Timelines Tab

The Timelines tab administers Timelines (Gantt Charts) definitions available for the object type. The definitions specify mapping of object type attributes to individual Timeline elements. More than one Timeline definition can be created for an object type. These different definitions can be used with different catalogs of the same object type.

Creation of a Timeline definition is the first step in enabling Timelines in catalogs of the object type. The next step is enabling the Timeline (called 'The Timeline view') in the catalog customizer and selecting the Timeline definition to be used with the particular catalog (provided more definitions exist for the object type).

In the Timelines tab, Timeline definitions for the object type can be created, edited and deleted. Creation and editing of a definition is done in the 'Timeline Editor' pop-up window called by the respective buttons in the Timelines tab.

The Timeline Editor

The following settings are available:

• Name

  Name of the Timeline definition

• Special Provider

  Field for specifying the assignments algorithmically. The field makes it possible to specify any chart element-object type attribute assignment using Python script.

  For example, the predecessors - successor relation can be specified algorithmically by selecting an appropriate class. For instance, for reservation you could use 'vm.resman.interface.task' to specify the path to the following class:

  
  vm.resman.interface.task - image captured from the script editor

• Source of 'Task ID'

  Primary key of the object type for which the chart is being created.

• Source of 'Name'

  Attribute used for the name of the reservation displayed in the Timeline, i.e. the attribute whose values will be displayed inside the reservation shapes in the chart.

• Source of 'Description'

  Attribute whose values will be displayed in the on-hover pop ups over the reservation shapes in the diagram.

• Source of 'Duration'

  Duration used as source for displaying duration information. This assignment is not used in Valuemation 4.5 implementation.

• Source of 'Start'

  Attribute used to determine the start time of reservation shapes

• Source of 'Finish'

  Attribute used to determine the end time of of reservation shapes

• Source of 'Complete Percentage'

  Attribute used as source of 'Complete Percentage' information.

• Source of 'Deadline'

  Attribute used as source of information about a deadline of the task, works in conjunction with the 'Is Milestone' attribute.

  This assignment is not used in Valuemation 4.5 implementation, the 'Deadline' attribute has currently no representation in the Timeline GUI.

• 'Source of 'Is Milestone'

  Attribute whose value (boolean) determines whether the task is to be displayed as a time interval ('Is Milestone' = false) or as a point in time ('Is Milestone' = true).

  The 'Is Milestone' attribute is not used in Valuemation 4.5 implementation. 'Point in time' Timeline objects will be supported in the next version.

• Source of 'Predecessors'

  Attribute used for mapping of the relation to predecessors. For instance, when specifying Timelines for reservations, the reservation - reservation relation to predecessors is done using 'Predecessors.RM Reservation'.

• Source of 'Successors'

  Attribute used for mapping of the relation to successors. With Timelines for reservations, 'Successors.RM Reservation' attribute is used.

  If no suitable attribute specifying the predecessor / successor relation exists for a given object type, 'Special Provider' (see above) has to be used.

• Task Resource Link Interface Mappings

  Source of 'Percentage', Source of 'Is Coordinate'

  Paths for obtaining information from the task-resource linking object

  

• Resource Interface Mappings

  Source of 'Name', Source of 'Type', Source of 'Cost'

  Paths for obtaining information from linked resource objects

  

Note: The use of 'Task Resource Link Interface Mappings' and 'Resource Interface Mappings' is not limited to Valuemation Resource Management only. This Timeline customization feature can be used to get information from any object type linked to the main object type for which the Timeline is created. For example, a Timeline for 'Issues' could use it to draw information from the linked 'Assignee' object type.