XER Import Guide

• Import XER File
• Import Tasks
• Reimporting an Updated XER File
• Trace or Hide Dependency Lines

XER File Preparation

To ensure a smooth import of your schedule data into Hoylu, a few prerequisites must be met.

Before exporting, confirm that you know where your team information is stored so the data can be properly mapped during import. You will have the option within Hoylu to assign this data to the correct fields.

For tasks to populate with your Resources and withing the correct Swimlanes during import, Hoylu needs to know where to find the corresponding associations. This information should come from Activity Codes or User Defined Fields (UDFs) within your P6 or project data. You’ll be able to select the appropriate dataset that maps to swimlanes during the import process. Note that WBS Codes cannot be used for this purpose.

Once your file has been exported as an XER file, it will be ready for import into Hoylu, and you can follow the steps below.

Import XER File

When opening a Blank Workspace from the Dashboard, you will see an overlay prompting you to either proceed with a Blank Workspace, set up a Plan using the Plan Wizard, or launching the Import Wizard. If you choose this option, the Import Wizard will bypass the Plan, Team, and Swimlane Wizards, as they will be automatically created based off the information in your file.

You can also begin the importing process in any existing Workspace by dragging and dropping the file directly into the Workspace. Hoylu will remember which file you had originally imported locally on your device until you re-import another file. 

🚧  Caution: Make sure your file has been converted to a .CSV or an .XER format. If it is in any other format, Hoylu will import the file as a series of images. 

1. Drag and drop or browse your device for an XER file.
    
2. Click the Finish button
    
3. In the following Import window, match the fields in Hoylu to the corresponding fields in your file by clicking on the dropdown and selecting the necessary field. This will allow you to either select the Activity Codes or UDF Codes in this case.
   • Team: This will automatically add the trade names to the Teams list so you can bypass setting them up.
   • Label: If using it for Swimlane names, Hoylu will automatically place the Tasks in the correct Swimlane; any additional field you add as a "Label" will show that information as a Label on the bottom right corner of the Task

1. Click the blue Change Configuration button to modify the Saved Default Import Configuration, which is set to "Imported elements will be added as a/an Activity and will be placed on the Whiteboard."
    
2. In the Configure Import window, use the dropdown menus to change how the Tasks will appear (as an Activity or an Unplanned, Planned, or Committed Task) and where they will appear in the Workspace (on the Whiteboard or in Swimlanes -- which will prompt you to choose the target Swimlane at the top, by Team, or by Label)
   • Warning: If you choose your import to appear in the Workspace as an Activity, remember that they will not skip weekends, so prioritize mapping Start and End Dates only.
      
3. Click the Close button and see your changes reflected in the statement above the Change Configuration button (this can still be changed from the Task Import window later on)
    
4. Click the Save Mapping button on the bottom right corner of the window

Import Tasks

Once you click Save Mapping, your Task Import window will open.

• Use the Filter by dropdown to narrow down what Tasks you would like to bring in
   
• Use the calendar icons by the Start Date and End Date options to narrow down the timespan of your import
   
• Use the search bar to manually find your Tasks
   
• Click the checkbox on the top left corner to Select all Tasks within the defined purviews
   
• Click the checkbox on the bottom left corner to show Tasks that may already have been imported
   
• If you do not have a Plan in the Workspace already, Hoylu will create one for you (as depicted in Figure 3), but if you do have a Plan and your import requires additional weeks to be added to the Timeline, a red Add Weeks button will appear so that Hoylu can place your selected Tasks into the correct dates
   

😎  Pro Tip: If you want to add Tasks to the whiteboard area to simulate a parking lot, click and drag them off the Task Import Window using the dots on the left side of each into empty whiteboard space.

Remember!

If you have chosen to import elements as Activities, be aware that they will no longer function as regular Tasks, but as Activities, which appear in inverse colors as Tasks but will have a snowflake icon on the status button to indicate they are "frozen" in the Workspace and are meant to be unchanging. Only Workspace admins will be able to remove them from the Workspace. 

For more information, check out this article about Activities.

😎  Pro Tip: Use the Swimlane Settings to Clean Up the imported Tasks or Activities so they don't overlap. You will also find 'Clean Up and Resize All' at the three dot menu under within each Monday of the week, this will speed up the process. See this article to learn more about our Swimlane Settings.

Trace or Hide Dependency Lines

The Upstream Connections and Downstream Connections (predecessors and successors) from any imported file will be visualized in Hoylu by a dashed and dotted line. However, they will not act like Hoylu dependencies and show conflicts when the dependent Tasks begin to overlap. You must Trace the imported lines.

Hoylu Activities will not have the ability to trace dependency lines, all other imported types will have this capability.

1. Click on the Connection Icon on the top left corner of any Imported Task
    
2. Click on the Trace icon to the right of a Connected Task in the Connections Menu
    
3. Click on the checkbox to Trace all imported connection lines if desired

😎  Pro Tip: If you want to hide the Imported Connections after you Trace them, use the Control Center to set all Imported Connections to Never. This can help if you want to re-draw the dependencies as well. See this article for more information.

In case the file has a lot of dependencies or predecessor/successor relationships, you have the option to ignore the dependencies when loading the file in order to reduce the loading time of the imported file. 

1. In the Control Center, select the Connections section
    
2. Navigate to Connection Visibility
    
3. Click on the dropdown for Imported Connections
    
4. Select the Ignore on Load option

Reimporting an Updated XER File

If you wish to re-import an updated XERfile, Hoylu will remember the original mapping so you do not have to do it all over again. Hoylu will only show the new Tasks that have been added to the XER until you click the option to show already imported checkbox on the bottom left corner.

Click on the plus button on the Hoylu Toolbar

1. Click on Import Schedule
    
2. Drag and drop your updated XER or click the Change File button to find it
    
3. Click the Change Configuration button if you need to
    
4. Click the Save Mapping button
    
5. Once your Task Import window is open again, use the filters to find the additional objects you would like to import

🚧  Caution: If you have Tasks that are already on the Plan and have updated information in a new XER file, you must click the show already imported checkbox, select the updated Tasks in the Window, and click Place on Plan. If you select all the Tasks and click Place on Plan, all the imported Tasks will revert to a newly-imported state.