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Task settings

In Task settings, you can see detailed information about the task, as well as set values and add data.

In particular, it is possible to:

There are several ways to open Task settings in GanttPRO simple Gantt chart creator: clicking on a settings icon 1 right to the name of the task; clicking on a three dots icon right to the task name 2 and then choosing Task settings 3.

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Alternatively, you can do it by double-clicking on a task bar on a Gantt chart or in the Workload tabs or window, or by clicking on a task in the My tasks tab. 

See task details, change color and name, share a task, convert it, and delete 

Tasks

Check task path, creator, and date

At the top of the Task settings window, you can find the information about the task path 1, as well as by whom and when 2 the task has been created. 

Change task color

Click on a color icon 3 near the task name to set a new color for it on a Gantt chart. 

Note that you can also change task bar color straight from the Gantt chart. 

Just right-click on a corresponding task bar, select Choose a custom task color and then choose a color. Alternatively, click on the three-dots button for a particular task, also select Choose a custom task color and then choose a color.

Change task name

Click on the task name 4 to change it inside the Task settings. 

Copy a link to a task

If you need to share the task, click on the link icon 5 in the top right corner of the Task settings window. A link will be created and automatically copied to a clipboard. After that, you can paste the link where you need it. 

Change task type

You can convert a task to a milestone and vice versa by clicking on the three dots in the top right corner of the Task settings window and selecting the corresponding option 6. 

Delete a task

It is possible to delete a task from Task settings. For that, click on the three dots in the top right corner of the Task settings window and choose Delete 7.  

Set Progress, Status and Priority, and Log time

Next to the options mentioned above, you will find settings that can be configured both within Task settings and Standard fields.

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Those are Start date and time, End date and time, Assignee, Progress bar, Status, Priority, Duration, Estimation, Time log, Task description and Attachments. 

Below you can find a description of each of them.

1 Set progress

The progress bar shows the current progress of the task in percent. 

Drag the progress slider to scale it up or down. In that case, it is only possible to set 10% range changes. 

If you need to introduce a particular value, click on the number and edit it. 

2 Set status

The status sign shows the current status of the task. 

Click on it to choose from the drop-down list one of the 4 types of statuses: Open, In Progress, Done, or Closed. 

Statuses are connected with the Progress field:

  • Open status is equal to 0% of Progress.
  • In progress - the range from 1% to 99%.
  • Done and Closed - 100%.

Therefore, changes in Progress or Status fields will be applied in both directions. If you change the progress, you will see the change in status too and vice versa. 

This option is useful for a Board view, as you can sort out the cards according to their status.  

Tip: It is possible to configure different statuses through the Custom fields if the default options do not fit into your work process. Use the List field for that.

3 Set priority

The priority sign shows the current priority set for the task. 

Click on it to choose from the drop-down list one of the 5 types of priorities: Highest, High, Medium, Low, Lowest. 

Tip: This option is useful for a Board view, as you can sort out the cards according to their priorities.  

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Add assignee

If the task is unassigned, you will see Add assignee sign 1 in the Task settings window.  

Click on it to choose the assignee(s) for the task. This is a resource that will be responsible for task completion.

The drop-down list displays team members and virtual resources invited to the project. If the project has many resources, you can quickly find the required one using the search bar in the drop-down list. Check all the necessary boxes 2 and click on Ok 3. 

You can select as many resources as you need. If it is necessary to bring in other people apart from those in the drop-down list, click on +Add more people 4. This will lead you to the People section where you can invite other members to the project or add virtual resources.

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Note: If the task is assigned to someone, you will see their assignee(s)’ avatars instead of the Add assignee sign. Click on the avatar(s) to configure the assignment.  

Attach files

By clicking on Attach files, you can add files in the Task settings. It is possible to upload files from a computer or drag & drop them directly into the Task settings window.

You can also set up integrations with Google Drive or OneDrive cloud storages and attach files from there without uploading them to GanttPRO. 

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All the files attached to the task can be found below the Comments section. There you can:

1 Check the date and time when someone added this file, the name of the team member, and the size of the attachment. 

2 Select the files you need to download or delete 3. 

And by clicking on the three-dots button:

4 Delete all the files at once.

5 Switch between Gallery and List view to see the files attached.

6 Download all the files at once.

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Add task dependencies

In addition to the possibility to work with dependencies on a Gantt chart, you can also manage dependencies that have already been established or create new ones in the Task settings. 

