Project Web Access and Project Professional with Individual Office Applications | Microsoft Office Project Server 2003 Unleashed

Integration with individual Office applications and the EPM solution is a big topic. Outlook and Excel each have numerous points of integration, and Visio has some integration features that can be useful for communicating project information graphically within the EPM solution. The discussion in this section highlights some of the most useful integration features between the EPM solution and the Office application suite.

Project Web Access Integration with Outlook

Outlook integration with the EPM solution encompasses far more than emailing project plans to team members and getting email notifications from Microsoft Office Project Server about updated tasks. Outlook integration is centered on team members, allowing them an alternative to working with Microsoft Office Project Web Access (PWA).

About the Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Integration Wizard

Team members can use PWA to view and work with their task assignments that have been published to Project Server 2003; however, they may prefer to work with their project tasks in Outlook instead. Because people already keep track of their appointments and tasks in Outlook, they might feel it's an added burden to work with the PWA interface. Working in Outlook may also assist team members to focus on getting their work done. The EPM solution provides the Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Integration Wizard to easily import project tasks to Microsoft Outlook 2000 or later and assist team members in keeping project managers updated.

The Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Integration Wizard is a Component Object Model (COM) add-in downloadable from the Tasks page in PWA 2003. In addition to downloading and executing the Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Integration Wizard, you must have two other requirements to access and work with Project Server data in Outlook: A valid PWA account and Microsoft Outlook 2000 or later installed on your local computer.

After utilizing the wizard to install the Project Web Access add-in for Outlook, you can import your assigned tasks from the Project Web Access timesheet to the Outlook calendar. In the Outlook calendar, tasks can be viewed alongside existing appointments, and you can report progress on those tasks to Project Server directly from Outlook.

Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Setup

To connect PWA and Outlook you must be a local administrator on the workstation, or your Windows policies must allow you to perform the installation. To activate the COM add-in on the workstation with Outlook, follow these steps:

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It is a good idea to close Outlook and even perform a restart of the workstation before you proceed with the wizard because Outlook may have a background process running that may prevent the installation from completing unless you do a restart after the wizard.

1.	Log on to PWA and click Tasks on the menu bar.
2.	Click the View and Report Your Tasks from your Outlook Calendar link on the Work with Outlook screen (this link may also appear on the PWA home page as Work with Outlook to Share Calendar and Task Information). Click the Download Now button to begin the download of the Outlook add-in. When you click on this link, you may be prompted to accept ActiveX controls (depending on your security settings). Click Yes to allow the ActiveX component to proceed.
3.	In the File Download dialog box, select Open to begin installing the add-in.
4.	The Microsoft Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Setup Wizard begins. Follow the instructions in the wizard to finish the setup.

If the installation completes successfully, you see the Microsoft Office Project Help dialog box when you open Outlook (see Figure 23.1). Microsoft Office Project Help is a handy reference for the Project Web Access add-in for Outlook and contains topics such as setting a date range for imported assignments and updating PWA assignments automatically and manually.

Figure 23.1. When opening Outlook for the first time after the Project Web Access add-in for Outlook is installed, Microsoft Office Project Help displays.

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Integration help for Outlook and PWA can be opened at any time from within Outlook by selecting Tools, Project Web Access, Help from the menu. The title of the help window, Microsoft Office Project Help, can be somewhat misleading.

Connecting Outlook to Project Server

To share data with Project Server, Outlook must have a valid connection to your Project Server installation. To create a connection between Outlook and Project Server, open Outlook and follow these steps:

1.	Select Tools, Options from the menu.
2.	In the Options dialog box select the Project Web Access tab.
3.	On the Project Web Access tab, under the Project Web Access Login heading, select the Enter Login Information button.
4.	Enter the URL for your Project Server installation, such as http://yoursevername/projectserver. You can test your connection by clicking the Test Connection button.
5.	The default connection type is Windows Authentication. Keep that option if you use your Windows account to log in to Project Server. Otherwise, select Project Server Authentication and enter your PWA username.
6.	Click OK to return to the Project Web Access tab in the Options dialog box. Other options here allow you to schedule Outlook to automatically import your assignments to the Outlook calendar and to automatically submit saved updates to PWA.
7.	Click OK again to complete the Project Web Access add-in for Outlook connection setup.

