After generating a schedule with ALICE, users may want to export the schedule. This article covers the formats of export available and some special considerations for how to handle ALICE-generated constraints when exporting.
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How to Export Schedules from ALICE
Special handling of ALICE-generated logic for Export
Export to Primavera P6 (.xml, .xer)
How to Print a Schedule via PDF file (.pdf)
Supported Export Formats:
- Primavera P6 (.xml)
- Primavera P6 (.xer)
- Microsoft Project (.xml)
- CSV file (.csv)
- PDF file (.pdf)
Exporting to TILOS? Read this article for step by step conversion instructions.
How to Export Schedules from ALICE
All export options are available from any Analyze page, by clicking the export button in the upper right corner:
For XML, XER or CSV exports, users can choose what data is included in the file that is exported from ALICE. By default, the export will include resource logic, custom properties, resource assignments and costs. Unselect to omit any of this data from the exported schedule file.
Special handling of ALICE-generated logic for Export
Optimization Logic Milestone
Certain optimization objectives (ex. compactness, minimize idle time) can generate schedules that place some activities later than their predecessors require due to user-defined constraints.
If the user exports a schedule with these kinds of constraints, ALICE creates a new milestone called “Optimization Logic” that holds these activities in place with a Finish-to-Start link and positive lag.
We do this to prevent those constrained activities from snapping back left after the user exports the schedule to P6 and hits F9,
Resource Logic Milestone
Similar to the optimization logic topic above, when using the Ramp Resources feature, ALICE can generate schedules where the activity dates are driven by resource availability rather than hard-logic.
If a user exports an ALICE-generated schedule where activity dates are driven by ramp resource constraints, ALICE creates a new milestone called “Resource Logic” that holds these activities in place with a Finish-to-Start link and positive lag.
Preserve ALICE Logic vs Convert to Standard Logic
When exporting a schedule that has Optimization and/or Resource logic added as described above, the user will have a choice for how to handle each logic-type in the export file.
Note: These options only appear if the solution being exported contains that type of logic.
| Option | Export File | Use case |
| Preserve ALICE logic DEFAULT | The milestone and its links are written with an ALICE Note in the XER file, marking them as Optimization Logic Constraints. | The user wants the ability to go back and forth between P6 and ALICE: export to P6, baseline, status, and bring it back into ALICE later. |
| Convert to standard logic | A plain milestone and plain Finish-to-Start links. Nothing marks them as ALICE's. | The user wants a schedule with no ALICE artifacts, and will treat the links as their own logic from now on. |
| Checkbox unticked | No trace of the milestone or its links. | The user prefers a "clean" file and accepts that F9 will move the pushed activities left. |
Note: For Microsoft Project XML export, only “Convert to standard logic” is available, because MSP format does not contain a note field. Ticking the box writes plain logic, unticking it writes no logic.
Export and Re-Import Schedules to ALICE
If you re-import a schedule file that was previously exported from ALICE, the way that file will appear and behave will depend on the settings the user enabled when exporting it.
| File was exported with | After Re-Import in ALICE | Next optimization in ALICE |
| Preserve ALICE logic (P6 XER or XML) | ALICE recognizes the milestone and its links. A CPM recalculation reproduces every optimized date. The links are kept but treated as ALICE's, not the user's. | The old links are ignored, since they do not represent real constraints. New optimization logic is generated for the new solution. |
| Convert to standard logic, or any MS Project export | The milestone imports as an ordinary user milestone named Optimization Logic, and the links as ordinary predecessors. CPM dates still match. | The links are real constraints now. The solver cannot move those activities earlier than the old solution did. ALICE adds a second, separate milestone (Optimization Logic-2) for the new run. |
| Checkbox unticked | Nothing to recognize. A CPM recalculation left-justifies the pushed activities. | Normal. Fresh Optimization Logic is generated. |
Export to Primavera P6 (.xml, .xer)
ALICE to P6 Export field mapping:
ALICE-specific fields are exported to Primavera P6 (in both .xml and .xer formats) as follows:
Exported in relationship comments by activity:
- Precedence Logic vs. Resource Logic Distinction:
- Format: ALICE [Type of Constraint]: [Resource Name]
- The relationship logic that is shown on the Analyze page under Task Relationship Details is either based on Precedence or Resource. Read more about this unique functionality in ALICE.
- ALICE exported schedule distinguishes the two by exporting the resource logic tag as a relationship comment. Here is a helpful resource that we found to help you locate the relationship comments.
Exported in root WBS notes topic "Alice Internal Notes":
- Production Rates
Exported in task notes by activity:
- Duration formulas
- Material quantity equation
- Material requires vs supplies
- Equipment quantity equation
- Crew ranges
Exported as resource UDF (custom properties) by activity:
- Material type: consumable vs reusable
- Crew: Idle time enablement, people per crew (currently set to 1 for all imported crews)
- Equipment: Idle time enablement
How to Print a Schedule via PDF file (.pdf)
Print PDF:
- On the Analyze page, click Export on the upper-right side of the page
- From the dropdown list, select PDF File
- Choose the Paper Size and click Print Preview
- Select Save as PDF or any other custom PDF printer
- Activate Headers and Footers, and Background Graphics settings.
- If you have uploaded your company logo to ALICE, it will appear in the header.
- Click Save and select a location to save the PDF file.
FAQs:
Where do the ALICE-generated milestones appear?
Right at the start of the project. Because of this, some of the lag values in the links between the milestone and the activities may appear quite high. This is necessary to properly tie down the activities.
Why can’t I preserve logic when I export to Microsoft Project?
MSP does not have a field to contain ALICE notes on logic, so it will always convert the logic to standard.
How do ALICE-generated resource or logic milestones work with multi-project XER files?
A copy of the milestone is written into every sub-project that contains pushed activities, so a customer may see several Optimization Logic milestones across the portfolio file.
Will this change my schedule quality score?
No. Optimization Logic links are excluded from every quality metric, in both the user view and the resource-flow view.
Can I delete the ALICE-generated milestone?
Yes, but the activities it holds will move left on the next F9. If they want the ALICE dates to hold, keep it. If they want a clean schedule, export with the box unticked instead of deleting by hand.