Chapter 1

Introduction

Welcome to OmniPlan 2 for iOS!

OmniPlan 2.2 for iOS as seen on iPad Air 2 and iPhone 6 Plus.

OmniPlan for iOS is designed to help you visualize, maintain, and simplify your projects. Break down tasks, optimize the required resources, control costs, and monitor your entire plan—all at a glance. Collaborate with your colleagues and share every detail, update a calendar with your days off, and process changes one-by-one or all in one go. OmniPlan provides features like Gantt charts, schedules, summaries, milestones, and critical path highlighting to let you manage all of your activities. From customizable views to fast data entry, OmniPlan helps you manage projects that are as simple or complex as you need them to be—without the complexity.

OmniPlan for iOS complements the new OmniPlan 3 for Mac, acting as a powerful mobile counterpart to the most robust project management toolset we’ve ever produced.

Note

  • OmniPlan for Mac is available both on the Mac App Store and directly from The Omni Group.
  • OmniPlan for iOS (the subject of this manual) is available on the App Store as a Universal app that works on all of your iOS devices.
  • Sync between versions is supported via Pub/Sub for multi-user collaboration and OmniPresence for single user file sync.
  • OmniPlan for Mac requires OS X Yosemite, while OmniPlan for iOS requires iOS 9.

What's New in OmniPlan 2.5

OmniPlan 2.5 for iOS adds the News feature, which helps us keep you up to date with important announcements relevant to your version of OmniPlan — things like the availability of a major new version of the app, or an update to iOS or OmniPlan that could affect your data in some way. This feature is meant as an additional avenue of support for changes that directly affect your use of OmniPlan, so we'll never, ever share anything but information specific to significant aspects of the app's functionality or stability.

In the infrequent case that a news update is available, it will be displayed when you launch the app or after you've returned to the document browser. It will only be shown once, but if you'd like to review or check a news item you can find it in OmniPlan Settings under News. The presence of an unread news item is indicated by a red dot on the Settings menu icon as well as next to the News menu item itself.

OmniPlan 2.5 for iOS as seen on iPad Pro.

Also new to OmniPlan for iOS is support for iPad Pro. The Gantt chart has never looked better, and when paired with support for keyboard shortcuts and the recently introduced OmniPresence single user sync, OmniPlan is the best it's ever been at helping you stay on top of your project while on the go.

How This Documentation is Organized

This manual that you have before you (either online or in iBooks on your Mac or iOS device—or both) has been assembled in such a way that you’re provided with a complete tour of OmniPlan.

To help guide you through the documentation and better learn all the things you need to know about OmniPlan, here’s a list of all of the chapters in this book:

Chapter 1, Using the Document Browser
The first chapter dives right with an introduction to managing your project files using OmniPlan’s built in Document Browser. Beyond creating, organizing, and sharing your documents, the Document Browser also holds tools for getting help and customizing your OmniPlan experience at a high level — you’ll learn all about those tools here.
Chapter 2, Getting Synced
If you're working on a project with OmniPlan on multiple devices and you'd like your documents to stay in sync between them, or you'd just like the additional layer of backup provided by cloud-based storage, you'll find instructions here for setting up single user file sync with OmniPresence.

Or, if you’re working on a project with multiple contributors, publication and subscription to a server repository will be your next logical port of call. This chapter guides you through setting up an account and syncing your files with a shared repository. (If you’re the only one editing your project you likely won't need this, and vice versa; pub/sub sync is the best way to collaborate with OmniPlan among multiple users.)

Chapter 3, Using the Project Editor
In OmniPlan for iOS the Project Editor is where you’ll spend most of your time, from creating your first task to marking the last milestone of your project complete. This chapter gives an overview of the tools available for creating, customizing, and curating even the most complex projects.
Chapter 4, OmniPlan 2 for iOS Tutorial
Once you’re familiar with the tools in the Project Editor and you’re eager to get your first project up and running, this is the place to start. The tutorial guides you through the process of setting up and maintaining a project, from creating your first task to reaching the last milestone. After you’ve worked through it you’ll have the tools you need to build your own project from the ground up.
Chapter 5, Glossary
The glossary contains an alphabetical list of special terms you’ll encounter throughout the app, this documentation, and other project management resources you might be familiar with. If you’re just starting out in project management or you’re curious about how OmniPlan implements certain concepts, this is a great chapter to check.
Chapter 6, Keyboard Shortcuts
If you're using OmniPlan for iOS with an external keyboard connected to your device, you can take advantage of the app's built-in keyboard shortcuts. This chapter provides a list of the available shortcuts based on where you are and what you're doing in OmniPlan.
Chapter 7, Getting Help
There’s no shame in admitting that you need help. In fact, that’s what we’re here for. If you ever get stuck when working on something in OmniPlan, or if you have a problem with the app’s license, or you just want to tell our Support Humans and the DocWranglers what an awesome job they’re doing, feel free to get in touch. This chapter points you to all of the resources we have available: Support Humans, Support Articles, Videos, and Documentation.

Using This Book

One of the beauties of having OmniPlan’s documentation available in electronic form is that it’s always available whenever you need it. In addition to having all of the documentation on our website where it can be searched and bookmarked, we’re continuing the ongoing trend of creating EPUB versions of the docs and making them freely available on the iBooks Store.

Tell Us What You Think

We’re constantly working on updates for our documentation. Whether it’s CSS work, correcting the occasional typo (yeah, they do sometimes slip through), or adding details or clarification for a specific feature based on something we’ve heard from a customer, we’re always trying to make our documentation better and more useful for you.

If you have any specific comments you’d like to send us about the documentation, please do. You can drop us an email message via our Support queue, or you can ping us on Twitter; we’re @OmniWranglers.

Finally, we’d like to thank you for taking the time to read the docs.

A Note About Screenshots
OmniPlan 2.5 for iOS requires iOS 9, and runs on all Apple devices that support it. Due to the range of screen sizes across devices, for ease of use minor differences in interface layout exist between the iPhone and iPad; functionality is identical between them.

To illustrate this manual we’ve chosen screenshots primarily from OmniPlan on the iPad, but they should be equally useful to iPhone users.

Chapter 2

Using the Document Browser

When you first open OmniPlan, you’re taken to the Locations screen which is the place you go to access all of your documents. There is a Local Documents folder, which we’ve preloaded with some sample OmniPlan files that you can use as inspiration for the projects you create.

