WBSProDoc

WBS Chart Pro

User's Guide

Critical Tools, Inc. 2010

WBS Chart Pro

Table of Contents

Overview of WBS Chart Pro 5 What is WBS Chart Pro? 5 What is a WBS chart? 7Installation and Configuration 8 System Requirements 8 Installing on a Local PC 9 Installing on a Network 10 Configuring Microsoft Project 11 Configuring a Network Version of MS Project 14Using WBS Chart Pro 16 Terminology and Basic Concepts 16 Creating a New WBS chart 19 Adding New Tasks 20 Entering Information 22 Scheduling 24 Transferring a WBS chart to PERT Chart EXPERT 30 Transferring a WBS chart to Microsoft Project 31 Creating WBS charts from Microsoft Project 32 Tips when using WBS Chart Pro with MS Project 34 Copying, Moving & Repositioning Tasks 35 Displaying Fields in Task Boxes 39 Saving WBS charts 40 Opening WBS Charts 41 Printing 43 Fields in WBS Chart Pro 45Reference (by Menu) 51 File Menu 52 New 52 Open 53 Close 55 Save 56 Save As 57 Save As Picture 59 Save As Web Pages 60 Page Layouts 63 Page Layouts (Edit) 65 Page Setup 68 Print 71 Print Preview 73 Unlink 74 Properties 75 Most Recently Used Files (1,2,3,4) 78 Exit 79 Edit Menu 80 Undo 80 Redo 81

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Cut 82 Copy 83 Paste Before 84 Paste After 85 Paste Subtask 86 Insert Task Left 87 Insert Task Right 88 Insert Task Above 89 Insert Task Below 90 Delete 91 Task Information 92 Find 97 Find Next 98 Go To 99 Select 100 View Menu 101 Normal 101 Page Layout 102 Online Layout 103 Toolbars 104 Views 105 Show Subtasks 107 Hide Subtasks 108 Show All Subtasks 109 Focus 110 Show Only Summary Tasks 111 Progress Marks 112 Project Summary Task 113 Outline Symbols 114 Hyperlink Symbols 115 Zoom 116 Format Menu 117 Summary Boxes 117 Task Boxes 118 Borders 123 Chart 126 Lines 130 Custom Box Settings 131 Align 133 Tools Menu 135 Chart Settings 135 Calendar 137 Resources 139 Rollup 141 Field Names 143 Border Names 145 Goto PERT Chart EXPERT 146 Microsoft Project 147 Options 148 Window Menu 150

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Cascade 150 Tile 151 Arrange Icons 152 List of Open Charts 153 Help Menu 154 Content and Index 154 Tip of the Day 155 Critcal Tools website 156 About WBS Chart Pro 157Toolbar Buttons 158 Toolbar Buttons Defined 158Frequently Asked Questions 162 List of Frequently Asked Questions 162Error Messages and Prompts 166 Invalid Data 166 Microsoft Project Messages 168 Unable to Open Linked Data File 170 No Calendar Available 171 HTML Template 172 Confirm Unlink 173 Cannot Merge 174 Unable to Save Image 175 Overwriting HTML Files 176 Demo Limits Exceeded 177 Program Registration 178 File was saved in old WBS Chart Pro 179 Displays a blank WBS chart from MS Project plans 180Contacting Critical Tools, Inc. 181 Company Address 181 Support 182

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Overview of WBS Chart Pro

What is WBS Chart Pro?

WBS Chart Pro is a Windows-based project management software application that is used tocreate and display projects using a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) chart.

WBS Chart Pro can be used for project planningAs a planning tool, you can use WBS Chart Pro to quickly sketch a project plan on the screenusing a Top-Down approach. Define Phases (Summary Tasks) and Subtasks with a c lick ofthe mouse. Double-click a task to add schedule information like Duration, Start Date, FinishDate, Cost, Work, etc WBS Chart Pro automatically rolls up the core task data to eachsummary level of the project.

WBS charts can be displayed in many different styles and colors. An example of a WBS chart isshown below:

Plans created in WBS Chart Pro can be maintained and managed separately, or transferred toMicrosoft Project or any program that can read the MPX Microsoft Project file format.

WBS Chart Pro can be used with Microsoft ProjectWBS Chart Pro can be used to generate WBS charts directly from existing Microsoft Projectfiles. WBS Chart Pro uses the Outline created in Microsoft Project to generate a hierarchicalview of the data. A WBS toolbar button is installed into Microsoft Project for easy transfer ofdata. As you organize and change your project in Microsoft Project using the outliningfeatures, a WBS chart of that data is only a button away.

When you create a WBS chart of an existing Microsoft Project plan, all c hanges made in theWBS chart are immediately reflected in the Microsoft Project plan. You canadd/delete/reorganize/update your Microsoft Project plan using the WBS chart. WBS Chart Procontains a seamless integration with Microsoft Project to exchange data between the twoprograms.

Additionally, WBS charts can be created first in WBS Chart Pro and then transferred direc tly toMicrosoft Project. When a WBS chart is transferred to Microsoft Project, all of the task andresource information entered into the WBS chart is automatically transferred to MicrosoftProject where additional scheduling can be performed.

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What is a WBS chart?

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) chart is a way of organizing a project into varying levelsof detail using a hierarchical diagram. The traditional Work Breakdown Structure chart displaysvarying levels of detail starting with the highest or broadest at the top. Then, each phase orcomponent of the project is defined at subsequent levels until the appropriate level of detail isachieved. WBS codes are used to label and identify the different levels of the hierarchy.Usually, the highest level summary is labeled 1, the second level 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, the third level1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, and so on. The following diagram is an example of WBS codes.

In Microsoft Project, this effect is achieved by creating Sum mary Tasks or "Indenting" Tasks inthe Gantt chart to show the different levels of detail in a project. By creating a Sum mary Taskyou are specifying that the summary is a higher level than the tasks below it. Inform ation isrolled up to this summary level.

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Installation and Configuration

System Requirements

WBS Chart Pro is a Windows based project planning software application. WBS Chart Pro canbe used as a standalone project planning tool or as an add-on to Microsoft Project.

WBS Chart Pro system requirements:Windows 2000, XP, Vista or Windows 75 MB free disk spaceRuns on all major Networks

WBS Chart Pro is compatible, and integrates seamlessly, with the followingversions of Microsoft Project:

Microsoft Project 98Microsoft Project 2000Microsoft Project 2002Microsoft Project 2003Microsoft Project 2007Microsoft Project 2010

If you are using a version of Microsoft Project later than the ones listed above, go to ourwebsite at www.criticaltools.com for information on newer versions of WBS Chart Pro.

WBS Chart Pro does not require Microsoft Project.

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Installing on a Local PC

WBS Chart Pro can be used as a standalone project planning tool or it can be used withMicrosoft Project.

To use WBS Chart Pro as a standalone software application if you do not have MicrosoftProject, run Setup and select "Do not Modify Microsoft Project" when prompted. Onceinstalled, WBS Chart Pro can be started by selecting the Start Menu-Program s-WBS Chart Proor by double-clicking on the WBS Chart Pro shortcut on your desktop if you chose to add this.

To install WBS Chart Pro and configure WBS Chart Pro to work with Microsoft Project, run Setup and select "Modify Microsoft Project" when prompted. Once installed with theMicrosoft Project option, you can start WBS Chart Pro by itself using the above-m entionedtechniques or you can start Microsoft Project and select the WBS Chart Pro toolbar buttonwithin Microsoft Project to create a WBS chart of the current Microsoft Project plan.

There is no difference between the above two installations other than the fact that a WBSChart Pro Toolbar button is installed into Microsoft Project if you choose the second option. Youdo not need Microsoft Project to run WBS Chart Pro.

If you have installed the demo version of WBS Chart Pro and have a Product ID, you can turnthe demo into the full version using this ID. To activate the full version go to the Help-AboutWBS Chart Pro menu, select Register and enter the Produc t ID.

See also:

Configuring MS Project for use with WBS Chart Pro

Installing on a Network

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Installing WBS Chart Pro on a Network

WBS Chart Pro Licensing for Network UseWBS Chart Pro utilizes named user licensing and not concurrent user network licensing.This means that each user who accesses WBS Chart Pro on a network must have a license. Forexample, if you have 10 people who need to use the version of WBS Chart Pro on yournetwork you must have a 10 User Network License. User licenses can be transferred. If a userno longer accesses WBS Chart Pro on the network they can be replaced by another user.

Installing WBS Chart Pro on your Network1. Install WBS Chart Pro into a directory on the Network. Enter the Product ID when

prompted during setup.

2. Assign each user, up to the total number of licenses purchased, access to theNetwork directory where WBS Chart Pro was installed.

3. The first time each user starts the program it will be in Demo mode until the ProductID is entered. To enter the Product ID, start WBS Chart Pro, go to the Help-AboutWBS Chart Pro menu, select Register and enter the Product ID provided.

