Generate Maps From Excel

NOTE: This is an Advanced Feature and is only available if you have enabled Advanced Mode.

This feature is the reciprocal of Export to Excel, and is a way of storing and re-generating process maps using different templates. For example, with the Triaster Frameworks, each customer can generate the entire set of framework process maps using their own corporately branded stencil.

The Excel file can contain a great deal of information about the maps to be generated, including positional and layout information, hyperlinks, file names and properties. To see this, simply create a process map and then export it to Excel using Multi-Map > Export > Single Microsoft Excel File. It does not however contain any information about appearance (fonts, colours etc.), and this is by design. The information can also be very sparse, containing simply the file name and objects in the file.

When generating maps from Excel, the following overall rules apply:

• If a process map already exists and is newer than the Excel file (based on file saved timestamp), then the process map will not be overwritten; otherwise it will be
• The file names given on the Filenames tab of the spreadsheet file are relative to the selected Multi-Map Root, not to the location of the spreadsheet file itself. Therefore files with no specified path will always be written into the Multi-Map Root, not into the folder where the Excel file resides.
• If for some reason an import does not complete, it can be re-run and because newer files are not overwritten, Process Navigator will simply pick up where it left off.

To Generate Maps from Excel:

1. Set the Multi-Map Root.
2. Place the Excel file(s) in the Multi-Map Root or a sub-folder.
3. Select Multi-Map > Import > Generate Maps from Excel Files.