The Locations screen of the document browser.

Tap the Local Documents folder to see what’s inside. This opens the Document Browser, which is the place to view, create, and manage your projects.

The Local Documents folder in the document browser.
  1. Locations — Tap here to go back to the main screen where you can view the Local Documents folder and any server repositories you’re synced with.

  2. Folder Name and Document Type — This is the name of the current folder. Your default folder for storing files locally is titled Local Documents, and the document type is Plans (this is currently the only document type available).

  3. Add/Plus — Creates a new project.

  4. Settings — Tap to reveal a popover menu with the following options:

    • About OmniPlan — this displays a screen with information about the version of OmniPlan you have installed.

    • OmniPlan Help — this takes you a screen with links to support resources for OmniPlan, including web-based and eBook versions of this manual.

    • Contact Omni — this queues up an email message that you can send to the kind and wonderful Support Humans here at Omni. Don’t hesitate to ask us a question or send us feedback.

    • Release Notes — discover what’s new in the latest version of OmniPlan.

    • Restore Sample Documents — if you previously deleted any of the sample documents that came with OmniPlan, tap here to restore them to your device.

    • Upgrade to Pro — the Pro in-app purchase is an add-on for OmniPlan that provides the ability to import Microsoft Project files as OmniPlan files, and export OmniPlan files in the MPP format readable by Microsoft Project 2013.

    • Import — if you have files stored (not synced) on a WebDAV server or Omni Sync Server account, you can add those accounts and import OmniPlan files for local use here.

    • Settings — if you’d like to help Omni improve future versions of OmniPlan, you can choose to share anonymous usage data with us. The full content of the data sent is displayed on this screen.

    The News menu item will appear in OmniPlan Settings if there is new information relevant to the functionality or stability of OmniPlan available for view.

  5. Select — Tap to edit the contents of a folder. For example, you can select one or more documents and move them to another folder, to the trash, or create a subfolder within the current folder that contains the projects you’ve selected.

  6. Projects — These are your saved projects and any subfolders you’ve created in OmniPlan.

  7. Sort — When you pull down on the screen, the super secret Sort bar comes into view. By default, the projects you create are sorted by their creation date, or you can opt to sort them by title.

  8. MS Project Support — A preview document for the Microsoft Project file import feature, available with the OmniPlan Pro in-app purchase.

Note
With OmniPlan Pro, you can import Project 2003, Project 2007, Project 2010, and Project 2013 MPP documents. Once imported, these documents can be managed just liked any other OmniPlan Project.

OmniPlan Pro can also export Project 2013 MPP documents. Once exported, these documents can be used in Microsoft Project 2013.

To create a subfolder, tap Select in the navigation bar, and then tap on and select one or more files in the Document Browser. Next, tap Move to in the upper-left corner and then tap New folder.

Creating a new folder as a Move destination for the currently selected projects.

Enter a name for the folder and then tap Done. Subfolders have a dark gray background and display tiny icons for the projects they contain.

Our newly created subfolder inside Local Documents.

Adding Locations

You can add cloud-synced locations to the Locations screen by tapping the type of account you'd like to manage. There are two options for cloud account creation beneath the Local Documents folder on the Locations screen: Add OmniPresence Account and Server Repositories. OmniPresence is best for single-user sync among multiple devices, while server repositories are intended for multi-user collaboration; learn more about setting these up in the Getting Synced chapter.

An Omni Sync Server server repository account is visible on the Locations screen.

When you set up an OmniPresence account, you'll see it listed as a folder that's a peer to your Local Documents folder on the Locations screen. Any server repository accounts are listed in the Server Repositories section; to view them, tap Server Repositories.

An Omni Sync Server server repository account is visible on the Locations screen.

Creating a New Project

To create a new project, go to the Locations screen, select the folder in which you’d like to store the new project file, and then tap the Add button (the + sign) in the navigation bar.

Tap the plus button in the toolbar to create a new project.

See Using the Project Editor for more details the Project Editor itself, or check out the Tutorial to get started with your own project.

Sending and Sharing Project Files

Every now and then you’ll find the need to share some document you’ve created in OmniPlan with someone else. But with files local to your device, how are you going to do this?

When you open a folder, such as your Local Documents folder, tap Select in the navigation bar, and then select the project that you’d like to share. This places a blue highlight around the file to let you know which file you have selected.

Now tap the Action button in the navigation bar and select from one of the following options:

Choosing a Send destination for the selected file.
  • Send via Email — lets you choose a document format for the file you want to email, and then queues up an email message for your to send.

File format options for Send via Email.
  • Send to App — lets you open the file in a compatible app on your device, or, if you are on a Wi-Fi network with someone you know, you can share the file with another iOS device using AirDrop. The two PDF options—Canvas Gantt and Paginated Gantt—can also be sent to iBooks or any other iOS app that can render a PDF file.

  • Print — lets you print the project to an AirPrint-compatible printer.

Taking Out the Trash

Every now and then, you’ll find that it’s time to do a little housecleaning in OmniPlan. Those projects for renovating the house are no longer relevant, so it’s time to dump those documents into the trash and purge them from your device (or from your synced server repository, if you have one of those configured) forever.

Fortunately, deleting files from OmniPlan is easy. When viewing a folder of documents, tap Select in the navigation bar at the top of the screen. Then tap on the documents you’d like to delete; you’ll see that the files now have a blue highlight.

Tap the Trashcan in the navigation bar to move the document to the Trash.

A document is selected for disposal in the Trash.

If you tap Locations in the navigation bar, you’ll see a Trash folder in your list of OmniPlan folders. Until you empty the trash, the files remain on your device.

The Trash folder is displayed below Local Documents on the Locations screen.

Tap the Trash folder to open it in the Document Browser, and then tap Empty Trash to permanently delete the files from your device. The Delete button (the shredder icon, circled below) will also delete items selected normally.

The Trash folder with Empty Trash selected at the bottom of the screen.

After all files in the Trash folder are deleted, you’re taken back to the Locations screen in OmniPlan.

Chapter 3

Getting Synced

There are two sync methods available in OmniPlan 2 for iOS: OmniPresence sync, intended for a single user to keep projects in sync across multiple devices, and publication and subscription to a server repository, useful when multiple users need to contribute to a communally shared project. This chapter describes setting up sync in these two distinct ways.

