How Do I Restrict the Tasks That Appear In A Calendar?

[smarf]

Hiya,

I just want to show certain projects in a calendar. I know I could
link several projects, but is there a way to restrict a calendar to a
certain row and it's subrows?

Thanks!

 

[John]

Hiya,

I just want to show certain projects in a calendar. I know I could
link several projects, but is there a way to restrict a calendar to a
certain row and it's subrows?

Thanks!

smarf,
I don't quite understand how your first sentence, (i.e. limit what is
shown), relates to linking projects, (i.e. showing more things). And
when you say, "... restrict a calendar...", do you mean the Calendar
view, or just the timescale display?

If you are referring to the Calendar view, you can restrict the tasks
shown by creating a custom filter (Project/Filtered For/More Filters).
If you want to limit a master file to just one particular subproject,
filter on the Project field.

John
Project MVP

 

[smarf]

Thanks!

Actually, I needed both! You nailed the one, about the calendar
filter...and the other refers to timescale rows. As is often the case
with idiots like me, I may be after the wrong thing. I am a builder,
and I have different jobs going at a time. I have to separate my jobs
by title, and I was wondering if I could create essentially a 'header'
row whose columns didn't display in the timscale rows.

Thanks!

 

[John]

Thanks!

Actually, I needed both! You nailed the one, about the calendar
filter...and the other refers to timescale rows. As is often the case
with idiots like me, I may be after the wrong thing. I am a builder,
and I have different jobs going at a time. I have to separate my jobs
by title, and I was wondering if I could create essentially a 'header'
row whose columns didn't display in the timscale rows.

Thanks!

smarf,
Apparently this relates to one of your other posts. Every task row in
Project will have a corresponding Gantt Bar. You can hide the Gantt Bar
from being displayed by going to Project/Task Information/General tab
and selecting the "hide task bar" option, however the normal data fields
(e.g. Duration, Start, Finish, etc.) will always display something.

We get several posts from users who are in the building industry, and
like you, they often have many jobs going at once.

In some cases the user may want to create a headings for house
foundations, another for slabs, another for framing and so forth. Under
each of these headings are all the house building jobs going on. This
approach helps keep track of specific subcontractors across all builds.

Another approach is to create headings for each house. Under each
separate house are the details for all phases for building that house.
This approach helps to keep track of each house.

Either way, the summary line is the "header" and it not only groups the
performance tasks below it, but it also summarizes both data and
timescale representation of the performance tasks.

John
Project MVP

 

[smarf]

smarf,
Apparently this relates to one of your other posts. Every task row in
Project will have a corresponding Gantt Bar. You can hide the Gantt Bar
from being displayed by going to Project/Task Information/General tab
and selecting the "hide task bar" option, however the normal data fields
(e.g. Duration, Start, Finish, etc.) will always display something.

We get several posts from users who are in the building industry, and
like you, they often have many jobs going at once.

In some cases the user may want to create a headings for house
foundations, another for slabs, another for framing and so forth. Under
each of these headings are all the house building jobs going on. This
approach helps keep track of specific subcontractors across all builds.

Another approach is to create headings for each house. Under each
separate house are the details for all phases for building that house.
This approach helps to keep track of each house.

Either way, the summary line is the "header" and it not only groups the
performance tasks below it, but it also summarizes both data and
timescale representation of the performance tasks.

John
Project MVP

Wow, thanks. It's reassuring that other builders have the same needs
and that there is a solution to it. As a building industry related
professional in todays climate I am under a lot of stress and need
more than ever to not drop the ball. I guess I'm trying to get a
calendar, a gantt chart, an outline, and a task list all out of one
program, and it seems like it is possible. I'll make headings out of
non-displaying headers (though I guess I can make them display so that
I get the roll-up) and the other need is to-do items. I suppose the
to-do items can be derived by (1) choosing them to not display in the
timeline and (2) using the percent complete field to indicate they
were done. I wish there was add on software where I could make my
long lists which would contribute to a a single MSP task. The reason
for this is that I have to track minutia such as "return sledge hammer
to doug" and that kind of item will make my project bloated. I love
checkboxes as well. I guess my dream would to be able to right click
on a task and choose to have a tick-list with check boxes pop up. I
could have a task such as "Wrap-Up", a little symbol would appear on
the task, and I could toss to-do's onto the tick-list. Does such a
product exist? Or perhaps I could make a hyperlinkable column to an
outside program which has a tick list. Or am I on the wrong path
altogether?

Thanks!

 

[Steve House]

IMHO, each job should be a discrete project into and off itself and carried
in its own project file. Meanwhile your total workload is in a
consolidation file with each of those jobs inserted as a linked subproject.

 

[smarf]

IMHO, each job should be a discrete project into and off itself and carried
in its own project file. Meanwhile your total workload is in a
consolidation file with each of those jobs inserted as a linked subproject.
--
Steve House [Project MVP]
MS Project Trainer & Consultant
Visithttp://project.mvps.org/faqs.htmfor the FAQs

Thanks!

