Configuring resources to use nonlinear allocations by default

You can assign resource curves to resource or cost allocations in order to plan nonlinear assignment - assignments in which work or cost occurs sporadically, or at varying levels of effort, quantity or cost. A resource curve consists of a number of discrete rectangular segments - or 'points' - each of which defines a percentage of duration and a corresponding level of allocation. For example, if a resource curve has ten points, the first segment relates to the first 10% of an allocation's duration and defines the amount of allocation that relates to that segment. You can configure resource curves to accurately represent the varying levels of effort, quantity or cost across the duration of the allocations to which the resource curve is assigned.

If you have a permanent or consumable resource whose allocations will be mostly nonlinear, you can configure the resource to use nonlinear allocations by default and specify the resource curve that should be applied to allocations of the resource by default. In the case of permanent resources, you can also specify that their allocations should use individual allocation profiles, which act in a similar way to resource curves but which apply to individual allocations only.

To configure a resource to use nonlinear allocations by default:

Right-click the permanent or consumable resource in Library Explorer and select Properties to display the resource's Properties dialog.
Click the Assignment tab.
In the Nonlinearity group, specify whether the effort and allocation values (permanent resources) or quantity values (consumable resources) of allocations of the resource should be linear or nonlinear:
- Click the Linear radio button to specify that allocations of the resource should be flat - linear - ie that allocation and effort values (permanent resources) or quantity values (consumable resources) should remain constant throughout the duration of the resource's allocations.
- In the case of permanent resources only, click the Profile radio button to specify that allocation and effort values for allocations of the resource are not constant throughout the duration of the allocations, but are calculated using an individual profile that is built up using the values that you enter in the grid on the Nonlinear Allocation tab of the Permanent Allocation Properties dialog.
- Click the Resource curve radio button and select a resource curve in the field to the right of the radio button to specify that the allocation and effort values (permanent resources) or quantity values (consumable resources) for allocations of the resource should be calculated using a resource curve. You can use resource curves to represent resource allocations in which - for example - the effort or quantity is greater at the start or end of an allocation, or peaks in the middle of an allocation.
Click Close.