Configuring the Network version of Microsoft Project for use with WBS Chart ProIf you wish to use WBS Chart Pro with a network installation of Microsoft Project, refer to theHelp topic Configuring a Network Version of MS Project for WBS Chart Pro

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Configuring Microsoft Project

Configuring Project 98 thru Project 2007

The following are instructions for configuring Microsoft Project 98 through Project 2007. Instructions for configuring Project 2010 follow these instructions.

WBS Chart Pro can be accessed from within Microsoft Project through the use of a Toolbarbutton.

The WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button within Microsoft Project

With the WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button you can open a Microsoft Project plan and clic k thisbutton to create a WBS chart of the current plan in Microsoft Project. During WBS Chart ProSetup you are prompted to install this Toolbar button. If you chose to do this and you see thebutton when you start Microsoft Project then you are ready to create WBS charts of yourMicrosoft Project plans and can proceed to the Help topic, "Creating WBS charts from MicrosoftProject plans".

If you do not see the WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button in Microsoft Project, check the following:

1. Are you using Microsoft Project installed on a network? If so, there may not be suffic ientrights (Read/Write Permission) to modify Microsoft Project on the network. Therefore, theWBS Chart Pro Toolbar button will not be saved as part of Microsoft Project. See Configuring a Network Version of MS Project for WBS Chart Pro for more information.

2. During WBS Chart Pro Setup, did you select "Modify Microsoft Project" when promptedto install the WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button into Microsoft Project? If not, start WBS ChartPro and select Tools-Microsoft Project-Setup to modify Microsoft Project.

3. If you still do not see the WBS Chart Pro toolbar button within Microsoft Projec t, trymanually installing the Toolbar button into Microsoft Projec t as described below.

Manually installing the WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button into Microsoft Project: 1. Start Microsoft Project.

2. Go to Tools-Options-Security. If you see the option on the bottom of this form that says "Allow loading files with legacy or non default file formats", select it. If not, go tostep #3.

3. Click the Macro Security... button. Set it to Medium and click OK and OK again.

4. Choose the File menu and select Open.

5. Open the Folder where you installed WBS Chart Pro (the default is C:\Program Files\WBSChart Pro).

6. Open the SETUP file for the appropriate version of Microsoft Project:

SETUPWBS41.mpp if you are using Microsoft Project 4.1.SETUPWBS98.mpp if you are using Microsoft Project 98.SETUPWBS2000.mpp if you are using Project 2000.SETUPWBS2002.mpp if you are using Project 2002.SETUPWBS2003.mpp if you are using Project 2003.

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SETUPWBS2007.mpp if you are using Project 2007.

These Setup files contain macros that are automatically run when opened (choose to EnableMacros if you receive a message). These macros install the appropriate items into MicrosoftProject to configure it to work with WBS Chart Pro.

After opening the SETUP file from within Microsoft Project, does the WBS Chart Pro Toolbarbutton appear? If so, click it to see if it takes you to the WBS Chart Pro program. Then, closeWBS Chart Pro to return to Microsoft Project. Upon returning to Microsoft Project, closeMicrosoft Project and reopen it to see if the WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button is still there. If theWBS Chart Pro Toolbar does not appear when you restart Microsoft Project then there is aproblem saving information to the GLOBAL.MPT file. The Global.mpt file is a Microsoft Projec tfile and you should obtain the rights (Read/Write Permission) to modify and save theGlobal.mpt file.

If you do not have rights to modify the Global.mpt file then you can temporarily configureMicrosoft Project for use with WBS Chart Pro. This means that you can copy the necessaryitems into Microsoft Project each time you use WBS Chart Pro. To do this, start MicrosoftProject and then start WBS Chart Pro. In WBS Chart Pro choose Tools-MicrosoftProject-Setup-OK. This copies the necessary Tables, Views, Macros and Toolbar button intoMicrosoft Project. These items will remain there until Microsoft Project is closed. You will needto repeat this the next time you want to use WBS Chart Pro with Microsoft Project.

Technical Explanation of how Microsoft Project is configured for WBS Chart ProWhen Microsoft Project is configured for use with WBS Chart Pro, several items are copied toMicrosoft Project and stored in the GLOBAL.MPT file. The GLOBAL.MPT file is a Microsoft Projectfile that is used to store things like Macros, Tables, Views, Toolbar Buttons, etc. MicrosoftProject installs this file into the same directory with the other Microsoft Project program files.When installing WBS Chart Pro, you need Read/Write access to the GLOBAL.MPT file for theWBS Chart Pro-specific items to be saved as part of Microsoft Project.

If you are running Microsoft Project on a local computer, you probably have suffic ientRead/Write access to the GLOBAL.MPT file on the local computer and configuring should not bea problem. If you are running Microsoft Project on a network then the GLOBAL.MPT may belocked (made Read-Only), along with the rest of the Microsoft Project program files, and youwill need to follow the instructions for configuring Microsoft Project on a network, see Configuring a Network Version of MS Project for WBS Chart Pro.

When you configure WBS Chart Pro to work with Microsoft Project the following items areinstalled into the GLOBAL.MPT file:

A WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button this starts the Macro used to exchange data betweenMicrosoft Project and WBS Chart Pro.

GotoWBSChartPro Macro this macro initiates the process of exchanging data betweenMicrosoft Project and WBS Chart Pro.

A View (beginning with the words Critical Tools), ensurse a consistent view of the data.

A Filter (beginning with Critical Tools), ensures the proper tasks are exchanged.

Several Tables (each beginning with the words Critical Tools), used to extrac t theMicrosoft Project fields in the correct order.

In order for WBS Chart Pro to seamlessly exchange data with Microsoft Projec t, all of theabove items need to be present in Microsoft Project to perform the necessary operations.

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Note: Do not modify any of the above items as this may prevent WBS Chart Pro from properlyexchanging data with Microsoft Project.

Configuring Microsoft Project 2010

To configure WBS Chart Pro to work with Project 2010, during Setup, choose to ModifyMicrosoft Project to add the items needed to integrate WBS with Project 2010. Setup will copythe Tables, Views, Filters and Macro needed for WBS Chart Pro to integrate with Projec t 2010.

Configuring Project 2010 during Setup does not add a button to the Ribbon in Project2010. You need to do this manually. To add a Tab and Button to the Ribbon in Projec t 2010:

1. Start Project 2010, right click on the Ribbon and select "Customize the Ribbon..."

2. Click a Tab in the Main Tabs section in the right column and select the New Tab button.Click this New Tab, c lick Rename to name this tab to something like "Critical Tools" andclick OK.

3. In the left column, click the "Choose commands from" drop down list and selectMacros.

4. Select New Group in the right column.

5. Click the GotoWBSChartPro macro in the left column and then click the Add>> buttonto copy this to the New Group*.

6. Click New Group and Rename if you wish to rename this group.

* - If you don't see the GotoWBSChartPro macro after running Setup and choosing toModify Project 2010 then do this:

1. Open Project 2010, go to File-Options-Trust Center-Trust Center Settings and select"Enable All Macros".

2. Open the file called SetupWBS2010.mpp. This file is located in the C:\ProgramsFiles\WBS Chart Pro folder by default.

3. Repeat the steps above and if you see the Macros you can close the Setup file withoutsaving.

See also:

Creating WBS charts from Microsoft Project plans

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Configuring a Network Version of MS Project

When Microsoft Project is configured for use with WBS Chart Pro, several items are copied intoMicrosoft Project and stored in the GLOBAL.MPT file. The GLOBAL.MPT file is a Microsoft Projectfile that is used to store things like Macros, Tables, Views, Toolbar Buttons, etc. MicrosoftProject installs this file into the same directory with other Microsoft Project program files.

When you configure WBS Chart Pro to work with Microsoft Project, the following item s areinstalled into the GLOBAL.MPT file of Microsoft Project:

A WBS Chart Pro Toolbar button this starts the Macro used to exchange databetween Microsoft Project and WBS Chart Pro.

GotoWBSChartPro Macro this macro initiates the process of exchanging data betweenMicrosoft Project and WBS Chart Pro.

A View (beginning with the words Critical Tools), ensures a consistent view of the data.

A Filter (beginning with Critical Tools), ensures the proper tasks are exc hanged.

Several Tables (each beginning with the words Critical Tools), used to extract theMicrosoft Project fields in the correct order.

WBS Chart Pro requires that the above items are installed into Microsoft Project to allow aseamless integration between the two programs. If you have Microsoft Project installed on anetwork there may not be suffic ient rights (Read/Write Permission) to modify the GLOBAL.MPTfile. If this is the case and if you wish to use your Network version of Microsoft Project withWBS Chart Pro, you have three options for doing this. They are:

1. Copy the necessary items into Microsoft Project each time you use WBS Chart Pro. To dothis, start Microsoft Project and then start WBS Chart Pro. In WBS Chart Pro choose Tools-Microsoft Project-Setup-OK. This copies the necessary Tables, Views, Macrosand Toolbar button into Microsoft Project. These items will remain there until MicrosoftProject is closed.

