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Gantt module
If you have BigPicture Enterprise, you can change the terminology and rename modules. To avoid confusion check the module icon which is unalterable.
The Gantt module is all you need to manage your project or portfolio. Use it to prepare and visualize your project schedule or roadmap, monitor and control the execution, and generate reports by aggregating your task data or using advanced export features.
The Gantt module includes four key elements:
Customizable task list (WBS) that presents almost any Jira or built-in fields as columns with aggregated data
Timeline with tasks and dependencies that visualizes your work items and includes auto-scheduling
Resources panel that shows your resources’ workload
Infobar that highlights the most important information related to your project, e.g. Overdue tasks, Critical path, Dependencies, and Milestones
Use the Gantt to show you project schedules or to visualize your product roadmap:
Example of the Gantt module visualising the sub-Boxes:
Main features
The table below lists the main features of the Gantt module:
Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Box switcher | Navigate between Boxes, change the currently viewed Box or narrow the scope to a Sub-Box. |
| Module picker | |
| Scenario mode | Try different variants of your plan, compare the results, and find the best one. |
| + Add task | Use this option to add tasks by:
Use this option to access the scope definition page:
|
| Data | Add the following features to all tasks within the Box scope:
|
View | Change the view options to include more information in the Gantt chart or show additional features:
|
| Taskbar | Show task information using labels added to the task on the timeline or change the task colors based on status or manually: |
| Dependency | Visualize two types of dependencies using Gantt:
|
| Show / Hide Resources | Use the Resources panel to see the workload of each resource (assignee). When enabled, an additional icon with Resources settings will appear: Effort modes:
Aggregations:
|
Export | Export your work as:
Export requires the BigTemplate App. |
| Column Views | Customize the task list to display available fields as columns. You can save your Column View and mark it as favorite. |
| Column configuration | Configure the columns the way you need. Configuration options depend on the type of field added to the view. |
| Manage Column Views | Add or remove columns within the task list. When you add or remove fields the current Column View is modified but will not be saved automatically. |
| Filters | Add your favorite filters to the header and filter the list tasks to see only the items which you are interested in. There are two types of filters: |
| Search Box | Use the search box to filter out unwanted information. Choose between two modes:
|
| Timeline zoom | Zoom in and out, move to the current date, or fit all your tasks on the timeline. |
| Timeline settings | Show additional elements on the timeline: |
| Task structure | Indent and outdent your tasks manually or move them up and down the list. The manual structure might be in conflict with the active structure builders in which case a warning will be displayed. |
| Deleting tasks | You can delete the tasks from the list in which case the task will be also removed from the Host and External platforms (in case of connecting with other External Platforms such as Trello or other Jira instances). |
| Infobar | Show more information about your tasks: |
| Mini-map | Enable a mini-map to navigate through the whole timeline with a single click. |
Editor Slider
Allows you to carry out operations bulk operations on tasks:
- Delete (the trash icon)
- Create/Delete a baseline for selected tasks
- Change the Period mode
- Convert to Milestone
- Set up the manual color.
For an individual task, you can also move it within a tree (indent, outdent, move up, move down) and access the Edit pop-up.
Editing Tasks
Inline Editing
Double click (left mouse button) on the field you want to edit.
You can use inline editing to change the following fields (once they are added to the column view):
- Summary
- Story Points
- Progress
- Manual Task Color
Right Click - Edit
- Right-click on:
- tasks in the task structure on the left
- a task on a timeline on the right (anywhere except the task key)
- Select "Edit"
When you click "Edit" a pop up window appears, allowing you to modify the Task.
If the task is based on a Jira issue, the "Configure Fields" option at top right lets you select visible fields. Other items (such as sprints or components) can't be edited in this way.
The pop-up depends on the type of task. If you try to edit a Basic task you will get an appropriate pop-up.
Editor Slider
- Select a task from the tree on the left by clicking on it (anywhere except the Key).
- The task is highlighted in blue and an Editor Slider panel appears in between the task tree and the timeline.
