Difference between revisions of "What's New with OnePager Release 6.0?"

Latest revision as of 23:48, 15 January 2019

About OnePager Version 6.0

OnePager Pro (OPP) and Express (OPX) version 6.0 provide the new capabilities summarized in this article. The sub-sections below provide introductory material and links to more detailed discussions of these new features:

(1) Conditional Import Filters.

(2) Additional Text Columns.

(3) Unlimited Field Mapping.

Conditional Import Filters

Versions of OnePager Pro and Express prior to 6.0 require you to either Select All tasks or set up a Flag field in your source plan that tells OnePager which ones to import. These fields are typically Boolean fields such as Flag1-20 in Microsoft Project, although you can also use Numeric fields where 1 means Yes (bring in this row) and 0 means No (skip it).

This simple approach to controlling the import of source plan rows has definite limitations:

(1) The selection method can only use field types that can mean "Yes" or "No" such as Flag and Number fields.

(2) Generating a lot of different project views from one source uses up a lot of Flag fields!

(3) You cannot select rows based on a range of values such as "1/1/2019 > Start Date > 1/1/2017.

(4) You cannot select rows based on keywords in Text fields such as Resource Names contains Smith.

In OnePager Pro and Express version 6.0, you still have the traditional Select-All and Yes/No ways of selecting rows. But now you have a new Conditional Import Filters engine that can turn more general conditional rules into "Yes" or "No" decisions that select rows. For example, you could import only those rows satisfying the two conditions "Resource Names contains Smith" AND "Start Date < 6/1/2017". You can specify such rules based on any field in your source plan with no limit on the number of fields or rules. And you can combine rules using AND or OR operators. Often users configure Microsoft Project and Excel source plans with additional fields to carry along important data needed to conduct schedule conversations. For example, it is common to name Resource Categories assigned to individual tasks, identify the Phase a task is assigned to, and place keywords in Text fields for the purposes of recording risk assessments. With the Conditional Import Filters feature, combinations of such field can provide conditions for selecting rows when making new and updated project views.

All editions of OnePager Pro/Express version 6.0 allow you this greater flexibility in defining source plan row-import conditions.

Detailed articles for using Conditional Import can be found at this link: Conditional Import Filters (Portal)

Please take a moment to look at the Read More... article below for an overview of Conditional Import Filters:

Read More... Conditional Import Filters for OnePager

Additional Text Columns

OnePager Pro/Express previously supported just one text column option - previously called the Row Label. Our users requested additional text columns so that source plan information could be displayed within the row as an adjunct to Tasks/Milestones labels within the graph.

OnePager version 6.0 now supports up to five (5) additional snapshot-dependent text columns which are mapped to source fields and appear on the left side of the project view. Controls for these additional text columns are in the Project-View Properties (PVP) and Template form's Rows/Swimlanes tab in the Labels group of controls. With these controls you can specify which source plan fields to import and populate the cells in each text column. And you can format cell properties such as font style, alignment, format, and text column width. Finally, you can override the values imported from the source field by entering your custom values into a cell. Once you have entered such a maverick value, that cell will no longer respond to changing values of the source field.

An example showing the usage of the Additional Text Columns feature is given in the article whose link is below:

Read More... Additional Text Columns

Unlimited Field Mapping

The Unlimited Field Mapping (UFM) feature lets you add an unlimited number of source data fields to your OnePager project view after you have created it. You can map any previously-omitted source plan field to any presentation purpose such as color, Text Columns, or Conditional Formatting. This feature eliminates the need to start over when you find that you need to display additional source plan field values in OnePager. For example, you may need to display a Microsoft Project Text field that wasn't previously imported in an Additional Text Column discussed above.

Our intent is to provide you a more efficient way to create a new project view and then tailor it once you see it and realize that it is missing some information.

(1) As such, the feature is limited to single-snapshot project views. The UFM feature is turned off for project views with more than one snapshot.

(2) This feature removes the limit on the number of source plan fields that can be imported into OnePager. For example, you can now add as many Conditional-Formatting rules as you need, using as many fields as you need.

(3) To add the new field, go to the Project-View Properties form and select the new field from the drop-down list for some purpose. Then press OK and watch as the new field is imported and the chart is updated.