2. Obtain temporary Read/Write access to the GLOBAL.MPT file on the network, run WBSChart Pro Setup and answer Yes to the prompt to modify Microsoft Project. This adds aWBS Chart Pro Toolbar button to the network installation of Microsoft Projec t. ThisToolbar button can access either a Network version or a locally installed version of WBSChart Pro. The disadvantage to this procedure is that everyone who uses the version ofMicrosoft Project on the network will see this WBS Chart Pro button, but they may nothave access to the WBS Chart Pro program.

3. Create a copy of the GLOBAL.MPT file and store it on your local computer. This way,Microsoft Project can be run from the network, but all custom settings (Views, Tables,Macros, Reports, Toolbars, etc) will be stored on the local computer. You can theninstruct Microsoft Project to use the GLOBAL.MPT on your local computer instead of usingthe one on the network. To do this, copy the GLOBAL.MPT file from the network to a localdrive and directory and make this directory the Working Directory (also called the StartIn directory in some operating systems). To make a local directory the WorkingDirectory (or Start In directory), modify the icon that you use to start Microsoft Project.If this is in your Start menu then you will need to go to the Start Menu, selectSettings-Task Bar-Start Menu Programs-Advanced, locate the icon used to start MicrosoftProject, Right-Click with the mouse and display the Properties. If you use an ic on on yourdesktop, Right-Click this icon. Then, enter the Drive and Path to the direc tory where you

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copied the GLOBAL.MPT file. For example:

This is the Properties dialog for Microsoft Project 2007. Microsoft Project will be run fromwherever it is installed but the Start in directory is pointing to C:\Project 2007. If thereis a GLOBAL.MPT in this directory, Microsoft Project will use this one instead of the oneon the Network.

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Using WBS Chart Pro

Terminology and Basic Concepts

Creating the WBS chartIn WBS Chart Pro, you create items in your WBS chart by clicking the Insert New Taskbuttons on the Toolbar. They look like this:

The Insert Left, Insert Right, Insert Above and Insert Below toolbar buttons

See also: Adding New Tasks

Summary Tasks and TasksAs you create the WBS chart you place certain tasks under other tasks to represent that one isa subordinate of another. In WBS Chart Pro, any task with at least one task beneath it isreferred to as a Summary Task. Any task without a subordinate is simply called a Task. WBSChart Pro automatically recognizes whether an item is a Summary Task or a Task. In fact, ifyou delete or move all of the subordinate items of a Summary Task it will become a Task.

You can perform certain actions on just the Summary Tasks in the WBS chart and otheractions on just the Tasks in the chart. For example, you can display only the Summary Tasksin the WBS chart to show all of the major phases of your project (select the Show OnlySummary Tasks button). Or, you can remove the box and shadow from all Tasks in the chart(select the Format-Borders menu).

WBS Chart Pro automatically rolls up the core task data to eac h Summary Task of the project.This means that each Summary Task will summarize the task information below it all the wayup to the top of the WBS chart. The fields that are rolled up include the cost, work, start andfinish dates, and other schedule data. Additionally, you can define custom fields and otherdata fields to be rolled up in the Tools-Rollup dialog box.

Entering InformationTo enter the name of a Summary Task or Task select that box and type. To enter additionalinformation for the Summary Task or Task, double-clic k it.

See also: Entering Information

ViewsA View is a defined collection of formatting options for displaying a WBS chart. There areseveral predefined Views in WBS Chart Pro from which to choose, and you can toggle throughthese Views until you find one that displays the chart in the way you prefer.

The View toolbar buttons

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The current View is displayed in the window on the toolbar. Use the Next View (right arrow)and Previous View (left arrow) buttons on the View bar to toggle to different Views.

To modify a View, simply display that View and choose the many formatting options in theFormat menu.

See also: Views

Arranging Tasks under Summary TasksSummary Tasks control how the items below them are arranged. Tasks can be arranged undera Summary Task horizontally like this:

Or, vertically list this:

Summary Tasks may also have other Summary Tasks under them along with the subtasks,like this:

This arrangement of Tasks and Summary Tasks lists all items below a Summary Taskhorizontally. An arrangement would be to list subordinate items vertically. However, if youwere to list everything vertically, it would look like this:

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Listing Summary Tasks and tasks vertically makes for a very tall chart. For this reason, WBSChart Pro uses a special style called the WBS Chart Style. The WBS Style lists all Tasks undera Summary Task vertically but all other Summary Tasks are listed horizontally. The WBS ChartStyle looks like this:

The arrangement of items below Summary Tasks is set Chart-Wide using the Form at-Chartmenu. You can also individually change the way a Summary Task arranges its subordinates byselecting a Summary Task and choosing one of the Arrangement toolbar buttons. They looklike this:

See also: Chart

For information on creating a new chart, see: Creating a New WBS chart

For information on creating a WBS chart from Microsoft Project, see: Creating WBS chartsfrom Microsoft Project plans

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Creating a New WBS chart

Here are the basic steps to creating a new* WBS chart using WBS Chart Pro:

1. Open WBS Chart Pro (a New chart is created for you to begin planning). See also New

2. Click the Insert Task buttons with your mouse to add tasks. See alsoAdding New Tasks

3. Type to enter a Name for the task. See also Entering Information

4. Double-click to enter additional information about that task. See also EnteringInformation

5. Change Views to display the WBS chart differently. See also Views

6. Click and Drag to rearrange tasks. See also Moving & Repositioning Tasks

7. Print your WBS chart. See also Printing

8. Save your WBS chart. See also Saving WBS charts

These are only the basic steps for creating a WBS chart. There are many additional optionsavailable for working with WBS charts. For more ways to use WBS Chart Pro, see the othertopics under the Using WBS Chart Pro section of Help.

* To create a WBS chart from an existing Microsoft Project plan, see the Help topic CreatingWBS charts from Microsoft Project plans

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Adding New Tasks

To add tasks in a WBS chart, use the Insert Task toolbar buttons to add a task to the left,right, above or below the selected task.

The Insert Left, Insert Right, Insert Above and Insert Below toolbar buttons

Here are some tips for adding tasks in WBS Chart Pro:

If there are no other tasks in the WBS chart or if you are only displaying the Projec t

Summary Task then you can only add a task below by using the button.

Depending on the orientation of tasks in the WBS chart, the Insert Task buttons plac e tasksin different positions relative to the currently selected task.

For example:

With tasks listed left toright, if you select Task 2and choose Insert Task

Left

the new task will be added to theleft of Task 2.

With tasks listedvertically, selecting

Task 2 and choosing Insert Task Left

inserts the new task as aSummary Task to Task 2.

In this second example, if you want to place a task above or below Task 2 you wouldselect Insert Task Above (the Up arrow) or Insert Task Below (the Down arrow).

Tips:

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You can also Right-Click on a Task and choose one of the Insert commands.

You can also Click and Drag to create tasks but to do this you must turn this option On.Select the Switch Drag Mode toolbar button (the mouse toolbar button) to change from Click and Drag to Move Tasks to Click and Drag to Create Tasks mode. Click the Mousetoolbar button again to switch back to Click and Drag to Move Tasks mode.

The Mouse toolbar button

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Entering Information

There are two ways to enter information for a task in the WBS chart. One is to enter the taskinformation directly into the task box by selecting the task on the sc reen and typing theinformation directly. The other way to enter inform ation is by using the Task Informationdialog box. Double-clicking on a task brings up the Task Information dialog box. Both optionsare discussed below:

Entering Information using the Task box on the screenYou can enter information about a Task by selecting a task on the screen and typinginformation directly into the selected field for that task. The information you can enter isdependent on which fields are currently displayed on the sc reen.

For example, with the WBS chart below, only the Task Name is displayed so you can onlychange the Name of the task directly on the screen:

However, with this WBS chart, there are many fields displayed in the chart. Click the field youwish to change and type in the new information.

The Edit bar displays the contents of the current field being edited. Click the c heckmark toaccept the field (or press Enter) or click the X to reject the data entered into the field (or pressEsc).

The Edit toolbar

Tips:

If the task box selected on the screen contains multiple fields you can use the Tab key tomove around the different fields.

When you select a field in a Task box, select the Edit bar (or press F2) to m odify existing

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text for that field.

To display WBS charts containing different arrangements of fields, try switc hing Viewsusing the Next View and Previous View buttons at the top of the screen. For m oreinformation on changing Views, see Views

To add/delete or modify the fields that are currently displayed in the Task boxes, selec tthe Format menu and choose Summary Boxes or Task Boxes.

Entering Information using the Task Information Dialog BoxThe Task Information dialog box is found by double-clicking a task, by selecting a task andclicking on the Task Information toolbar button, or by selecting a task and the Edit-TaskInformation menu item.

The Task Information toolbar button

The Task Information dialog box allows you to enter data for the selected Task or Sum maryTask as shown below:

Type information into the various fields and c lick OK when finished. For more information onhow to use this form, see Task Information

For information on how WBS Chart Pro performs scheduling see Scheduling

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Scheduling

WBS Chart Pro schedules tasks based on the information you enter. It uses the Project StartDate (or Project Finish Date when scheduling from the Project Finish), Duration, Dependenciesand Constraints to calculate when each task must Start and Finish. WBS Chart Pro alsocalculates the Critical Path. Below is an explanation of how tasks are sc heduled.

