What are the available plug-ins for Project?

[j_fo]

I find the graphical presentation of Project's Gantt Chart very limiting. I
would like to know if there is a plug-in, MS utility or download that will
give me more tools to change the appearance of my Gantt charts. Something
similar to a graphics enhancer. In particular, I would like to be able to add
more notes (like Excel comments), colors, shapes and other options for the
timeline bars and labels. With a lot of work, I able to produce exactly what
I need in Excel, by treating it as a blank canvas to draw and link a bunch of
shapes, text boxes, line, etc. However, it is all done manually, and is hell
to change.
Thanks for your help.

 

[JackD]

Changing colors of the bars is actually quite simple. Go to the format menu
and select barstyles. You can play around and see what you like.
More extensive customization is not particularly easy or stable as timescale
changes can destroy your work.
There are no plug-ins for project. You can export the data to visio and work
with it there, but I find it rather bothersome and I think that for some
versions of project/visio the functionality is broken.

Your last point is the key reason I avoid doing anything non-standard.

 

[j_fo]

Is there a way then for me to create outside of Project my own symbols,
colors, patterns, etc., and then add them or import them as "Appearances"?

 

[JackD]

No, sorry.
Have you considered scheduling in powerpoint?
I end up doing that on occasion (today for example)

 

[j_fo]

Is there anything I can create in Visio that can be imported into Project?

 

[JackD]

Not easily. It requires understanding the visio and project object models
and writing the appropriate VBA code.
Coming from Project I find the the visio object model is confusing and just
plain wierd.