Customize a Gantt chart view

The Gantt chart became a standard way of visualizing schedules when, in the early 20th century, American engineer Henry Gantt developed a bar chart showing the use of resources over time. For many people, the Gantt chart is the most common visualization of a project’s schedule or plan. In fact, the Gantt chart is a popular and widely understood representation of schedule information throughout the project management world. In Project, the default view is dominated by a Gantt chart. You will likely spend a lot of your time in this type of view when working in Project.

You might remember from Chapter 2, “Take a guided tour,” that a Gantt Chart view as shown in Figure 7-1 consists of two main parts: a table on the left and a bar chart with a timescale on the right.

The bar chart includes an adjustable timescale band across the top that denotes units of time. The bars on the chart graphically represent the tasks in the table in terms of start and finish dates, duration, and status (for example, whether work on the task has started).

On a Gantt chart, tasks, summary tasks, and milestones all appear as Gantt bars or symbols, and each type of bar has its own format. Whenever you work with Gantt bars, keep in mind that they represent tasks in a plan. Other elements on the chart, such as link lines, represent relationships between tasks.

The default formatting applied to a Gantt chart view works well for on-screen viewing, sharing with other programs, and printing. However, you can change the formatting of almost any element on a Gantt chart.

You can format the chart elements in a Gantt chart view in several ways:

• As Figure 7-2 shows, you can quickly apply predefined color combinations from the Gantt Chart Style group.

  

  The Gantt Chart styles are divided into two groups:

  • Scheduling Styles These styles distinguish between manually and automatically scheduled tasks.

  • Presentation Styles Applying a presentation style to a Gantt chart view is a good option when you don’t want to distinguish between manually and automatically scheduled tasks.

• You can apply highly customized formatting to Gantt bars in the Bar Styles dialog shown in Figure 7-3.

  

  In this case, the formatting changes you make to a particular type of Gantt bar (a summary task, for example) apply to all such Gantt bars in the Gantt chart. Applying or customizing bar styles is a powerful formatting feature; for more information, see Chapter 16, “Format and print views: In-depth techniques.”

• You can also format individual Gantt bars directly. The direct formatting changes you make have no effect on other bars in the Gantt chart.

In the table portion of a Gantt chart view, you can format text and cell values. The cell formatting options in Project are similar to those in Microsoft Excel.

To apply a Gantt chart style to Gantt bars

1. Switch to a Gantt chart view.

2. On the Gantt Chart Format tab, in the Gantt Chart Style group, select the More button shown in Figure 7-5 to display the predefined color styles.

   

3. Select the style you want.

To format an individual Gantt bar shape

1. Double-click a Gantt bar.

   Or

   Select the name of the task whose bar you want to format. Then on the Gantt Chart Format tab, in the Bar Styles group, select Format and then select Bar.

2. In the Format Bar dialog, select the formatting options you want.

To remove direct formatting from an individual Gantt bar shape

1. Double-click a previously formatted Gantt bar.

   Or

   Select the name of the task of the previously formatted Gantt bar. Then on the Gantt Chart Format tab, in the Bar Styles group, select Format and then select Bar.

2. In the Format Bar dialog, select Reset.

To apply a Text style to tasks

1. On the Gantt Chart Format tab, in the Format group, select Text Styles.

2. In the Text Styles dialog displayed in Figure 7-6, in the Item to Change field, select the type of task you want to format.

   

3. Select the formatting options you want and then select OK.

To modify a Text style

1. On the Gantt Chart Format tab, in the Format group, select Text Styles.

2. In the Text Styles dialog, in the Item to Change field, select the type of task you want to modify.

3. Select the formatting options you want and then select OK.

To format a cell or range of cells

1. In the table portion of a Gantt chart view, select the cell or range of cells you want to format.

2. On the Task tab, in the Font group, select the formatting options you want.

Or

1. Select the cell or range of cells you want to format.

2. Right-click or long-press (tap and hold) the selected cell or range of cells.

   As you can see in Figure 7-7, a shortcut menu appears.

   

   In addition to the regular shortcut menu, note that the Mini Toolbar appears.

3. On the Mini Toolbar, select the text or cell background formatting options you want.

To remove all formatting that has been applied to a cell

1. Select the previously formatted cell or range of cells.

2. On the Task tab, in the Editing group, select Clear (the button that looks like an eraser) and then select Clear Formatting.

To adjust the timescale in a Gantt chart view

• Do either of the following:

  • On the View tab, in the Zoom group, select Timescale and then select the setting you want.

  • Use the Zoom Slider in the lower-right corner of the status bar to adjust the zoom setting.

Add tasks to a Timeline view

A Timeline view is best for displaying key tasks and milestones from your plan in a simple and compact format as shown in Figure 7-8. This view is especially well suited for conveying quick summaries of plans and is easily shared with Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, email messages, and other formats beyond Project (you do this later in this chapter). You can add just enough detail to the Timeline view to convey your message, especially to other project stakeholders.

