Asta Powerproject

This guide outlines how to prepare your Asta Powerproject file before importing into Aphex. We've included known quirks, export tips, supported file types and small adjustments that can make a big difference once the file is uploaded into your Aphex Project.

Once you've exported your file, see how to run the import into Aphex: Master Schedule Import

Supported Export Formats

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XER

XML (Primavera P6 Schema)

XML ( Microsoft Project Schema)

MPP

Visit the Asta Documentation for guidance on how to export to XML (P6) and XER & MPP and XML (MP)

Choosing the Best Export Format

File Type	Best For	Limitations
XER & XML (Primavera P6 Schema)	Selecting from WBS Code or Natural Order Exporting specific branches Repeating imports over time	Cannot export filtered view
MPP and XML (MS Project Schema)	Exporting specific branches Exporting filtered views Using WBN or OutlineNumber	Repeating imports over time is harder if the Asta project name changes, as it affects task identifiers and can cause duplicates

Filtering your Asta Export

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Often, your delivery team won't need to see every single task in the Master Schedule in Aphex - they just need the right slice of it. Filtering before you export from Asta means the plan you import into Aphex includes only relevant tasks, not cluttered with everything else, like Procurement or Design. There are three main ways to filter, let's take a look at each below.

Export a Filtered View

Best For: Quick exports of exactly what’s on screen

Supported Export Formats: MS Project XML or MPP

For full details, visit the Asta Documentation to see how to Apply Filters and learn more about the Export Wizard

How to Export a Filtered View

• Open your programme in Asta

• Build a filter to show just the tasks you want (for example, construction activities, a specific date range etc).

  • In Asta: View → Filters → New Filter

  • Apply the filter so your view shows only those tasks

• Right-click anywhere in the project view (or on a summary group) and select:

  • Export branch or view to Microsoft Project

• Choose MS Project XML as the export format.

  • In the export wizard, look for the option:

    • Export only visible tasks or “Export current view” (wording can vary by Asta version).

    • Make sure this is selected - otherwise, Asta will export the entire schedule.

• Confirm the export - only the tasks visible in the filtered view will be included in the file.

Export a specific WBS Branch

Best For: Selecting a complete phase/area/discipline directly from the WBS (one or several branches) and bringing it across intact.

Supported Exported Formats: MS Project XML or MPP

For full details, visit the Asta Documentation for exporting to Microsoft Project

How to Export a Specific WBS Branch

• In Asta Powerproject, expand the WBS so you can see the branch (summary group) you want to export

• Select the WBS branch. To export more than one, hold CTRL and click additional branches

• Right-click the branch and choose:

  • Export branch or view to Microsoft Project.

• In the Export dialog, select Branch

  • This ensures only the chosen WBS branch (or branches) will be included

• Confirm Microsoft Project XML as the export format

Create a Custom Filter with a User Field

Best For: Granular control over exactly which tasks you want to import, regardless of where they sit in the overall structure.

Supported Exported Formats: MS Project XML, MPP, P6 XML, XER

For full details, visit the Asta Documentation to see how to work with User Fields

How to Create a Custom Filter

• In Asta, create a new User Field:

  • Project → Properties → User-Defined Fields

    • Type: Task

      • Data type: String

      • Suggested name: Aphex_Import

• Tag tasks to import

  • Set Aphex_Import = Yes on every task you want to bring into Aphex.

• Export the project

  • Use your required schema: MS Project XML, MPP, Primavera P6 XML, or XER

  • If the export wizard offers field options, ensure User‑Defined Fields are included

User Field Limitations for Milestones

In Asta, Tasks and Milestones are treated as separate object types. If you create a User Field for the Task object, it won’t be applied to Milestones - even if they appear in the same activity list.

This means that if you're filtering for Milestones alongside Tasks, as the User Field you’ve created is Type = Task and Data type = String, it won’t apply to Milestones - so they won’t pass the "Aphex_Import = Yes" filter during import.

See also: apply your Custom Filter during the Import Process

Importing your Asta WBS

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Aphex can build your folder structure from your Asta hierarchy. It only creates Folders for WBS levels that have Tasks included in your import (empty branches aren’t created).

Your mapping options depend on the export schema you’re using:.

