Create a task in Task manager

You can create scheduled tasks in Task manager and link the tasks to the relevant model objects. Each task must have at least a name, and a planned start date and end date. The tasks in Task manager are saved when you save the Tekla Structures model.

You can create a task both in the model and in Task manager. To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.

In the model, select one or more model objects, then right-click and select Task > Create Task.
The task is automatically linked to the selected model objects.
In Task manager, click .

If you have an existing task selected in Task manager, the properties of the selected task are used in the new task. You can modify the properties. The new task is not linked to any model objects yet.

You can create subtasks for a task by clicking .

If the task you created is not shown in Task manager, click anywhere on the tasks to update the view.

When you have created a task, you can add objects to the task to link the task to the model, and define the task properties. You can modify the task properties either in the task list or in the Task Information dialog box. Note that you can modify some of the properties in the Task Information dialog box only.

Tip:

You can lock tasks if you want ensure that task properties are not unintentionally changed. Select a task, right-click and select Lock task. Locked tasks are marked with a lock in the task list.

You can lock one or more tasks at one go. If you select several tasks, and one or more of the tasks, but not all of them, are already locked, Task manager shows in front of the Lock task command.

Link a task to the model

Tasks are linked to the model through the objects that are included in the tasks. You can add objects to a task, copy objects from one task to another, and remove objects from a task.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.


To	Do this
Add objects to a task	In the model, select the objects that you want to add to the task. Do one of the following: Right-click and select Task > Add to Selected Task. In Task manager, right-click the selected task and click Add Selected Objects. When you have added the objects to the task, Task manager changes the color of the task bar to blue in the Gantt chart and selects the Task linked to model check box in the task list.
Copy objects from one task to another	You can copy objects from one task to another in Task manager. If you want to move all the objects of a task to another task, you must manually remove the objects from the original task after the copying. Select the task from which you want to copy the objects. Click to automatically select the objects in the model to check which objects are linked to the task. The button changes to when it is activated. Right-click the selected task and select Keep selection. All objects linked to the task stay selected. Select the task you want to copy the objects to. Right-click and select Add selected objects.
Remove objects from a task	Select the task from which you want to remove the objects. Click to automatically select the objects in the model. You can remove all objects from the task, or select which objects are removed. If you do not select any objects, all objects are removed from the task. To remove all the objects from the task: In the model, right-click and select Task > Remove from Selected Task. In Task manager, right-click the selected task and click Remove Selected Objects. To remove some objects from the task: In Task manager, right-click the selected task and select Task Information... > Objects. Select the objects you want to remove and press the Delete key. In the model, select the objects you want to remove, right-click and select Task > Remove from Selected Task. Click the view in the model, and then click the task again in Task manager to verify that the objects were successfully removed.

Define a task type

You can define task types for different types of tasks. In the task type, you can define a production rate and user-defined attributes that are linked to the objects in the task. You can define task types in advance before creating the tasks, and then select an appropriate task type when defining the task properties.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Click > Task Types....
Click Add.
Type a name for the task type.
Define a production rate for the task type.

The production rate is used when calculating task duration. Using the production rate, you can define how many units are produced within a certain time frame, for example, how many pieces per hour or how large an area in an hour, 1.50 pcs/hour or 8.00 m2/hour. Task manager automatically calculates the production rate when you define the unit, quantity, and time.
1. Select a unit in the Unit list.
  
  The default unit is PIECES.
  
  The default task type units are report properties that are listed in the WorkTypeProperties.xml file. The file is located in the model folder and it is created when you first open Task manager. The report properties included in the file depend on the Tekla Structures environment. To change a task type unit or to add new task types, edit the WorkTypeProperties.xml file.
  
  You can add Tekla Structures report properties, reference model properties and calculations to the file. The display name defined in the file is shown in the Unit column and the report property name value is used in Task manager. If you are adding a calculation, the property type must be calc.
  
  The default units of the task type units depend on the settings in File > Settings > Options > Units and decimals.
2. Type the quantity in the Quantity box.
3. Type the time in the Time box.
Select the planned dates user-defined attributes which are linked to the objects in the task.
Click OK.

Define a contractor in Task manager

You can define contractors and assign one contractor for a task.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Click > Contractors....
Click Add.
Type the contractor name.
Click OK.

