Project View

Path: from Portfolio, select a project and Open — you land immediately in Project → Gantt. The center title shows the project name. This is where teams create, schedule, update, and analyze detailed work inside one project — on the same connected cloud schedule.

Watch: Project View (~20 min tour).

Portfolio → Open → Project Gantt — from Project View.

Project submenu icons — from Project View.

Submenu — five views of one schedule

The Project submenu is not separate projects. Gantt · Spreadsheet · Distribution · Network · WBS are different views of the same connected schedule — a change in one reflects everywhere.

View	Teaches	Deep dive
Gantt	When — task spreadsheet + timeline; red = critical, blue = non-critical	Gantt Chart · Scheduling
Spreadsheet	Same task fields without the Gantt (more column space)	—
Distribution	Time-phased Work / Actual Work (Usage-style; UI label = Distribution)	Usage / Distribution
Network	Logic — nodes + dependency links	Network Diagram
WBS	Scope — hierarchical chart	WBS · Org Structures WBS

Contrast triad: Gantt = when · Network = logic · WBS = scope — three perspectives on one live project.

Gantt — task spreadsheet columns — from Project View.

Task indicators — critical / behind progress — from Project View.

Critical (red) vs non-critical (blue) — from Project View.

Spreadsheet view — fields without Gantt — from Project View.

Distribution — time-phased Work — from Project View.

Distribution — Actual Work entry — from Project View.

Network — dependency nodes — from Project View.

WBS hierarchy chart — from Project View.

Same connected schedule across views — from Project View.

Toolbar map (Navigation depth)

The long Project View tour walks many tools. At Navigation depth, treat the toolbar as a map and open the deep-dive sections for workflows:

• + Add (incl. New Recurring Task) · Undo/Redo · Indent/Outdent — see Recurring tasks and Indent → WBS.

• Assign resources — Assigning Resources · Gantt Assign.

• Baselines · Split · Zoom · Export · Colors · Filter · Field Configuration — Gantt Chart · Baselines.

• Edit task tabs: Main · Performance · Actuals · Calendar · Scheduling · Dependencies · Risk · Notes — EVM fields connect to Performance Management / EVM.

• Calendar · Risk Register / Monte Carlo — Calendars · Risk Analysis.

• Schedule quality audit (DCMA) — Project Audit; run quality checks before Monte Carlo.

• Lower panes Task Details / Resource Graphs · Leveling — Resource Leveling.

Gantt toolbar — + Add — from Project View.

Edit task — tab strip — from Project View.

Project View video

Watch: Project View — full Project menu tour (submenu + chrome + analysis entry points).

AI-Powered Project Generation

ProjectLibre 2.0 introduces AI Generation, a powerful tool designed to build out a project structure—including tasks, dependencies, and assignments—directly from a text description.

Accessing AI Generation

1. Locate the AI Icon: In the Gantt chart menu bar, click the AI button (the second icon from the left).

   

2. Open the Tool: Click the dropdown arrow on the AI button and select + Generate tasks. This will open the AI Generation dialog box.

AI Generation dialog box.

Creating Your Project

In the Project Description field, describe the scope of your project or the specific phases you want to develop. To get the best results from the AI, follow these guidelines:

• Specify Task Count: We highly recommend ending your description with a specific instruction, such as: “Return 50 tasks” or “Return 100 tasks.” This ensures the AI provides a comprehensive level of detail for your schedule.

• Optimal Range: While the AI can handle various requests, staying within the 50 to 100 task range is the “sweet spot.”

• Why Limit the Count? Requesting significantly more than 100 tasks often results in a complex web of links and data that is difficult to rationalize and edit.

Best Practice: Use the 50-task output as a high-quality foundational baseline. It is much more efficient to let the AI build the primary structure and then manually modify or add specific nuances to the project yourself.

Creating Task Hierarchies (Parent/Sub-Tasks) and the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

ProjectLibre allows you to build a detailed and organized project schedule by creating a hierarchy of tasks. By indenting tasks under other tasks, you establish a Parent/Child (or Summary/Sub-task) relationship. This organization is fundamental to creating your project’s Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). The parent task automatically inherits, or “rolls up,” the combined costs, durations, and schedule spans of all its child tasks.