Single User Sync with OmniPresence

By default, OmniPlan stores files locally on your iOS device. As mentioned in the previous chapter, Using the Document Browser, your files are saved in the Local Documents folder on the device. But now that OmniPlan works across iOS devices, you can consider storing your files in the cloud. When you do, your files are accessible on your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch (5th Generation or later), and also on your Mac if you use OmniPlan there, too.

You can sync OmniPlan files (those ending with a .oplx file extension) with OmniPresence to Omni Sync Server, or to another WebDAV-enabled server of your choice, and you can add as many cloud accounts as you’d like. For example, you could add a cloud account for personal use alongside separate accounts for different work clients — pretty much whatever you need. The only real limitation is the amount of available storage space on each device.

This section opens up the clouds by showing you how to create and connect to Omni Sync Server via OmniPlan’s built-in OmniPresence.

What Does it Mean to Work in the Cloud?

Working in the cloud sounds kind of cool and futuristic, but what it really means is that your files are safely stored somewhere else with copies of those files stored locally on your iOS device.

Whenever you make a change to a file, the file in the cloud is updated when OmniPlan performs its next sync operation. Of course, this assumes your iOS device is connected to the Internet. And if you aren’t, those changes will sync the next time you are.

Another benefit of storing files in the cloud is that, if you lose or misplace your iOS device, your documents are safe and secure on your cloud provider’s server. All you need to do to access your files is log in to your cloud account, change your password, sync the files with your new iPhone or iPad, and then you’re back in business.

Note
Of course, your files are only as safe as the strength of your password—and this includes using a Passcode (and/or Touch ID) on your iOS device. Don’t use a simple, dictionary-derived password or something that would be easy for anyone to guess, such as the name of your dog whose name and photos are plastered all over Instagram and Facebook.

Choose a strong password—or look to other iOS and Mac apps such as 1Password and its built-in Password Generator—to help keep your cloud account secure. As an additional measure, if your cloud provider offers two-step verification, you should take them up on that, too.

And while most cloud services—including Omni Sync Server—maintain backups, you shouldn’t trust that your cloud provider will help you out in a pinch. Just because you are storing your files in the cloud doesn’t absolve you from backing up your files—you totally should maintain backups of all your stuff! Be sure to regularly backup your iOS device (either to iCloud or to your Mac), and maintain a regular backup schedule for your Mac, too.

Syncing with OmniPresence

We’ll start your journey into the clouds with the path of least resistance; OmniPresence. We built OmniPresence from the ground up as a solution for our users to store files in the cloud. For you, there are two options for storage:

  • Omni Sync Server, which is a bank of servers we maintain so you can store files in the cloud. OmniPresence is built into our iOS apps (there’s a desktop app for your Mac, too), so there’s nothing additional to download. All you need to do is sign up for a free Omni Sync Server account.
  • WebDAV Connectivity is a hook we provide in OmniPresence so users who wish to maintain their own server can store and sync files. You can connect to your own WebDAV server, a third-party service that you trust, or you can even set up a WebDAV service on your local network using WebDAVNav Server.

Now that you know your choice of paths for using OmniPresence, let’s show you how to set them up in OmniPlan.

Creating an Omni Sync Server Account

If you plan to use Omni Sync Server with OmniPlan, you will need to set up a free account if you don’t already have one. You can create a free Omni Sync Server account online at:

sync.omnigroup.com

Just go to that page, enter your email address, and click Sign Up. We’ll send you an email with instructions on how to set up your Omni Sync Server account.

When everything is ready to go with your Omni Sync Server account, return to the Locations screen in OmniPlan and then follow along.

Connecting to Omni Sync Server with OmniPresence

If you have an Omni Sync Server account, follow these steps to configure a cloud account:

  1. To start syncing to Omni Sync Server, start on the Locations screen and tap Add OmniPresence Account.
    The Locations screen with Add OmniPresence Account displayed.
  2. Next, choose the type of cloud account you would like to use; you can choose between Add Omni Sync Server Account or Add WebDAV Server. The difference between the two is that we host and maintain Omni Sync Server, whereas you would need to find a third-party WebDAV server (or host your own) and entrust them to maintain the server.

    Tap Add Omni Sync Server Account.

    Choose from Omni Sync Server or a WebDAV server.
  3. On the Account Info screen that appears:

    1. Enter your Account Name
    2. Enter the Password for your account
    3. Optionally, enter a Nickname to be used as the name for your synced folder
    4. Tap Save to authenticate with Omni Sync Server
    Enter the credentials for your Omni Sync Server account.

The next message you’ll see is Testing Server for Compatibility along with a progress bar. If everything checks out okay, OmniPlan lets you know that it has successfully connected to Omni Sync Server.

Testing Server for Compatibility.

When your credentials have authenticated, you’re taken back to OmniPlan’s Locations screen where you’ll see a new folder for your synced files.

After syncing, the Omni Sync Server folder shows up on your home screen.

To access the files within a document folder, just tap the folder of your choice, and then tap the file you would like to work on. Or, tap the Add button (+) to create a new OmniPlan project.

Connecting to WebDAV Servers with OmniPresence

On the Account Info screen that appears, follow these steps:

  1. Enter the URL for the Location of your WebDAV Server
  2. Enter your Account Name
  3. Enter the Password for your account
  4. Optionally, enter a Nickname to be used as the name for your synced folder
  5. Tap Save to authenticate with the WebDAV server
Enter the credentials for your WebDAV account.

As with connecting to Omni Sync Server, OmniPlan informs you that it is Testing Server for Compatibility, and displays the Connected screen when it has connected to the WebDAV server successfully.

Warning
When you expose files and folders on your computer to the Internet (even with strict password protection), you assume some risk. Make sure you understand this risk before setting up a server, and be sure to keep your server up to date with the latest security patches. If you’d prefer not to host your own server, you can sign up for a free Omni Sync Server account or use another standards-compliant WebDAV host to sync files with OmniPlan.

Monitoring OmniPresence

When you have configured OmniPlan to use either type of cloud account (Omni Sync Server or WebDAV), you’ll notice an OmniPresence icon in the toolbar of connected cloud folders.

OmniPresence icon in the toolbar.