Define general task properties

You can define general properties for a task, such as a name, task type, and contractor.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Ensure that you are on the General tab.
Type the task name in the Task name box.
Select the Milestone check box if you want to mark the task as a milestone.

Task manager selects this check box automatically if you set the task length to zero.
Select how the task is moved in the Gantt chart if it has a dependency with another task:
- Only forward moves the dependent task forward only when the preceding task is moved forward. If the preceding task is moved backward to an earlier date, the dependent task is not moved.
- Forward and backward moves the dependent task in the same direction as the preceding task, according to the dependency type and the possible lag time.
Select a task type from the Task type list.

If you need to add a new task type, click next to the list and click Add. Define the task type properties and click OK.
Select a contractor from the Contractor list.

If you need to add a new contractor, click next to the list and click Add. Type the contractor name and click OK.
Click OK.

Tip:

You can copy property values in the task list. Right-click a property and select Copy value. Then select another property, right-click and select Paste value. You can paste the copied value to multiple tasks.
You can mark several tasks as milestone tasks at one go. Select the tasks in the task list, right-click and select Milestone task. Milestone tasks are shown in the Gantt chart with the milestone symbol .
If you select several tasks, and one or more of the tasks, but not all of them, are already milestone tasks, Task manager shows in front of the Milestone task command.

Tip:

You can set a default value for how dependent tasks are moved. Click > Task Settings... to select the value. The default value is used in all new tasks.

Define a task schedule

You can plan a schedule for a task. You can define both the start and the end date, or enter the start date and the task length and let Task manager calculate the end date.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Scheduling tab.
Select the Scheduling mode:
- Fixed start and end
  If you add objects to the task or remove objects from the task, the production rate changes but the task length does not change.
- Fixed start
  If you add objects to the task or remove objects from the task, the task length changes.
Select the Planned start date.
Select the Planned end date or enter the Planned length of the task.

The planned length is shown in shifts that can be working days, for example. Go to > Non-working Periods... to define a working day. When you enter the planned length, Task manager calculates the end date for the task.

If you are using the Fixed start scheduling mode, you can enter the task length in Planned work duration.

Task manager automatically calculates the total workload, production rate, and work duration of the task.
Click OK.

Tip:

You can set a default value for the scheduling mode. Click > Task Settings... to select the value. The default value is used in all new tasks.

Tip:

You can also modify the length of the task in the Gantt chart. Place the mouse pointer over the edge of the task bar in the Gantt chart. The mouse pointer changes into a double-ended arrow. Hold down the left mouse button, and then drag the edge to the right or to the left.

To check that the dates of subtasks are within the summary task dates, click > Check Dates. The conflicting dates are shown in red.

Manage the planned dates of objects in a task

You can manage the planned duration of the activities related to each object in a task.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.

Ensure that there are objects in the task and that you have defined task types that are linked to the appropriate user-defined attributes for planned dates.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Objects tab.
Click the function button to calculate the planned dates for the objects in the task.

The calculated dates are written to the corresponding user-defined attributes in the object properties.
Click OK.

Tip:

To calculate the dates for several tasks at one go, select the tasks in the task list and click .

Track a task schedule

You can track how a task is progressing by defining the actual schedule and task completeness information.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Tracking tab.
Select the Completeness tracking mode:
- Automatic
  If there are no objects in the task, Automatic works in the same way as the Task level tracking mode.
  
  If there are objects in the task, Automatic works in the same way as the Object level tracking mode.
- Task level
  Define the actual schedule and the task completeness for the task in Task manager.
- Object level
  Define the actual start and end date of individual objects in the object properties in the model. Task manager calculates the task length and the task completeness.
  
  When you change the dates of an object in the model, refresh the task in Task manager to ensure that the changed dates are shown in Task manager.
Click OK.

Tip:

You can set a default value for the completeness tracking property. Click > Task Settings... to select the value. The default value is used in all new tasks.

Define the order of objects in a task

You can define and save the order in which objects are stored in a task.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Objects tab.
Set the sequencing order of objects:
1. Click to select all objects in the table, or select the objects that you want to modify.
2. Click .
The Sequencing order column shows the order of the objects.

