Date Zone Properties dialog - Dates/Scales tab
You use the Dates/Scales tab of the Date Zone Properties dialog to specify the way in which you want the lines within the date zone to be numbered, set the bar chart scale and to set up multiple date zone sections.
How to access the Date Zone Properties dialog
To access the Date Zone Properties dialog, right click the date zone and select Properties.
Explanation of the fields on the dialog
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Date zero |
Select this check box and specify a date if you want unit numbering in any "elapsed units" or "working units" line that you display in the date zone to begin at a specific date within this view. Setting a "date zero" is useful if, for example, you want to set up a line in the date zone showing elapsed days and have it start numbering from a specific date.
If you choose not to specify a "date zero" for a view by clearing the check box in this field, unit numbering in any "elapsed units" or "working units" line begins at the project-wide "date zero" that has been specified on the Properties tab of the Backstage view; if no date zero has been specified in that field, the start date of the first task in the project - or the imposed project start date, if one has been specified - is used to define the point at which unit numbering should start.
|
| Fiscal year start | Specify the day and month at which the fiscal year starts so that fiscal numbering begins from this date. This date only takes effect if the Fiscal line is included in the date zone. If you do not specify a date, the project start date or today's date is used. |
| Week start day | Select the day of the week on which you want week markings to start. |
| Week ending day | Select the day of the week on which you want week markings to end. |
| Month start | Select the day of the month on which you want monthly markings to be displayed. For example, enter 15 to show monthly tick marks on day 15 of each month. |
| Zone |
Select these check boxes to create second and third date zone sections.
|
| Start date |
Specify the date on which each date zone section should begin.
You can specify that the date zone section starts on a variable date - for example 'Today', 'Month start' and 'Year end' - rather than on a specific date. You might want to do this in order to set up multiple horizontal scales in the date zone that always display the current month or the current week in a particular scale.
|
| Scale | Enter a number and select a time unit to set the scale of each date zone section. For example, the scale might be 10 days per cm or 5 hours per cm. |
You can configure spreadsheet cells that display 'Date/Time'-type fields such as Start and Finish so that rather than displaying the actual date or time that the field in the cell represents, they display the time period between the "date zero" and the date or time that the field represents, measured in elapsed days, elapsed weeks, elapsed months or elapsed quarters. You can also configure such cells to display the day of the week in digits, in relation to the week start day that you enter on this dialog. You do this by using the Format Cells dialog to format the spreadsheet cells and configuring them to use a custom date format.
How do I...
... specify the way in which lines within the date zone are numbered?
- Select the days of the week on which you want week markings to start and end in the Week start day and Week ending day fields, for example Monday and Friday.
- Select the day of the month at which you want monthly markings to appear in the Month start field, for example 1 for the start of the month or 15 for the middle of the month.
- Enter the day and month on which the fiscal year begins in the Fiscal year start field. This information is only used if you display the Fiscal line on the date zone.
- Enter the date at which you want unit numbering in any "elapsed units" or "working units" line to begin in the Date zero field. If you choose not to specify a "date zero" for a view by clearing the check box in this field, unit numbering in any "elapsed units" or "working units" line begins at the project-wide "date zero" that has been specified on the Properties tab of the Backstage view; if no date zero has been specified in that field, the start date of the first task in the project - or the imposed project start date, if one has been specified - is used to define the point at which unit numbering should start.
... set up multiple date zone sections?
- Select the Zone check box for a date zone section that is not currently in use to display it on the date zone.
- Enter the date on which you want the new zone to begin in the Start date field.
- Enter the number of time units you want to display for each of your standard units of measurement in the Scale fields.
... set the scale of the bar chart?
Enter the number of time units you want to display for each of your standard units of measurement in the bottom section of the dialog, for example 2 days per cm. If you have more than one date zone section defined, you can set the scale for each one.
You can also set the scale of the bar chart by clicking and dragging the tick lines in the date zone.
Using multiple horizontal scales