CSV Import Guide

• Map .CSV Files
• Import Tasks
• Trace Connection Lines
• Reimporting an Updated .CSV File

Video 1. CSV Import.

You have the ability import an existing project from other resources like Microsoft Project, Phoenix, and P6 and more, as long as you can export the file to Excel and convert it to a .CSV format.

To begin the import process and take full advantage of the import features, we advise that you have a few things prepared in the Workspace:

• Add the Anchor Date to your Pull Plan
• Add the necessary amount of Swimlanes to the Plan and make sure their Labels have a corresponding category in the .CSV file (see this article for setting up Swimlane Labels)

To make sure the import process goes smoothly, here are a few fields you can have in your .CSV file before you import it:

• Task ID*
• Title*
• Start Date
• End Date or Duration
• Description
• Team or Trade Name 
• Swimlane Name
• Predecessors
• Successors

*Mandatory Fields

Figure 1. Sample .CSV import.

Map .CSV Files

You can drag and drop your .CSV file directly into the Workspace or click on the Import button on the top left corner of the Workspace to browse on your device for the file. Once you do this, the Control Center will open up with the Import section for you to map the fields of your .CSV.

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

Figure 2. Drag and drop and begin mapping fields.

Map the fields of the .CSV import by matching the Hoylu fields on the left to corresponding column names from your .CSV in the dropdowns on the left. Only the Import ID and Titles are mandatory fields, but adding more information will help the import process.

• Team: This will automatically add the trade names to the Teams list so you can bypass setting them up
  
  
• Start Date, End Date, Duration: You can plug in two out of three options to have Hoylu place the Tasks into the correct spots in the Plan
  • If you want to import Milestones, you can click on the switch to Import tasks with "0" day duration as Milestones
    
    
• Upstream Connection, Downstream Connection: Hoylu will automatically draw the connection lines between dependent items
  
  
• Label: If using it for Swimlane name, 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
  • Make sure you select based on Label in the General Settings to automatically place Tasks into Swimlanes (see Figure 3)

Figure 3. Import option to convert 0-day Tasks as Milestones.

Hoylu also allows you to skip weekends on your .CSV Imported Tasks and to also bring them in in other states such as Unplanned, Planned, or Committed. 

✏️   Note: If you are encountering any mapping issues related to the dates or connections, click here for advanced settings or contact Support@Hoylu.com.

Import Tasks

Once you click Save Mapping, your Task Import window will open, allowing you to select specific Tasks to import or to import everything. 

If you have Tasks that fall outside of the current amount of Weeks in your Plan, a red Extend Plan will appear on the bottom right corner of the window, allowing Hoylu to add the necessary amount of Weeks to the Plan in order for the Place on Plan button to be usable.

Figure 6. Extend Plan to accommodate Task dates.

• Import: Hoylu will import Tasks in a straight, diagonal line for you to manually drag and drop to different locations in the Workspace
• Place on Plan: Hoylu will import the Tasks directly into the locations as specified in the .CSV file

Figure 7. Place on Plan.

✏️  Note: If you chose not to import Tasks to the Swimlanes, they will all import into the topmost Swimlane of the Plan. 

😎  Pro Tip: Use the Swimlane Settings to Clean Up the imported Tasks so they don't overlap. See this article to learn how.

Trace Connection Lines

The Upstream Connections and Downstream Connections from the .CSV file will be visualized in Hoylu by a dashed and dotted line, but they will not act like Hoylu Connections when the connected Tasks move into some form of a conflicted state. You must Trace the Connections. 

Figure 8. Trace Connections.

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.

Reimporting an Updated .CSV File

If you wish to re-import an updated .CSV file, 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 .CSV until you click the option to show already imported checkbox on the bottom left corner.

Figure 9. Reimport a .CSV File.

1. Drag and drop or import the new .CSV file into the Workspace
   
   
2. Select the new Task(s)
   
   
3. Click the Place on Plan button

🚧  Caution: If you have Tasks that are already on the Plan and have updated information in the new .CSV 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.