The Project Web Access add-in for Outlook setup is now complete.

Project Task Import and Review in Outlook

After project task assignments are imported, they can be viewed and updated from within Outlook. The Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook Integration Wizard adds several new menu items under the Project Web Access submenu of the Tools menu. This section discusses two of them:

Import New Assignments Imports project tasks assigned to you into your Outlook calendar. A dialog box displaying a list of your tasks appears showing new assignments from PWA. Click OK to complete the task import.
Update Project Web Access Sends your updated tasks to Project Server and the appropriate project managers for their acceptance to the project schedule.

Appointment reminders appear if any of the new assignments are due in the current calendar period. As with any Outlook reminder, you can review and dismiss them individually or select Dismiss All to eliminate all reminders.

To review only your project tasks in the Outlook calendar, follow these steps:

1.	Select any Calendar view.
2.	From the menu, select View, Arrange, By-Current View, and Active Project-Related Appointments.
3.	In the calendar, double-click an appointment to see details about the assignment.

Reviewing and Submitting Actual Work with the Project Web Access Add-in for Outlook

Your assignments can be updated within Outlook using the Project Server menu controls. Simply select the Calendar view and set the time frame to review the assignments within the date range you want to see. To see the assignment details, double-click it to view the assignment in the Project Web Access Appointment dialog, which has three tabs. Click the Project Web Access tab and maximize the frame to see your task timesheet as shown in Figure 23.2.

Figure 23.2. Project Web Access tab of the Project Web Access appointment dialog.

Input your Actual Work and, if necessary, update the Remaining Work for the task and click the Update Project Manager button to submit the work effort directly from this dialog box. Alternatively, you can use the Save Changes button and process all your task updates to Project Server at once. To update all your tasks simultaneously, select Update Project Web Access on the toolbar, or from the menu select Tools, Project Web Access.

Importing a Task List from Outlook

Many people use Outlook to track lists of tasks. The EPM solution makes it easy to import these tasks directly from Outlook to begin a project schedule.

Start your task list in Outlook. Double-click any task to access the Properties dialog box and additional information you can input about the taskfor example, you can add notes (on the Task tab) and Total Work (on the Details tab).

Here's the procedure to import an Outlook task list into a project:

1.	Input the task information into the Tasks list in Outlook. You can input a start date, due date, and notes in the Properties dialog box, if applicable.
2.	In Project Professional, open a blank project or the project into which you want to import the Outlook task list.
3.	From the menu, click Tools, Import Outlook Tasks. The Import Outlook Tasks dialog box appears. Select the tasks to be imported.
4.	Click the check box for each task you want to import or click Select All to select every task in the list.
5.	Click OK to import the Outlook tasks into Project Professional. Project ignores the start date for your imported tasks. It sets the start date of the tasks to the start date of the project. Outlook tasks are imported into your project file in alphabetical order and can be dragged into the proper sequence after they appear in your project file.

More Ways to Work with Outlook

In addition to the Project Web Access add-in for Outlook, there are a couple of other integration points between Outlook and EPM. On the bottom of the Work with Outlook screen, which you get to by clicking the View and Report on Your Tasks from Your Outlook Calendar link on the PWA home page, there are two links under the heading More Ways to Work with Outlook. Those links are Display Project Web Access in Outlook and Display a Digital Dashboard in Outlook.

Display Project Web Access in Outlook

Clicking on the Display Project Web Access in Outlook link, you may be prompted to accept ActiveX controls (depending on your security settings); click Yes to allow the ActiveX component to proceed. Next, the Display Project Web Access Page in OutlookWeb Page dialog box appears offering you the three options for displaying PWA in Outlook (see Figure 23.3).

Figure 23.3. The Display Project Web Access page in the OutlookWeb Page dialog gives you the options to automatically create easy methods to access PWA in Outlook.

