Manually Creating and Editing Task Links for OnePager Pro and Express Version 6.1

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Manually Creating and Editing Task Links

The feature for Manually Creating and Editing Task Links is the same for both OnePager Pro and OnePager Express. The method discussed below is based on OnePager Pro examples but the method applies equally to Manually Created Task Links in OnePager Express.

Adding Manually Created Task Links

Adding links manually to the project view requires you to identify the two task/milestones that will serve as the link pair.

1) Select two (and only two) links by clicking the first task or milestone and then clicking the second task or milestone while holding down the CTRL key.

2) Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon and click the Event Links button:

P53-19 0 1-53-(1)-12302015.png

3) The Specify Event Links form will appear, allowing you to customize the style of the link:

P52-19 -(2)-06042015.png

4) Make the changes desired to the settings in the form and then click OK. The link will appear in the project view between the two selected tasks or milestones:

P52-19 -(3)-06042015.png

5) You may edit a link by right-clicking the link and selecting the appropriate command from the context menu that appears.

Deleting Manually Created Task Links

6) To delete a task/milestone link either from the current snapshot or all snapshots, right-click on the link and choose one of the Delete options as shown below:

P52-19 -(4)-06042015.png

Ordering Manually Created Links

7) The Order command allows you to place the link within the display area relative to other graphics in the Z-Level.

a) This command operates similar to other Order operations.
b) Please see the article on Deleting, Ordering, and Changing Images 20.4.1-61 in the Background Images (Portal) 20.0.1-61 group of articles.
c) The Order command appears like this when you right-click a link:
P52-19 -(5)-06042015.png

Adding Another Manually Created Task Link

8) This command, when selected, will bring up the Specify Event Link form for the selected tasks/milestones.

a) This allows you to add another link between the two selected task/milestones with different properties.
b) The example below shows a second link added that is positioned further to the right of the first link:
P52-19 -(6)-06042015.png

Modifying Manually Created Task Link Properties

9) The Properties … command is discussed more extensively in the Manually Modifying Link Formatting discussion below.

Putting Links in all Snapshots

10) This command will assure that in a multi-snapshot project view that the selected link is included in all snapshots where the two participating tasks appear. To have links appear in only some snapshots they must be first established in all snapshots and manually deleted from those snapshots where the links are not desired.

a) You have the option, as noted in the Delete links discussion above, to delete links from individual snapshots.
b) To do this requires going to the desired snapshot and specifically using the Delete command with the From this snapshot sub-command to achieve the desired result.
c) This option works in the same way as deleting curtains from specific snapshots.
d) Please see this article for reference: Creating and Managing Curtains 16.0.1-61.

Modifying Manually Created Task Link Formatting Using Manual Methods

Once a task/milestone link is created, its properties can be modified as shown by the steps below:

1) Begin by right-clicking the link, and choosing Properties … command. This will bring up the same Specify Event Links form.

P52-19 -(7)-06042015.png

2) The following link properties may be modified:

a) Link annotation. This window allows for the insertion of optional text that labels the task/milestone link. See Link font below for instructions for changing the text in the Link annotation window.
b) Time position of link on first task/milestone. This slider bar allows you to position the starting point of the link on the first task bar. You can show a that a link starts somewhere in the interior of a task/milestone.
c) Time position of link on second task/milestone. This slider bar allows you to position the ending point of the link somewhere in the interior of the second task/milestone.
d) Elbow position. This slider bar allows you to position the horizontal elbow of the link. This is useful for making sure that the link annotation is not obscured by something else.
e) Arrows. This radio buttons allows you to specify arrow point at the start and/or finish of the link.
f) Link color. This control allows you to specify the color of the link line segment. The Link color dropdown button provides access to the Color Chooser form. This form also provides access to alternative palettes and the No Fill feature.
g) Link thickness. This control sets the thickness of the link line segment. Line thickness is measured in the units established in the Template (i.e., inches or centimeters).
h) Link font. This control gives you access to the Font properties form for controlling the font properties of the link annotation (i.e., link label text) as shown below:
P52-19 -(8)-06042015.png

3) The No Fill feature applies to links and can be useful for representations of thick link segments.

Using The "Where Are My Links?" Feature

The OnePager Pro and Express 6.1 Where Are My Links? Form

1) In both OnePager Pro and Express 6.1, PVP form Task Link tab, Data-Driven Task Links control group there is an additional button, the Where Are My Links? button. This button takes you to the Where Are My Links? form shown here:

P61-19 1 1-61-(9)-11062017.png
P61-19_1_1-61-(9)-11062017.png
a) The Where Are My Links? form can also be accessed from the Editing group on the OnePager 6.1 tool bar by clicking the Show/Hide dropdown and selecting the Where Are My Links? command as shown below:
P61-19 1 1-61-(10)-11062017.png
P61-19_1_1-61-(10)-11062017.png
b) The Where Are My Links? form above lists all the data-driven Task Links shown or hidden in the current snapshot as well as any manually created Task Links. The Where Are My Links? form is snapshot-dependent in that OnePager 6.1 creates the form’s content based upon the snapshot that is being displayed in the Project View Editor (PVE).
c) At the top of the form, are controls to filter task names such that only tasks that meet the task name filtering parameter will appear in the form’s data window. For example, you might want to only show data-driven Task Links associated with tasks that have the word “Engineers” in their name.
d) There are five (5) columns in the form as described below:
i) The left-most column will be removed in a subsequent internal release 6.1.C.
ii) In the Show column you can check or uncheck any row’s checkbox to control the showing or hiding, respectively, of the associated Task Links.
iii) The Predecessor and Successor columns provide the Task/Milestone Name participating respectively in the Task Link pair.
iv) Task Links can also be Daisy Chained in sets of three or more task/milestones in which case there is more than one entry in the Where Are My Links? form. Daisy Chaining Task Links is discussed at: Add Wiki Link to article and paragraph where Daisy Chaining is discussed
v) The numbers in parenthesis following the task name correspond to the Unique ID for Microsoft Project source plans or the Task ID for Microsoft Excel source plans.
vi) The Source column tells you which row entries in the form are data-driven Task Links (Imported) or which are manually created (Manual).
e) The Use Show/Hide Defaults button at the bottom of the form controls the resetting of defaults for showing or hiding Task Links based upon the Task Link Filter Rules you established in the Task Link Filter Rules form. See the article at: Put in Wiki Link to description of the Task Links Filter Rules form.
i) This button also applies if you are Showing All Task Links instead of using Task Link Filtering Rules.
ii) If after establishing which Task Links are to be shown or hidden in the Task Links Filter Rules form and you later made changes to any Task Link individually, clicking the Use Show/Hide Defaults button will restore all Task Links to comply with the current Task Link Filter Rules or the Show All Tasks selection.
f) The two other buttons at the bottom of the Where Are My Links? form can be used to override any pre-established filtering rules and force either a Show All or Hide All Task Link entries in the Show column in the data window of the form. These two controls are shortcuts that are applied to all row entries in the Where Are My Links? form.

Using the Where Are My Links? Form’s to Show or Hide Task Link

2) The Where Are My Links? form’s capabilities are another form of filtering rules for Showing or Hiding Task Links. You can use the form to quickly change the show/hide status of any Task Link entry in the form for the current snapshot.

a) The Where Are My Links? form provides a convenient list of all Task Links and a means to control the turning of individual Task Links from show to hide or vice versa.
b) A convenient search feature is also provided.
c) The Where Are My Links? form is shown below being accessed from the PVP form Task Links tab:
P61-19 1 1-61-(11)-11062017.png
P61-19_1_1-61-(11)-11062017.png
d) You can also access the form by clicking on the Show/Hide dropdown on the OnePager 6.1 tool bar in the Editing group and selecting the Where Are My Links? command as shown here.
P61-19 1 1-61-(10)-11062017.png
P61-19_1_1-61-(10)-11062017.png

3) The Where Are My Links? form is snapshot-dependent in that OnePager 6.1 provides a list of Task Links specific to the snapshot that you are currently displaying in the PVE. If you don’t use the Task Links Filter Rules form to conditionally control the showing or hiding of data-driven Task Links, the Where Are My Links? form gives you total control over the showing or hiding of all Task Links in a project view snapshot at any time.

a) Use of the controls in the Where Are My Links? form can be found a few paragraphs above in this article at: [[Internal Wiki Link to paragraph: . OnePager Pro and Express 6.1 Where Are My Links? Form]].
b) Making any such changes in the Where Are My Links? form as described above can turn the Task Link(s) into maverick Task Link(s). The change made to any row in the Where Are My Links? form generally applies to the current snapshot.
c) The CTAS (Copy edits To All Snapshots) feature plays a role in the propagation of Where Are My Link? form changes made in the current snapshot. See the articles at:
(1) Advanced Tab for OnePager Pro-Display Options 21.13.1-61 or
(2) Advanced Tab-OnePager Express-Display Options 21.14.1-61.
d) The CTAS is a toggle checkbox in the Template form and PVP form Advanced tab in the Display Options control group that turns the CTAS feature ON and OFF controlling the propagation of maverick changes to all snapshots (ON) or to keep maverick changes to tasks/milestones in the current snapshot (OFF).
i) CTAS Turned ON: With the CTAS turned ON, making a change in the Where Are My Links? form while in a snapshot will change the show/hide status of the changed entry in all snapshots.
ii) CTAS Turned OFF: With the CTAS turned OFF, any change to an entry in the Where Are My Links? form will only be made in the current snapshot.

Related Links

Using Data-Driven Task Links for OnePager Pro 19.2.1-61

Using Data-Driven Task Links for OnePager Express 19.2.2-61

(19.1.1-61)