The IMPACT production suite lets you direct the design, planning and production of precast structures. IMPACT offers control over the logistical process of a large scale construction process. Through IMPACT, you can view, plan and influence the step-by-step progression from factory to actual finished edifice.

Typically, IMPACT begins at the factory level, and available elements can be chosen from a default list in the program. Given the utility of PRE-Stress, the sensible next step is allowing users to import directly from PRE-Stress into the IMPACT Project Manager. 

To address this need, the Production Planner was introduced in PRE-Stress 6.6.

The Production Planner lets you convert PRE-Stress project data into a data file that IMPACT can read. With a click of the Export element marks button, an IMPACT file in the JSON format can be created and saved onto disk.
The Production Planner consists of four sections. The Project section lets the user set IMPACT-related data common to the entire document. If there is no given project name, PRE-Stress will generate one for you based on the document name. Author and site information can likewise be freely entered.

The standard refers to a unique code which identifies a production site. The standard can be selected via dropdown. Finally, the beam selector does not alter Project information. Instead, it allows you to view and affect the different element marks.

IMPACT distinguishes between two concepts, element mark and element ID. When it comes to the planning and design stage, IMPACT treats a given beam type like a factory mold. That mold, the element mark, is the idea of the beam we want. By this analogy, the element ID is the actual item produced from the mold. Therefore, each beam element can have multiple element IDs.
Each element mark has its own data, some of which can be changed. Altering the element mark data is as simple as selecting the given beam and then entering the desired data under Indata for element mark. The accompanying field named derived values lets you view those element mark values that cannot be changed.

Finally, we have the element field, in which you can create and destroy element IDs for each element mark. The Production Planner has two modes. In the simple mode, you simply enter how many element IDs each element mark should have. 

Clicking the Advanced options checkbox will unfold more specific options, allowing you to specify building, floor number, floor height and construction phase. Although these details are superfluous to most IMPACT projects, the advanced mode allows the user to specify this data in detail.
After setting this data, all that remains is to Export element marks. A requester will open and allow you to specify name and location of the generated .json file. Once saved, the file is ready to import into the IMPACT Project Manager.
To import the .json file, follow these steps.

1. Open the IMPACT Project Manager.
   
   
    
2. Start or create a project.
   
   
    
3. Once inside the project, click the file menu. Select Import->IMPACT->Linked.
   
   
    
4. On the requester, click Open.
   
   
    
5. A file selector will open. Make sure you select the "Json Files" option in the bottom right corner. You will now be able to select the file you saved.
   
   
    
6. Finally, select the first option "Import/Update Element Marks and Element" from the requester, and click OK.
   
   
   
   Your PRE-Stress elements should now be visible in your IMPACT Project Manager design window.