Video: Creating Parent/Sub-tasks Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

Creating Sub-tasks through Indentation

The process begins by identifying the set of tasks you want to organize under a common heading.

To Create Sub-tasks (Indent)

1. In the Gantt chart task list, select the task or a group of tasks you want to become sub-tasks. The image below illustrates the initial step where tasks with ID 2 through 6 are selected.

2. Click the Indent Icon on the menu bar (highlighted by the upper red arrow pointing to the ‘>’ icon).

Result: The selected tasks are moved to the right (indented) beneath the preceding task, which is automatically converted into a Parent (Summary) task.

The Parent Task (Summary)

The Parent task now serves as a high-level summary for its entire task group. This transformation is key to understanding ProjectLibre’s data roll-up.

• Data Inherited from Children: As shown below, after the indentation, Task 1 (“Summary”) has been transformed. It now features a clickable caret (arrow) next to its name.

• Crucial Insight: The duration (10d) and schedule dates for Task 1 are now a direct and automatic calculation of its children’s parameters (Design, Development, etc.). The costs assigned to the child tasks will also roll up to the summary task.

• Unlimited WBS Levels: You are not limited to a single tier of sub-tasks. You can select already indented tasks and indent them again, creating as many nested levels in your WBS as your project requires.

Managing and Visualizing the Hierarchy

ProjectLibre provides features to effectively manage your organized schedule and visualize the underlying WBS.

Collapsing and Expanding Phase Views

To manage complex projects with many sub-tasks, you can collapse or expand sections of your schedule for better overview.

• Expand: Click the caret (arrow) next to the Parent task. This hides all its child tasks from view.

• Example: displays the Gantt view after the caret next to the “Summary” task has been clicked, hiding the details of sub-tasks 2 through 6 and providing a clean, high-level summary of that complete project phase.

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Chart View

The task hierarchy you create by indenting is not just a Gantt list representation; it is a comprehensive Work Breakdown Structure.

• The WBS image below provides a visual representation of this structure in a dedicated WBS chart view. Here, the “Summary” parent task is displayed at the top tier, linked hierarchically and branching down to its child sub-tasks below (Design, Development, etc.), perfectly mirroring the relationships established in the Gantt list. All cost and schedule data rolls up this hierarchy as well.

Reversing the Hierarchy: Outdent

If you need to move a task or group out from under a parent and move it higher in the project hierarchy, use the opposite action.

• To Outdent: Select the tasks and click the Outdent Arrow Icon (the icon on the menu bar showing a ‘<’, located to the left of the Indent icon). This will performing the direct opposite of the Indent action, moving tasks up and out from beneath their current Parent Summary task.

Highlight tasks and use the indent icon to create a heirarchy

Once indented the Summary or Parent task spans the duration of the sub-tasks and costs also summarize up the heirarchy levels. Clicking the arrow next to a Summary task will expand or collapse the detail sub-tasks below

Summary task with tasks collapsed only displaying the Parent task.

The indentation heirarchical structure also creates a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Other Icons in Gantt Chart Bar:

Add
AI
Indent / Outdent
Assign Resource to Task
Baseline Project
Calendar
Task Edit
Split Task
Zoom in / Zoom Out
Export Project
Filter
Configure
Task Edit
Settings (Columns)

Add (Remove/Cut/Copy/Paste)

The Breakdown of the “Add” Dropdown

1. Remove (The “Delete” function)

• What it does: It completely strikes the selected task row out of existence.

• Why it’s here: To “Create” a clean schedule, you often have to remove placeholders or mistakes.

• Pro Tip: This doesn’t just hide the task; it deletes the data, the assigned resources, and the timing.

2. Copy (The “Duplicate” function)

• What it does: It takes a “snapshot” of the task you’ve selected (including its duration and assigned people) and stores it in your computer’s temporary memory (the clipboard).

• Why it’s standard: It saves you from re-typing the same task details over and over.

3. Cut (The “Move” function)

• What it does: Like Copy, it “remembers” the task, but it removes it from its current spot immediately.

