doesn’t fit into the window’s current size.

You may choose however overwrite this preference option. Just open the 'General' system preference and enable 'Show Always'.

Please find more information on how to use scrollbars in macOS on the Apple Support website.

Yes. To enable the time line for the Gantt Chart of a Merlin Project file, just click any Gantt Chart ruler and enable the ‘Time Line' option in the time scale inspector.

In this same inspector you will also find an option to enable the coloring for the ‘Current Time Unit’ if required.

Related video

Merlin Project offers three filter options controlling how filtered results are shown as soon as the filter is applied:

Show non-matching hierarchy

This view option shows non-matching filter results. The hierarchy will remain as it is and the titles will be grayed out.

Show only matching hierarchy

This display option lets you list the filter results hierarchically when activities and groups satisfy the filter criteria.
Non-matching results will not be shown.

Show as a flat list

This view option lists the filter results without any hierarchy. Non-matching results will not be shown.

Related video

You can limit the visible date range in the Time scale inspector.

Just click a Gantt ruler row to get the Time scale inspector, enter the start and end dates for the visible range.

Hide Rows

Per default Merlin Project will hide all tasks planed before and after this period and present a subset of its activities and the respective Gantt. You may however choose to show the other rows while limiting the Gantt.

Related video

Sure. In Merlin Project you may enable a filter, limit the visible date range or use the Details window before printing.

Filter

Limit Date Range

Details area

Enable the Details and select the same view configuration as in the main part of the window. Select in the main view the part you want to print, see the 'Details' view showing selection and sub-structures. Click any row of the Details and print from there.

In Merlin products on mac you have 3 labels for Gantt bar elements. The default view in Merlin Project shows the titles on the left and assigned resources on the right side of the Gantt Chart bars. In Merlin Project Express you get one label on the right side.

To enable the left labels on your Gantt…

• You ctrl-click in the left area of a Gantt Chart bar and select ‘Style and Content > Labels'

• Switch to the 'General' tab of the Styles inspector

• Select the 'Title' column from the available list of 'Content'.

Should you have clicked something else, maybe the middle label, to get access to the left or right labels, just click the right label in the sample of the bar model before you do any changes.

Yes. You can position your logo in the print out. Just call File > Print > Show Details and use the 'Watermark' print options.

Yes. To view Merlin Project documents download and use Merlin Project on your mac. Upon the start of the application you may decide whether you like to subscribe, start the 30 day trial or use it only for reading.

Select 'Only Use for Reading' to have it as a free viewer for Merlin Project documents.

In case you do decide to start the demo, after the demo period expires, you can still use Merlin Project as a viewer and open existing documents but you can not do any changes or export the file in any way which includes printing.

Again, to have the app as a free viewer for Merlin Project documents, you need to click onto 'Only Use for Reading'.

To view Merlin Project Express documents, just use the app without starting any subscriptions. More about Merlin Project Express.

No. To work with the Merlin Project Go, you need a valid subscription.

Without a subscription, you can still access the list of your documents and export them, but you are not able to open or modify them.

Yes, some of our support article in the blog and the questions and answers section already contain video tutorials, more will follow. You will find them all in the Merlin Project YouTube channel.

The following topics have already been handled:

• Which Merlin version do I have?
• First Steps
• Basic scheduling
• Filter
• Show time line or current unit
• Limit date range
• Style your bars
• Color bars by construction trades
• Monitoring risks
• iCloud Drive syncing
• Hammock task
• Merlin Project Mind Map

In addition, our partner LGO Knowledge has published some instruction videos on the following topics:

• Customizing the calendar
• Using the library
• Creating users
• Using templates
• Connecting to Merlin Server

But there are more to follow.

You are missing a topic? Contact us. We will gladly add it to the list for you.

Yes. We work together with external trainers who offer different types of trainings face to face as well as online.

Please click here to see all current offers.