Additionally, we've changed the Other Columns tab on the Template and Project-View Properties forms. The new tab is called Field Mappings and is simplified to focus on these frequently-used presentation purposes:

(1) Percent-complete

(2) Critical-path

(3) Task-name

(4) Start date

(5) Finish date

(6) Baseline start date

(7) Baseline finish date

(8) Deadline date

For OnePager Express there are only seven (7) presentation purposes on this page because OnePager Express does not support display of critical path information. Please note that the purposes on this Field Mappings tab are not the only ones eligible for UFM. Other eligible presentation purposes reside on the Rows and Swimlanes, Task Bars, and Milestones tab pages.

For OnePager Pro Unlimited Field Mapping can import Enterprise Custom Fields (ECF). Care should be taken, however, that you have turned on the ECF function in the current Template and established your connection to the project server before creating the project view.

The link shown below provides more details on the Unlimited Field Mapping feature and should be read before attempting to utilize this feature:

Read More... Overview of Unlimited Field Mapping

Other Enhancements

OnePager Pro and Express version 6.0 has some other enhancement, including the following:

Automatic Resizing of Text Columns and Swimlane Labels

Resizing of Swimlane Labels and Text Columns has always been supported by a drag and drop operation performed on the vertical right side border of the Swimlane Label or Text Column. The Auto-resizing feature allows you to do this with a simple double-click. Position the mouse on the vertical right side border of the Swimlane Label or Text Column and just perform a double-click. OnePager will automatically resize the width of the Swimlane label or Text Column to fit the text of the largest content in the column. As a useful tip, when using this enhancement, make sure that the Lock Background checkbox is unchecked on the PVP form's Advanced tab.

Read More... Resizing Text Columns or Swimlane Labels

Moved Visibility of Task Selection Flag and Conditional Import Rules from PVP form's Advanced Tab to PVP form's Main Tab

To enhance readability of the PVP form's Advanced tab, we moved the Task Selection Flag dropdown list and the access to the Conditional Import Rules form to the PVP form's Main tab.

Replaced the Template form's Other Columns Tab and with the Template form's Field Mappings Tab and Included this tab on the PVP form

To simplify the new Unlimited Field Mapping feature we redid the Template form's Other Columns tab and reconfigured it to become the Field Mappings tab. We also included this tab on the PVP form.

Additional Date Formats were added to the Time-Axis Annotations Available

Additional date formats now cover those formats commonly used on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This brings all time-axis week numbers into ISO compliance.

Warning Message Added to Inform Users that a OnePager Express Template is about to be Used for a OnePager Pro NEW Workflow and Vice Versa

Since Templates for OnePager Pro and Express differ, we've added this warning message to prevent confusion when you are about to associate a OnePager Express Template with a OnePager Pro action or vice versa.

Single Left-Click in Text Column Cells Allows Editing of The Cell's Text with the Editing Tools on the OnePager Tool Bar

When you have a project view with a single or multiple Additional Text Column you can use the editing tools on the OnePager tool bar to edit the text in the selected cells.

Doing a left-click in any Additional Text Column text cell will select the entire row (including the single or multiple text column cells and activate the tool bars editing tools. When you select multiple text column cells with a left click, this action will select all text column cells and any editing actions will apply to all selected cells.

The editing tools available are in the Font, Format, and Alignment sections of the tool bar.

Additionally, the left-click can be used in combination with the CTL key to select multiple non-contiguous rows or with the Shift key to select a set of contiguous rows for text cell editing. Using the editing tools on the OnePager tool bar is a faster way to edit Additional Text Column text cells.

Read More... Editing Text Columns or Swimlane Labels

Using the Slow Double-Click Sequence to Select and Edit the Contents of a Single Text Column Cell with the Editing Tools on the OnePager Tool Bar

There is a mouse clicking technique called the slow double-click that we use to help you select a single text column cell where there are multiple text columns. The slow double-click can be a little tricky but once you have it mastered it allows you to use the OnePager tool bar's editing tools as described in the previous subsection to edit the text content of a single text column cell.

The slow double-click is a two-step set of actions on your left-click key. First, position the mouse on the text column cell you which to select. Do a left-click and wait between a half-second and two-seconds before doing your second left-click. When performed in this sequence with the appropriate delay between successive clicks OnePager will select a single text column cell. Once selected, all OnePager tool bar editing tools are available for you to use as described above.

Read More... Editing Text Columns or Swimlane Labels