Tasks are scheduled based on the following:

By Project Start Date If a task does not have a dependency, a Constraint Date or anActual Start then the task is scheduled to start on the Project Start Date and its finish isdetermined by the Duration of the task.

By Duration Each tasks finish date is determined by the Start Date plus the Duration youenter, taking into account the Calendar (working and non-working days, hours per day,etc.).

By Dependencies If a task has a dependency but does not have a Constraint Date orActual Start then the task is scheduled based on the dependency.

By Constraint Date If a task has a Constraint Date then it schedules the task based onthe Constraint Date and Constraint Type.

By Actual Start/Finish If a task has an Actual Start or Actual Finish it is scheduledbased on these dates.

Each of these concepts is explained below:

Project Start Date and Project Finish DateThe Project Start Date in WBS Chart Pro is more than just the date on which the project starts.The Project Start Date is used to define the Start date for all tasks that do not havedependencies, Constraint Dates or an Actual Start.

By default, the Project Start Date is set to the current date when you open a New file. Tochange the Project Start Date use the Properties form:

1. Select the Tools-Chart Settings menu.

2. Select Schedule from Project Start date.

3. Enter a date into the Project Start date in the field.

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To schedule from the Finish of the project, deselect the Schedule from Project Start dateoption and enter a date into the Project Finish date.

DurationThe duration is the amount of time it takes to complete a task. Duration for a task can beentered in Minutes, Hours, Days, Weeks, or Months. Duration can be entered into the Durationfield of the Task Information dialog box using the following format:

M = Minutes

H = Hours

D = Days

W = Weeks

MO = Months

For example, for a 10 day task you can enter 10d in the duration field, a 2 week task wouldbe 2w.

When scheduling from the start of the project (check the option Schedule from Project StartDate under Tools-Chart Settings), the duration is used to calculate the Finish date of a task.

When scheduling from the finish of the project (deselect the option Schedule from ProjectStart Date under Tools-Chart Settings), the duration is used to calculate the Start date of atask.

Note: The above duration units take into account the Calendar (Working and Non-WorkingTime). By default, WBS Chart Pro provides a standard 5 day workweek, 8 hour workdaycalendar. The duration you enter will work within this calendar, and as you change this

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calendar your schedule will change accordingly. For example, if a task starts on Wednesdaymorning and you enter a duration of 5 Days then the task will Finish on the following Tuesdayevening (5 working days from Wednesday).

Durations can also be entered in Elapsed Days. Elapsed days override the c alendar, and arescheduled based on a 24 hour day, 7 days a week with no non-working days. Elapsed durationunits are defined by entering an E prior to the Duration unit for exam ple, 12eh for 12 ElapsedHours or 5ed for 5 Elapsed Days. A duration of 5 Elapsed Days from Wednesday would makethe finish of a task occur on Sunday evening.

To enter the Duration:

1. If the Duration field is displayed in the Task boxes on the screen, click in this field and typethe Duration.

or

2. Double-click the task and type the Duration into the Duration field of the Task Inform ationform.

DependenciesA dependency is a relationship between tasks specifying that one task depends on the start orfinish of another task before it can start or finish. When planning projec ts, many tasks musthappen in a certain order. Creating dependencies between tasks or linking tasks togetherdefines this order. For example, a dependency may specify that a particular task must finishbefore another can start, or that one task can only start after another has worked for 5 days,etc.

When you have a dependency between two tasks, the first task in the chain is called the Predecessor and the second is the Successor. The successor depends on the predecessor.

WBS Chart Pro establishes dependencies between tasks using the Predecessor or Suc cessorfields of the Task Information Dialog. The corresponding Task ID numbers are entered intothese fields. If you are creating your WBS chart from a Microsoft Project plan, all of the c urrentdependency information will be automatically included.

Note that WBS Chart Pro does not graphically depict dependencies in a WBS chart. For agraphical way to create and display dependencies, use PERT Chart Expert, available fromCritical Tools. Using PERT Chart EXPERT, you can click and drag to create dependenc ies anddata can be seamlessly transferred between PERT Chart EXPERT and WBS Chart Pro.

There are several different types of dependencies. The most common type of dependency isthe Finish to Start dependency. This means that one task must Finish before the next oneStarts.

To create a Finish to Start dependency in WBS Chart Pro:

1. Double-click on a task to display the Task Information form and then select the Custom tab.

2. Select the Predecessor or Successor field and enter the Task ID of the Predecessor orSuccessor to this task. If the Predecessor or Successor field is not displayed then select AddField to add it to the list of fields displayed. If you enter in the Task ID of the Successorthen the ID of the Predecessor is automatically filled for the Successors Task Information,and vice versa.

3. Click OK.

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There are several types of dependencies that you can create between tasks. Each of thedependency types is described below:

Finish to Start (FS) One task must finish before the next one starts.

Start to Start (SS) One task cannot start until the other task has started.

Finish to Finish (FF) One task cannot finish until the other task is finished.

Start to Finish (SF) One task cannot finish until another has started.

The default dependency type is a Finish to Start. When you enter the ID of a Predecessor orSuccessor task you do not need to specify the FS to denote Finish to Start. However, if youwant a SS, FF or SF dependency you must specify this along with the Predecessor or SuccessorID. For example, entering 10SS into the Predecessor field for a task would mean that there isa Start to Start dependency from Task with ID 10 to this task.

Lag

Most tasks in a project start immediately after one has finished but occ asionally you may needto enter a delay. When there is an amount of time that must transpire before the second taskmust occur you can use a lag for this. A lag is the amount of time that the second task mustwait after the first task starts or finishes.

A Finish to Start dependency with a 5 day lag means that the successor task cannot start until5 days after the predecessor task has finished. As an example, lets say you want to link TaskA (ID# 1) to Task B (ID# 2) with the following dependenc ies (enter the information inparentheses into the Predecessor field of Task B):

Finish to Start with a 5 day lag (1FS+5d) Task B cannot start until 5 days after Task Afinishes.

Start to Start with a 5 day lag (1SS+5d) Task B cannot start until 5 days after Task A

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starts.

Finish to Finish with a 5 day lag (1FF+5d) Task B cannot finish until 5 days after Task Afinishes.

Finish to Start with a 5 day lag (1FS-5d) Task B starts 5 days before the finish of TaskA.

Finish to Start with a 50% lag (1FS-50%) Task B starts halfway from the finish of TaskA.

Constraint Dates A Constraint Date is a specific date that you assign to a task. Along with this date is aConstraint Type that determines how the date is used (Must Start On, Must Finish On, Start noEarlier Than, etc.). There are several different types of constraints; all require that you enter adate except As Soon As Possible and As Late as Possible.

To display the Constraint Date and Constraint Type for a task, double-click the task to displaythe Task Information form.

Constraint Type

The Constraint Type field allows you to enter the type of constraint. Choose from one of thefollowing:

As Soon As Possible Schedules the task to happen as soon as possible based on thedependencies that precede the task, the tasks duration and the project start date. The AsSoon As Possible constraint does not actually constrain a task to a particular date. Set theConstraint Type to As Soon As Possible if you no longer wish to have a Constraint Dateassociated with a task. It will then be scheduled based on the dependencies.

As Late as Possible Schedules the task to happen as late as possible based on thedependencies that follow the task, the tasks duration and the project finish date. The AsLate As Possible constraint does not actually constrain a task to a particular date.

Finish No Earlier Than Schedules the task to finish no earlier than the date spec ified inthe Constraint Date field.

Finish No Later Than Schedules the task to finish no later than the date specified in theConstraint Date field.

Must Finish On Schedules the task to finish on the date specified in the Constraint Datefield.

Must Start On Schedules the task to start on the date specified in the Constraint Datefield.

Start No Earlier Than Schedules the task to start no earlier than the date specified in theConstraint Date field.

Start No Later Than Schedules the task to start no later than the date specified in theConstraint Date field.

Constraint DateThe constraint date is used along with the Constraint Type for scheduling tasks. The As SoonAs Possible and As Late As Possible constraint types do not use a Constraint Date, thusallowing the task to be scheduled based on the dependencies associated with a task.

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Note: To remove a date constraint assign the As Soon As Possible constraint to a task. Thiswill remove the Constraint Date and allow the task to schedule based on the dependenc ies.

Actual Start and Actual FinishEntering an Actual Start and/or Actual Finish into the Task Information form on the Customtab will schedule the task on the specified date, overriding any of the above sc heduling optionsused.

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Transferring a WBS chart to PERT Chart EXPERT

PERT Chart EXPERT, another product from Critical Tools, allows you to plan and displayprojects using a Dependency Diagram (Network Diagram). This type of c hart displays thetasks in your project and the dependencies between these tasks. You can seam lessly transferprojects from WBS Chart Pro to PERT Chart EXPERT and vice versa.

To transfer the current WBS chart to PERT Chart EXPERT, select the Goto PERT Chart EXPERTtoolbar button.

