[MacBerry]

OK, got that out of my system!

One of many features I'd like in OF is templates. Lots of my projects (such as "Instal cooling for Acme") have very similar steps, or at least a common skeleton., and it's a pain having to enter them all manually each time.

OF doesn't have templates, but it does have import. You need either OmniPlan or OmniOutliner for this to work, but not both. I have OP.

So, I create a new OP document, with all the steps I want in my master OF project, including any common data such as duration and notes (though sadly not attachments/links), and then export it as an OmniOutliner oo3 file.

Obviously with OO you'd do the same but just save it, but I've not tested that as I don't have OO.

In OF you can then simply import the document, which very conveniently will land in inbox ready for assigning a project etc. You can even import the same document over and over before editing anything.

When you go to import, you're offered the opportunity to edit the field mappings, so for example I now have "assignment" in OP mapped to "context" in OF.

It would be nice to think you could export a project from OF, to use as a template in the future, but it looks like you can only export the whole OF document, AND can't import one OF document into another. You may be able to do it using one of the other file formats OF will export to though.

I created this in OF with just four clicks - took about 5 seconds - once I'd created the template as described above:



Incidentally, I created the template itself in about 20 seconds, by double clicking on an MS Project file a client had sent me by e-mail, then exporting it from OP!

[skitle]

Thanks for the tip! I also have many similar repeating projects and will use this in the future!

[curt.clifton]

Cool. Can you change a master project date in OmniPlan and have the child dates update? That's what I really need. I've been using a homegrown script for that since the early sneaky peaks.

[MacBerry]

Originally Posted by curt.clifton

Cool. Can you change a master project date in OmniPlan and have the child dates update? That's what I really need. I've been using a homegrown script for that since the early sneaky peaks.

Hmm. I'm not completely understanding what that script does, or your question. I think it overcomes the issue with my imported OO file, where all the dates come from the original OP project, which will be related to the creation date, not today's date? But I don't understand what "placeholders" are in this context?

In my method I'm suggesting that the exported file (in oo3 format) is kept, and re-imported every time you want to create a new OF project from it, so whether or not OP can update dates wouldn't help, but your script might. You could save the OP file instead, adjust it in OP when you want to use it in OF, then export to oo3 and import to OF, as I think OP does do what you mention now (not tested). I guess it comes down to which is quicker; your script or adjust in OP, export, import.

Mark

[MacBerry]

Curt,

I've downloaded your script, and from the instructions it looks like a better way to implement templates (though I think my method is pretty cool!).

However, I don't have an OmniFocus folder in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications, and can't create one as only the system has write permission. I am using a full account.

Any ideas?

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by MacBerry

Curt,

I've downloaded your script, and from the instructions it looks like a better way to implement templates (though I think my method is pretty cool!).

However, I don't have an OmniFocus folder in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications, and can't create one as only the system has write permission. I am using a full account.

Any ideas?

You must be looking at /Library/Scripts/Applications, not the Library/Scripts/Applications in your home folder, or your permissions are amiss. You definitely ought to have write permission to that folder. If you don't, and can't get it on a laptop in your physical possession, I'm somewhat pessimistic about your career prospects as a hacker :-)

[MacBerry]

It's definitely the one in my home folder, and I've repaired my permissions with no luck, so I don't know what's going on :(

Mark

[MacBerry]

Odd. I had to add myself as a user for that folder, and give myself apropriate permissions.

Anyway, all working now.

Mark

[curt.clifton]

It's possible that some installer for some other application created your ~/Library/Scripts/Application folder with the wrong permissions, perhaps sometime in the distant past. Anyway, I'm glad you sorted it out!

[MacBerry]

Thanks Curt.

I have only one problem with the script, which is brilliant! It's setting due date times to 00.00 rather than my default of 23.59. This messes up my dates throughout the project.

I can work around it by setting the date to e.g. "24/09/2008 23:59" when asked, but I'm trying to avoid that as I don't use times. Is there an edit I can make to the script - even if it fixes the times as I want them in the code, rather than looking for some default?

The template project is set up with 23:59 as the due time, if that helps?

If only OF had an option to turn times off :(

Cheers,

Mark