• Why it’s standard: Think of this as “picking up” a task so you can “put it down” somewhere else in the timeline.

4. Paste (The “Insert” function)

• What it does: It takes whatever task is currently in your “memory” (from a Cut or Copy) and places it into the schedule.

• The Project Logic: In a Gantt chart, Paste usually creates a brand-new row. It doesn’t just change the text of an existing row; it adds a whole new entry to your project.

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Why we call them “Standard”

These terms are industry standards that have been the backbone of computing since the 1980s.

• Universal Shortcuts: These options almost always map to the classic keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+X (Cut), Ctrl+C (Copy), and Ctrl+V (Paste).

• The Clipboard Rule: Just like in Word or Excel, you can only have one “Cut” or “Copied” item at a time. If you Copy a task, then Copy a different one, the first one is forgotten.

• Data Integrity: Unlike just deleting text, “Removing” or “Cutting” a task in project software is “smart”—it knows to re-number the tasks and adjust the visual Gantt bars automatically.

Essentially, this menu is your Row Controller. Instead of having four different buttons taking up space on your screen, they are tucked under the “Create” button because they are the tools you use to build out the structure of your project.

AI Icon

The AI icon launches the Generate task dialog box as noted in the AI task creation section

Indent / Outdent

In project management, the Indent and Outdent buttons (the left and right arrows next to the “Create” menu) are the most powerful tools for organization. They don’t just move text; they change the very logic of your schedule by creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).

Think of these buttons as the “Folder Makers” of your project.

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Indent Button (>)

When you click Indent, you are telling the software: “This task is a detail of the task directly above it.”

• Creates Summary Levels: The task above the one you indented automatically becomes a Summary Task (often shown in bold with a black bracket on the Gantt chart).

• Automatic Calculation: Once a task becomes a Summary Task, you can no longer manually change its duration or dates. It now “sums up” everything below it. If the sub-tasks take 10 days, the Summary Task automatically shows 10 days.

• The “Parent-Child” Relationship: This creates a hierarchy where the “Parent” (Summary) tracks the overall phase, and the “Children” (Sub-tasks) track the actual work.

Outdent Button (<)

Clicking Outdent does the opposite: it “promotes” a task to a higher level.

• Removes Levels: Use this if a task was accidentally tucked under a phase where it doesn’t belong. It moves the task back toward the left margin.

• Breaking the Bond: If you outdent the only sub-task under a Summary Task, that Summary Task loses its “Parent” status and turns back into a regular task.

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Building the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure)

The WBS is essentially a map of your project. By using Indent and Outdent, you are building the “address” for every task.

Action	Result on WBS	Visual Change on Gantt
Indent	Creates a Sub-task (Level 2, 3, etc.)	The task above turns into a thick black bar.
Outdent	Moves toward a Major Phase (Level 1)	The task moves left and its “Parent” bar shrinks.

Pro Tip: A professional Gantt chart is rarely just a long list of 100 tasks. It’s usually 5 or 10 Summary Tasks (Phases) with several sub-tasks indented underneath each. This allows you to “collapse” phases you aren’t working on to keep your screen clean.

Summary Task Behavior

When you indent tasks to create a summary level, keep this in mind: The Summary Task is a mirror.

1. Start Date: It starts whenever the earliest sub-task starts.

2. Finish Date: It ends whenever the latest sub-task finishes.

3. Progress: It shows a weighted percentage of how much work is done across all its sub-tasks.

Assign Resources

Video Assign Resources

Assigning Resources

Once you have organized your WBS using the Indent/Outdent tools, you must assign resources to specific tasks to track accountability, workload, and costs. In ProjectLibre, this is done through a dedicated assignment interface.

The Assignment Icon

The Assign Resource icon.

To begin, select a task in your list (such as “Design”) and click the Assign Resource icon. It is located in the center of the toolbar, represented by a silhouette of two people.

Using the Assign Resource Dialog

The Assign Resource dialog.

When the dialog box opens, you are presented with your resource pool. This interface allows for granular control over how much “effort” each resource contributes to the task.