The first option, As a New Outlook Shortcut, creates a new shortcutan icon and associated namein the Shortcuts pane in the Navigation pane on the left side of the main Outlook window that offers quick access to folders.

NOTE

Note that new shortcuts are added to the first shortcut group. If you want the shortcut to appear in another group, click the shortcut and then drag it to the shortcut group you want.

The second option, As the Home Page to an Existing Outlook Folder, has an associated drop-down list that displays your existing Outlook folders and lets you choose with which folder PWA should associate itself. Clicking the Show Home Page for the Folder By Default check box causes PWA to display when you click the folder from the Navigation pane.

Using the last option, As the Home Page to a New Outlook Folder, you can tell Outlook to create a new folder in the Navigation pane, and, by clicking the Show Home Page for the Folder By Default check box, you can choose to have PWA opened in Outlook when you click the folder.

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If you select either of the last two options from the Display Project Web Access Page in OutlookWeb Page dialog and find that instead of setting up a link to the PWA home page, it sets up a link to a page displaying the Product ID for Project Server and the Number of Project Server Users, you can manually edit the link. Right-click the folder from the Navigation pane in Outlook. In the Properties dialog box, click the Home Page tab and correct the URL in the Address box.

Display a Digital Dashboard in Outlook

The second link on the bottom of the View and Report on Your Tasks from Your Outlook Calendar page allows you the same three options as discussed in the preceding section, but instead of displaying the PWA home page, you can input the URL to your previously created digital dashboard and have it displayed when you click the folder or shortcut in Outlook (see Figure 23.4).

Figure 23.4. The Display Digital Dashboard in OutlookWeb Page dialog showing the three options for how to access your previously created digital dashboard.

Project Server Integration with MAPI Email

In addition to the Outlook integration items reviewed earlier in this chapter, there are many integration points between Project Server and any MAPI-compliant email system, such as Outlook. Although worth mentioning, these integration points are not specific to Outlook and Project, and, therefore, are beyond the scope of this chapter. Project Help is an excellent resource to further explore the MAPI email and Project Server integration features listed here:

Emailing your project plan
Routing your project plan
Email notifications to team members sent from Project Server on new tasks/task updates
Email to project manager when tasks have been updated

PWA Integration with Excel

Beyond Outlook, Excel has perhaps the greatest number of integration options with the EPM solution. This section details the features specific to Project Web Access. Project Professional integration with Excel is a large topic and has been covered well in other reference booksfor example, Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Project 2003, copyright 2004, Que Books.

Export PWA Grid to Excel

Appearing at the bottom-right side of every PWA ActiveX data grid is the Export Grid to Excel link, as shown in Figure 23.5. When you click this link, you may be prompted to accept ActiveX controls (depending on your security settings); click Yes to allow the ActiveX component to proceed.

Figure 23.5. The Export Grid to Excel link appears at the bottom-right corner of every PWA grid and gives you quick access to this Excel/PWA integration feature.

Excel opens on your local desktop, and the grid data displayed in the PWA interface is displayed in Excel (see Figure 23.6).

Figure 23.6. The result of clicking the Export Grid to Excel link. The formatting of the spreadsheet is automatically set when you click the link.

NOTE

The Excel export function adds a username and time stamp to the exported data. This can be a handy feature if, for example, you're taking a snapshot of data from a project for historical purposes.

Exporting to Excel is a simple, one-step procedure; however, keep in mind a couple of details to make the export more efficient. First, make sure to set up the data in the PWA grid that you really want to see in Excel. PWA grids won't allow you to add or take away columns from the display, so you'll have to do that in Excel (or use the Print Grid functionality explained in the next section), but you can sort your data, group your data, and filter it. After the data is exported to Excel, you can work with it like you would any other data that appears in an Excel worksheet because this is static data and there is no dynamic data connection.

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NOTE

Before Service Pack 1 for Project Server 2003 there was an issue with the Export Grid to Excel feature. When the link was clicked, an error message would display in PWA, and Excel would continue to run in the background. In other words, when you tried to export a project plan that contained more than eight outline levels using the Export Grid to Excel feature in PWA, a hidden instance of Excel remained running, and you received the following error message:

"An error occurred while exporting the grid data to Excel. Because of this error, you can only copy XML data to the Clipboard. Do you want to continue?"