Keep an eye on this icon to monitor OmniPresence’s sync status:

  • — denotes that OmniPresence is active and ready to sync files to the server.
  • — denotes that a sync is currently in progress.
  • — denotes that your iOS device does not have access to an active Wi-Fi or cellular network.
  • — denotes that there was an error when trying to sync your files. You may see this icon if another device is working on the same file, or if a connection cannot be made to the sync server you are using. Try tapping the OmniPresence icon again and if you get the same error icon, please contact our Support Humans for assistance.

OmniPresence checks in with your active sync servers every minute or so, and saves any updates you’ve made to the server. OmniPresence also saves a version of your file to the server whenever you close a file or switch from OmniPlan to another app on your device. Alternately, you can tap the OmniPresence icon to force an update to the server at any time.

Multi-User Publication and Subscription

Publishing and subscribing to a project in a shared server repository provides an additional level of control and change tracking of the document. Keeping these changes gated for approval prevents local versions of the project from being modified remotely without oversight, making this the preferred sync method for working collaboratively with multiple users.

Note
Sync in the form of publishing and subscribing to a shared server repository (the process described in this section) is available in OmniPlan 2 for iOS and OmniPlan 3 for Mac with the Pro upgrade.

For details on using publication and subscription features in your project, see the Collaborate via Server Repository and Balance Multi-Project Resource Loads sections of the tutorial.

To work on a project accessible for editing by multiple OmniPlan users, start by tapping Server Repositories on the Locations screen.

Manage Server Repositories on the Locations screen.

You’ll see the OmniPlan Server Repositories screen, from which you can choose either Add Omni Sync Server Account or Add WebDAV Account.

The types of server repository available are Omni Sync Server and custom WebDAV.

You can create a free Omni Sync Server account online at sync.omnigroup.com; see Creating an Omni Sync Server Account above for details on the account creation process.

Warning
Omni Sync Server is available as a cloud sync option for both OmniPresence sync and server repository based publication and subscription. However, these two methods rely on different mechanisms under the hood and are not compatible.

Files stored with OmniPresence on Omni Sync Server (or another WebDAV server) are not accessible via publication and subscription, and vice versa.

Connecting an Omni Sync Server Account

Tap Add Omni Sync Server Account, and on the Server Details screen that appears:

  1. Enter your Username.

  2. Enter the Password for your account.

  3. Set the default Path (or folder) to use. By default, OmniPlan uses the root directory (as denoted by the slash, / ), but you can change this to another folder; for example, using /OmniPlan assumes you have a folder named OmniPlan at the root level of your Omni Sync Server directory.

  4. Optionally, enter a Description that will be used on the Locations screen as the name for your synced folder.

  5. Tap Connect to authenticate with Omni Sync Server.

Setting up an Omni Sync Server repository account.

When you tap Connect you’ll see Checking account... at the bottom of the window. When your account information has been validated, the text changes to Account verified and the Omni Sync Server folder is added to OmniPlan on your device.

Connecting a WebDAV Account

Tap Add WebDAV Account, and on the Server Details screen that appears:

  1. Enter the Address (in the form of a URL) for your WebDAV server.

  2. Enter your Username.

  3. Enter the Password for your account.

  4. Optionally, enter a Description that will be used as the name for your synced folder.

  5. Tap Connect to authenticate with your WebDAV server.

When you tap Back, you’ll see a list of your available server repositories.

Available server repositories including an Omni Sync Server account and a WebDAV server.

To remove an account, tap Edit; a delete handle appears to the left of the account name. If you tap the delete handle, the account name slides to the left and a Delete button appears on the right edge; tap that to delete the account. A quicker way to do this is to just swipe left across the account name to bring up the Delete button. If you change your mind before deleting the account, tap Done and the Delete button goes away.

Deleting a server repository account.

Warning
Undo will not restore an account that you delete. If you delete one (or all) of your repository accounts, you will need to complete the account setup process again to restore access to that repository.

Tap Locations to return to the Locations screen, where you’ll see the Local Documents folder along with any synced services you’ve added to OmniPlan.

Accessing Documents for Publication and Subscription

With a server repository account connected, tap its name in Server Repositories to see a list of projects synced to that account. To edit one of these projects locally, tap it and it will be downloaded to your Local Documents folder.

A list of documents available in a shared server repository.

Note
Publishing and subscribing to files in a server repository has a special meaning within OmniPlan. Unlike OmniPresence sync, it’s not just a way to access files from multiple devices. For more on how to collaborate with OmniPlan, see the Collaborate via Server Repository section of the tutorial.

Chapter 4

Using the Project Editor

After creating a new project, you’ll be faced with OmniPlan’s Project Editor: the Gantt chart and associated controls where you’ll add and manage the tasks, resources, and calendars that form your project. You could dive right in and start building; however, if you’re new to OmniPlan the best way to get to know the Project Editor is to open one of the sample projects in the Local Documents folder and explore it.

Before we get going, there are a couple features of the Project Editor that will make any project manager who’s working with OmniPlan happy:

  • Landscape Mode — Don’t be afraid to rotate your device to work on your project in Landscape Mode. It’s where OmniPlan for iOS is most comfortable.

  • Pinch to Zoom — Most projects have many overlapping tasks, so when you need to view your entire project, use the vertical pinch gesture to zoom in or out.

  • Changing Time Scale — Pinch horizontally to change the view’s time scale on the fly, or tap the date header of the Gantt chart to choose a scale from among granular options (including the ever-handy Scale to Fit Project).

Project Editor Overview

The Project Editor is where you will spend the majority of your time in OmniPlan for iOS. Whether you’re creating a new project or trying to see one to fruition, this is where everything comes together.

While the capabilities of the app are identical across devices, the following figures show the differences in control placement between OmniPlan for iOS on larger devices (iPad and iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus in landscape orientation) and smaller devices (iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus in portrait orientation, and any smaller iPhone), respectively.

The project editor in OmniPlan 2 for iOS on larger devices.
The project editor in OmniPlan 2 for iOS’s on smaller devices.

The numbered controls on the figures correspond to the following tools that make OmniPlan’s Project Editor tick.

  1. Projects — tap to exit the project you’re working on and return to the current folder in the Document Browser.

  2. Undo/Redo — tap to undo or redo the previous change.

  3. Edit — tap Edit to enter edit mode and reveal the editing controls at the bottom of the screen. Selecting an item (or multiples) allows the following actions to be performed.

    • Cut — Delete the selected item or items and copy them to be pasted later. Paste by tapping Done to exit edit mode and touching and holding an item on the Gantt chart to reveal the contextual menu. When pasted, the copied items will appear below the one selected.

