Creating and Managing Virtual Summary Tasks for Version 7.0

About Creating and Managing Virtual Summary Tasks

1) A virtual summary task (VST) is a summary task shape created by OnePager that does not exist in Microsoft Project or Excel.

2) It represents the start date and end date of two or more constituent task shapes or milestone shapes.

3) In this respect the VST is a OnePager summary task displayed in the chart.

4) OnePager computes the start and end dates of a VST as its constituent tasks dates change from snapshot to snapshot.

5) It also constructs baselines, percent complete bars, and critical path segments (One Pager Pro (OPP) only) for task shapes being summarized.

6) The illustrations and examples in this article are from OnePager Pro.

Creating and Undoing Virtual Summary Tasks

1) To create a Virtual Summary Task (VST), follow these steps.

2) Select the first task shape or milestone shape.

3) Hold down the CTL key and select the second (and third, fourth, etc.) constituent task shapes and milestone shapes. Or lasso them with the selection rectangle.

4) Right-click on any of the selected task/milestone shapes to access the context menu shown below.

5) Click the Make into virtual summary task command as shown below:

P61-18_0_1-61-(1)-11032017.png

6) The chart now looks like this:

P61-18_0_1-61-(2)-11032017.png

7) If there are Task Links associated with the selected task shapes their Task Links are not shown in the resulting VST.

8) To unmake the VST, right-click on the VST, and click the Unmake virtual summary task command in the context menu.

P61-18_0_1-61-(3)-11032017.png

9) When a VST is unmade, any Task Links associated with the participating selected task shapes are restored.

Setting Percent Complete for Virtual Summary Tasks

1) Because a VST is really a collection of several other task shapes, it is not always clear how to define its percent complete value.

2) By default, the percent complete for a VST is computed by OnePager so that the progress bar touches the time now line, as shown below:

P61-18_0_1-61-(4)-11032017.png

3) This value can not always be appropriate because of the positions of the selected task shapes with respect to the time now vertical line (usually the snapshot date).

4) In some cases there won’t be a percent complete calculated or in other cases the percent complete can be illogical.

5) You can override this default and set the percent complete value manually by using these steps.

6) Right-click the VST and then click the Set % complete of virtual summary task command shown in the context menu below:

P61-18_0_1-61-(5)-11032017.png

7) Enter the new percent complete value and click OK.

Critical Path Segments in Virtual Summary Tasks

1) OPP consolidates critical path segments into the VST from the constituent individual task shapes and milestone shapes.

2) This feature is not available in OnePager Express (OPX) because OPX does not process percent complete information.

3) In the OnePager Pro chart below, there are four (4) task shapes that are selected to become part of a VST:

4) When the VST is created, the VST itself looks like this with consolidated critical path segments.

Displaying Milestone Shapes on Virtual Summary Tasks

1) Many users often represent their charts entirely with milestone shapes normally to focus attention to start dates and finish dates.

2) OnePager Pro can represent any VST configured under circumstances where a VST is created from milestone shapes only, displays the VST bar with the collected milestone shape shown on top of the bar as illustrated below:

3) To control the use of this feature, a checkbox was added to the Chart Properties form’s Advanced tab, Display options group called Overlay VST element to turn this feature On and Off as shown below:

P61-18_0_1-61-(6)-11032017.png

4) The same checkbox is also available in the Template Properties form’s Advanced tab in the same options group to set the feature on for all charts and snapshots created under that Template.

5) As an example, take the portion of the BlueGrass... chart shown below where the seven (7) original task shapes are now represented as milestone shapes at the start date and the task labels hidden to better illustrate the result:

6) With the Overlay VST elements checkbox checked On, we created a VST as described in the previous section.

7) The resulting VST looks like this:

8) If you want to move the VST to another row or swimlane, we have two (2) suggestions on how to do this efficiently.

First Recommendation

9) If the VST and milestone shape configuration is the only thing in the row or swimlane, it is recommended that the move be done by making the move as a row or swimlane move versus trying to select the VST as a task and move the task.

10) The reason is that the overlays of milestone shapes are separate graphics from the VST task bar and do not move with the VST task bar.

Second Recommendation

10) If the VST and milestone shape configuration occupy a row or swimlane with other items, we recommend that you lasso the entire configuration which selects all elements and with the selection lasso active, make the move up or down.

Task Links and Virtual Summary Tasks (VST)

1) If you are creating or editing Virtual Summary Tasks (VST) that have either Data-Driven or manual Task Links, it is important to be aware of how those Task Links appear after the creation or editing processes are complete.

2) For more information on the subject of Task Links and Virtual Summary Tasks, please see this section in the article at: Manual Editing of Task Links for OnePager Pro - Task Links and Virtual Summary Tasks (VST). 19.4.1-70

Related Links

Manual Editing of Task Links for OnePager Pro). 19.4.1-70

Template Only Features-OnePager Pro 24.1.1-70

Template Only Features-OnePager Express 24.2.1-70

Advanced Tab for OnePager Pro 21.13.1-70

Advanced Tab-OnePager Express 21.14.1-70

(18.0.1-70)