Working with Dense Schedules

KIDASA Software, Inc. Website

Working with Dense Schedules

This article covers Version 2006

For Version 2008 click here.

Project Managers frequently encounter the problem of overcrowded schedules - working with overlapping tasks, multiple resources, or trying to perfect a one-page summary report. Below are solutions for working with connectors, rows, text, and printing that will help you succeed in creating easy-to-read presentation reports.

Solutions Index (click a topic to jump down the page)

Multiple tasks using a variety of connector types		Working with overcrowded symbol text
Overlapping tasks on one row using tri-level Gantt bars		Printing a schedule in slices, or to a large-format plotter
Overlapping tasks on several rows that appear as one row		Navigate quickly using Continuous Mode or the keyboard

Multiple Tasks Using a Variety of Connector Types

Milestones Professional has more than 40 connector types and many colors and fill patterns to choose from. Utilize a variety of these connectors to distinguish between different tasks and resources.

Uses a variety of connector types to distinguish between tasks.
Use a legend instead of symbol text to assign employees to Teams and tasks to connector bars.
More than 95 connector bars enable you to place those bars on one task line, yet at different levels, with different colors and fill patterns:

These are the connectors used in this example.

Download Schedule

Multiple overlapping tasks using tri-level Gantt bar positioning

In addition to Milestones' extensive selection of connector types and patterns, it is also possible to position connectors on up to three different levels in each task row. Use these tri-level Gantt bars to show overlapping tasks, or to show baseline, actual, and planned dates.

Use connectors positioned at different levels for overlapping tasks.

Up-and-over and down-and-under connectors provide even more levels on one task line.

Schedule and track Baseline, Planned, and Actual dates.

Adjust each row's height as needed.

To change the level of a connector in the toolbox:
	1.	Double-click the start date symbol in the toolbox.
	2.	Select the "Text and Date Properties" tab
	3.	Under "Symbol Position," choose Upper, Middle, or Lower
	4.	Repeat Steps 1-3 for the end date symbol.

Having trouble selecting the correct symbol because they are placed so close together?
	1.	Click the Arrow tool in the ToolBox.
	2.	Click once on a symbol.
	3.	Use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move between symbols.
	4.	When you land on your symbol, use CTRL+E to open the Symbol Properties dialog box.
	5.	Make any change to the symbol, including its date.

Multiple overlapping tasks on several rows that appear as one row

If tri-level Gantt bars do not provide enough flexibility in your dense schedule, you can use custom gridlines to make several rows appear as one row.

Use multiple task lines and customized horizontal gridlines to create the appearance of one row.
Each bar is on a different row, allowing for larger Gantt bars, text, and symbols.

Download Schedule

In Milestones Professional when you have line guides turned on, you can see the other rows.

Download Schedule

Add more connectors, including baseline.

Working with overcrowded symbol text

The previous three solutions above should solve any problems with overlapping connectors. However, any symbol text associated with overlapping tasks may also need to be re-arranged. Using simple keyboard shortcuts, you can quickly and easily move and adjust symbol text and dates.

With symbol text, you can enter up to 3 lines of text with any symbol on your schedule. The example below, shows a symbol with symbol text:

To make symbol text appear at an angle:

(Under Tools | Options | View/Display)

It’s possible to show symbol text at an angle. Simply double-click a symbol on the schedule and check “Draw Text at Angle” on the Text tab of the Symbol Properties dialog. The default angle is set to 45 degrees. It can be changed under Tools | Options | View/Display.

Text above and in the middle of the symbol will be drawn up from the symbol at a 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 135, or 150-degree angle. Alternately, if the text is below the symbol it is drawn down at -30,-45, -60, -90, -120, -135, or -150 degrees. Any text greater than 90 degrees is reversed so that it is not upside-down.

Note: When the “Draw Text at Angle” selection is active, the following constraints happen automatically:

1	Only a single line of text is drawn regardless of how many are in the symbol.
2	No text box is drawn even if selected in the Toolbox for this symbol type.
3	The “Force background color” option under Tools \| Options \| View/Display is ignored. The degrees setting defaults to 45 degrees. It can be changed under Tools \| Options \| View/Display

To vertically move symbol text:

The example on the left shows three symbols on the second row which have overlapping symbol text. This problem is easily solved using a new technique which creates a comment symbol and vertical link with easy mouse operations. One possible result is shown on the right.

1.	Click the Arrow tool in the ToolBox.
2.	On the schedule, click once on the symbol with the text.
3.	Hold down the CTRL and the T keys.
4.	Click and drag to move the symbol and its text to another task row. (requires Milestones Professional 2004 rev. after 7/17/2004)
	Note: Choose Customize \| Move Symbol Text Options on the Tools menu to select the symbol and the vertical line type to be used in this case.

To adjust the symbol date and/or text position with the keyboard:
1.	Click the Arrow tool in the ToolBox.
2.	On the schedule, click once on the symbol with the text or date to move.
3.	Hold down the ALT and CTRL keys to move the date, or just ALT to move the text.
4.	Click the arrow keys to move the text around. The text will move as you click the arrow keys. (requires Milestones Professional 2004 rev. after 7/17/2004)

Printing a schedule in slices, or to a large-format plotter

When it comes time to print a dense schedule, there are several useful options, including:

Printing a schedule in date-range "slices"
Printing an entire schedule to a large-format plotter

To print a schedule in slices:

1. Go to File | Printing Options

2. On the Print tab, check

3. Enter the size of each date-range "slice"

4. Alternately, choose to

To print to a large-format plotter:

1. Go to File | Printer Setup and choose your plotter and paper size.

2. In File | Page Layout | Chart Size and Margins, set the Chart Size to as match the plotter paper size, up to 300x300 inches.

3. In File | Printing Options, on the General tab, check to avoid any down-scaling.

4. Finally, choose File | Print to create a wall-size schedule like the one below!

Navigate quickly using Continuous Mode or the keyboard

Continuous Mode allows the user to navigate forward and back through the date range, as well as down through all pages of a schedule without any separations. Choose File | View Mode | Continuous, or simply press F8.

Continuous Mode locks the columns in place, and allows free movement in the schedule pane:

Alternately, it is easy to quickly scroll the date range of the schedule using Shift + PgUp or Shift + PgDn. The number of days the calendar range scrolls in response to these shortcuts is determined in Format | Dates | Schedule Details | Calendar Range Scrolling.