    • Copy — Copy the selected item(s) to be pasted later.

    • Delete — Delete the selected item(s) from the Gantt chart.

    • Group/Ungroup — With multiple items selected, Group creates a group containing those items. With a group selected, Ungroup removes the grouping container (but not the tasks inside it).

    • Move — Move the selected item or items elsewhere in the Gantt chart.

      To move an item or items in edit mode, tap to select them, then tap Move. To choose their destination, tap another row. A contextual menu appears that provides three location options: Above the chosen row, Below it, and Inside. Choosing Inside converts the chosen row into a group (if it isn’t one already) and adds the items to be moved as tasks inside it.

    • Connect/Disconnect — With multiple items selected, this command connects them with finish ▸ start dependencies (if they’re not already connected) or removes dependencies between them (if they’re currently connected).

  4. Project Title — tap to edit the name of the project. The project title only appears here on larger devices, and can also be edited using the Project Inspector.

  5. Add — tap to add a new task to the project. Touch and hold to add a new Task, Milestone, or Group from the popover menu that appears.

  6. View Inspector — use the View Inspector to set a project filter, turn on change tracking, check for violations, and view baselines and critical paths.

  7. Task Inspector — with a task or group selected, tap to open the Task Inspector. Use the Task Inspector to customize various aspects of the task across three panes: Task Info, Scheduling, and Assignments.

  8. Resources Inspector — Use the Resources Inspector to create and edit resources (Staff, Equipment, Materials, and Groups), and to modify their calendars of working hours.

  9. Project Inspector — use the Project Inspector to set the structure and parameters for your project.

You’ll find a detailed breakdown of the functions of each inspector below.

The Project Inspector

The Project Inspector contains tools for fine-tuning the details of your project’s structure and operating parameters.

The project inspector in OmniPlan 2 for iOS
  1. Project Title — as an alternative to tapping the project’s name in the toolbar, you can edit the project’s name here.

  2. Publish and Subscribe — configure the publication and subscription settings for this particular project. If you are using Omni Sync Server, you can specify an auto-update interval so that other members of your team can view and edit the project in OmniPlan on their iOS device or Mac.

  3. Dates — choose from Undetermined or Specific dates for your project. Undetermined dates are represented by T+0d, T+1d, T+2d, and so on, while Specific dates are chronologically anchored to set days in the calendar.

  4. Direction — choose whether work on your project proceeds Forward from a Fixed Start or Backward from a Fixed End. This determines the direction from which tasks will be scheduled; the former schedules tasks as soon as possible, while the latter schedules them as late as possible. Individual task directions can be set in the Task Inspector. Projects typically have a predefined start date or final deadline (and sometimes both), so choose whichever is appropriate for your project.

  5. Work Hours — set the calendar of normal working hours for the project here.

  6. Start Date — set the start date for the project. This option is only available if you have set a Specific start date for your project, rather than an Undetermined date.

  7. End Date — set the end date for the project. This option is only available if you have set a Specific end date for your project, rather than an Undetermined date.

  8. Total Cost — check here to see the total cost for your project, based on Cost/Hour and Cost/Use values you’ve assigned to resources contributing to the project.

  9. Currency — set the currency type for your project’s expenses and costs.

  10. Granularity — choose from Exact, Hourly, or Daily to specify how precisely to schedule task start and end times (this applies when leveling, too).

  11. Duration Format — choose how to display time amounts throughout the project. The duration at the top of the screen is a preview that changes based on which time units you choose to display.

  12. Effort Format — choose how to display effort amounts throughout the project. The effort value at the top of the screen is a preview that changes based on which units you choose to display.

  13. Effort Conversions — choose how many work hours to count as one day, week, month, or year. This affects how large amounts of effort are entered an displayed.

The Task Inspector

The Task Inspector contains tools for setting details of tasks (with the Task Info pane), scheduling influences and constraints on the task (with the Scheduling pane), and resources allocated to the task (with the Assignments pane).

The Task Inspector in OmniPlan 2 for iOS
  1. Task Switcher — use the up and down arrows to move between tasks in the Project Editor while keeping the Task Inspector open.

  2. Inspector Panes — switch between the three panes of the Task Inspector (Task Info, Scheduling, and Assignments).

  3. Task Name and Note — edit the task’s name, and add a text note containing any additional relevant information.

  4. Task Type — choose a type for the task: Task, Milestone, Group, or Hammock.

  5. Task Metadata — attributes of the task that determine its scope, progress, cost, and visual presentation.

    • Effort — the amount of work hours required to complete the task. This value may be automatically adjusted based on the method for assigning resources chosen in Resource Assignment Options in the Assignments pane of the Task Inspector.

    • Duration — the length in actual time required to complete the task, based on the amount of effort assigned to it. This value may be automatically adjusted based on the method for assigning resources chosen in Resource Assignment Options in the Assignments pane of the Task Inspector.

    • Completion — the amount of work on the task that is currently complete, expressed as a percentage.

    • Cost — the cost of the task, in addition to the cost/hour or cost/use of any resources assigned to it. Expressed in the units of currency set up in the Project Inspector.

    • Bar Color — the color of the task’s bar in the Gantt chart.

  6. Task Scheduling Direction — choose whether the task should be scheduled as soon as possible (ASAP) or as late as possible (ALAP). This affects how the task is scheduled when leveling resources, and overrides the Direction setting in the Project Inspector for this individual task.

  7. Task Influences — this section lists other aspects of the project that affect when the task can be scheduled, such as the project’s overall start date or the date a task group containing the task can begin.

  8. Task Constraint Editors — these editors control various task parameters that limit when the task can be scheduled.

    • Locks — lock the task’s start and/or end dates here. Locking either or both of these dates prevents other factors, such as leveling after assigning additional resources to the task, from changing the dates its work is scheduled for.

    • Constraints — add bounding constraints to anchor the task loosely in time between “bracket periods” during which the task is allowed to start or end.

    • Add Prerequisite — choose a task from the list to create a finish ▸ start dependency between that task and the one currently being edited, adding a new prerequisite task that must be completed before this one can begin.

  9. Task Start and End — edit the task’s start and end dates. One or the other may be inaccessible; this can be due to a scheduling rule or other constraint (such as the absolute start date of the project). Note that unless they’re locked in, setting these dates doesn’t prevent them from being changed by leveling later.