Actually, I needed both! You nailed the one, about the calendar
filter...and the other refers to timescale rows. As is often the case
with idiots like me, I may be after the wrong thing. I am a builder,
and I have different jobs going at a time. I have to separate my jobs
by title, and I was wondering if I could create essentially a 'header'
row whose columns didn't display in the timscale rows.

Thanks!

All this is helpful, and I do realize that keeping individual projects
separate is key.

I do have another question though: I find that I am trying to use msp
as both a critical strategic planning tool, in my case spanning the
next few months, as well as a to-do list. For large to-dos, it makes
sense, but for short ones such as "fix copier switch" or whatnot it
seems too small an item to put into a plan. How do you approach this
problem?

thanks!

 

[John]

Wow, thanks. It's reassuring that other builders have the same needs
and that there is a solution to it. As a building industry related
professional in todays climate I am under a lot of stress and need
more than ever to not drop the ball. I guess I'm trying to get a
calendar, a gantt chart, an outline, and a task list all out of one
program, and it seems like it is possible. I'll make headings out of
non-displaying headers (though I guess I can make them display so that
I get the roll-up) and the other need is to-do items. I suppose the
to-do items can be derived by (1) choosing them to not display in the
timeline and (2) using the percent complete field to indicate they
were done. I wish there was add on software where I could make my
long lists which would contribute to a a single MSP task. The reason
for this is that I have to track minutia such as "return sledge hammer
to doug" and that kind of item will make my project bloated. I love
checkboxes as well. I guess my dream would to be able to right click
on a task and choose to have a tick-list with check boxes pop up. I
could have a task such as "Wrap-Up", a little symbol would appear on
the task, and I could toss to-do's onto the tick-list. Does such a
product exist? Or perhaps I could make a hyperlinkable column to an
outside program which has a tick list. Or am I on the wrong path
altogether?

Thanks!

smarf,
You're not alone in wanting Project to be a full scheduling, graphics,
and word processing application all wrapped into one. Unfortunately
Project is not that application and I doubt anything like that exists,
but I certainly don't track everything that's out there.

The closest thing that exists in the Project environment is probably
Project Server. It works in what is called an EPM, (Enterprise Project
Management), environment. However, Project Server may be more
application than you need, or can afford. Nonetheless, if you want to
pursue Server and see what it can and cannot do for your business, try
posting on our sister newsgroup, microsoft.public.project.server and/or
check Microsoft's website.

An option that is used by several users to track task "minutia" is the
Notes field in Project. The Notes field can be accessed in various ways
but for the most flexibility, you will need to go to Project/Task
Information/Notes tab.

Another option is to do the scheduling in Project and track to-do-lists,
and task minutia in another application such as Excel. The two
applications can be linked together but there are recommended and
non-recommended ways to do that. For example, Project and Excel can
import/export data between them. Paste links can also link data between
them but this option should only be used by advanced users who have
extreme discipline and really know what they are doing.

Whether or not you are "on the right path" can only be determined by
you. In my opinion, you are not "outta-bed" in trying to use Project as
a core application for your building business but I don't have any
direct experience in that environment. Try searching this newsgroup for
posts relating to using Project in the building/construction industry.
You likely will find other users who may be good contacts.

John
Project MVP

 

[Steve House]

....> I do have another question though: I find that I am trying to use msp

as both a critical strategic planning tool, in my case spanning the
next few months, as well as a to-do list. For large to-dos, it makes
sense, but for short ones such as "fix copier switch" or whatnot it
seems too small an item to put into a plan. How do you approach this
problem?

thanks!

Actually Project is much more useful as a planning tool rather than a simple
to-do list. Should you include "fix copier switch" in the plan? It depends
on whether you need to schedule and cooridinate resources to do it and
whether it impacts on other tasks in the schedule. If printing 1000 copies
of a contract proposal in time to start negotiations before the old one
expires hinges on having a working copier, that insigifigant task suddenly
becomes very important. The Devil lurks in the details and the cumulative
impact of numerous tasks too small to bother with individually can have
signifigant effects - like the congressman said "A billion here and a
trillion there adds up to real money after a while" <grin>.

 

[smarf]

...> I do have another question though: I find that I am trying to use msp



Actually Project is much more useful as a planning tool rather than a simple
to-do list. Should you include "fix copier switch" in the plan? It depends
on whether you need to schedule and cooridinate resources to do it and
whether it impacts on other tasks in the schedule. If printing 1000 copies
of a contract proposal in time to start negotiations before the old one
expires hinges on having a working copier, that insigifigant task suddenly
becomes very important. The Devil lurks in the details and the cumulative
impact of numerous tasks too small to bother with individually can have
signifigant effects - like the congressman said "A billion here and a
trillion there adds up to real money after a while" <grin>.

Awesome Everyone...I think I'm starting to get the picture. It looks
like Project is not infinitely granular, and that the key is to refer
tasks to another file that may be more extensive, such as a task
called "Office Maintained" would have a human resource associated with
it, and it's up to them to decide how to track it. If a stakeholder
would want to be able to see that person's agenda, they would require
it to be on the network, in whatever format it's in.

Thanks!