• Flexible Assignment % (The Slider): You can assign a resource by moving the slider bar. While 50% and 100% are common benchmarks, the assignment can be any percentage required for the project (e.g., 23%, 75%, or 10%).

• Custom Inputs: If the slider is too broad, you can click into the percentage box to type a specific value. This is useful for precise resource leveling where a team member may only be available for a fraction of their time.

• Assign All / Unassign All: Use these buttons for bulk actions, such as assigning a whole team to a brainstorming session or clearing all names to re-allocate a task.

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Visual Results on the Gantt Chart

After clicking Save, the Gantt chart provides immediate visual feedback on your staffing levels:

1. Resource Labels: The names of the assigned individuals (e.g., “Tayler,” “Sidney”) appear directly next to the task bar on the Gantt chart. This ensures that everyone viewing the schedule knows who is responsible for each deliverable.

2. The “Summary” Roll-up: If you assign resources to sub-tasks, the Summary Task (the parent bar) automatically aggregates the data. It calculates the total man-hours and costs for that entire phase based on the percentages you assigned to the sub-tasks.

3. Work Calculation: The software uses your percentage to calculate the actual “Work” hours.

   • Example: If a task is 10 days long and you assign a resource at 25%, the software calculates that the person will contribute 20 hours of actual work over those 10 days.

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Summary of Toolbar Progress

By mastering these three sections, you have completed the core project setup:

1. Create: Build the list of tasks.

2. Indent/Outdent: Organize the tasks into a logical WBS hierarchy.

3. Assign Resource: Connect the work to your team and equipment.

Managing Project Baselines

Baseline as snapshot (2.0 preview): Saving a baseline captures timeline and scope at a point in time. Multiple baselines (Baseline and Baseline 1–10) can appear as shaded bars on the Gantt so you can compare the plan after logic or date changes.

Save Baseline

Save Baseline dialog.

Watch: Save Baseline video

Introduction

“Once your project schedule is fully organized—tasks are created, the WBS is set with indents, and resources are assigned—it’s time to set your ‘Version 1.0.’ In project management, this is called a Baseline.”

1. What is a Baseline?

“A baseline is a snapshot of your project’s ‘planned’ state. It freezes your original start dates, finish dates, and costs so that as the project moves forward, you can compare your actual progress against your original goals.”

2. Accessing the Save Baseline Dialog

“To save your current plan, click the Baseline icon in the toolbar (found near the settings and view options). This will open the Save Baseline dialog box.”

3. Choosing Your Baseline Slot (The ‘11 Versions’ Rule)

“ProjectLibre allows you to save up to 11 different baselines.

• The primary slot is simply labeled ‘Baseline.’ This should be your official ‘Version 1.0.’

• The additional 10 slots (Baseline 1 through Baseline 10) are perfect for mid-project re-plans or ‘what-if’ scenarios. Use the dropdown menu in the dialog box to select which slot you wish to save to.”

4. Setting the Scope: Entire Project vs. Selected Tasks

“You have flexibility in what you capture:

• Entire Project: This is the standard choice. It captures every row and summary level in your Gantt chart.

• Selected Tasks: If you have only updated one specific phase (like ‘Design’) and want to baseline just those changes, highlight the rows in your Gantt chart first, then uncheck the ‘Entire project’ box in the dialog. This will apply the snapshot only to those selected tasks.”

5. Saving the Baseline

“Once you have selected your slot and scope, click Save Baseline. You will notice that your Gantt chart now stores these hidden ‘planned’ bars. If a task is delayed in the future, your ‘Actual’ bar will move, but the ‘Baseline’ will stay put, showing you exactly how far off-track the project has drifted.”

6. Clearing a Baseline

“If you made a mistake or need to reset a specific version, look for the ‘Clear Baseline’ option (indicated by the red trash can icon) at the bottom left of the dialog. This will erase the data from the selected baseline slot, allowing you to start fresh.”

Closing Summary

“Baselines are the key to accountability. By saving your ‘Version 1.0’ now, you ensure that you can report on your project’s performance with total accuracy later.”