This feature depends on an ActiveX control (pjprint.dll) that may not be available because of your IE security settings. This DLL is marked as "Safe for Initialization" but as "Unsafe for Scripting."

Confirm that the IE security settings for the zone in which your Project Server website is listed are set as follows:

The value for Initialize and Script ActiveX Controls Not Marked as Safe must be set to either Enable or Prompt.

(To check your settings in Internet Explorer, select Tools, Internet Options, and then select the Security tab. Select the Zone in which Project Server is listed; then click the Custom Level button.)

Using the Print Grid Function to Export to Excel

Just glancing at the Print Grid link that appears at the bottom of every PWA grid control, you might expect that it's a simple print function. It is indeed simple, but it comes with a lot more functionality than is implied in its name. For example, using this web-based interface, you can arrange and format columns before you export the data to Excel.

Clicking the Print Grid link causes a new browser instance to open in front of your PWA browser screen. The lower portion of this new browser window holds a simple HTML, printer-friendly table with the same grid data you were looking at when you clicked the link. The upper portion of the screen gives you options to Arrange Columns and Format Columns. The toolbar below these options holds a Print Grid link, an Export to Excel link, and a Reformat Grid link. Using Arrange Columns, you can change the order of your columns in the display and exclude columns. If you click the Format Columns button, you get options to prevent column wrapping, use the default column width, or set a specific column width in em units, pixels, points, or a percentage. You also can choose the column alignment: Default, Left, Center, or Right. After you set your options for each column and decide which ones you really want to export, click the Reformat Grid link to see your changes in the web interface. Finally, click the Export to Excel link and click Yes on the ActiveX warning, and your data will appear in Excel, or click the Print Grid link to send the report directly to your printer.

Exporting a Portfolio Analyzer Table to Excel

Excel PivotTables summarize data in cross-tabular calculations and offer impressive flexibility for quickly changing the layout of the data. Several good references on dealing with PivotTables in Excel are availablefor example, Special Edition Using Microsoft Office Project 2003, copyright 2004, Que Books, which contains an excellent discussion of PivotTable functionality. Additionally, Excel 2003 contains Help articles on how to use PivotTables effectively. Look for the article "Ways to Customize PivotTable Reports" in Excel Help topics. This section discusses how to create a simple PivotTable while avoiding repetition of the information that's already available.

Creating a PivotTable in Excel from a PWA Portfolio Analyzer view involves exporting the data and then altering the PivotTable in Excel to present the data exactly as you want it to appear. The export process creates a simple PivotTable that you can edit to fine-tune the display of data.

The basic, no frills, export to Excel is a simple process. Of course, there are options, which this chapter reviews, that make it flexible so that it can fulfill the needs of most any user in your organization. To export the current Portfolio Analyzer table to Excel, follow these steps:

In the toolbar, click the Export to Microsoft Office Excel icon (see Figure 23.7).

Figure 23.7. The Export to Excel button on the PivotTable toolbar.

When Excel opens, click the button to Enable automatic refresh. If you click the button to Disable automatic refresh, the PivotTable framework will attempt to display in Excel, but you won't see any data.

The PivotTable displays in Excel, as shown in Figure 23.8.

Figure 23.8. Finished PivotTable export to Excel with the floating PivotTable menu.

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To access the Export to Excel button, the toolbar must be displayed on the PivotTable you're viewing. If you don't see it, right-click a blank area of the table and select Toolbar from the context menu.

Importing External Data into Excel

Two other options within Excel integrate with EPM. They both exist on the Data menu in Excel:

PivotTable and PivotChart Report
Import External Data

You can use these functions to create a connection to an external data source and import data into Excel. To integrate these functions with the Project Server database, you need to have intimate knowledge of the Project Server database architecture to produce a meaningful data set. Because of the complexity of this task, a discussion of these functions is beyond the scope of this book.