  10. Task Dependents — a list of tasks dependent on the current task’s completion to begin. Tap a task to view its details and add lead time if desired. Tap Add Dependent to select another existing task to add as a dependent using a finish ▸ start dependency from the current task.

  11. Resource Selector — use this field to filter the resource list alphabetically. If a desired resource doesn’t already exist, add it using the Plus button that appears at the bottom of the filtered list.

  12. Assigned Resources — view a list of all the project’s resources here, along with information about their assignments relative to the selected task. Any resource assigned to the task will list the percentage of its effort assigned below its name, and will have an Info button with details about the assignment and the option to change the percentage of effort being contributed.

  13. Resource Assignment Options — when resources are assigned to (or removed from) the task, set how the task’s effort, duration, and assignment percentages should change based on the revised resource allocation.

The Resources Inspector

The Resources Inspector contains tools for resource creation, calendar customization, and resource leveling.

The resources inspector in OmniPlan 2 for iOS
  1. Resource Load Leveling Controls — choose whether to automatically level resource loads across the project whenever a change is made, whether leveling affects only the schedules of tasks in the future (from the current date), and whether to allow tasks to be split as part of the leveling process.

  2. Resource List — a list of all resources currently assigned to the project. Tap a resource to view its details, including type, email address, regular work hours and off hours calendar, units and efficiency, cost/use and cost/hour, and bar color (only relevant when sharing resources with a project in OmniPlan Pro for Mac).

  3. Add New Resource — add a new resource to the project and customize its details.

  4. Add from Contacts — grant OmniPlan access to your Contacts list to add resources to your project directly from there.

  5. Level Resource Loads/Clear Leveling — reschedule tasks and change resource loads to most efficiently complete your project based on all the other parameters you’ve set up for individual tasks, resources, and the project as a whole. Or, remove leveling optimization with Clear Leveling.

  6. Edit Resources — Switch to Edit mode, where resources can be removed with the deletion switch next to their names, and reorganized — including movement between resource groups — with their reordering handles.

The View Inspector

The View Inspector contains tools for customizing how data is displayed in the Project Editor, with a particular emphasis on tracking project progress.

The View Inspector in OmniPlan 2 for iOS
  1. Project Task Filter — apply a filter to the Project Editor that limits which tasks are visible. Choosing a filtering parameter here doesn’t affect the hidden items beyond removing them from view.

  2. Change Tracking — if you’re publishing your project to a shared server repository with multiple contributors, enable change tracking to view and approve changes made to the project by yourself and others. Select changes in the list and tap Accept Change or Reject Change at the bottom to approve or deny them.

  3. Violations — when a logical contradiction arises in your project, such as a result of an impossible dependency relationship or a scheduling change that violates date restrictions you’ve set up, you’ll see details on the problem here along with a suggested solution to resolve it.

  4. Show Baselines — a baseline is a snapshot of project’s state of affairs against which the actual schedule can be compared. Set a baseline with Set Baseline in the bottom toolbar, and choose which you’d like to compare against the actual schedule from the list above. Tap Edit to remove baselines with the deletion switches next to their names.

  5. Show Critical Paths — choose which critical paths you would like to display in the Gantt chart, including critical paths to each milestone and the overall project. Tap a milestone to edit details of its critical path display: choose whether or not resource constraints are considered in charting the path, pick a color for the path line, and set an amount of slack OmniPlan considers built in to tasks for purposes of considering them part of the critical path to that milestone.

  6. Gantt Bar Labels — pick metadata to attach to the left and right side of task bars in the Gantt chart, and to add as a prefix.

With an overview of the Project Editor and the inspectors complete, let’s move on to a tutorial for putting a project together from the very beginning.

Chapter 5

OmniPlan 2 for iOS Tutorial

Welcome to the tutorial! Starting with a blank slate, we’ll build a project from the ground up to show all of the core features of OmniPlan in practical use.

Step 1: Create a Project

For the purpose of this tutorial we’ll be looking at the development process of a game being put together by an independent team of intrepid designers, coders, and testers.

Starting off in the document browser, tap the New Project button.

Tap the plus button in the toolbar to create a new project.

This opens the Project Editor, where a first task is waiting to be customized or edited. Before we get to that, let’s rename the project to something more interesting.

Tap My Project in the toolbar to edit the project title.

Tap the default project name in the toolbar to edit it.

Step 2: Choose a Start or End Date

When setting out to build a project, one of the most important aspects is the timeframe. This, in turn, is dictated by any deadlines or start constraints that exist for the project.

In the case of our game development scheme, we don’t have a hard deadline for the project to be finished - we want it to be done when it’s ready (but as soon as reasonably possible). To indicate this, we’ll go to the project inspector and set the start date as today.

The project editor with the default start date (the day the project is created).

Conveniently, this is the default setting for any new project.

Note
If you’re planning a project in the abstract without a fixed start or end date, you can change the dates from Specific to Undetermined until the timeframe is more set in stone. You’ll get dates that display as T+1d, T +2d... instead.

If you’re planning a project with a specific do-or-die deadline, you’ll want to switch the direction from forward to backward and put the deadline date in the End field. Tasks will be scheduled back from this date, filling in the time from project completion to the present.

Step 3: Create Milestones

Milestones are the anchor points in your project that mark important shifts in focus or unlocking a new phase of the project. Clarifying these will help break a dauntingly large project down into more manageable sections, and help dictate the tasks leading up to and following the milestone.

To create a milestone, tap and hold the new task button until the option appears:

Create a new milestone by pressing the new task button.

Alternatively, tap the currently existing task ("Task 1") to select it, then open the Task Inspector. You can change the task type from a regular task to a milestone here.

Change a task to a milestone in the Task Inspector.

We’ll change the name of "Task 1" by double-tapping it or editing the name field in the Task Info tab, create a few more milestones for our game plan, and then go on to reinforce our milestones with tasks.

Step 4: Create Tasks

Create a task by tapping the new task button.

New tasks appear below the currently selected item in the Gantt view, or at the bottom of the list if no tasks, milestones, or groups are selected.

A basic lists of tasks and milestones for our project.

For our project we’ll create several tasks beneath each milestone that they’re related to. Since we now have more items than will fit on the screen at once, pinch vertically on the Gantt view to change the view scale.