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Quick Reference Table

Feature	Function
Baseline Dropdown	Select from 11 available slots (Baseline, Baseline 1-10).
Entire Project	Snapshots the entire schedule for global tracking.
Selected Tasks	Only baselines the specific rows you have highlighted.
Clear Baseline	Permanently deletes the snapshot in the selected slot.
Save Baseline	Commits the current dates/costs to the chosen baseline slot.

Task Detail Dialog Box

Edit Task: Detail Dialog Box with Tabs & SubTabs

Video: Task Detail

Task Detail dialog box.

Overview

The Task Detail Dialog Box is organized into seven primary tabs. Use this dialog to update task progress, manage costs, and refine scheduling constraints. Changes are not finalized until you click the Save button.

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This comprehensive manual provides an exhaustive breakdown of the Task Detail Dialog Box. This interface is designed for high-precision project management, allowing users to toggle between high-level scheduling and granular earned-value data.

I. Main Tab: Core Task Parameters

The Main tab is the primary interface for establishing a task’s identity and its fundamental schedule.

• Name & ID: The Task Name is an editable string, while the ID (e.g., “6”) is a unique system-generated identifier for database tracking.

• Dimensional Metrics:

  • Duration: The planned time span (e.g., 3d).

  • Work: The total labor effort (e.g., 24h).

  • Cost: The total budgeted cost.

• Scheduling:

  • Start/Finish: Populated via a date-and-time picker. Note the “X” button in these fields, which allows for clearing specific constraints to revert to auto-scheduled dates.

• Progress Tracking:

  • Percent Complete: Features a granular slider. The 0% and 100% quick-toggle buttons allow for rapid status updates.

  • Priority: A numerical field (default 0) used to determine task importance during resource leveling.

• Predecessors: A dedicated input for defining logic links (e.g., 1FS+2d) to other tasks in the network.

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II. Baselines Tab: Earned Value & Snapshots

Baselines tab.

This tab is critical for performance measurement, housing 11 specific Earned Value Analysis (EVA) metrics and version control.

Earned Value Analysis Metrics

Each field includes an Information (i) icon for on-the-fly definition.

Metric	Full Name	Description
BCWS	Budgeted Cost of Work Scheduled	The “Planned Value” (PV); what you intended to spend by this date.
BCWP	Budgeted Cost of Work Performed	The “Earned Value” (EV); the physical work completed expressed in currency.
ACWP	Actual Cost of Work Performed	The “Actual Cost” (AC); what has actually been spent to date.
SV	Schedule Variance	Calculated as $BCWP - BCWS$. Positive is ahead of schedule.
CV	Cost Variance	Calculated as $BCWP - ACWP$. Positive is under budget.
EAC	Estimate at Completion	The projected total cost of the task based on current performance.
BAC	Budget at Completion	The original total planned budget for the task.
VAC	Variance at Completion	Calculated as $BAC - EAC$. Predicted surplus or deficit at the end.
SPI	Schedule Performance Index	$BCWP / BCWS$. Efficiency ratio; $>1.0$ is ahead of schedule.
CPI	Cost Performance Index	$BCWP / ACWP$. Efficiency ratio; $>1.0$ is cost-efficient.
TCPI	To-Complete Performance Index	The efficiency required to finish the task within the remaining budget.

Baseline Snapshots

This section allows for the archival of project states.

• Storage: You can save one primary Baseline and five additional snapshots (Baseline 1–5).

• Functionality: Click the Disk/Save icon to capture the current metrics into that slot. Use the Chevron/Dropdown arrow to expand and view the historical data stored within that specific snapshot.

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III. Actuals Tab: Execution Tracking

Actuals tab.

The Actuals tab is used to record real-world progress once the task has commenced.

• Work vs. Duration:

  • Actual Duration: The elapsed time used.

  • Actual Work: The actual labor hours submitted.

  • Actual Overtime Work: Specifically tracks hours worked beyond the standard calendar shift.

• Cost Accounting: Tracks Actual Cost (expended) against Remaining Cost (budgeted to finish).

• Time-Stamping:

  • Actual Start/Finish: Hard dates for when work physically began and ended.

  • Stop/Resume: Used for fragmented tasks. The Stop date marks an interruption; Resume marks the restart.

  • Resume Lag: Defines the delay period between a stop and a restart (e.g., 0h).

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IV. Calendar Tab: Work-Time Logic

Calendar tab.

• Calendar: Select a specific task-level calendar (e.g., “Standard,” “Night Shift”) to override project-level settings.

• Effective Calendar: A read-only field showing the actual calendar being applied after considering task and resource overlaps.

• Ignore Resource Calendar: When set to True, the task will ignore the availability of assigned personnel and follow the task calendar strictly (useful for automated tasks or fixed-date events).

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V. Constraints Tab: Scheduling Rules

Constraints tab.

Constraints restrict the movement of tasks within the schedule.

• Constraint Type: Defines the “strictness” of the task placement. Options typically include:

  • As Soon As Possible (ASAP)

  • Start No Earlier Than (SNET)

  • Finish No Later Than (FNLT)

  • Must Start On (MSO)

• Constraint Date: The specific date/time anchor for the selected constraint type.

• Indicators: A summary field for system flags (e.g., “Task has a constraint”).

• Blue Dot Indicators: Small blue markers next to labels (e.g., Constraint Type) indicate that a non-default value has been set, alerting the user that this task is manually constrained.

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VI. Notes Tab: Documentation

Notes tab.

A fully featured Rich Text Editor (RTE) for task documentation.

• Styling: Standard Bold, Italics, Underline, Strikethrough, and Highlight.

• Typography: Support for H1, H2, and H3 headers for structured documentation.

• Lists: Bulleted and numbered lists for standard operating procedures or sub-tasks.

• Alignment: Left, Center, and Right justification.

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VII. Other Tab: Advanced Metadata

Other tab.

Contains calculations for “Float” (Slack) and custom integration fields.

• Early/Late Dates: Displays the Early Start/Finish (the earliest the task can move) and Late Start/Finish (the latest it can move without delaying the project).

• System Fields:

  • !Field.networkX! / !Field.networkY!: Coordinates or logic for network diagram placement.

  • !Field.xbsX! / !Field.xbsY!: Used for Breakdown Structure (WBS/OBS) cross-referencing or custom scripting.

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Universal Actions

• Cancel: Reverts all changes made across all tabs during the current edit session.

• Save: Commits the data to the project schedule.

• Close (X): Standard dialog exit (functions as Cancel).

Task Calendar

record video

Video: Task Calendar record video

Calendars dialog.

I. Accessing and Assigning Calendars

You can access the calendar system by clicking the Calendar Icon on the Gantt chart toolbar.

Three Levels of Control

The system differentiates between three types of calendars to ensure maximum flexibility:

• Project Calendar: The broad “factory settings” for the entire project.

• Resource Calendar: The specific availability of a person (e.g., a part-time employee).

• Task Calendar: A specific schedule assigned to one task (e.g., a concrete pour that must happen over a weekend).

Pre-Configured Calendar Profiles

The system includes three standard profiles to get you started:

1. Default (Standard): 8 hours of work per day, Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday are automatically marked as non-working days.

2. 24 Hours: Work occurs 24/7 with no non-working days.

3. Night Shift: Mirrors the Monday–Friday pattern but shifts working hours to the evening/night.

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II. The Calendars Dialog Interface

When you open the Calendars dialog box, you are presented with a management sidebar and a detailed editing pane.

Sidebar Actions

• Add a Calendar (+): Creates a new, blank calendar.

• Copy a Calendar (Duplicate Icon): Creates a copy of the selected calendar, which is ideal for creating variations of the Standard shift.

• Delete Calendar (Trash Icon): Removes a custom calendar.

• Set Task Calendar: Applies the selected calendar to the task currently highlighted in your spreadsheet.

Management Tabs: Exceptions vs. Work Weeks

At the bottom of the editing pane, you will see two critical tabs:

1. Work Weeks: Defines the recurring, “normal” schedule for the calendar (e.g., “Every Monday is 8–5”).

2. Exceptions: Used for one-off deviations like holidays, office closures, or specific weekend work shifts.

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III. Creating and Editing Custom Logic

The calendar grid provides a visual representation of your schedule.

