The default settings allow most MPX files to be imported. Preferences are stored in the map, so that different maps can have different settings.
Click Reset to reset all the options to their default settings.
The number of working days per week is required so that any durations in weeks received in an imported MPX file can be converted to hours in the MindManager map. This value is not used anywhere else within MindManager.
The Default task priority option defines the priority value that is used if no priority is defined for the task.
The MPX specification (and most Project Management software packages) does not have an explicit value for "No Priority". All tasks have some kind of priority. Rather than assume that no priority is automatically the lowest priority, the MPX import allows you to specify what priority value should be inferred for a task if not present.
When importing maps from an MPX file, if the priority of a task corresponds to the default task priority value, then no priority is marked on the Topic. This avoids importing maps where all Topics are marked with the same priority; the map is clearer if only the exceptions to "normal" priority are identified.
Most project management packages use zero duration for a Task to indicate a "Milestone" for reporting purposes.
The MPX import can optionally use the "Clock" Icon to visually mark Milestones in the map.
If this option is disabled, the import will expect that all Task Topics have a duration specified. Validation warnings are given for any task Topic that has a zero duration. Any Milestone tasks imported will show a duration of zero.
If this option is enabled, then the presence of a Clock Icon indicates a task milestone. If the task duration is non-zero, then this is regarded as a potential error and a warning is given if validation is enabled. The task will be exported to MPX with a duration of zero. On import, any task Milestones with a duration of zero will have the Clock Icon added to their Topic, showing the presence of a Milestone in the map.
Importing MPX files can work in two ways, either importing just the constraint information for the project, or the schedule information. MindManager cannot hold both the constraints and task schedule data at the same time, so a choice must be made.
Importing the Task Constraint information allows a project to be imported into MindManager for further modification. Any current schedule is ignored. The project may then be revised and rearranged, and exported again for rescheduling. You should use this option if you intend to re-export the project again, either back to a MPX file or directly to Microsoft Project with the built-in MindManager function. This is the default setting for this option.
In addition to the task name and notes, this setting will import
Either the Project Start date or the Project Finish date, depending on whether the project is set to schedule from the Start date or Finish date respectively
Any specific Task constraints that have a date associated with them, e.g. "Must be finished by". The constraint date will be assigned to the Task Planning information so that it can be re-exported again for rescheduling.
Task Durations, Task Priorities, Task Progress values, Task Resource allocations
Importing the Task Schedule information will import a snapshot of the project as it is currently scheduled in the MPX file. This assumes that the MPX file has been derived from a project management application. It provides a visualization of the project schedule in MindManager map form, but is not suitable for exporting back to a project management application for rescheduling, since the task constraint data is not preserved and a very different schedule may result. Use this option if you want to view the schedule in MindManager, or export it to another document format.
In addition to the Task name and notes, this setting will import
Task Start and Finish dates as scheduled within their original constraints. Note that these are not the constraints, but the actual schedule dates.
The task priorities, Task Durations, Task Progress values, Task Resource allocations
The MPX import can represent information about task Predecessors or Successors in the map by using Relationships. This allows you to visualize the interdependence between tasks, and create a project plan that is much nearer to a realistic schedule than just a list of tasks. Task Successors and Predecessors act as constraints that greatly improve the accuracy and usability of the initial schedule.
This setting has three values:
Ignore predecessors and successors
This setting will ignore any information about Task Successors and Predecessors on import from MPX.
Import predecessors and successors using relationships
Any task Predecessors or Successors are rendered as Relationships in the map.
Relationships are always drawn from a Task to its Successor (which can also be described as from a Task's Predecessor to the Task).
The Relationship type is added to the relationship as floating text, where it differs from the default relationship type; this may be SS, SF, FS or FF as described below.
If the same Relationship is defined more than once in the MPX file (e.g. Task A is shown as a Predecessor to Task B, and Task B is shown as a Successor to Task A), then only one Relationship is added between these two Tasks in the map.
Predecessors and Successors can only be used to connect Tasks, and not Task Summaries or other Topics outside the project tree, which are ignored.
This option is only valid if the "Task Predecessors and Successors" option is also enabled. Otherwise, it is ignored.
The default type of Task relationship can be defined, so that if a relationship is drawn between two tasks and does not have a specific type attached to it, then the default will be used.
The options available are:
SS - Start to Start; the Successor task cannot start until the Predecessor task has also started
SF - Start to Finish; the Successor task cannot finish until the Predecessor task has started
FS - Finish to Start; the Successor task cannot start until the Predecessor task has finished (the default setting)
FF - Finish to Finish; the Successor task cannot finish until the Predecessor task has also finished.
The most common type of task relationship is FS (Finish to Start).
On import, if the Task Predecessors and Successors are being imported to relationships, then if the relationship type matches the current default setting, it is not explicitly marked in the map. This clarifies the map by only showing relationship types that vary from the norm.
Learn more: Import an MPX file