You can also set the sequencing order by selecting the objects in the desired order in the model. Select objects in the table, click and select the objects in the model in the desired order.
If needed, change the order of the objects in the table:
- Drag the object rows in the table manually to the desired order.
  You can drag several object rows at a time.
- Click a table column heading to sort the objects.
  Press Ctrl and select more than one column heading to sort the objects by several columns.
Click OK.

Tip:

You can show a sequence in the model.

Select the objects in the table.
Type the speed of the object selection in seconds in the box next to the Play button.
For example, if you enter 2, Tekla Structures waits for 2 seconds until it selects the next object in the sequence.
Click .

The objects are selected in the model in the same order as they are on the Objects tab. The objects stay selected in the model until you click somewhere in the model.

Tip:

To show the order information in the model, select one or more objects in the table and click or press Ctrl + D. The order information is shown on the selected objects in the model. For example, 2-1 means that the object belongs to the second task in the task list and that the object is the first object in the task.

To clear the numbers from the model, right-click and select Update window.

When you define the cast-in-place work order or work groups within a task, you can use Organizer for planning the appropriate quantities for each group or lot.

Define a dependency between tasks

You can define different types of dependencies between tasks in Task manager. You can define a dependency for one task at a time.

The dependencies are represented by arrows in the Gantt chart. The arrow points to the start or the end of the other task, depending on their relationship. A task can also be dependent on a milestone.

A predecessor is a task that must be completed before the dependent task. You can also define a lag between the tasks, for example, that Task1 must be completed five days before Task2 can be started. It is not possible to create circular dependencies in Task manager.

To define a dependency between tasks:

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Dependencies tab.

If you have more than one task selected, the Task Information... tab is not shown.
Select the preceding task from the Task name list.

You cannot select the summary task of the current task, or a task that already has a dependency with the current task.
Select a dependency type from the Type list. The options are:
- Finish-to-Start (FS): The preceding task must finish before the dependent task can start.
  You can also drag a task bar onto another task bar in the Gantt chart to create a basic Finish-to-Start (FS) dependency with no delay days between the tasks.
- Start-to-Start (SS): The preceding task must start before the dependent task can start.
- Finish-to-Finish (FF): The preceding task must finish before the dependent task can finish.
- Start-to-Finish (SF): The preceding task must start before the dependent task can finish.
If you want to add a delay between the tasks, enter a value in the Lag list.

Define the value on a scale from 1 to 100. The time unit of the delay is always days.
If needed, go to the General tab and check that the Move with predecessor setting for how tasks are moved in the Gantt chart is suitable.
Click OK.

Tip:

You can also modify a dependency in the Gantt chart. Right-click a dependency arrow and do any of the following:

Select a dependency from the list.
Enter a new lag value and press the Enter key.

The changes are immediately visible in the Gantt chart.

Define additional information for a task

You can define additional information for a task in Task manager, such as links to web pages, relevant documents, project schedules, and contracts.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Select a task in the task list.
Right-click and select Task Information....
Go to the Additional Information tab.
Click Add.
Select the file and click Open.
Enter additional notes in the Notes box.
Click OK.

Create a scenario

Tasks are included in scenarios. You can create different scenarios to define alternative workflows, for example, for design, fabrication and erection schedules to help you in project planning. You can also create separate weekly scenarios for easier project follow-up.

To open Task manager, click Manage on the ribbon and then click Tasks.
Click .
Click Add.

Task manager names the new scenario as Scenario and adds a running number to the name, for example Scenario1. You can rename the scenario.
Click Open to add tasks to the new scenario.
Click to create a task.
If needed, copy tasks from another scenario.
1. Select a scenario in the list of scenarios and click Open.
2. Select the tasks that you want to copy.
  
  The subtasks of the selected tasks are also copied.
3. Right-click and select Copy or Copy Without Objects.
4. Go back to the new scenario, select a location for the copied tasks in the task list, right-click and select Paste.
  
  When you select a location, the copied tasks are placed on the same level as the selected task. If you do not select any location, the copied tasks are placed after all existing tasks.

Tip:

To modify the start dates of the whole scenario at one go, click > Change Project Start Date and select a new start date.

To delete a scenario, right-click a scenario in the list of scenarios and click Delete.