Generating a Line of Balance graph

Once you have modelled your tasks in a series of unit networks, set up 'location' and 'stages' code libraries and assigned codes from these libraries to the unit networks and to the activities within them, you can generate a Line of Balance graph.

To generate a Line of Balance graph:

On the View tab, in the Graph group, click the More Graphs dropdown and select New Line of Balance. A new pane, divided into two sections - the Line of Balance graph pane - appears along the bottom of the bar chart view:
Click Properties in the left section of the Line of Balance graph pane. The Line of Balance Properties dialog appears. You use this dialog to specify the way in which unit networks have been modelled, the codes to include in the Line of Balance graph, the way in which you want the graph to be drawn and the ruling lines you want to appear in the Line of Balance graph pane.
On the Graph Definition tab of the dialog, use the radio buttons in the Activities group to specify whether you have modelled your unit networks as multi-task bars or as summary groups.
In the Stages group, specify the code library that you have set up to represent the individual stages - or trades, or gangs - that make up each unit network in the Code library field, then specify the individual stages that you want to include in the graph in the Show graph lines for these codes field.
Select the code library that you have set up to represent the location breakdown structure that identifies the units achieved on the Y axis of the Line of Balance graph in the Location code library field.
On the Drawing Style tab, use the radio buttons in the Line style group to specify the style with which to display the Line of Balance graph.
Select the Show progress check box to highlight progressed tasks in the Line of Balance graph, or clear the check box to omit progress information from the graph.
Select the Show discontinuities check box to display breaks in the lines that represent stages in the graph where there are gaps between the finish of one task and the start of the next that are caused by any of the following reasons, or clear the check box to draw the lines through such gaps as if they did not exist:
- Where a 'location' code has not been assigned to a bar or summary task that represents the corresponding unit network.
- Where a 'stages' code has not been assigned to an activity that represents the corresponding stage.
- Where a unit network does not include a particular stage.
- Where a stage in one unit network does not start immediately after the finish of the same stage in the previous unit network.
In the Labels group, specify whether you want to display labels that identify stages, gangs or trades in the Line of Balance graph, and whether to colour them according to the fill colour of the corresponding 'stages' code library entries, or to apply the same colouring to all labels.
Use the fields in the Appearance group to specify the way in which the graph appears in the Line of Balance graph pane.
On the Ruling Lines tab, specify the way in which horizontal ruling lines are used to differentiate between items on the Y axis in the Line of Balance graph.
Click Close. The Line of Balance graph appears in the Line of Balance graph pane: