Creating Project Schedules

Core Training for Microsoft Visio Standard 2002

Creating Timelines

1	To begin a new timeline drawing to help you plan the various phases of the Garden Expo project, click the File menu, point to New, point to Project Schedule, and then click Timeline (US Units).
2	To insert a timeline shape into the blank drawing, on the Timeline Shapes stencil, point to the Cylindrical timeline shape, hold down the mouse button, drag the shape to the center of the drawing page, and then release the mouse button.
3	To change the start date of the timeline, in the Configure Timeline dialog box, click the Start date arrow, and then, in the monthly calendar for August, click 1.
4	To change the finish date of the timeline, in the Finish date box, click 2, type 11, press the RIGHT ARROW key, type 30, press the RIGHT ARROW key, and then type 2003.
5	To apply these changes to the timeline, in the Configure Timeline dialog box, click OK.
6	To add an arrowhead to the right end of the timeline, click the Shape menu, point to Actions, and then click Show Right Arrowhead.
7	To add an interval marker to the timeline that specifies a planning period for the Garden Expo, on the Timeline Shapes stencil, point to the Cylindrical interval shape, hold down the mouse button, drag the shape into the center of the first timeline section, and then release the mouse button.
8	To change the start date of the interval to August 1, 2003, in the Configure Interval dialog box, click the Start date arrow, and then, in the displayed monthly calendar, click 1.
9	To change the finish date of the interval to August 31, 2003, in the Configure Interval dialog box, click the Finish date arrow, and then, in the displayed monthly calendar, click 31.
10	To implement your changes, in the Configure Interval dialog box, click OK.
11	To begin adding a description to the selected interval shape, on the Standard toolbar, click the Text Tool button.
12	To change the interval description, click to the left of Interval Description, hold down the mouse button, drag to the right until the text Interval Description is selected, release the mouse button, and then type Planning Phase.
13	To switch from the Text tool to the Pointer tool, on the Standard toolbar, click the Pointer Tool button.
14	To magnify the selected shape, on the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom arrow, and then click 75%.
15	To add a milestone to the timeline, on the Timeline Shapes stencil, point to the Diamond milestone shape, hold down the mouse button, drag the shape into the center of the Cylindrical interval shape, and then release the mouse button.
16	To change the milestone date to August 31, in the Configure Milestone dialog box, click the Milestone date arrow, and then, in the displayed monthly calendar, click 31.
17	To accept your changes and view the milestone in the timeline, in the Configure Milestone dialog box, click OK.
18	To begin adding a description to the selected milestone shape, on the Standard toolbar, click the Text Tool button.
19	To change the milestone description, click to the left of Milestone Description, hold down the mouse button, drag to the right until the text Milestone Description is selected, release the mouse button, and then type Planning Phase Complete.
20	To switch from the Text tool to the Pointer tool, on the Standard toolbar, click the Pointer Tool button.

Exporting Timelines to Create Gantt Charts

1	To begin exporting the timeline data to a Gantt chart, click the Tools menu, point to Macros, point to Project Schedule, and then click Export Project Data Wizard.
2	In response to the message asking whether you want export the timeline that Visio has selected for you, click Yes.
3	To select a format to which the selected timeline will be exported, in the Export Project Data Wizard, click Microsoft Visio Gantt Chart drawing, and then click Next.
4	To accept the default settings for the time scale and duration of the Gantt chart, click Next.
5	To accept the default settings so that all tasks and milestones will be included in the Gantt chart, click Next.
6	To finish exporting the timeline data, click Finish.
7	To magnify the new Gantt chart, on the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom arrow, and then click 100%.
8	To display the rest of the Gantt chart, on the horizontal scroll bar, click once to the right of the scroll box.

Tracking Project Details with Gantt Charts

1	To hide connection points so that they don't obscure your view of the Gantt bars, click the View menu, and then click Connection points.
2	To begin creating task dependencies, click the first blue Gantt bar, hold down the SHIFT key, click the second, third, and fourth Gantt bars (in order from top to bottom), and then release the SHIFT key.
3	To link the selected tasks, click the Gantt Chart menu, and then click Link Tasks.
4	To get a closer view of the Gantt chart, click the Zoom arrow, and then click 100%.
5	To add a column with which you can track each task owner, click the Duration column heading, click the Gantt Chart menu, and then click Insert Column...
6	To label the new column, in the Insert Column dialog box, click the Column type arrow, click Resource Names, and then click OK.
7	To allocate a resource to a task, click the first cell under Resource Names, type Kim Yoshida, and then, to deselect the cell, click the blank area below the Gantt chart.
8	To display other columns in the Gantt chart, on the horizontal scroll bar, click once to the left of the scroll box.
9	To add a new task between tasks 1 and 2, in the ID column, click 2, then click the Gantt Chart menu, and click New Task.
10	To label the task, type Schedule Approval, and then click the empty cell in the Start column.
11	Notice that task start and finish dates have been inserted for you. To change the start date of the task, type 8/29/2003, and then click the Schedule Approval cell.
12	Notice that Visio has changed the Finish date to match the Start date. To view the Gantt bars, on the horizontal scroll bar, click once to the right of the scroll box.
13	To convert the Schedule Approval task into a milestone, click the second cell under Duration, type 0, and then click the blank area below the Gantt chart.
14	Notice that the Gantt bar shape has changed to a diamond milestone shape. To display the entire Gantt chart, on the Standard toolbar, click the Zoom arrow, and then click Page.
15	Notice that, because of the added column, the Gantt chart is no longer centered on the page. To center it, click the Shape menu, and then click Center Drawing.
16	To begin changing the shape that represents all milestones in the Gantt chart, click the Gantt Chart menu, and then click Options...
17	In the Gantt Chart Options dialog box, click the Format tab.
18	In the Milestones area, click the Shape arrow, click Star, and then click OK.