Identifying Non-Working Time

• Grey/Red Columns: Days that are currently non-working (typically Saturdays and Sundays in a Standard calendar) are greyed out or highlighted in red text to show they are unavailable for scheduling.

• Selected Day: When you click a date (such as a Sunday), the details are displayed in the right-hand pane.

Converting a Non-Working Day to a Working Day

If you need a specific task to be performed on a day usually marked as “off”:

1. Select the specific date on the calendar grid.

2. In the right-hand details pane, locate the radio button options.

3. Change the selection to “Non-Default Working Time.”

4. Result: Any task assigned to this calendar will now be allowed to schedule work on that specific day, overriding the standard “weekend” restriction.

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IV. Task-Level Calendar Settings

Within the Task Detail Dialog Box (under the Calendar tab), you can refine how these calendars interact:

• Calendar Selection: Choose which of your created calendars applies to this specific task.

• Effective Calendar: This is a read-only field that displays the “final” calendar resulting from the combination of task, resource, and project constraints.

• Ignore Resource Calendar:

  • False (Default): The task will only schedule work when both the task calendar and the assigned resource’s calendar say it’s working time.

  • True: The task will follow the Task Calendar strictly, even if the assigned resource is technically “off-duty” (useful for automated tasks or fixed-date deadlines).

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V. Summary Table of Actions

Icon/Action	Description
+ Add	Create a brand-new calendar from scratch.
Copy	Duplicate the active calendar to preserve complex settings while making small tweaks.
Delete	Permanently remove a calendar (cannot be undone if the calendar is in use).
Exceptions Tab	Record specific dates like “New Year’s Day” where the standard schedule is paused.
Work Weeks Tab	Set the standard “9-to-5” or “24/7” recurring rhythm.

Gantt spreadsheet configuration is taught under Field Configuration — Active vs Available in the Gantt Chart chapter (alias #spreadsheet-config). For the global/admin Field Configuration panel, see also Field Configuration.

Project Usage View

Video: Usage View

Usage View

The Task Usage view provides a time-distributed perspective of your project’s labor. While the Gantt chart focuses on the duration and sequence of tasks, the Usage view focuses on work allocation—showing exactly how many hours are scheduled to be performed on specific tasks across a timeline.

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1. The Split-Screen Interface

The Usage view is divided into two functional halves that work in synchronization:

• Left Side (Summary Spreadsheet): Displays task names, IDs, and the Total Work (summed person-hours) allocated to each task or summary task.

• Right Side (Scheduled Plan): Displays a grid of “time buckets.” This is where the work is distributed according to the calendar and task schedule.

2. Hierarchical Rollups

One of the most powerful features of the Usage view is its ability to aggregate work through the project hierarchy.

• Summary Tasks: The hours displayed for a summary task are the mathematical sum of all its sub-tasks within that hierarchical layer.

• Project Summary Task: The top-most row provides the total planned work hours for the entire project, allowing you to see the cumulative effort required at any point in the schedule.

3. Managing Time Buckets & Zoom

The granularity of the data can be adjusted to fit your reporting needs. By using the Zoom In/Out tools, you can change the distribution timeframe in the right-hand grid:

• Days: Ideal for daily resource management and micro-tracking.

• Weeks/Months: Best for mid-range planning and tracking milestones.

• Quarters: Used for high-level executive reviews of long-term labor requirements.

4. Tracking Planned vs. Actual Work

To help you monitor project health, the Usage view allows you to compare what was supposed to happen against what has truly occurred.

• Show/Hide Actuals: Clicking the Actual Work icon in the view settings allows you to toggle the visibility of actual hours worked.

• Data Stacking: When enabled, the buckets will display both the Scheduled Work and the Actual Work performed in that specific timeframe. This highlights exactly where a task may be exceeding its labor budget.

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Pro Tip: Identifying “Crunch” Periods

Use the Zoom to Weeks setting to identify weeks where the “Project Summary” row shows a massive spike in total hours. This is your early warning system for periods where your team will be under the most pressure, regardless of how many individual tasks are running.