The Goto Pert Chart EXPERT toolbar button

When you transfer a WBS chart to PERT Chart EXPERT your WBS chart is saved to the PERTChart EXPERT format (a .PCE file) and then immediately opened in PERT Chart EXPERT. All ofyour project data and WBS formatting will be contained in the new PERT Chart EXPERT file. Tocreate a WBS chart file again press the Goto WBS Chart Pro button in PERT Chart EXPERT totransfer it back to WBS Chart Pro.

The Goto PERT Chart EXPERT button is not available (grayed out) if:

You do not have PERT Chart EXPERT.

You do not have a version of PERT Chart EXPERT that works with WBS Chart Pro. You m usthave PERT Chart EXPERT version 2.0 or greater for this to work. Select the Help-Aboutmenu to see which version you have. Contact Critical Tools to obtain a version of PERTChart EXPERT that works with WBS Chart Pro. See Contacting Critical Tools

You are working with a WBS Chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project file. To create a PERTChart from a linked file, first go to Microsoft Project using the Goto Project toolbar button,then from within Microsoft Project use the Goto Pert Chart EXPERT toolbar button. Linkedfiles require that you go to Microsoft Project first when switching between WBS Chart Proand PERT Chart EXPERT, since all of your project data is stored within Microsoft Projec t.

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Transferring a WBS chart to Microsoft Project

You can use WBS Chart Pro to create your projects first with a WBS chart, and then transferthese charts to Microsoft Project for further scheduling.

If you create a new WBS chart in WBS Chart Pro, configure this chart and save this chart, it isconsidered a standalone WBS chart. This means that the WBS chart file is a self-containedfile with all of the data and formatting options within this file.

In WBS Chart Pro you can enter various fields of information about the tasks in your projectincluding name, duration, start, finish, plus much more. Certain task information is rolled upto each summary level of the WBS chart (go to the Tools-Rollup menu to further define whichfields get rolled up). You can also perform simple scheduling in WBS Chart Pro. For moreelaborate scheduling, resource management, etc, you can transfer the WBS chart to Mic rosoftProject.

To transfer the current WBS chart to Microsoft Project, select the G oto Project toolbar button.

The Goto Project toolbar button

Transferring a standalone WBS chart to Microsoft Project means that the data that exists inthe WBS chart will be transferred from the WBS chart and placed into a Microsoft Project plan.The WBS chart then becomes linked to this Microsoft Project plan. You are prompted to savethe Microsoft Project plan and you must enter a filename for this Microsoft Project plan tocontinue transferring the WBS chart to Microsoft Project. You will then have two files; theMicrosoft Project file containing the data (information like names, start dates, finish dates,costs, etc.), and the WBS chart file containing the formatting options that are WBSchart-specific (such as custom colors, box placement, etc.).

After transferring the data to Microsoft Project, the next time you open the WBS chart it notonly opens the WBS chart with all the formatting but also opens the corresponding MicrosoftProject file to which it is now linked.

You can also open the Microsoft Project plan first and select the Goto WBS Chart Pro button toopen the saved WBS chart corresponding to the Microsoft Project plan.

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Creating WBS charts from Microsoft Project

To create a WBS chart from an existing Microsoft Project plan:

1. Start Microsoft Project and open the desired Microsoft Project plan.

2. Click the WBS Chart Pro toolbar button*.

The WBS Chart Pro toolbar button

WBS Chart Pro is started and the current project plan from Microsoft Project is displayed in aWBS chart.

When you create a WBS chart from an existing Microsoft Project plan, the WBS chart isdynamically linked to this Microsoft Project plan. If you add, modify or delete tasks in the WBSchart, this information is immediately sent to Microsoft Projec t.

Tip: When a WBS chart is dynamically linked to a Microsoft Project plan the word LINKEDappears in the lower right corner of the screen.

Saving a WBS chart linked to a Microsoft Project planAfter modifying the linked WBS chart, when it comes time to save and c lose your WBS chart ithelps to remember that the data is stored in Microsoft Project (a .MPP file) and the WBS c hartformatting is stored in the WBS chart file (a .WBS file).

When you save a WBS chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan, it saves both the WBSchart file (.WBS) and the corresponding Microsoft Project plan (.MPP).

The saved WBS chart contains the formatting of the chart, and a link to the Microsoft Projectplan where the data is stored.

To save the WBS chart, select the File menu and choose Save (or Save As). Specify a filenameand click OK.

Opening a WBS chart linked to a Microsoft Project planThere are two ways to open a WBS chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan. They are:

1. From within Microsoft Project, click the WBS Chart Pro toolbar button. If you havepreviously created a WBS chart from this Microsoft Project plan and saved the WBS c hart,it will remember this and automatically open this chart for you to continue working. If itdoes not open the previously saved WBS chart, see the Note below.

2. From within WBS Chart Pro, if you open the WBS chart (*.WBS file) that is linked to theMicrosoft Project plan it will automatically open Microsoft Project and the correspondingMicrosoft Project plan.

Note: If you rename or move a Microsoft Project plan that is linked to a WBS chart, MicrosoftProject may not be able to locate the WBS chart the next time you try to load the WBS chartfrom the Microsoft Project plan. If you move or rename a Microsoft Project that is linked to aparticular WBS chart file, perform the following to relink the MS Project plan to the WBS chartfile:

1. Open WBS Chart Pro.

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2. Select File-Open.

3. Click on the WBS chart file (the .WBS file) that was linked to the Microsoft Projectplan.

4. Select Link to another datasource and click Open.

5. Locate the Microsoft Project plan and select Open.

When you save the WBS chart it will remember the new name and location of the MicrosoftProject to which it is linked.

*If you do not see the WBS Chart Pro toolbar button in Microsoft Project, see the help topic Configuring MS Project for use with WBS Chart Pro

If you want to create a WBS chart and Unlink it from the Microsoft Project plan see the topic Unlink

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Tips when using WBS Chart Pro with MS Project

When you create a WBS chart from an existing Microsoft Project plan you must remember thatyou are dynamically linked to this plan and any changes made in the WBS chart areimmediately reflected in Microsoft Project. If you add or delete tasks in the WBS c hart, thesetasks are immediately added or deleted in Microsoft Project.

A WBS chart created from an existing Microsoft Project can be saved but this does not savethe data into the .wbs file. All project data is still maintained in Microsoft Project. Saving aWBS chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan only saves the link and any WBSchart-specific items that cannot be saved in Microsoft Project like box placement, custom boxcolors and formatting options for the WBS chart.

If you create a WBS chart from an existing Microsoft Project plan and you do not want thisWBS chart to be dynamically linked to the corresponding Microsoft Project plan then you cansave the WBS chart as a standalone WBS chart. This will unlink the WBS chart from theMicrosoft Project plan and save all of the data to the WBS chart file. Once you save as astandalone chart, this WBS chart cannot be linked back to the original Mic rosoft Project planfrom which it was created. You can only use this standalone WBS chart to create a newMicrosoft Project plan.

See also Saving WBS charts

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Copying, Moving & Repositioning Tasks

Tasks in the WBS chart can be rearranged by Copying, Moving, or Repositioning them .

You can move or copy a task or set of tasks from one part of the WBS chart and Paste toanother area in the WBS chart. This changes the structure of your WBS chart. You can achievethis by clicking and dragging a task(s) or by selecting the appropriate Cut/Copy and Pastecommands from the Edit menu. The Cut/Copy and Paste actions are disc ussed in more detailbelow.

You can also rearrange a WBS chart by repositioning a task or set of tasks on the chart. Thisdoes not change the structure of the WBS chart, it only places boxes in different areas forcustomized viewing. You can reposition tasks in the WBS chart by clicking on the appropriateedge of a box and dragging it to a new position on the chart.

The differences between the two procedures are demonstrated in the following examples:

Cut or Copy involves placing the task in a different part of the WBS chart thus c hanging thestructure.

Using Cut or Copy withthe above chart

Task 2 can be Cut and Pastedbelow Task 3

or Task 2 can be Copiedand Pasted below Task 3.

Repositioning involves moving a task or set of tasks without changing the structure of theWBS chart.

Repositioning means tomove a task

to a new location bydragging the edge of the

box.

Cut/Copy and Paste Tasks in WBS Chart Pro

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When working with an unlinked (standalone) WBS Chart you may select a single task,summary task or multiple tasks to be Cut and Copied. WBS Charts that are linked to aMicrosoft Project Plan are restricted to Copy and Cut actions on a single task or a singlesummary task only. Performing a Cut or Copy action on a summary task also includes all ofthe subtasks under the summary task in the action as well. There are several ways to Cut andCopy tasks:

Edit menu Select a summary task or task by clicking on it, choose the Edit menu andchoose Cut or Copy (or use Ctrl-X, or Ctrl-C). To Paste the task(s), select another task,choose the Edit menu and choose Paste Before (or Ctrl-V) to paste the left of the selectedtask, Paste After to paste to the right of the selected task, or Paste Subtask to paste as asubtask to the selected task.

Right-Click Place your cursor on a summary task or task and c lick the Right Mousebutton. This will display a menu allowing you to choose to Cut or Copy the selected task.

