How do I change the Gantt Chart Report Begin Date?

[dillehunt]

I seem to have 6-8 months of empty space preceeding my first project tasks
and I'd like the report to actually begin just prior to my first task. (I
have no baseline established.)

 

[JLBeamish]

Project | Project Information ... and set the Start Date field to a more
appropriate date.

 

[dillehunt]

I tried that but the gantt chart (in print layout) still shows about 6 months
of time before the project start date, no matter what date I set. Even if I
use a start date after the actual tasks. I can scroll over and make it look
like the tasks start next to the tasks list, but when it prints, it still
shows wasted space. Any other ideas? Thanks.
dbd

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi dillehunt ,

Welcome to this Microsoft Project newsgroup

You might have accidentally created a spurious task. Try Project/Sort/Sort
by... and select for ID Descending, then check the last task ID (highest ID
number) is your last task.

FAQs, companion products and other useful Project information can be seen at
this web address: <http://www.mvps.org/project/>

Hope this helps - please let us know how you get on )

Mike Glen
MS Project MVP

wrote:

 

[dillehunt]

I've tried that now and I still have the problem. Again, when I do a print
preview, or an actual print out, there is almost a full year of blank space
before my first tasks begin. This may be tied to the fact that I started
this file over a year ago, and have updated and revised many of the tasks,
taking off old ones and adding new ones. But surely there must be a way to
tell the printout/preview version of the gantt chart to begin at the first
start date, or shortly before.

This is really getting frustrating.
Dave

 

[JulieD]

Hi Dave

have you checked if you have anything odd in the timescale option of
file/print

Cheers
JulieD

 

[dillehunt]

"DUH!" THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! While I feel incredibly
stupid at this point, I am so releieved to have this fixed I'll overlook my
shortcoming. I really can't thank you enough!
David

 

[Ian]

In Print, select the Timescale you want to print.

 

[JulieD]

Hi David

this setting has caught me out more than once! glad it's solved.

Cheers
JulieD

 

[Waz]

Is it possible to "automate" the from and to dates in the "Print" window? For
example, I want the timescale to start two months before the status date and
finish six months after it. It doesn't appear that I can enter a formula to
accomplish this. But if I could do so, I wouldn't have to remember to change
the timescale dates as time progresses during a project.

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Waz,

For printing, try File/Print and in the print form, at the bottom left, you
can enter from and to dates.

Mike Glen
Project MVP
See http://tinyurl.com/2xbhc for my free Project Tutorials

 

[Waz]

Thanks, Mike, but I want the gantt chart window to automatically set the From
and To dates based on the Status Date. So therefore the timeline would start
x number of days prior to the status date and finish x number of days after
the status date.

Say I want to have a three-week look-ahead for the project. I know I can
filter for the specific activities in that three-week window, but I would
like the gantt area to be optimized to also reflect a three-week view. This
"rolling wave" view would save me from having to remember to re-enter the
From and To dates during the life of the project.

Is that possible or am I just being lazy?

 

[Mike Glen]

Hi Waz,

I don't believe this can be done in Project 2007 standard. However, it
sounds as though some vba code might be able to help. I suggest you try
posting on the microsoft.public.project.developer newsgroup (forum). Please
see FAQ Item: 24. Project Newsgroups. FAQs, companion products and other
useful Project information can be seen at this web address:
http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

Mike Glen
Project MVP