Step 5: Edit the Work Week

Now that we’re starting to see the game plan come together, we’ll set tasks aside for the moment and start setting up the work schedule for our project.

Tap the project inspector and then Work Hours to access the regular weekly work schedule for the project. By default, working hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 5:00, with an hour-long break for lunch at noon.

The default schedule for a work week in the project inspector.

Since we’re working with a bunch of more nocturnal folks, let’s change the schedule to reflect that. Tap and hold one of the time blocks on the calendar to bring it to a new position, or drag one of the side handles to change the size of the block. We end up with a schedule that fits our needs:

The work week updated to fit our needs.

Time blocks can be created for individual days to indicate longer or shorter regular working hours (tap New Time Block), and deleted by tapping Edit.

Step 6: Set Schedule Exceptions

Even the most accommodating work week will occasionally have days that are out of the ordinary. Whether it’s a national holiday, a team-wide training seminar, an industry expo or conference, or just a patch of bad weather that keeps folks out of the office, setting exceptions to the regular work schedule can be key to keeping a project on track.

One that we know is in the future for our project is the upcoming Memorial Day. We can add that to our schedule right now by returning to the top level of the project inspector and tapping Calendar.

The project calendar overview.

Green days on the exceptions calendar indicate regular work days. Swipe to scroll down to May, then tap on the week of Memorial Day (the 25th) to access the exceptions calendar for that week.

The week of May 24-30 in detail.

We know we want to take Memorial Day off, but we can also predict that this week will be crunch mode for the team. We use the Add Time Off button to create a block of time that covers the 25th, and then replace that lost time with evening overtime hours through the rest of the week.

The week of May 24-30 with exceptions added.

Step 7: Set Task Durations

Returning to our tasks in the Gantt view we can begin to scope out how long each task will take. With estimated times for their completion in mind, tap a task and drag the right handle that appears to the appropriate length for the task’s duration (in this case, two full workdays).

A task with its duration extended to two days.

Task duration can also be set using the Task Inspector.

Step 8: Group Tasks

When tasks are closely related or interdependent it can be useful to put them in a group. Groups help organize a project conceptually, and also act as meta-tasks that can be linked via dependencies to other tasks or groups.

The easiest way to gather tasks into a group in edit mode. Tap Edit on the project screen, then tap to select all of the tasks and milestones to be grouped. Finally, tap Group in the bottom toolbar to complete the edit.

Selecting multiple tasks for grouping in Edit mode.

With all of the tasks in the group selected, this would be a good time to add a bit of visual distinction to the group as well. Open the Task Inspector and tap Bar Color to choose a color that will identify all of the tasks in the group.

Styling a group’s bar color with the Task Inspector.

After organizing tasks and milestones into groups and estimating the time required to complete them, we’re starting to get a better picture of how our project will take shape. At this stage our Gantt chart looks something like this:

The project with groups, color styles, and task durations.

Step 9: Connect Tasks with Dependency Lines

We can’t complete all of our tasks simultaneously! Even if we had the resources to do so, some parts of the project can’t happen until others are finished. Thankfully, the pieces are now in place to establish the ways that those tasks are dependent on the status of others. There are four ways that dependencies can exist:

  • Finish → Start dependencies are the most common type, indicating that when task A finishes, task B can start.

  • Start → Finish dependencies indicate that when task A starts, task B can finish.

  • Start → Start dependencies indicate that when task A starts, task B can also start.

  • Finish → Finish dependencies indicate that when task A finishes, task B can also finish.

Connecting tasks in the Gantt view is as easy as tapping a selected task again, which puts dependency arrow handles on either side of the task bar.

A task with dependency handles displayed on either end of its bar in the Gantt timeline.

Drag an arrow from the selected task to another task to create a dependency. The type of dependency is based on the start- and end- points of the arrow: dragging an arrow from the completion of one task to the beginning of another will create a finish → start dependency, and so on.

A finish-to-start dependency between two tasks, as illustrated in the Gantt view.

While in edit mode, you can use the Connect/Disconnect button to add finish → start dependencies or remove dependencies between any number of selected tasks simultaneously.

Step 10: Create Hammock Tasks

A hammock task is one in which the duration is dependent on both when the previous task ends, and the next task starts. This type of task is useful when facing a hard deadline and deciding what can be compressed if the project is running behind schedule, or if external factors influence when parts of the project must happen.

In our example we decide that alpha testing for the game should begin as soon as possible after April 13th, since that’s when we receive our prototype testing hardware. We give the "Testing phase" group a start constraint of April 13th by choosing Constraints in the Scheduling pane of the Task Inspector, and setting Start at earliest to April 13th 11:00 AM.

Setting a start constraint for the Testing phase group.

Note
A Start at earliest constraint can also be set by selecting a task and dragging it along the timeline by the left handle that appears at its edge.

We decide that the "combine art and code" task is the one that’s going to give if the going gets rough. To convert it from a task of fixed duration to a hammock task:

  • First, make sure both the "coding" group and the "art" group are linked to "combine art and code" with finish → start dependencies.
  • Then, create a start → finish dependency originating from the testing phase and linking to "combine art and code."
  • Finally, select the "combine art and code" task and open the Task Inspector. The fourth task type, Hammock, is available for selection.
Selecting the Hammock task type in the Task Info pane of the Task Inspector.

Step 11: Create Resources

Now it’s time to start adding the team members, equipment and materials we’ll be using to bring the project to fruition. Every person, piece of infrastructure, and raw ingredient that contributes to reaching the project’s goal is counted as a resource, so let’s open the Resources Inspector and get started.

The single default resource that comes with a newly created project, as seen in the Resources Inspector.

One resource has been created by default for our project – a staff member. Tap it to access and edit their details, including name, resource type, and personal calendar.

When balancing workloads across multiple projects a staff member’s email address is used as their unique identifier, so make sure their address is consistent across all the projects they’re participating in.

After editing the default resource we’ll create a few more to fill out the list of our team members and the technology they’re using to bring the game to life. Remove or rearrange resources at any time using the Edit button.

A list of resources created for our project.

Step 12: Assign Resources

Assign resources to tasks by selecting the desired tasks in the Gantt view (multiple tasks can be selected simultaneously using edit mode), then opening the Task Inspector and switching to the Assignments tab.

Assigning resources to a task using the Assignment tab of the Task Inspector.

Tap each resource you’d like to assign to the selected task(s) and their names will appear next to each task that they’re assigned to.