Displaying Timescaled Data in Excel

Using the Analyze Timescaled Data Wizard in Project Professional, you can export and display timephased or timescaled information in an Excel 2003 graph or chart. Timescaled data is task, resource, or assignment information distributed over time.

NOTE

The Analyze Timescaled Data Wizard does not export resource assignment information.

To begin using the Analyze Timescaled Data Wizard, follow these steps:

1.	Make sure that you have a Gantt Chart view selected in Microsoft Office Project, and if you want to analyze data from only certain tasks, select those tasks before starting the wizard. Click the Analyze Timescaled Data in Excel button on the Analysis toolbar.
2.	In the Analyze Timescaled Data Wizard Step 1 of 1 screen, select the option to export data for the whole project or selected tasks.
3.	In the subsequent steps of the wizard select the fields, date range, and units you want to export, and select whether you want Excel to graph the data.
4.	Finally, click the Export Data button on the last wizard screen.

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The Analyze Timescaled Data in Excel button appears on the Analysis toolbar. If you don't see it, from the menu, select View, Toolbars, and then click Analysis.

Project Professional Integration with Visio

Using Microsoft Project's export to Visio functions, you can create graphics that can be imported into a Visio diagram for enhancement, annotation, and inclusion in another document. Another use for these graphics could be communicating project information in a visual format to team members by displaying the graphics in the project's workspace.

NOTE

Technically, the features reviewed in this section do not require Project Server and can be done with any Microsoft Office Project offering (2000 or later). These features are worth mentioning here because they assist with communication and collaboration, which are two of the main motives for implementing EPM. Also, these functions are not examined in other resources.

Visio WBS Chart Wizard

In previous versions of Project Server, the WBS tool was a third-party add-on. With Microsoft Project 2003, you can display project information in a Visio chart with a few simple clicks.

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The Visio WBS Chart Wizard button appears on the Analysis toolbar. If you don't see it, from the menu, select View, Toolbars, and then click Analysis.

To begin the Visio WBS Chart Wizard, follow these steps:

1.	To create a chart for all tasks or tasks based on an outline level, click Launch Wizard.
2.	In the next wizard step, select an option for how much of the project you want to display in the WBSthe entire project or selected tasks.
3.	Click Finish to create the Visio WBS Chart.

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If you want to include only selected tasks in the Visio WBS chart, first change the value in the Include in WBS Chart field to Yes for those tasks.

Importing Project Schedule Data to a Visio Timeline

Presentations for customers and upper-management should be designed to be clear, yet thorough. You want to offer a schedule that is readable and presents only the milestones and necessary high-level information. Your Microsoft Project schedule can be presented in a simple format by exporting the timeline data to Visio.

Using the Import Project Data Wizard, you can quickly and easily import your project information into Visio 2003 (see Figure 23.9). Subsequently, you can cut and paste your timeline from Visio into PowerPoint or display it as a graphic on your project workspace. Follow these steps to import your project schedule to a Visio timeline:

1.	Before beginning the wizard in Visio, save your Project Serverbased project schedule as a file on your local computer and remember the location. (The wizard will not allow you to import a project schedule that is currently open in Microsoft Project.)
2.	In Microsoft Visio, from the menu, select File, New, Project Schedule, and then select Timeline (choose Timeline [Metric] or Timeline [US Units] if those options appear).
3.	On the Timeline menu, click Import Timeline Data.
4.	On the first Import Timeline Wizard screen, enter or browse for the Project (MPP) file you saved to your local computer for use in creating the Microsoft Office Visio timeline and then click Next.
5.	On the next Import Timeline Wizard screen, select the task types you want to import. See the description at the bottom of the screen for details about each task type.
6.	On the third Import Timeline Wizard screen, select the shape types you want to use for the timeline, as well as for the milestones and intervals that appear on your timeline. You can also click the Advanced button to set the timescale and display options for your Visio timeline. Choose your options; then click Next.
7.	Click Finish to create a Visio timeline with the properties you specified in the Import Timeline Wizard.
8.	To change the shape types for any or all of the timeline types, milestones, and interval shapes, right-click the shape on the drawing page and then click Set Timeline Type, Set Milestone Type, or Set Interval Type.