Right-Click Menu

Right-Click and Drag Place your cursor on a summary task or task, click the Right Mousebutton, Drag and place it over the destination task box. This displays the following menu,prompting you to Move or Copy the selected Task relative to the destination task (before,after, or as a subtask). You also have the option of copying the Custom Box Settings fromone task box to another. The Custom Box Settings define the box style and color.

Note: In order to perform this Drag operation the mouse cursor must be in Drag to MoveTask mode. To change mouse cursor modes, click on the mouse toolbar button.

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Right-Click and Drag Menu

Left-Click and Drag Place the cursor on a summary task or task, click the Left Mousebutton, Drag and place over another summary task or task. This will Cut the selectedsummary task or task and place it relative to the destination task based on the reddirectional arrow. Drag the cut task over the destination task until you see the desired arrowdirection (down, right or left arrow).

Note: In order to perform this Drag operation the mouse cursor must be in Drag to MoveTask mode. To change mouse cursor modes, click on the mouse toolbar button.

Left-Click and Drag Directional Arrow

Repositioning Tasks in WBS Chart ProYou can click and drag the edge of a task box to reposition it. This allows you to place asummary task or task onto another area of the chart without changing the structure of thechart.

To reposition a summary task or task in the WBS chart, position the mouse over the edge ofthe box in order to get the up-down arrow or left-right arrow, then:

Click and Drag on the top or bottom edge of a Summary Task or Task box to move itsposition up or down in the chart.

Click and Drag on the left or right edge of a Summary Task or Task box to move its positionleft or right in the chart.

Note: Summary tasks and tasks are repositioned relative to other tasks around them byincreasing/decreasing the distances to these other tasks. Therefore, some tasks cannot berepositioned since there may not be an appropriate task to reposition relative to.

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Displaying Fields in Task Boxes

You can display a variety of fields in the Summary Task and Task boxes such as name, cost,start, finish, etc. If you are using Microsoft Project, all Microsoft Project Task fields, except theNotes field, can be displayed in the Summary Task and Task boxes on the sc reen.

For example, you could simply have the Name field displayed in the boxes like this:

Or, you could display the Start and Finish dates for all Tasks in your c hart like this:

Or, you could display Start and Finish dates for the Summary Tasks in the Chart and ResourceNames for all the Tasks in the chart, like this:

The number of fields and arrangement of fields within a box is c ompletely configurable. Thereare no limits to the numbers of fields you can place in a box. You can even place fields outsideof a box.

Many of the Views in WBS Chart Pro contain different arrangements of fields in the boxes. Tryswitching Views using the Next View and Previous View toolbar buttons to see these.

The fields within Summary Task boxes and Task boxes are configured separately. Sinc e thesame technique is used to modify the fields within both Summary Task and Task Boxes theyare covered in one Help Topic. For more information on how to configure the fields withinSummary Task and Task Boxes see Task Boxes

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Saving WBS charts

To save a WBS chart:

1. Choose File-Save (or File-Save As).

2. Select a location to save the file and enter a name for this file in the filename field.

3. Make sure the Save as type option is set to WBS Chart and click OK to save thisfile.

WBS chart files created in WBS Chart Pro have an extension of .WBS.

A WBS chart is either saved standalone or linked to a datasource (such as a MicrosoftProject plan, an MPX file or a Text file).

Saving a WBS chart (standalone)Saving a standalone WBS chart saves all of the project data, box colors, views and form attingoptions into a single file. This is what happens when you open WBS Chart Pro, c reate a WBSchart and save the WBS chart. If you only use WBS Chart Pro to create your WBS charts thenyour charts are always saved standalone and this WBS file is a completely self-contained file.

Saving a WBS chart (linked)Saving a WBS chart that is linked to a datasource saves all of the WBS chart formatting intothe WBS file but the data remains in the datasource.

For example, if you are using WBS Chart Pro with Microsoft Project and you c reate a WBSchart of a Microsoft Project plan, the data is saved in Microsoft Project but the WBS chartformatting is saved in the WBS file. The WBS file is then linked to this Microsoft Projectplan. The data that you see in the WBS chart is not actually in WBS Chart Pro but a reflec tionof what is maintained in Microsoft Project. If you make changes to this data in WBS Chart Prosuch as adding new tasks, moving tasks or deleting tasks, this is ac tually being donedynamically in Microsoft Project.

When you save and close a linked WBS chart and then re-open this WBS chart file, it alsoopens the Microsoft Project plan to which it is linked.

Note: When you Save a WBS chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan this also saves theplan in Microsoft Project.

WBS Chart Pro

Opening WBS Charts

Opening a standalone WBS ChartTo open a standalone WBS chart, choose the File-Open menu and locate the appropriate WBSChart file. Select the WBS chart file and choose Open.

Opening a WBS chart linked to a Microsoft Project planThere are two ways to open a WBS chart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan:

1. From within Microsoft Project, click the WBS Chart Pro toolbar button. If you havepreviously created a WBS chart from this Microsoft Project plan and saved the WBSchart, it will remember this and automatically open this chart for you to continueworking. If it does not open the previously saved WBS chart, see the Note below.

2. From within WBS Chart Pro, if you open the WBS chart (*.WBS file) that is linked tothe Microsoft Project plan it will automatically open Microsoft Project and thecorresponding Microsoft Project plan.

Note: If you rename or move a Microsoft Project plan that is linked to a WBS c hart file it maynot be able to locate this WBS chart file the next time you to create a WBS chart from theMicrosoft Project plan. If you move or rename a Microsoft Project plan that is linked to aparticular WBS chart file, perform the following to link this new MS Project plan to the WBSchart file:

1. Open WBS Chart Pro.

2. Select File-Open.

3. Select the WBS chart file (*.WBS) that was linked to the Microsoft Project plan.

4. Check "Link to another datasource" and click Open.

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5. Locate the MS Project plan and select Open.

When you save the WBS chart it will remember the name and location of the new Mic rosoftProject to which it is linked.

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Printing

Here is the recommended process for printing your WBS charts:

1. Select a View In the WBS chart, before you print or select Print Preview you shouldselect a View that contains the formatting that you want. You can change Views and selectone you like or change Views until you find one that is similar to the one you want andmodify it. To change Views, select the Next View toolbar button in the upper right c ornerof the screen.

Select the Next View button (the right arrow) to change Views

For more information on selecting and modifying Views see Views

2. Select Print Preview Selecting Print Preview is the quickest way to see how your WBSchart will be printed before you send the WBS chart to the printer. Select the Print Previewtoolbar button or select Print Preview from the File menu.

The Print Preview toolbar button

The WBS chart and surrounding data on the printout displayed in Print Preview are basedon several configurable options. They are:

a)Summary Info Your WBS chart may display fields of information around the chartlike Title, Manager, or Company. This information can be entered from within PrintPreview. Select the Summary Info button to enter information about your projectthat can also appear in the WBS chart printout. To see how these fields are arrangedon the page, see the section below on Page Layout. For m ore information onProperties, see Properties

b)The Current Printer and Paper Size Select the Page Setup button (from withinPrint Preview) to see what size paper and other print options are currently set. Youcan change some basic settings for the printout in the Page Setup dialog box likeScaling, Paper Size, Margins, etc. To change or modify settings for the printer, selectthe Printer button from within Page Setup. For more information on using the PageSetup dialog box, see Page Setup

c) The Page Layout In Print Preview you may notice a border around the WBS chart,perhaps page numbers and maybe even data fields around the WBS c hart. PageLayout determines the general layout of the WBS chart on the page. Each View in theWBS chart uses a specific Page Layout. In the Page Setup dialog box the Page Layoutfield displays the current Page Layout being used. To see how a different Page Layoutwould look with your WBS chart, select a different Page Layout from the list and c lickthe Preview button to return to Print Preview.

You can also modify an existing Page Layout by selecting the Edit button in PageSetup. If you want to modify a Page Layout, use the Page Setup dialog to select onethat is close to what you are looking for and then choose the Edit button with thatPage Layout listed in the Page Layout field. For more information on using PageLayouts, see Page Layouts

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The Page Setup dialog box

3. Print the WBS chart When you are satisfied with the current WBS chart displayed inPrint Preview, press the Print button to send the WBS chart to the printer.

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Fields in WBS Chart Pro

There are many different data fields in WBS Chart Pro for entering inform ation into, includingfields like Name, Duration, Start, Finish, Cost, Work, etc. These fields are sim ilar to the Taskfields found in Microsoft Project.

Note: When used with Microsoft Project, WBS Chart Pro does not use all of the MicrosoftProject fields. WBS Chart Pro accesses most of the data in Microsoft Projects Task Table butdoes not access certain Resource and Resource Assignment data from Microsoft Project.

Some fields are specific to the different versions of Microsoft Project that are supported byWBS Chart Pro. If you were to use a field in WBS Chart Pro that is not supported by theversion of Microsoft Project that you are using then this information would be stored in theWBS chart file since it cannot be transferred to Microsoft Project.

