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-   -   MPP import still has wrong dates (http://forums.omnigroup.com/showthread.php?t=24114)

michaelaye 2012-05-04 05:04 AM

MPP import still has wrong dates
 
Anybody else having nightmares with no MPP being correctly imported?
The major flaw in the import currently seems to be that the exceptions of the work calendar are not being imported as off-time, therefore the durations are being calculated wrongly.

Is there any version of OP, maybe even the good ol' 1.7, that can do this?

I'm really getting tired of cross-checking the imported dates with MS Project via Crossover, it should be reliable. Or just plain removed from OP's advertised feature list.

Regards,
Michael

whpalmer4 2012-05-04 08:24 AM

Have you tried the new importer in 2.1, which you have to explicitly enable? If that fails, too, I'm sure they'd appreciate some files demonstrating the failure...


Microsoft Project Import/Export

OmniPlan 2.1 ships with completely rewritten Microsoft Project import and export and can now export .mpp files. By default, we continue to use the old code, but if you would like to help us debug the rewritten import/export code, use this hidden default:

defaults write com.omnigroup.OmniPlan2 UseNativeMSPFilters -bool true
defaults write com.omnigroup.OmniPlan.MacAppStore UseNativeMSPFilters -bool true

To return to the app's default settings:

defaults remove com.omnigroup.OmniPlan2 UseNativeMSPFilters
defaults remove com.omnigroup.OmniPlan.MacAppStore UseNativeMSPFilters

Supported import formats are MPP 2003, 2007, 2010 and MSPDI (XML) 2003, 2007. Supported export formats are MPP 2010 and MSPDI (XML) 2007.

michaelaye 2012-05-04 09:42 AM

[QUOTE=whpalmer4;110087]Have you tried the new importer in 2.1, which you have to explicitly enable? If that fails, too, I'm sure they'd appreciate some files demonstrating the failure...
[/QUOTE]
Sure thing. OG had my bug report before I was writing here.
I tested the new importer a few months ago and gave up on it because it was crashing on me for bigger mpp files. I duly reported them as always, I'm sure Aaron has me marked in his address book, but I never received any feedback if the files I sent in do work now with improved versions.

So I gave the new importer a shot with this little 91 lines mpp file.
Results:
Pro:
* Work schedule exceptions from the MPP calendar seem to be correctly imported now
* 0 days (= milestons in mpp) are now imported as milestones.
Contra:
* lead or lag times on prerequisites are not being imported (they are correctly imported with the old importer, though.)
* one task that should have a lag time prerequisite got somehow so much corrupted, leading to:
** an untrue violation (at least the way it was displayed: Duration plus start time would violate end constraint). But 1. there is no end constraint in the mpp file, and 2. the duration fits in the mpp file with the same start and end dates, so it should fit in the OP file.
** when clearing the leveling (I guess OP levels the file to adhere to the calendar constraints?) this corrupted task got placed before its FS constraint, which never should happen, at least not without a big fat violation warning.
** scaling the Gantt chart via "Scale for selection" while on automatic units was totally broken.

(Again, this bug has been reported before I wrote this post.)

So, all in all, I think OG is on the right way, but there's still some work to do.
So far, after working on the Mac for 4.5 years now, I'm still waiting for the day an MPP file can be imported correctly.
I understand that OG has to do reverse engineering for MPP files, but then, IMHO, I would not advertise that it works, and lead and lag times isn't really witchcraft in a schedule file.

Best regards,
Michael

michaelaye 2012-05-21 05:21 AM

What would be the command to check which importer I have currently active?
Cheers,
Michael

glinton2 2012-06-11 08:29 AM

Also having this issue
 
I download the 14 day trial of OmniPlan wanting to give it a test drive as I primarily use Mac but we are doing more projects in the office. My coworker sent me an MS Project 2010 file and when I opened it in OmniPlan, the dates were not imported correctly.

michaelaye 2012-06-18 12:07 AM

Check if lead and lag times on the prerequisite links have been imported properly. For me this is the reason why dates are still not imported correctly.

michaelaye 2012-06-18 12:15 AM

just checked how Merlin, the big competitor of Omniplan is currently doing with MPP imports, and they can import lead and lag times without problems it seems. Merlin's interface is more cluttered though, so I find it harder to use, but needless to say, if the dates are not correct, I will need to change back to Merlin for now.

dkb 2012-06-19 01:44 AM

Converting from Project 2010 but...
 
...not even close. My (rather complex) timeline went from a few months in MS Project to a few YEARS in Omniplan! I agree with other posters that it may be premature to advertise this feature.

michaelaye 2012-06-19 02:07 AM

[QUOTE=dkb;111712] [...] I agree with other posters that it may be premature to advertise this feature.[/QUOTE]

That must have been me. ;) I am fighting import problems for years, and for some reasons priorities have always been at more features and not to get the dates right for collaboration. This is unfortunately true for both the big guns in scheduling on the Mac, Merlin and Omniplan.

reiback 2014-01-31 05:46 AM

This import issues are a deal breaker for me.
 
[QUOTE=michaelaye;111713]That must have been me. ;) I am fighting import problems for years, and for some reasons priorities have always been at more features and not to get the dates right for collaboration. This is unfortunately true for both the big guns in scheduling on the Mac, Merlin and Omniplan.[/QUOTE]

Fortunately, I could download a trial version and I experienced the same issues you mentioned. This is a deal breaker for me. I have to look elsewhere for a PM-tool for OSX. Too bad. I really like Omnigroup's Omnifocus and Omnigraffle. I thought this was equivalent in quality.


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