Figure 23.9. Microsoft Project information presented as a Visio timeline.

NOTE

If you have shapes on the current drawing page, Visio places the timeline on a new page in your current drawing.

Exporting a Visio Timeline to a Project Schedule

You can also export your timeline data created in Visio to Microsoft Project. This is handy if you want to create your timeline in a graphical interface and let Project Professional pull it into a schedule for you. Creating a timeline in Visio and then exporting it to Microsoft Project is a two-part process.

First, follow these steps to create your timeline in Visio:

1.	From the menu, select File, New, Project Schedule, and then Timeline.
2.	From the Timeline Shapes panel, click and drag a timeline shape onto the drawing page. The Configure Timeline dialog box opens prompting you to specify the time period, scale, and time format. You can also turn off the option to have Visio automatically adjust the dates when you move markers, interval shapes, or milestones on the timeline. This box is checked by default. Click OK to close the Configure Timeline dialog box.
3.	Drag and drop milestone and interval shapes onto your timeline to show important tasks, events, and processes. When you do so, the Configure Milestone dialog box automatically opens prompting you to enter a description, date, and time format. After you have selected your options, click OK.
4.	Using intervals, you can outline the phases or summary tasks for your project. From the Timeline Shapes panel, drag an interval shape onto your timeline. The Configure Timeline dialog box opens prompting you to specify the interval start date, start time, finish date, finish time, description, and a format. Click OK.
5.	By adding an Elapsed Time or Today marker shape to your timeline you can show the elapsed time or the current date.
6.	If milestone descriptions overlap or interval text is not visible, move them by dragging their control handles (yellow diamond).

NOTE

Visio allows you to export only one timeline at a time. If your drawing contains more than one timeline on the page, select the one to export. This rule does not apply to expanded timelines. If the timeline you are exporting includes an expanded (child) timeline that contains more data (such as milestones) than appears on the parent timeline, a dialog box asks whether you want to export all markers on the timeline's expanded child timeline.

To export your completed Visio timeline to Microsoft Project follow these steps:

1.	If your timeline is not already open in Visio, open the file in Visio that holds the timeline you want to export and then select the timeline by clicking the border.
2.	On the Timeline menu click Export Timeline Data.
3.	The Export Timeline Data dialog box displays. In the Save In drop-down box, navigate to the folder to which you want to export the file.
4.	In the File Name box, input the filename you want to use for your Project file. The Save As type should default to Microsoft Project file (*.mpp). If not, select it, and then click OK. Visio displays a notification when the export is completed confirming that your Project file has been created.

CAUTION

When exporting a timeline to Project, the tasks will be created with a Start No Earlier Than constraint. If this is not what you prefer, simply select all the imported tasks when you are viewing the project in Project Professional and reset the constraint type in the Task Information dialog box to As Soon As Possible.

Importing a Gantt Chart from a Project Schedule

A new feature of Microsoft Office Project 2003 is the Copy Picture to Office Wizard, which resides on the Analysis toolbar. This function is self-explanatoryit assists you in copying a picture of the active view of your project to a new document in most of your favorite Office programs. Your choices for the target application are PowerPoint, Word, or Visio (version 2000 or later). The wizard steps you through the entire exporting procedure.

Your project schedule can also be presented in a formatted Gantt chart by using Visio. You might prefer using a Visio-generated graphic rather than one generated from Project to send to stakeholders who might not have Project Professional on their computers. With a Gantt chart import, you'll get more detail than you would with an exported timeline, which might be useful for team meetings. Here's how to create your schedule in Visio and then export it to Project:

1.	Before you begin, save your Project Serverbased project schedule as a file on your local computer and remember its location.
2.	From the Visio menu, select File, New, Project Schedule, Gantt Chart. A dialog box opens for Gantt Chart Options. In this process, you will want to import your data from a previously created Project file, so click Cancel.
3.	On the Gantt Chart menu, click Import.
4.	The first Import Project Data Wizard page asks where your data is stored; click Information That's Already Stored in a File and click Next.
5.	The next Import Project Data Wizard page opens. Select Microsoft Office Project file and click Next.
6.	On the next Import Project Data Wizard screen, enter the name of or browse for the Project (MPP) file you saved to your local computer before beginning the import process and then click Next.
7.	The next Import Project Data Wizard screen asks you to specify your timescale and duration options. You can also click the Advanced button to set the display options for shapes in your Visio Gantt chart. After selecting your options, click Next.
8.	On the next Import Project Data Wizard screen, select the shape types you want to use for the Gantt chart and click Next.
9.	Click Finish to complete the wizard and create the Gantt chart from the data file that you specify.

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Gantt charts you import to a currently open drawing may have different colors than your original drawing. To change the color scheme for your new drawing, right-click a blank area on the drawing page and then click Color Schemes.

Exporting a Visio Gantt Chart to Project a Schedule

You can also export a Visio-created Gantt chart to Microsoft Project. This is handy if you want to create your Gantt chart in a graphical interface and let Project Professional pull it into a schedule for you. Follow these steps to create a Gantt chart in Visio and export it to Microsoft Project.

First, create your Gantt Chart in Visio:

1.	From the menu, select File, New, Project Schedule, Gantt Chart.
2.	The Gantt Chart Options dialog displays. This dialog has a Date tab and a Format tab. On the Date tab, enter the number of tasks you want to start with, the time units you want your chart displayed in, and the timescale range for the project.
3.	On the Format tab, select the options you want for the appearance of summary bars, task bars, and milestones. These can be changed later by clicking Gantt Chart on the Visio menu bar, clicking Options, and then selecting the Format tab.
4.	The Gantt chart displays. Change the default task names to meaningful names for your project and set task durations, start dates, and finish dates. NOTE Similar to Project Professional, you cannot change the date for a summary task, which is a rollup of the tasks dates below it. Also similar to Project Professional, you can change the start date by clicking and dragging it to a different location. This works with the duration, too: Click the right end of the task bar and drag it to a new location.
5.	You can add more blank task rows to the Gantt chart by clicking and dragging the center selection handle on the bottom of the Gantt chart frame. As you're dragging, an empty space is created. When you release the mouse button, this area fills with task rows. TIP By clicking and dragging the task rows, you can reorder the tasks in a Gantt chart.
6.	You can add milestones to the Gantt chart in two ways. You can change an existing task's duration to 0, or you can drag a Milestone shape onto the Gantt chart.
7.	Finally, create the dependencies between tasks. Click the taskbar or milestone that you want to set as the predecessor task; then press Shift and click the successor task or milestone. Right-click one of the shapes and in the context menu click Link Tasks.

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Task dependencies can also be set in four other ways:

Select two or more tasks and click Link Tasks on the Gantt Chart menu.
Select two or more tasks and click the Link Tasks button on the Gantt Chart toolbar.
Click and drag the control handle (click the task bar and look for the yellow diamond shape) on the right end of one task bar and glue it to a connection point (small xa red box appears around the connection point when the connection is complete) on the left end of the successor task bar.
From the Gantt Chart Shapes pane, drag a Link Lines shape to the chart and connect its endpoints to the connection points (small x) on the two task bars you want to link.

To export your completed Gantt chart from Visio to Project, follow these steps:

1.	If your Gantt chart is not already open in Visio, open the file that holds the chart you want to export and then select the chart by clicking the border. NOTE You can export only one Gantt chart at a time. If you have more than one Gantt chart on the drawing page, select only the chart you want to export.
2.	On the Gantt Chart menu, click Export.
3.	On the Export Project Data Wizard screen, choose Microsoft Office Project file (.mpp) and click Next.
4.	On the second Export Project Data Wizard screen, browse to the folder location where you want to save your project data and type a filename in the File Name box. Click Save; then click Next.
5.	Click Finish to export your project data.

NOTE

To export data to Microsoft Office Project, you must have Microsoft Office Project 2000 or later installed on your computer.