Graphical Indicators on Resource Assignment Rows

[MichaelT@Raytheon]

I would like to have Green, Yellow, Red graphical indicators on my resource
assignment rows in the Resource Usage view. I have customized a number field
(careful to select the resource radio button) to have a value list of 1, 2
and 3. I set the Values to display option to Graphical Indicators and have
maintained red, yellow and green circles for the values 1, 2 and 3.
Unfortunately, only the Resource Rows in the Resource Usage view display the
graphical indicators. The Resource Assignment (italicized) rows display the
"raw" data (1, 2 or 3).

Any advice? MS Project "bug"?

 

[JulieS]

Hello MichaelIT,

A couple of assumptions:

1. You are using Project 2007
2. You have set the resource number field to "roll down" to the
assignment rows.

As far as I know, graphical indicators are for Resource custom fields
or Task custom fields, not assignment fields. It was not until the
2007 release of Project that assignment custom fields had the ability
to be tied to either task or resource data automatically. So I
wouldn't say it's a bug -- just not available.

See FAQ 51 "Data Types: Task, Resource, and Assignment" at
http://project.mvps.org/faqs.htm

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

"MichaelT@Raytheon" <MichaelT@[email protected]>
wrote in message
news[email protected]...

 

[MichaelT@Raytheon]

Hi Julie,

Thanks so much for your lightning fast response!

1) I am using MS Project Pro 2003
2) I am not rolling down the number field from the resource to the resource
assignment. I want the indicator to be unique for each assignment row.

The Customize Fields dialog box is unfortunately ambigous with respect to
customizing Resource Fields.

When I customize the Value List for the "Resource Field" Number 1, the Value
List is maintained for both the Resource as well as the Resource Assignment
Number 1 fields. This means that each row of the Resource Usage view can
have its own Number 1 field value selectable via a value list. (Both the
italicized and non italicized rows have the same value list for the Number 1
field, and the values can be maintained independently by row).

This very strongly implies that the field customizations applied using the
Customize Fields dialog box apply to both the Resource as well as the
Resource Assignment rows.

Why then would the Graphical Indicators option behave any differently?

Thanks again,

Michael

 

[JulieS]

Hello Michael,

You're welcome for the assist and thanks for the feedback.

Thanks also for the clarification that you are not using Project 2007.

The fact that the value list drop-down *shows* for assignment rows
shouldn't lead you to believe that assignment rows work the same as
resource or task rows. You cannot write formulas which apply to
assignment rows (either task or resource assignment rows). As you've
seen when you customize a field, it is either a resource field or a
task field. You can, through VBA, copy data from resource fields to
resource assignment fields or from task fields to task assignment
fields, but you only get data -- no ability to re-calculate based upon
a formula.

So, I wouldn't take your comment "This very strongly implies that the
field customizations applied using the Customize Fields dialog box
apply to both the Resource as well as the Resource Assignment rows."
as proof.

Try, for example to write a formula in a Text field. You'll see no
data appear for assignment rows. The assignment TextX field appears
in the Resource Usage view, but it will not populate with the results
of the formula. You can certainly manually enter data, but the
assignment rows are *not* using the formula.

I hope this helps. Let us know how you get along.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional information
about Microsoft Project

 

[Bill B]

Julie,

I know this is probably a question that fits better in the Development group
so I'm cross-posting it. Is there some way to get at resource and task
assignment fields directly in Project 2007? I use assignment subfields from
the task side a lot (they're vital for me) and losing them when saving to
2003 is a killer. I know you can refer to resource.assignment.field and
task.assignment.field but is there a way to get at the resource version of
..field from the task side without having to do complicated indexing into the
resource's assignment collection? The de-referencing of
MyProject.Resources(MyTask.Assignments(m).ResourceID).Assignments.UniqueID(MyTaskAssignments(m).UniqueID).field
takes a horrendous amount of time in a large project and doesn't seem to
work at all in resource-pooled projects.

Bill B

 

[JulieS]

Hi Bill,

I'm afraid your question is beyond my very limited VBA knowledge.
Hopefully someone else will bump in here with an opinion.

Sorry,
Julie