Tip: You can rename any field in WBS Chart Pro using the Field Names option in the Toolsmenu. This will permanently rename that field in WBS Chart Pro so that the new nam eappears in all forms, dialog boxes and printouts. For example, you could rename the Flag 1field to Engineering Dept, the Flag 2 field to Sales Dept and so on.

Fields used in WBS Chart Pro

Below is a brief description of each of the task fields supported in WBS Chart Pro.

% Complete Percentage of the tasks duration that has been completed.

% Work Complete Percentage of the tasks work that has been completed.

Actual Cost Cost of actual work performed to date by all resources on a task, plus any fixedcosts.

Actual Duration The span of actual working time for a task so far, based on the scheduledduration and current remaining work or completion percentage.

Actual Finish The date and time a task actually finished.

Actual Overtime Cost Cost for overtime work already performed on a task by all assignedresources.

Actual Overtime Work The actual amount of overtime work already performed by allresources assigned to a task.

Actual Start - The date and time a task actually started.

Actual Work The amount of work that has already been done by the resources assigned tothe task.

ACWP Cost of actual work performed to date on the project, plus any fixed costs.

Assignment A field calculated by MS Project to indicate if an item is an assignment. TheAssignment field for tasks is always No.

Assignment Delay The amount of time a resource is to wait before starting work on anassignment.

Assignment Units The percentage or number that represents the assigned resourcesallocation to a task.

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Baseline Cost The total planned costs for a task before any costs have been incurred.

Baseline Duration The planned duration time for a task to c omplete.

Baseline Finish The planned completion date for a task.

Baseline Start The planned start date for a task.

Baseline Work The planned amount of work to be performed by all resources for a task.

BCWP The budgeted cost of work performed, also known as earned value. Refers to thevalue of the work completed.

BCWS The budgeted cost of work scheduled is the planned c ompletion percentage multipliedby the planned cost.

Confirmed Indicates whether all resources assigned to a task have accepted the taskassignment.

Constraint Date The specific date associated with certain constraint types, such as MustStart On, Must Finish On, Start No Earlier Than, Start No Later Than, Finish No Earlier Than,and Finish No Later Than.

Constraint Type The type of constraint applied when scheduling a task (As Soon AsPossible, As Late As Possible, Must Start On, Must Finish On, Start No Earlier Than, Start NoLater Than, Finish No Earlier Than, and Finish No Later Than).

Contact The name of the contact person for a task.

Cost The cost for a task based on the work performed by all resources assigned to the task,as well as fixed costs.

Cost1-10 Cost fields 1-10 can be used to show any custom cost information for a task.

Cost Rate Table The cost rate table to use for the resources assigned to a task.

Cost Variance - The difference between the baseline cost and total cost for a task.

Created The date and time when a task was added to the project.

Critical Indicates if a task is on the critical path.

CV The earned value cost variance shows the difference between the planned costs (baselinecosts), and the current cost based on actual costs to date along with the rem aining estimatedcosts (scheduled costs). The difference between these two values produces either a positive(over budget) or negative (under budget) cost variance.

Date1-10 Date fields 1-10 show any custom date information for a task.

Deadline A target date specifying when you want a task to complete.

Delay The amount of time to delay a task.

Duration The amount of time to complete a task.

Duration1-10 Duration Fields 1-10 can be used to show any custom duration informationfor a task.

Duration Variance The variation between the planned (baseline) duration of a task and thecurrent estimated task duration, based on the work completed to date and the remaining workto be performed.

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Early Finish The earliest date that a task could possibly finish, based on the task spredecessors, successors and other constraints.

Early Start The earliest date that a task could possibly begin, based on the task spredecessors, successors and other constraints.

Effort Driven Indicates whether the scheduling for the task is effort driven.

External Task A task that is linked from an external project into the current projec t.

Finish The date and time a task is scheduled to complete.

Finish1-10 - Finish fields 1-10 show any custom finish information for a task.

Finish Variance The time difference between a tasks baseline finish date and its currentfinish date.

Fixed Cost A cost that does not increase or decrease based on the am ount of time aresource works on a task.

Fixed Cost Accrual How and when fixed costs are to be charged, or accrued to the cost ofthe task (start, prorated, or end).

Flag1-20 - Flag fields 1-10 are Yes/No flags that show any custom information for a task.

Free Slack The amount of time a task can slip before it delays another task.

Hide Bar A Microsoft Project Yes/No field indicating whether the Gantt bars and Calendarbars are hidden.

Hyperlink The title for a hyperlink associated with a task.

Hyperlink Address The address for a hyperlink associated with a task.

Hyperlink Href The concatenation of the Hyperlink Address and the Hyperlink Subaddressfields associated with a task.

Hyperlink SubAddress The specific location within a Hyperlink page associated with a task.

ID The identification number assigned to a task. This is not a static number, and maychange with the sequence of the task within the schedule.

Late Finish The latest date that a task may finish without delaying the finish of the project.

Late Start The latest date that a task may start without delaying the finish of the project.

Level Assignments Indicates whether the resource leveling function can delay and splitresource assignments within a task in order to resolve overalloc ations.

Leveling can Split - Indicates whether the resource leveling function can split resourceassignments on remaining work for the task.

Linked Fields Indicates whether there is a task linked to this task.

Marked A Yes/No field for information.

Milestone Indicates whether a task is a milestone. If a task has a duration of zero it is amilestone.

Name The name of the task.

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Number1-20 - Number fields 1-20 show any custom numeric information for a task.

Objects The number of objects attached to a task.

Outline Level The level number of the task in the outline hierarchy.

Outline Number - The outline number of the task in the hierarchy.

Overallocated Indicates whether any of the resources assigned to the task are assignedbeyond the normal working capacity.

Overtime Cost -The total overtime cost for a task.

Overtime Work The total overtime work for a task.

Predecessors The ID number of the task that precedes this task. It is the task that thistask depends on before it can start or finish.

Preleveled Finish The finish date of the task before resource leveling was done.

Preleveled Start The start date of the task before resource leveling was done.

Priority The level of importance assigned to a task. This priority is used when determ iningdelays and splits during resource leveling.

Project The name of the project to which the task belongs.

Recurring A task that is repeated during the life of a project.

Regular Work The total amount of nonovertime work scheduled to be performed by allresources assigned to the task.

Remaining Cost The remaining scheduled cost of a task that will be incurred at the taskscompletion.

Remaining Duration The remaining scheduled amount of time required to complete thetask.

Remaining Overtime Cost The remaining scheduled overtime expense for the task.

Remaining Overtime Work The remaining scheduled amount of overtime required tocomplete the task by all assigned resources.

Remaining Work - The remaining scheduled amount work to be performed on a task by allassigned resources.

Resource Group The list of resource groups to which the resources assigned to a taskbelong.

Resource Initials The abbreviations for the names of the resources assigned to a task.

Resource Names The names of all the resources assigned to a task.

Response Pending An MS Project field indicating whether an answer has been receivedfrom the resources assigned to a task.

Resume The date the remaining portion of a task is scheduled to resume after a new valueis entered for the % complete field.

Resume No Earlier Than - The earliest date the remaining portion of a task is scheduled toresume after a new value is entered for the % c omplete field.

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Rollup Indicates whether subtask values are rolled up and sum marized in a summary task.

Start - The date and time that a task is scheduled to begin.

Start1-10 - Start fields 1-20 show any custom start date information for a task.

Start Variance The time variance between a tasks baseline start date and its currentlyscheduled start date.

Stop The date of the actual end of a portion of a task. Typically used in conjunction withresume.

SubProject The name of a project inserted into the current project.

Subproject Read Only Indicates whether the subproject is read-only.

Successors The task ID numbers of the dependent tasks scheduled to begin after the startor finish of this task.

Summary Indicates whether a task is a Summary Task.

SV The earned value schedule variance shows the difference in cost terms between thecurrent progress and the baseline plan of the task (SV = BCWP-BCWS).

TeamStatus Pending An MS Project indicator whether an answer has been received fromassigned resources.

Text1-30 - Text fields 1-30 show any custom text information for a task.

Total Slack The amount of time a task can be delayed without delaying the projec t finishdate.

Type Affects the work, resource assignment units, and duration calculations (Fixed Work,Fixed Units, Fixed Duration).

Unique ID The unique identification number of a task.

Unique ID Predecessors The unique identification numbers of the predecessor tasks.

Unique ID Successors The unique identification number of the successor tasks.

Update Needed Indicates whether an update message should be sent to the assignedresources for the task.

WBS - The work breakdown structure code that represents the task position within thehierarchical structure of the project.

WBS Predecessors The WBS identification numbers of the predecessor tasks.

WBS Successors The WBS identification numbers of the successor tasks.

Work The total amount of time scheduled on a task by all assigned resources.

Work Contour Determines how work for an assignment is distributed across the duration ofthe assignment.

Work Variance The difference between a tasks baseline work and the currently scheduledwork.

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Reference (by Menu)

WBS Chart Pro

File Menu

New (File Menu)

Displays a blank screen for creating a new WBS chart.

To create your first task, click the Insert Task Below toolbar button (the down arrowbutton). To add subsequent tasks, click on a task in the WBS chart and select one of the Insert Task toolbar buttons (the left/right/up or down arrow buttons).

See also Creating a New WBS chart

WBS Chart Pro

Open (File Menu)

Displays the File Open dialog box to open a previously saved file.

Look in - Displays a list of folders and drives where files are stored.

File Name - Type the file name of the file you wish to open or select the file from the list offiles in the window.

Files of type - Choose the type of file to list and open. The types of files that can be openedin WBS Chart Pro are as follows:

WBS Charts Lists all WBS Chart Pro files (.WBS extension) and allows you to open achart that has been previously saved. A WBS file may be Standalone or Linked. If youselect a WBS file from the list and the Description field is empty then this file is aStandalone WBS chart. A Standalone WBS chart file contains all data and formatting in onefile. If the WBS chart is linked then the Description field displays a reference to an externaldatasource. A Linked WBS Chart stores only formatting information in the WBS chart filewith a reference to a datasource where the data is stored (such as a Microsoft Project plan).

If you open a WBS file that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan, it will start Mic rosoftProject, open the referenced plan and display the WBS chart of that data.

PERT Charts Lists all PERT Chart EXPERT files (.PCE extension) and allows you to open achart created in PERT Chart EXPERT in WBS Chart Pro.

WBS Views Lists all WBS Chart Pro Views (.WBV extension) and allows you to m ergeViews into the current WBS chart.

WBS Page Layouts Lists all WBS Chart Pro Page Layouts (.WBP extension) and allowsyou to merge Page Layouts into the current WBS chart.

WBS Chart Pro

Microsoft Project Plans (mpp) Lists all Microsoft Project files (.MPP extension). If youopen a Microsoft Project Plan in WBS Chart Pro it opens this MPP file in MS Projec t (startingMS Project if necessary) and creates a WBS chart of this MS Project plan.

MPX Lists all MPX files (.MPX extension) and allows you to create a WBS c hart from theMPX file format. The MPX file format is a text-based version of a Microsoft Projec t plan.Many applications including other project management software programs can save to thisfile format thus allowing you to create WBS charts from these programs by opening the MPXfile.

Text Lists all Text files (.TXT extension) and allows you to create a WBS chart from a Textfile. The text file must be a comma-delimited file, with the first line of the file defining whic hfields are in the file and the subsequent lines defining the tasks. The Outline Level field m ustbe included since this is the field WBS Chart Pro uses to create the Struc ture. An example ofa .txt file is shown below:

Name,Duration,Start,Finish,Outline levelTask 1,3 days,11/5/03,11/13/03,1Task 2,3 days,11/5/03,11/8/03,2Task 3,2 days,11/5/03,11/7/03,2Task 4,1 days,11/5/03,11/7/03,2Task 5,1 days,11/5/03,11/6/03,3Task 6,1 days,11/5/03,11/6/03,3

The text above would produce the following WBS chart:

Description - If the selected WBS chart is linked to an external datasource (like Mic rosoftProject) then this field displays the file it is linked to and the location of this file.

Link to another datasource If the current WBS chart is linked to a specific datasource andyou need to link this to another datasource then select this option before you open the WBSchart. When selected, you are prompted to pick a new datasource before opening the WBSchart. The WBS chart then becomes linked to this new datasource. This option is useful whenyou have renamed or moved the datasource and allows a linked WBS chart to find itsdatasource.

WBS Chart Pro

Close (File Menu)

Closes the current WBS chart. You are prompted to save the WBS chart if changes have beenmade to the WBS chart since it was opened.

WBS Chart Pro

Save (File Menu)

Saves the current WBS chart to the same file name. If the WBS chart file has never beensaved it will prompt you for a file name.

To save the current file to a different file name, use the Save As command.

For a complete explanation on Saving WBS charts, see the help topic Saving WBS charts

WBS Chart Pro

Save As (File Menu)

Displays the Save As dialog box and allows you to confirm saving the current WBS chart to thesame file name or allows you to save the file to a different file name. To save the file toanother file name, type this new name into the File name field. To save a chart to its existingname and folder, click Save. To save a WBS chart to the same file name and avoid this dialogbox, use the Save command.

Save in - Displays a list of folders and drives where files are stored.

File name - Type a file name for the WBS chart. You do not have to include the .WBSextension as long as the Save as type field displays WBS Chart.

Save as type - Choose the type of file to save the current WBS chart to. The types of filesthat can be saved in WBS Chart Pro are as follows:

WBS Chart Saves the WBS chart to the file name specified with the .WBS extension. AWBS Chart Pro file may be Standalone or Linked . If you have created the WBS chart fromscratch then saving the WBS chart saves all task data and formatting information into aself-contained Standalone WBS file. If you have created the WBS chart from a datasource(such as a Microsoft Project plan), saving the WBS chart stores the formatting informationinto a WBS chart file with a reference to the datasource where the task data is stored (suchas a Microsoft Project plan). This WBS file is then Linked to the datasource. Saving a WBSchart that is linked to a Microsoft Project plan also saves the plan in Microsoft Project.

You do not need to specify whether to save the WBS chart Standalone or Linked, this isdetermined automatically based on whether you created the WBS chart from scratch orcreated the WBS chart from a datasource.

PERT Chart Saves the current WBS chart to the PERT Chart EXPERT format. You can thenopen this file in PERT Chart EXPERT.

MPX Saves the current WBS chart to an MPX file. The MPX file format is a text-basedversion of a Microsoft Project plan. Many applications including other project managementsoftware programs can read this file format thus allowing you to create WBS charts andtransfer the chart to other programs.

WBS Chart Pro

MPX(for P3) Saves the current WBS chart to an MPX file format for Primavera P3. TheMPX file format is a text-based version of a Primavera P3 Project plan. Primavera P3 projectmanagement software can read this file format thus allowing you to create a WBS chart andtransfer the chart to Primavera P3.

For a complete explanation on Saving WBS charts, see the help topic Saving WBS charts

WBS Chart Pro

Save As Picture (File Menu)

Saves the current WBS chart to a picture file.

Save in - Choose the folder to save the picture to.

File name - Type in the name of the file.

Save as type - Select to save the picture to the various types of file formats.

Note: Due to licensing issues, the GIF file format is not supported. We suggest you try thePNG format as it is very similar and supported by most programs.

Color Select Automatic to produce a picture with all the colors as it appears on the screen.Choose Grayscale to produce a picture using shades of gray instead of c olor. Choose Black &White to produce a picture in plain black and white. The advantage to using Grayscale or Blac k& White is that they produce picture files that are substantially smaller than color files.

Scale Specify the scaling factor for the picture. Select 100% to produce a picture that is thesame size as the current WBS chart on the sc reen (assuming 100% zoom on the screen).Enter a smaller number to shrink the WBS chart when it is saved to the file or a larger num berto increase the size of the WBS chart in the file.

Transparent Select this option to make the WBS chart background transparent in the file. Ifyou then paste this picture into a file that has a color background the WBS c hart backgroundwill not show through. Deselect this option to always make the saved picture use thebackground color defined in the WBS chart.

WBS Chart Pro

Save As Web Pages (File Menu)

Saves the current WBS chart to a web page in the listed folder using the selected tem plate.

The Save As Web Pages feature allows you to save the WBS chart image and incorporate thisimage into a pre-defined Web Page. We provide a basic template for this purpose. You c anmodify this template in a text editor or HTML editor. The WBS Chart Pro program is notintended to be an HTML Editor so you should be familiar with HTML Editing to modify theTemplate.

Note: See the file, WBS HTML Commands.txt, for additional information on the WBS ChartPro Template commands. This file was copied into the WBS Chart Pro direc tory during Setup.

The basic concepts for saving WBS charts to a Web Page are:

1. Create and configure your WBS chart.

2. When you want to publish this chart, select the File menu and Save as Web Pages.

3. Select the template. If you have created your own or modified an existing template,select it in the field provided.

4. Select the Folder to save the HTML pages.

5. Choose the other options if necessary.

6. Click OK. This will generate the HTML pages. Unless the WBS chart is very small oryou have modified the template to produce one output page, there may be severalpages of HTML output. Since Browsers are not made to handle large scrollable pages,WBS Chart Pro will break up the chart into as many pages as it needs to output theentire chart.

If you have selected to open your browser upon creation of the Web Pages then the first pageof your output will be opened automatically. If you chose not to open your browser uponcreation of the Web Pages, you need to open the first page of the HTML output in yourbrowser. The standard template contains buttons for scrolling the HTML documents Left, Right,Up and Down, so that if you open the first page of the output you can scroll through each pageof your HTML output.

If you have selected to open your browser upon creation of the Web Pages then the first pageof your output will be opened automatically. If you chose not to open your browser uponcreation of the Web Pages, you need to open the first page of the HTML output in yourbrowser. The basic template, WBSTemplate.html, contains buttons for sc rolling the HTMLdocuments Left, Right, Up and Down, so that if you open the first page of the output you c anscroll through each page of your HTML output.

If you want to increase or decrease the size of each output page you can ed

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