- Click on the three dots
- "Edit"
Redirection to a Connected Tool
When you click on the Issue Key (either in the Column view or on a timeline) you will be taken to the connected tool (for Jira, it will be the Jira issue screen).
Constraints:
- Basic Tasks don't exist in any connected tools, so Key doesn't function as a link
- For the Project, the Key will take you to the Project screen
- For a Sprint, you will be taken to the Issue search displaying all the sprint issues.
Delete
This action removes the task completely. If it was based on a Jira issue, the task will be deleted from a Jira Project. If you just want to exclude a task from a Box, go to Box Configuration > Tasks > Scope definition to narrow down the scope.
If the task had any children nested under it within the tree:
- Tasks nested directly under it will have one less 'indent'
- Structure present under this task (other nesting) will be preserved
You can delete a task in the following ways:
- Right-click on a task and select "Delete" from the pop-up menu.
- Click on a task to select it from the Task structure on the left. Select "Delete" from the Editor Slider panel.
- Remove the task directly in the connected tool.
Convert to Milestone
Convert a task to a milestone / convert a milestone into a task.
Milestones can be interpreted as:
- Markers of reaching an identifiable stage in any task or the project
- Software release life cycle states
On the timeline, Milestones are represented as diamonds that do not have any duration (start and end date are the same). If you convert a task into a milestone and then revert it back into a task, the previous task duration will be lost - task duration will be one day because a Milestone doesn't have duration.
Keep in mind, you can't convert a task if it has other items nested underneath it.
To see the pop-up menu, right-click on a Task (either in the Task structure on the left or on the timeline - don't click on the Key).
Task Color
Task colors can be displayed in two modes:
- Status based colors
- Manual colors
View settings can override task color (in both status and manual modes). In particular, the "Overdue" and "Critical Path" views require overriding the task color setup to show critical information).
More information can be found on the following page.
Period mode
Period mode of all tasks
To change the Period mode of all tasks click the Data drop-down at the top > Period mode and select one of the four options
Period mode of a single task
Make sure the change won't cause a conflict (upper-level task being set to bottom-up and tasks nested under it being set to top-down).
If the Task has children, you can include them in the change:
- right-click on the Task (either in the Task structure on the left or on the timeline on the right - don't click on the Key)
- Click on the Task row to select it and use the Editor Slider panel in the middle
Period mode of a selected group of tasks
- Select the tasks using the multi-select mechanism
- Use the Editor Slider panel in the middle
Baseline
Baseline for all tasks
Use the Data drop-down at the top
Baseline for a single task
If the Task has children, you can include them in the change:
- right click on the Task (either in the Task structure on the left or on the timeline on the right - don't click on the Key)
- click on the Task row to select it and use the Editor Slider panel in the middle
Baseline for a group of tasks
- Select the tasks using the multi-select mechanism
- Use the Editor Slider panel in the middle
Task Structure
You have several ways to organize the task structure.
- Automated Task structure based on Structure builders.
Drag-and-drop mechanism
You can select a single task (or multiple tasks) and move it by clicking on the icon on far left.
If you move a task that has children nested under it, the whole structure (task + all its children) will be moved.
Keyboard shortcuts are unavailable in the Cloud version of the App. To find out more about Cloud-related App limitations go to the following page.
- Move up Shift+↑
- Move down Shift+↓
- Indent Shift+→
Outdent
Certain operations are too complex to be carried out for the whole group. If you have selected the tasks and the Editor Slider has the arrows greyed out, you won't be able to carry out the action using shortcuts.
- Editor slider
- Select the tasks using the multi-select mechanism
Use the Editor Slider panel in the middle
Certain operations are too complex to be carried out for the whole group. If you have selected the tasks and the Editor Slider has the arrows greyed out, you won't be able to carry out those actions for the group.
Right-click
You can select a single task (or multiple tasks). Then, right-click on the Task (either in the Task structure on the left or on the timeline on the right - don't click on the Key).Certain operations are too complex to be carried out for the whole group. Unavailable actions are greyed out.