A Timeline view usually is displayed above the current view. Initially, the Timeline view is empty, even when the plan contains tasks. You select the existing tasks or add new tasks that you want to have included on a Timeline view, and you determine how they should appear.

In fact, you can display multiple Timelines at a time—each one can include different tasks and formatting options. For more information about multiple Timelines, see Chapter 16.

To add existing tasks to a Timeline view

1. Select anywhere in a Timeline view.

   Tip

   If the Timeline is not visible, on the View tab, in the Split View group, select the Timeline checkbox.

   Project shifts focus to the Timeline view and displays the Timeline Format tab.

2. On the Timeline Format tab, in the Insert group, select Existing Tasks.

   The Add Tasks to Timeline dialog opens. As Figure 7-9 shows, this dialog contains an outline of the summary and subtasks in the plan.

   

3. Select the tasks you want to appear on the Timeline, and then select OK.

Or

1. In the active task view, select the task you want to appear on the Timeline.

2. On the Task tab, in the Properties group, select Add to Timeline.

Or

• Right-click the task and select Add to Timeline in the shortcut menu that appears.

To add a new task to a Timeline view

1. Select anywhere in a Timeline view.

2. On the Timeline Format tab, in the Insert group, select Task.

3. In the Task Information dialog, enter the new task’s information and select OK.

   Project adds the new task to the plan. It is now visible in both the Timeline and Gantt Chart views.

To switch task bars to callouts in the Timeline view

1. Select anywhere in the Timeline view.

   Project shifts focus to the Timeline view and displays the Timeline Format tab.

2. In the Timeline view, select a task bar you want to display as a callout.

   Tip

   To see the full name and other details about a task on the Timeline, point to the task. You can see in Figure 7-10 that its details appear in a ScreenTip.

   

3. On the Timeline Format tab, in the Current Selection group, select Display as Callout.

   Project displays the task as a callout (see Figure 7-11).

   

Customize reports

You can use Project reports to see details of your plans in a variety of ways. Project includes several built-in reports, and you can customize those or create your own for the unique information needs of your project’s stakeholders.

Reports are intended to be used for viewing Project details. You don’t directly edit your plan’s data in a report as you can in a view. However, you can extensively customize what data appears in a report and how it’s formatted.

Consider some of the useful actions you can take:

• Create graphical reports within Project instead of exporting the Project data to another program

• Include colorful charts and images, in addition to tables, in your reports

• Print reports or copy them to other programs

Project includes many reports that you can use as is or customize, or you can create your own unique reports. Unlike most views in Project, a report is more like a blank canvas onto which you place the elements (such as tables or charts) that focus on the information that’s most interesting to you.

A single report can include a dynamic mix of tables, charts, and textual content. For a report example, see Figure 7-13.

You can change both the formatting and the content of charts and tables in a report. As soon as you select a chart (or a table), the Field List pane opens on the right side of the screen. In Chapter 17, “Format reports: In-depth techniques,” you use the Field List to customize the data that is included in reports.

In addition to changing what type of data appears in a chart, you can change its visual appearance. When you select in a report—or in a chart, table, or other element in a report—Project displays tabs unique to the selected element illustrated in Figure 7-14.

To display a report

• On the Report tab, in the View Reports group, select a category and then select the specific report you want.

To apply a style to a chart in a report

1. Display the report that includes a chart that you want to style.

2. Select anywhere in the chart.

3. On the Chart Design tab, in the Chart Styles group, select the style you want.

To apply a style to a table in a report

1. Display the report that includes a table that you want to style.

2. Select anywhere in the table.

3. On the Table Design tab, in the Table Styles group, select the style you want.

Copy views and reports

Project supports standard copying and pasting of data, such as a range of task names and details via the clipboard. Sometimes, though, you want to share views from your plans with colleagues who don’t have Project or who prefer a simple schedule snapshot. You can quickly copy most views and reports from Project. Those colleagues then can copy views and reports and paste them into email messages, presentations, and other documents. Views that cannot be directly copied from Project include the Team Planner (Project Online desktop client or Project Professional only), form views (such as the Task Form), and the Relationship Diagram view.

Both Gantt charts and Timeline views are well suited for sharing schedule details. The Timeline is a concise “project at a glance” view, and the Gantt chart is a widely used format of schedules.

Reports are also well suited for sharing with other project stakeholders. Reports can be especially effective in conveying your plan’s information in charts that you might otherwise need to create in Excel.

To copy a view

Use this technique to copy a Gantt chart and most other views in Project.

1. Set up the view the way you want it to appear when copied. For example, in a Gantt chart view, you can scroll to display the range of tasks you want to copy and their Gantt bars.

   Tip

   You can quickly scroll the Gantt chart to display the Gantt bars of the selected task. On the Task tab, in the Editing group, select Scroll to Task.

2. On the Task tab, in the Clipboard group, select the arrow next to Copy, and then select Copy Picture.

   The Copy Picture dialog opens, as shown in Figure 7-15.

   

   In this dialog, you can control how Project copies details from the plan to the clipboard or saves it to a file. The first two options under Render image control the size and resolution of the view you copy; the third option enables you to save the copied image as a Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) image file. The options under Copy and Timescale let you fine-tune what you want to copy. The Timescale options are not available when you are copying views that don’t include a timescale, such as Sheet views.

3. Select the copy options you want and select OK.

   Project copies a graphic image of the view to the clipboard. You can then paste it into another program.

To copy a Timeline view

You copy most other views in Project much like you do a Gantt chart view. The Timeline view, however, has unique options for copying. You can copy the Timeline at different resolutions and levels of detail, depending on the destination you have in mind.

1. Select anywhere in the Timeline view.

   With the focus now on the Timeline, the label of the Gantt Chart Format tab changes to Timeline Format.

2. On the Timeline Format tab, in the Copy group, select Copy Timeline.

   The Copy Timeline options appear, as Figure 7-16 shows.

   

3. Select the sizing option you want.

   Project copies the timeline to the clipboard.

   Tip

   You can quickly switch the Timeline view between a more or less detailed format. Select anywhere in the Timeline view and then, on the Timeline Format tab, in the Show/Hide group, select Detailed Timeline.

To copy a report

1. On the Report tab, in the View Reports group, display the report you want.

2. Select anywhere in the report and then, on the Report Design tab, in the Report group, select Copy Report.

   Project copies a graphic image of the entire report to the clipboard.

Print views and reports

In addition to sharing your plan’s information by copying and pasting, you can print most views and all reports. The views that you cannot print include the form views and the Relationship Diagram.

For a plan with many tasks, you might be able to see only a relatively small portion of the full plan on your screen at one time. Printing from Project can require quite a bit of paper; in fact, some heavy-duty Project users make poster-size printouts of their plans by using plotters. Whether you use a printer or a plotter, it’s a good idea to preview the views and reports you intend to print.

You have several options when printing from Project, such as printing a specific date range in a Gantt chart view (described later in this topic). You can also control what will print in a view before you print it by filtering or collapsing tasks or by displaying only summary tasks. (See Chapter 13, “Organize plan details.”) You work with these options in the Print window. This topic describes some of the most useful options.

Start with the page navigation buttons in the lower-right corner of the screen, which you can see in Figure 7-17.

To preview a broader view of the output, you can switch to a multipage view. When you do, the full view or report appears in the Print window. Assuming that you have a letter-size sheet as your selected paper size, you might see the view or report spread across several sheets.

With timescaled views such as the Gantt Chart view, you can be more selective. You can adjust the preview using the Settings options to include just the portion of the view that covers a specific date range.

For example, you can set a Gantt chart’s options in the Print window displayed in Figure 7-18 to show just a specific date range.

Compared to views, a report can be a more compact way to print information about your plan. Reports use commonly understood formats, such as tables and charts, to organize and present information.

Printing reports in Project is mainly a “what you see is what you get” action. Project offers some report-specific printing options on the Report Design tab (which is visible when you tap or click in a report).

The Page Breaks command is especially useful when you intend to print a report. It draws dashed lines in the report that tell you how it will print across pages based on the current page settings. Other options available on the Report Design tab in the Page Setup group, such as margins and paper size, can be useful as you design your report.

To print a view

1. On the View tab, in the Task Views group, display the view you want to print.

2. On the File tab, select Print.

   The Print page of the Backstage view appears, with the view in the preview.

3. Select the options you want, and then select Print.

To print a report

1. On the Report tab, in the View Reports group, display the report you want to print.

2. On the File tab, select Print.

   The Print page of the Backstage view appears, with the report in the preview.

3. Select the options you want, and then select Print.

To adjust page setup options in a report

1. Display the report whose page setup options you want to adjust.

2. Select the Report Design tab.

   In the Page Setup group, note the four commands available.

3. Do any of the following:

   • Select Page Breaks to see where the page breaks occur in the report based on your currently selected paper size.

   • Select Margins to adjust the page margins of the report when printed.

   • Select Orientation to switch the report between landscape (horizontal) and portrait (vertical) layout.

   • Select Size to select your paper size.

Skills review

In this chapter, you learned how to

• Customize a Gantt chart view

• Add tasks to a Timeline view

• Customize reports

• Copy views and reports

• Print views and reports

Practice tasks

The SimpleFormat practice file for these tasks is located in the ProjectDesktopSBSCh07 folder. For practice file download instructions, see the introduction to this book.