Altus for Project

Altus for Project connects Microsoft Project files with Altus, so project teams can publish schedule tasks, manage Altus resources, and import approved timesheet actuals.

Use this section to set up and manage the connection between Microsoft Project and Altus.

Common workflow

1. Create or open the project in Altus.
2. Link the Microsoft Project file to Altus.
3. Add or manage Altus resources.
4. Publish the schedule to Altus.
5. Import approved timesheet actuals when required.

What do you want to do?

• Link a Microsoft Project file to Altus
• Publish tasks to Altus
• Manage Altus resources
• Import timesheet actuals
• Unlink Microsoft Project from Altus

Before you start

You need:

• Altus for Project installed on your PC
• Access to an Altus environment
• Permission to use Altus for Project
• A saved Microsoft Project file

If you cannot see the Altus ribbon in Microsoft Project, Altus for Project may not be installed. For installation instructions, see Deployment.

Key terms

Term	Meaning
Microsoft Project file	The .mpp file used to manage the project schedule in Microsoft Project.
Altus project	The project record in Altus that the Microsoft Project file connects to.
Link	Creates the relationship between the Microsoft Project file and the Altus project.
Connect	Starts an active connection to Altus so actions like publishing and timesheet import can run.
Publish	Sends tasks from the Microsoft Project file to Altus Tasks.
Build Team	The Altus for Project function used to add, replace, or remove Altus resources in the Microsoft Project file.

FAQ

What version of Microsoft Project do I need?

Review the supported Microsoft Project versions in Technical information.

Does Altus for Project support Project Online or Project Server projects?

Altus for Project supports .mpp files that have been saved locally.

It cannot be used with .mpp files that are still connected to Project Online or Project Server.

To work with these projects, you can either:

1. Use the Project Online dataflow integration.
2. Save the project as a local .mpp file, then use the Altus for Project add-in.

Does Altus for Project require a Project Online environment?

No. Altus for Project works with .mpp files that have been saved locally.

There is no requirement to host these files in Project Online.

Note

If the .mpp file is still connected to Project Online, it cannot be published to Altus using Altus for Project.

Can I transition an Altus project from Project Online integration to Project Desktop integration?

Yes. Save the project as a local .mpp file, then connect it to Altus using Altus for Project.

Before connecting, make sure any required resources also exist in Altus so they can be mapped correctly.

I cannot see the project I want to connect to in the project list

This may happen if:

1. You do not have access to the project in Altus.
2. The project is already linked to an external scheduling tool.
3. The project already contains tasks.

To check unavailable projects, select Show unavailable projects.

If you still cannot access the project, check that you are part of the project group in Altus.

I published my Microsoft Project file to Altus, but I cannot edit the tasks in Altus. Why?

Tasks published from Microsoft Project are read-only in Altus Tasks.

To update these tasks:

1. Make the changes in Microsoft Project.
2. Publish the file to Altus again.

This keeps Microsoft Project as the source for schedule changes.

I made a copy of my project file using Save As and my Altus resources are no longer mapped. Why?

Using Save As creates a new version of the .mpp file with new task and assignment IDs.

If this file is published against the same Altus project, it may:

• Delete and recreate tasks
• Remove resource mappings
• Disconnect previously completed timesheets

Warning

Avoid using Save As to back up a mapped Microsoft Project file.

To create a backup, make a copy of the file using Windows Explorer instead.

I have a copy of the Microsoft Project file that was linked to Altus, but I do not have the original file. Can I use the copy?

It depends when the copy was made.

Copy created	Can it be used?
After the file was linked to Altus	Yes. The copy should contain the linking details, so it can continue to manage the project.
Before the file was linked to Altus	No. Altus will treat it as a new, unlinked Microsoft Project file.

I have baselines in my .mpp file. What happens to them when I publish tasks to Altus?

Baselines from the .mpp file are not published to Altus.

After the tasks have been published to Altus, you can use the Altus baseline feature to create baselines against the published tasks.

I have a milestone in Microsoft Project that has turned into a task in Altus. Why?

Altus identifies milestones by their duration.

If a milestone in Microsoft Project does not have a duration of 0 days, Altus treats it as a task.

To publish the item as a milestone, update the milestone in Microsoft Project so its duration is 0 days, then publish again.

Why is my Duration weekdays value rounded in Altus?

Altus stores Duration weekdays as whole days.

If the value from Microsoft Project includes partial days, Altus rounds the value when it is published.

Why are resource assignments for milestones and summary tasks not flowing through to Altus?

Resource assignments are removed from milestones and summary tasks when tasks are published to Altus.

This is because milestones and summary tasks should not have timesheet actuals assigned to them.

If a resource needs to record time, create a standard task for that work instead of using a milestone or summary task.

I have inactive tasks in my Microsoft Project file. What happens when I publish to Altus?

Altus Tasks does not have an equivalent to the Microsoft Project Inactive Task feature.

Inactive tasks are not published to Altus.

I have inter-project dependencies in my Microsoft Project file. What happens when I publish to Altus?

Altus Tasks does not support Microsoft Project inter-project dependencies.

When the file is published to Altus:

• Inter-project dependency tasks are not published
• Sub-projects displayed in Microsoft Project are not published

Why do my task details change when I unlink my Altus for Project schedule from Microsoft Project?

Microsoft Project supports detailed task assignment behaviour that may not be controlled in the same way in Altus Tasks.

If you unlink a Microsoft Project file and leave the tasks in Altus, Altus may recalculate the schedule. This can change task details such as effort, duration, and assignments.

Altus recalculates these values based on task type and the percentage of resources assigned.

For more information, see Altus Task Types.

What happens if a resource records timesheet hours against a task and is then removed from that task?

Approved timesheet hours remain in Altus, even if the resource is later removed from the task in Microsoft Project.

When you import actuals into the .mpp file, Altus for Project checks the assignment details. If the resource has been removed from the task, the import displays a warning.

To import the hours:

1. Reassign the resource to the task in Microsoft Project.
2. Run the timesheet import again.

The resource does not need to be assigned for the exact timesheet dates, but they must be assigned to the task for the import to work.

What is the External Schedule Owners table?

The External Schedule Owners table is used to manage ownership of linked Microsoft Project files.

It helps prevent data loss when multiple users have copies of a linked .mpp file and write access to the same Altus project.

Only one person should have publishing rights to the project at a time.

Note

This table is used for ownership and publishing control. It has been removed from site navigation because it is not intended for direct user updates.