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Producing Gantt charts in Vectorworks


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I've tried all sorts of applications that are dedicated to producing Gantt chart style design/drawing programmes, with tasks, resources, dependencies, child tasks, etc. but the problem with all of them is that you need to learn the programme and anybody else updating them needs to learn it as well, including and usually technophobic bosses. On on this last point we've had much better success producing one in Vectorworks, although it was very simple. 

 

Which made me wonder if anybody else uses Vectorworks for this and if they have any examples they're willing to share?

Edited by Christiaan
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I have never considered producing Gantt charts in Vw, but even if it were possible, I think it would be incredibly difficult to accomplish. I don't see how you could create assets / resources, calendars (working days / hours / holidays), critical path items, % complete, etc. 

 

Even if this were possible to do in Vw, I would bet that it would take longer to set up than for someone to just learn how to use one of those dedicated project management applications.

 

Another non-Vw option would be to use Excel, since most users probably already know how to use that:

How to make a Gantt chart in Excel 2010, 2013 and Excel 2016 :: Ablebits.com

 

 

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27 minutes ago, rDesign said:

I have never considered producing Gantt charts in Vw, but even if it were possible, I think it would be incredibly difficult to accomplish. I don't see how you could create assets / resources, calendars (working days / hours / holidays), critical path items, % complete, etc. 

 

No need for the smart stuff. I'm talking about about very simple one off charts that maybe get one revision at most.

 

27 minutes ago, rDesign said:

Even if this were possible to do in Vw, I would bet that it would take longer to set up than for someone to just learn how to use one of those dedicated project management applications.

 

Not when you do it very rarely and just want to get the job done.

 

27 minutes ago, rDesign said:

Another non-Vw option would be to use Excel, since most users probably already know how to use that:

How to make a Gantt chart in Excel 2010, 2013 and Excel 2016 :: Ablebits.com

 

They don't know Excel either.

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There are any number of online project management sites now that do Gnatt charts that are fairly easy to learn and use.

We have been using one called smartsheet it's works ok but doesn't do resource allocation, while a friend and Ex-Vectorworker has built his own in excel so that is doable if you are OCD.

 

Still, I'm guessing if you were to try and make one in Vectorworks. I'd start with a Marionette object to handle each line then work out how to link the lines. Then again if I was going to build a gnatt chart I'd personally be looking more at collision detection systems in gaming engines to build the chart.  

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8 hours ago, Chad Hamilton HAarchs said:

Really?  I thought everyone who managed projects knew the MS Project interface.  We use Smartsheet, which is a cloud subscription that looks and feels very much like Project, but costs less. 

 

Managing projects isn't the only reason to create a gantt chart programme. For example, as architect in a D&B contract maybe you just want a simple outline programme to indicate to employer and contractor what you think the main timeline is with key dates for info exchange/issue. 

 

Then someone else manages the job and does their own build programme.

 

8 hours ago, Chad Hamilton HAarchs said:

 

If the managers don't know basic programs like Excel and Project, maybe it's time to find new managers   ;-)

 

In this case it's the Director. Shall I get a new one? ;)

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Everybody commenting so far seems to think of gantt charts as inherently smart documents, but they were invented well before computers.

 

By gantt chart all I meant is "a chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods."

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On 7/21/2017 at 5:03 AM, Christiaan said:

Everybody commenting so far seems to think of gantt charts as inherently smart documents, but they were invented well before computers.

 

By gantt chart all I meant is "a chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods."

 

True - but the real power of moden Gantt charts is the ability to set dependencies and then to be able to easily update your schedule as the project progresses.  Good ones take effort and weekends into account - meaning you can try and estimate man hours and it will translate to the actual calendar.

 

If you just want bars - you can draw one in VW -  I would suggest the rectangle tool with some clever classing.  

 

But there are a TON of free or reasonably priced tools that are much better:

Agantty (Cloud- pretty - no dependencies)

GanttProject (Windows Desktop)

Gantter (Cloud - Google App Integration)

 

All free.  It takes about 20 min to get fluid in any of these. 

GanttProject.JPG.c8abd3d737fd481cbab73d3642fc9087.JPG

 

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On 7/21/2017 at 5:03 AM, Christiaan said:

By gantt chart all I meant is "a chart in which a series of horizontal lines shows the amount of work done or production completed in certain periods of time in relation to the amount planned for those periods."

Sound's like a fun & very doable Marionette project or you could tackle it via rectangles, worksheet, gradients, classes, dimension constraints, Viewport Data Visualization and probably etc.

 

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But I did also find the "parametric object" of gantt charts that I think I might like.

 

We use Asana for collaborative task management and I came across this article extolling the benefits of an Asana integration called Instangatt.

 

You sign in with your Asana account, it's free for up to 3 projects, and—what mainly attracted me—you can click-and-draw your chart rather than having to feed in all the data (tasks, durations, and dependencies) and have it calculate the chart, like your do with most other gantt chart software.

Edited by Christiaan
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