Map to WBS Code

What it is: The formal WBS code in the exported file Why pick this: You want folders to follow the project’s formal WBS exactly. Only select this option if you’ve built/assigned WBS codes to activities Supports: Primavera P6 XML and XER

How to Export with WBS Codes

• Export to P6 XML or XER

  • Select WBS under WBS options; otherwise Aphex won’t see WBS Code when you run the import

• Import to Aphex → during the Map Fields step:

  • Map Folders = WBS Code

Visit the Asta Documentation for more detail

Map to Natural Order

What it is: A hierarchy built from the chart/summary grouping at export time (the “natural” on-screen order) Why pick this: You want Folders to mirror the practical on-screen grouping you used when exporting. Select this option when you’re organising by visible grouping and don’t have WBS codes in place. Supports: Primavera P6 XML and XER

How to Export with Natural Order

• Export to P6 XML or XER (with your on-screen grouping set the way you want it reflected)

  • Under WBS, tick Natural order to create the exported WBS from your chart/summary hierarchy

• Import to Aphex → during the Map Fields step:

  • Map Folders = Natural Order

Visit the Asta Documentation for more detail

Map to OutlineNumber

What it is: An automatic path like 1.2.3 that shows a task’s exact position in the outline Why pick this: You want Folders to mirror the on-screen outline from an MS Project-schema export Supports: MS Project XML and MPP

How to Export with OutlineNumber

• Export to Microsoft Project XML

• Make sure the Code Libraries box is not selected

• Import to Aphex → during the Map Fields step:

  • Map Folders = OutlineNumber

Visit the Asta Documentation for more detail

Map to Task ID (WBN)

What is it: Asta’s Work Breakdown Number assigned to each task. It’s a hierarchical, generated identifier (often looks like 1.2.3). It isn’t the formal WBS code; it’s Asta’s task ID scheme Why pick this: If your team already references WBNs and wants that familiar structure reflected in Aphex Supports: MS Project XML

How to Export with Task ID (WBN)

• In Asta, export to Microsoft Project XML

• Whole project: File → Import/Export → Export to Microsoft Project

• Import to Aphex → during the Map Fields step:

  • Map Folders = Task ID (WBN)

There’s no additional checkbox to 'include WBN' - if WBN codes exist in your project, Asta writes them into the MS Project XML and Aphex will expose them as Task ID (WBN) during mapping.

Visit the Asta Documentation for more detail

Importing Tasks with Owners, Subcontractors, Locations or Notes

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By default, Aphex imports all core task & relationship data from your export.

If you've already captured extra information in Asta, like Owner, Location, Subcontractor or Notes, you can pull these into Aphex too, using Asta's Task-level User Fields.

If you don't - that's no problem! It's easy and quick to apply the same edits in the Aphex plan.

To import optional properties into Aphex:

• Create a User Field in Asta:

  • Select Task in the Object type dropdown

  • Choose String as the Field type

  • We've suggest naming it something descriptive, like Aphex_Subcontractor

• Add this new User Field as a column in your Asta view

• For each Task you're importing, add in the value (the Subcontractor name, in this example) in the relevant cell

Repeat for any other optional property you want to import.

Also: How to map User Fields during the Import Process

For full details on creating and managing User Fields, visit the Asta Powerproject documentation.

How to format User Fields

Aphex Property	Value	Suggested UF Name
Subcontractor	Subcontractor Name	Aphex_Subcontractor
Owner	Owner's Aphex Email Address	Aphex_Owner
Location	Location Name	Aphex_Location
Notes	Free Text	Aphex_Notes

• For Subcontractor and Location, insert the value for each relevant activity.

  • If the value already exists in your Aphex Project, the imported Tasks will automatically be assigned to the relevant Subcontractor or Location

  • If the value is unique, Aphex will create a new Subcontractor or Location and assign the imported tasks to the newly created asset

• For Owner, insert the email address of the activity’s owner.

  • Check that this matches the email address the team member uses for Aphex. This will ensure the Tasks are automatically assigned to the correct user.

  • If not, the address entered will receive an invite to join the Aphex project.

• For Notes, they will automatically be added as a text note to the specific imported activity

Metadata Aphex creates by default

Regardless of whether you’re using User Fields to bring in optional properties, Aphex will always automatically create the following from your Asta Powerproject file:

• Task Name

• Start Date

• End Date

• Duration

• Calendar

• Relationship Links

User Field Limitations for Milestones

In Asta, Tasks and Milestones are treated as separate object types. If you create a User Field (UF) for the Task object, it won’t be applied to Milestones - even if they appear in the same activity list.

This means that if you're importing Milestones alongside Tasks, any values for optional fields like Subcontractor, Owner, Location, or Notes won’t carry over for Milestones. You can still add them manually in Aphex after the import.

Known Limitations and Workarounds

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Summary Bars

Asta’s Summary Bars are used to group and structure Tasks in a hierarchical plan. In Asta, they’re a distinct Object Type.

However, when imported into Aphex, Summary Bars are treated as regular Tasks, which can result in duplication if the Tasks they summarise are also imported.

How to avoid creating duplicates

• If Summary Bars are used purely for grouping, consider filtering them out before export to avoid duplicating detail tasks.

• Alternatively, if you’re looking to bring in a high-level version of the programme, you can choose to import just the Summary Bars for a top-line plan.

Mid-Links

Mid‑Links are a type of logic link in Asta where the dependency connects to or from the middle of an activity, rather than the start or finish.

To keep things as simple as possible for end users, Aphex doesn’t handle mid‑link logic - all links must connect to either the start or end of a task.

Additionally, as mid-links aren’t supported in P6 or MS Project, Asta converts them during export to XML or XER to the closest matching link type.

Things to consider if you're using mid-links

There's no perfect fix for mid-links, since Aphex doesn't support them, and by the time your file reaches us, Asta has already converted them to standard logic links. Here are a few ways you can approach this:

• Review mid-links before exporting

  • If there are only a few, it might be worth replacing them with simpler link types, or removing them if they're not essential

• Export a logic free version

  • If you have prolific use of mid-links, you might explore exporting a copy of the file with no dependencies at all. This avoids misinterpreted links entirely, and will ensure that all imported activities land on their correct dates. This could be a good option to consider if you're only bringing in high-level activities that the team will be breaking down and detailing anyway, or just the key milestones that they can build towards

• Be ready for some variance

  • If mid-links stay in, expect some differences in how tasks relate to each other in Aphex

Partial Day Tasks

In Aphex, the smallest possible task duration is one day.

This works well once tasks are in Aphex, but it can cause changes if you’re importing from a Master Schedule where some tasks are shorter than a full day.

Aphex automatically handles these adjustments during the import process, which should result in sequenced tasks remaining aligned on the correct dates, without you needing to do anything.

What Aphex automatically does with partial day Tasks

• Every task is rounded up to a minimum of one full day

  • E.g a Task that was 3 hours becomes 1 day.

  • A Task that started at 9pm and finished at 9am becomes two full days

• We add -1 day lag to successor logic links to offset the extra time

  • E.g if you had three 1 hour tasks linked in a F>S chain all happening on the same day, we automatically convert them each to 1 day tasks, and subtract one day of lag from each relationship.

  • This keeps all tasks starting on the same day, matching your Master Schedule, while still meeting our minimum duration requirement

Constraints

To keep Aphex as simple as possible, constraints are not supported (e.g., “Must Start On”, “Start No Earlier Than”). When you import from Asta, Aphex will schedule from links, durations, start date and calendars. As a result, tasks that were being “held” by constraints in the source file can move once imported and be a source of variance.

Running Subsequent Imports from the same Asta project

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Aphex assumes the lookahead inside Aphex is most up-to-date version of the plan, once tasks are imported. On later imports, existing Aphex tasks are not overwritten. Imports only ever create new tasks (i.e., tasks that don’t already exist in Aphex).

How matching works (identity)

Aphex matches “same task as before” using the External ID which is automatically mapped during import:

• Primavera P6 XML / XER: maps External ID = Activity ID

• MS Project XML / MPP: maps External ID = <projectname>_<taskUniqueId>

  • <projectname> is the name of the MS Project file

  • <taskUniqueId> is the unique task ID from the file

  • E.g. if you have a task with ID 123 in a file called "aphex-program-2.0", the External ID would be aphex-program-2.0_123.

• (WBN / OutlineNumber / WBS Code / Natural Order control folder structure, not Task identity.)

Rule: if the External ID in the incoming file matches an Aphex task’s External ID, Aphex treats it as “already imported” and does not update it.

Use Aphex to update your Asta Schedule

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Often, your Master Schedule is contractual, so nothing should change by accident. Aphex shows what’s moved and why; updates back to Asta stay manual, deliberate, and on your terms.

What Aphex gives you:

• Weekly Published Versions & Import Baselines - snapshots you can compare against.

• Variance Reports & Exports - quickly see what changed since the last baseline (date moves, duration changes, new/removed tasks, completion).

• External ID awareness - imported tasks carry the Asta identity, even when imported Tasks have been broken down into subtasks, so you can still line them up 1:1 when editing in Asta.

Ways to Track Variance & Compare Baselines

From the Gantt: Baseline Overlay Task Data Export

From Power BI: Connect to Power BI Plan Comparison Dashboard

From Aphex Insight: View the Variance Report and Download the Variance CSV