When you export a model file in “Schedule” format, you get a plain unformatted text file containing a single table. Each row in the table corresponds to a “date node” in the model. This simple format makes the data available to almost any text editor or spreadsheet program. More importantly, however, the attributes shown in the table makes it possible to import the data into a project management package like e.g., Microsoft Project. In a project management context the date nodes are interpreted as activities or milestones in a project.
When the export file is produced, DynRisk starts with the current folder, i.e., the one whose contents are shown in the active window, and then runs through all subfolders of this down to the lowest level in the folder structure. This means that only date nodes in the current folder or below will be exported. If you want to export all date nodes in the model file, make sure that the active window is the main document window, i.e., the window corresponding to the top level in the folder structure.
In the “Schedule” view you control the format of the “Schedule” export file.
In order to produce the export file, DynRisk needs to calculate the input, local, and output values of each of the exported date nodes. The “Include uncertainty” checkbox is used to control whether or not to include randomness in these calculations. If you leave this option checked, the resulting output file will contain results from a single stochastic simulation of the date nodes. If you leave the option unchecked, the resulting output file will contain results from a single deterministic simulation of the date nodes.
The remaining 10 checkboxes in the view are used to specify which attributes to include for each of the data nodes. The following attributes are available:
• ID
• Name
• Code
• Unit
• Kind
• Duration
• Planned start
• Planned finish
• Predecessors
• Constraint type/date
The “ID” attribute is an integer generated automatically by DynRisk, and used to identify the various date nodes in the project management application.
The “Name”, “Code”, “Unit”, and “Kind” attributes are the same as the corresponding node attributes.
The “Duration”, “Planned start”, and “Planned finish” attributes corresponds to the local, input, and output values of the date nodes.
The “Predecessors” attribute is a list of the ID's of the input date nodes.
Finally the “Constraint type/date” attribute is actually two attributes which together defines time constraints for the date nodes. A constraint type may e.g., be “Must start on” which together with a date, e.g., “July 15., 1996” defines a constraint.
If you want to be able to import the exported file into a project management application, be sure to include enough information in the export file. In most cases this means that you should include all the 10 attributes except possibly “Code” “Unit” and “Kind”.
The “Doc.type” popup menu is used to select the creator application for the export file. If you e.g., use Microsoft Word to view the export file, you should choose this application in the “Doc.type” menu. By doing this, the export file gets the correct icon, and you can open it with the right application simply by double-clicking its icon in the Finder.
