In May we released integration with Beanstalk. This allows users of both Torch and Beanstalk to create time entries, check-off events/tasks and categorize the message without leaving the subversion commit process. Now, thanks to the folks at Beanstalk, we’ve enhanced this feature to allow direct access to changed files. Here is a sample message created through a Beanstalk commit:

If you click on “View” button next to a particular file it will take you directly to that file in Beanstalk:

How to setup Beanstalk integration >

You can now visualize your underlying data for time entries and financial data in Torch Project Management. Select “visualize” on the time page or expand any of the Google Visualization API data source sections on the invoice export page:

You will see a visualization report that looks like this:

Torch is also now a Google Visualization API data source. Which means you can analyze Torch data in numerous Google Visualization gadgets; you can even build your own.

Torch now supports gravatars and indicates what recipients will be notified of updates through e-mail alerts. Here is the new message details pages:

What is a gravatar (from the gravatar site):

A gravatar, or globally recognized avatar, is quite simply an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things.

Time Entries and Follow-up Events:

You can now enter and edit time entries and follow-up events much quicker. In the case of follow-up events you can now edit and add them from any view, you no longer have to open the message to enter edit mode.

Normally, I only post updates to our products on this blog. However, the following is effectively an update to Heap and Torch, we just can’t take credit for it.

Last night the Google Mobile team posted an update to the iGoogle for iPhone and Android. What this update means to Heap and Torch users is that the existing Heap and Torch gadgets now work on your mobile device.

This is the new iGoogle mobile page:

Then I select Torch:

To get to the iGoogle mobile page you have to select it off of the main iGoogle page:

With the Torch Google Gadget you can now see project activity while on iGoogle or anywhere else Google Gadgets are supported.

Use the tabs in the gadget to select what you want to look at:

Also use the pin control (in the upper left) to select whether you are viewing all items or just pinned items:

When you first install the Torch Gadget you will be required to enter a special URL. This URL is available in your Torch’s help section under integration:

The Torch Gadget is one of the new style “gadgets.*” which means it works in any OpenSocial container.

Add Torch Gadget to iGoogle >
More about Torch >

You can now export bids and invoices from Torch Project Management to Google Docs. From any invoice or bid look for the Google Docs option on the right:

This will result in a document that looks similar to this:

Note: You may be noticing that the style doesn’t match your custom CSS. This is because Google Docs doesn’t support CSS included in uploaded files.

You can now receive an hourly activity report via e-mail as an alternative to RSS. In the message section (in both Heap and Torch) you will notice a button that says “E-Mail Alert”. This is a toggle. Just click on it and it will change:

You can also select a category first then click on the toggle. This allows you to select only the categories you are interested in.

You can also select individual messages. Just go to comments page and click here:

Specifically in Heap there is one more option. You can get E-Mail alerts for all messages and comments that are associated to a prospect where you are one of the managing users. Go to the dashboard and expand “Recent Prospect Activity”:

No matter how many different categories, specific messages or different projects (in the case of Torch) you turn on, all the new messages and comments will be bundled together in one e-mail that you can look at once an hour.

You can now specify time, complete events and pin items when you e-mail in or comment via e-mail with Torch. Let’s say that you finished a task and you want record the time in the project as well as e-mail the client. You also want to pin the message for set of users:

This results in this message:

And these entries under time:

Make sure to checkout the e-mail section of your help tab for more info.

Torch Project Management now has an API. Using only XML, you can now interact with messages, events, time, categories and projects. Probably the coolest ability (compared to Heap’s Simple API), is that you can combine multiple requests into a single XML blob you send to Torch. The documentation page is up here:

http://torch.wbpsystems.com/api.php

I’ve also included sample PHP code. If you have any questions, please contact support.

Using Beanstalk’s web hooks, Torch can now receive commit information.

What You Can Do:

The commit messages are posted to the appropriate project. You can also checkoff tasks/events (more than one if you wish) as well as categorize the message. If the project is for a client, you can also include time entries. Here is an example of a commit message:

This results in:

Setting Up the Integration:

First get the integration URL; this is under the “Integration” sub section of the “Help” tab:

NOTE: Part of the URL is blocked out because it contains the project token, however, you must copy the entire URL.

This URL is unique for each project you decide to integrate, so make sure you are on the right project before you copy the URL.

In Beanstalk, select the appropriate repository then select the “Setup” tab. Select the “Integration” sub section then “Web hooks”:

Click on “Activate”, then follow the onscreen instructions: