Dynamically Linked Maps

Joel L. shared this idea 10 months ago
Voting Open

We usually have 15 to 20 projects active at any one time. It would be great if we had a central "dashboard" with each project linked to, but not part of, the dashboard. This way the project "map" would be stored in each client's folder. Then, when a project map is updated, the associated data (resources, cost, etc.) could roll up to the dashboard map, and a GANTT chart of all projects could be generated from the dashboard.

Replies (7)

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As far as I know, this can be done with standard basic functionality of Mindmanager.

See map roll up and linked maps.

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From what tech support is telling me, the maps don't roll up via the link. Each project has to be a topic in the dashboard map, not a separate map.

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Who at tech support gives that info?

I do not understand why.

We do it since many years and with lots of projects.

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The top-level level information (rolled-up task information and cost data) can be aggregated in a dashboard map from remote project maps. This is refreshed across the link.

However there is no feature for working with a simultaneous Gantt chart of all projects. You can view all projects in a common Gantt chart if you import the linked project maps into a single map, but edits will not be sent back to the remote project maps.

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It's the Gantt chart that is the most useful. When bringing on a new client, I'd like a visual of resource use (human and otherwise). That way I can plan a realistic start and end date for the project. Trying to avoid the "pig in a python" thing. Thanks for the help!

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Agreed!

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Two related workarounds which may help:

1. Create a dashboard map which rolls up all the relevant maps. Then go to the central topic in each rolled-up map and create a link back to the relevant topic in the dashboard map. This makes it easier to move back and forth between the dashboard and rolled-up maps.

2. You can open multiple GANTT charts. These are tabbed, so you could work on each rolled-up map's GANTT view then return to the dashboard map and refresh.

The annoying thing is that you can't refresh the dashboard map from the GANTT view, nor can you save maps from there. It's also annoying that switching between the GANTT chart view for the dashboard and rolled-up maps doesn't trigger a switch in the related map view window, so you have to click on the Back to Map icon in the GANTT chart to see the relevant map.

However, if you are comfortable with editing in the GANTT chart for each rolled-up map and not saving after each change, you could leave the map view for the dashboard map open and just refresh the links on that. The dashboard map GANTT chart should update to reflect the changes in the rolled-up map GANTT charts, even if the latter aren't saved - obviously you have to remember to go to the map view for each rolled-up map (along with the dashboard map) and save the maps from time to time.

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link all you project-maps in a dashboard-map and use the View "Linked-Map" to create a new summarized dashboard-map. Delete die topics that you don't need and you have the overview you're looking for within seconds.


All you need is to know how the function "combine linked maps" works. That's eays!

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