Search

Specify activity constraints, or imposed schedule dates

Tips

Related Links

Where can I do this?

If you have the required privilege, you can add or edit activity constraints on the Projects > Activities page or the Activity Status Details form in a portlet.

To display the Activities page, open the project or project group you want to work with, then click Activities on the Projects toolbar.

On the Activities page, there are three ways to specify an activity constraint:

You can also display an activity's Status Details by clicking an activity name in a portlet. You can then add or edit constraints as described below.

Tip: When an activity has an imposed start or finish date, an asterisk appears in the corresponding date field.

An activity can have a Primary and a Secondary constraint. You can apply both Primary and Secondary constraints of any available constraint type in Activity Table columns and on the Activity Details Status tab. In the Activities page Gantt chart, you can add only a Start On or After Primary constraint.

Add or edit constraints in the Activity Table of the Activities page

Add the Primary and Secondary Constraint Date columns
If the Activity Table does not display the required constraint type and constraint date columns:

  1. Click the arrow arrow of the Customize Customize Activity Viewarrow menu on the Activities toolbar.
  2. In the Customize Activity View dialog box, click the Columns tab, expand the General category, and select Primary Constraint, then press Ctrl on your keyboard and select Secondary Constraint.
  3. Click the arrow to move the constraints to the Selected Columns field.
  4. Click OK. The Primary and Secondary Constraint columns are displayed in the activity table.
  5. To specify a constraint type, double-click in the corresponding constraint column and select from the list.
  6. To specify a constraint date, double-click in the corresponding constraint date column and select from the calendar.
Tip: To specify a secondary constraint, a valid primary constraint must first be applied to the activity.
  1. Specify constraints for as many activities as necessary and, when finished, click icon to save changes (Ctrl+S) to save your changes.

top

Add or edit constraints in the Gantt chart

In the Gantt chart, you can specify only a Start On or After constraint.

  1. Position your mouse over the center of the activity's bar and drag it to the new start date position along the timescale.

The activity start and finish date columns update dynamically to reflect the new bar position.

  1. Specify constraints for as many activities as necessary and, when finished, click icon to save changes (Ctrl+S) to save your changes.

After moving a Gantt bar, when you save your changes, the activity remaining duration is recalculated based on the new dates and the activity's calendar. Because the calendar for the activity is applied when you save, if you move, but do not resize a Gantt bar, the duration may shorten or lengthen based on the activity calendar's non-worktime.

top

Add or edit constraints in the Activity Details form

From the Activity Status Details form displayed in a portlet, you can specify both primary and secondary constraints and associated activity schedule attributes, such as duration or effort estimates.

Step 1: Displaying Activity Status details
  1. In the Activity Details form, expand the Status section, if necessary.
  2. If Status details do not appear, edit your preferences to add them.
Step 2: Add or edit constraints
  1. Click Edit dates and constraints.
  2. From the Primary or Secondary Constraint drop-down list, select the type of constraint you want to add. Then, in the corresponding Constraint Date field, type a date or click icon to view calendar window to select a date from the calendar.
  3. Edit other details if needed, then click Save.

top