To create a new dependency directly from Task settings: 

1 Click on Add dependency.

2 Select a task to link to. 

3 Select one out of four dependency types.

4 Specify lead or lag time if necessary (introduce negative value to set lead time).

5 Click on Save. 

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Once you save the dependency, you can edit the lead and lag time. Note that the values of the gap (hours, days, weeks, months) are set based on the Duration step set up for your project.

It is also possible to remove the dependency by clicking on the delete icon when you hover over it.

Log time

By clicking on Log time 1, you can add and keep track of the time spent on the task. It is possible:

2 Add manually the exact time spent on the task, select a date, and leave comments. 

3 Start a Timer and leave comments. 

4 Check the History of all the time log entries for the task, and see the total time spent on the task. 

You can also see the total logged time for the task above the Log time sign 5. 

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Logged time can help calculate the Actual costs in a project when the Auto budget calculation is activated. You can find more information about Time log here. 

Set start and end dates, estimation, duration and deadline

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1 Set start and end dates

You can pick a date on a calendar or type it manually. And you can also set an exact start and end time for the task. Once you have selected the proper time and date, click on Apply. 

Gray days and crossed-out hours are those out of the project schedule, i.e. non-working days and hours.

2 Set estimation 

Estimation is the actual number of hours required for a task to be completed.
Read more about estimation here. 

3 Set duration

If the Estimation is the actual number of hours required for a task to be completed, the Duration is the time span in which this task should be completed. In other words, the task may take 20 hours (estimation) in total, but it will be completed within a 20-day time span (duration). 

If you have already introduced start and end dates for the task, this field will automatically show the duration based on those dates. If you change the Duration value in this field, the task end date will be readjusted accordingly.

Different forms of workload calculations can alter the way duration is calculated. By default, Duration is calculated in hours. But you can change the duration step to days, weeks, or months in Project settings. 

You can use different units of time to introduce the duration values. Thus, you can add m for minutes, h for hours, d for days, w for weeks, and M for months. However, the duration will always be displayed according to the duration step. 

So, for example, if your duration step is set to Days and you enter a number, let’s say 4, without any other indication, the duration will be set to 4 days. If you add w for weeks, the duration will be 4 weeks, but it will still be calculated in days based on the duration step.

4 Set deadline

A deadline is a target date indicating when a task should be completed. It can only be established in Task settings for a particular task.

To fix a deadline for a task, just turn on the toggle button. By default, the deadline date will be set according to the end date. However, in many cases, you may prefer to have a margin of some more days just in case. For that, you can pick a date on the calendar or type it manually. 

A deadline is displayed as a red flame icon 1 on the Gantt chart near the corresponding taskbar. There, you can also see the delay time 2. A missed deadline will also display as a red exclamation point icon 3 in the project grid.

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This option can help you in managing risks at the right moment. For example, you may have deadlines for tasks set in three or more months. While you complete other tasks, their completion dates may extend, and the whole sequence of tasks may move. 

However, if you have the deadline option enabled and set to a particular date, you will see the risk of failed deadlines at the very early stage and will have time to take measures to prevent it. 

Add task description

In the Add task description box 1, you can write down all the necessary information related to the task.

The box includes basic text formatting tools 2 such as fonts, color, alignment, etc. Apart from that, there are bulleted lists and to-do lists 3. 

It is possible to insert links 4 when required or just paste them in the description area. This is another way of attaching files to a task, as you can insert links to Google Docs, Google Sheets, or files from any other cloud storage.  

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Add comments

At the bottom of the Task settings window, there is a Comments section to communicate with the team members regarding the task. 

Here, you can see all the comments, when and who has added them, and also add 1, delete 2 and edit 3 comments. It is also possible to use mentions 4 by typing @ and your teammate’s name.

Please note that any comments typed but not saved, will be stored as drafts in the respective window (both in Task settings and in the Communication hub) during your browsing session.

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For a more detailed explanation on how to work with comments, check this article.  

Edit Custom fields

In the Task settings window, you can also find configurations that correspond to Custom fields in case you have created them in your project. 

For more details, please check the Custom fields section. Tasks-Task