Is there a way for a time duration not to split?

[Jack Rowan]

I'm a noobie using Project 2003. I know how to set a task duration
and also use elapsed time duration. However, what I want to do is the
following: I have a task that requires e.g. 8 hours (or 1 day), but
it needs a full working day, it shouldn't be split. It's linked to
the previous task in order to start. So that task finishes with 2
hours left in the day and then starts my task of interest. It does
that task for 2 hours on that day and then six hours on the next day.

Is there a way I can set the property of the task to require that it
can only start if it has a full day and cannot be split? The only
thing I know of is to set the start date of that task or require a
start no earlier date, etc. But then if I change the timeline
upstream it will not automatically change with it, I'll have to change
that starting date again.

Thanks for any and all advice in advance!

Jack Rowan

 

[JulieS]

Hello Jack,

Mike Glen came up with a particulary nice answer to a
question very similar to yours - so I can take no credit
for this post.

Mike's answer:
What you can do is to create a task with 1 minute
duration FS between the two tasks. Now
create a special calendar for working hours from, say,
5:00 pm to 5:01 pm (or whatever the end of your working
day is) only
every work day. Now assign that as a task calendar to
the 1 minute task which
can only be scheduled for that one minute per day, thus
ensuring that the 8
hr task starts the next full day.

Hope this helps. Let us know if you need information on
creating the special calendar or how to assign that
calendar as the task calendar.

Julie