Step 13: Level Resources

After assigning team members and equipment to the tasks that make up your project, you can ensure the team is at its most productive by leveling the workload across your resources and tasks.

To level the resource workload for your project, open the Resources Inspector and tap Level Load. Unless your staff is already in the optimal configuration you’ll see the tasks in the Gantt view shift to accommodate the most efficient use of your resources’ time.

Leveling resource loads using the resource inspector.

Optionally, choose Leveling from the Resources Inspector and turn on Automatically Level to have OmniPlan optimize your resource use every time a change is made to your project.

Automatic leveling enabled in the resource inspector.

Step 14: Set the Baseline

With tasks set and resources assigned and leveled, the state the project is in now may be a glimpse at its fate in the best of all possible worlds – one where unforeseen hindrances don’t bog down progress, and where optimistic estimations rule the day.

This is the world that is captured when we set a baseline for progress, a feature used to compare how the project is actually doing against initial expectations, so milestones and resource allocation can be adjusted accordingly.

To set a baseline, open the View Inspector and tap Baselines. Tap Set Baseline and enter a name (the current date is the default); it’s now selected for comparison, and can be compared against subsequently set baselines as the project progresses.

Setting a baseline with the View Inspector.

Step 15: Update Task Completion

As work on the project begins, you can track progress against the baseline you’ve set by tapping a task currently in progress and moving the slider along to the task’s completion percentage (this can be edited in the Task Inspector as well).

Updating task completion using the task completion slider.

If a task is behind schedule, update the expected duration and level resources again to compensate for the additional time needed.

Step 16: Resolve Violations

Occasionally situations will emerge that break the rules of logic you’ve set up for your project. When one of these occurs, OmniPlan will let you know with an indicating a violation related to the adjacent task.

Violations can be fixed by opening the View Inspector and tapping Violations. You’ll find a description of the problem and a command to tap that should resolve it.

A violation appears! Use the View Inspector to identify and resolve it.

Step 17: Split Tasks

Whether because a key collaborator is on vacation or another part of the project has taken priority, suspending work on a particular task can be very helpful. When you want a resource or team member to devote time to something other than the task they’re currently assigned to, splitting the task into parts around the "time out" period is an ideal solution.

A task ready for splitting via the contextual menu.

To split a task, press and hold it in the Gantt view until the contextual menu appears, then tap the right arrow and choose Split. You’ll be asked to choose the duration of each segment of the task, and the date and time you want the task to resume after the break. If the resource will be absent during the split, remember to indicate this on its schedule in the Resources Inspector.

Note
The schedules of individual resources (usually workers) can be customized to account for personal vacation or sick days by selecting the resource in the Resources Inspector and choosing Calendar.

And now the task is split.

After splitting a task it’s always a good idea to level to be sure the split is the most efficient way to manage the task at hand given the project’s available resources and time constraints.

Warning
A split task may mysteriously re-merge after leveling. If this isn’t what you want, make sure that Allow Splitting is turned on in the Resources Inspector’s Leveling submenu.

Step 18: Collaborate via Server Repository

On a large project, or one where the collaborators are spread across diverse geographic locations, you may want to have multiple teammembers able to update the project status remotely. OmniPlan makes this easy!

The project inspector screen flow for setting up publishing and subscription.

To share the project you’re currently working on, open the project inspector and tap Publish and Subscribe, then Repository. You’ll be asked to choose a repository to sync to; if you don’t have one set up, tap Manage Repositories and see Getting Synced at the beginning of this manual to get started.

After choosing a repository, return to the Sync panel and choose an auto-update interval. This is the frequency with which your project will pull changes from the version stored on the server (you can tap Update to manually cause a sync any time you’d like). When you have the settings the way you want them, tap Publish to bring the project live.

Note
Publication is fully manual to give you complete control over your submissions to the project. Any time you have changes to share, tap Publish to sync them to the server.

When changes come in from other contributors, you can use Change Tracking in the View inspector to review, accept, or reject remote edits to the project.

Step 19: Balance Multi-Project Resource Loads

If resources (usually human members of your team) are shared between multiple projects in the same repository, you’ll want to decide in the repository panel whether you’ll publish the current project’s resource loads to other projects and whether the current project will subscribe to the resource loads of others.

Choose whether to publish the project’s resource loads, subscribe to those of others in the same repository, or neither.

Choosing to publish a project’s resource loads means that other subscribing projects will obey its workload information when leveling; if Julie is working on Project A on Wednesday and its loads are being published to Project B, after leveling Project B won’t schedule her to work on Wednesday.

Choosing to subscribe to resource loads means that the project will obey all constraints by projects in the repository that are publishing their loads. By using only the publish or subscribe option a hierarchy of priority can be established between simultaneous projects — a project that only publishes will always have its needs met first, while a project that only subscribes will be assigned resources only when they can be spared.

By both publishing and subscribing, projects are treated as equals — and if a project neither publishes or subscribes, it ignores external factors and syncs only with its own updates.

Note
The key to balancing resource loads across projects is that individual resources be tagged and identified by a unique email address that is shared across all projects. This can be set using the Resources Inspector.

Chapter 6

Glossary

The following is a list of terms specific to OmniPlan or project management that you’ll encounter throughout this manual, defined and listed in alphabetical order for easy reference.

Actual schedule
The actual schedule, in contrast to the baseline schedule, is the way a project turns out in real life. Before the baseline is set for a project, the baseline and actual schedules are the same. After the baseline is set, further editing changes the actual schedule only.
Assignment
Assigning a resource to a task means that the resource is expected to be actively busy with that task throughout its duration. Assignment amounts are expressed as the percentage of the resource’s time being spent on the task.
Baseline schedule
The baseline schedule, in contrast to the actual schedule, is the way a project is originally planned. Before the baseline is set for a project, the baseline and actual schedules are the same. After the baseline is set, further editing changes the actual schedule only. You can compare the baseline schedule and the actual schedule using the View Inspector.
Cost
A task or a resource can have a monetary cost. The total cost of a task is the sum of the task cost and the costs of the resources assigned to it. A resource can have a per-use cost and a per-hour cost.
Critical path
The critical path is the series of dependent tasks which, if any of their durations change, will cause the whole project’s duration to change. You can check the critical path from the View Inspector.
Dependency
The relationship by which one task must start or finish before another task can start or finish. For example, the task "Buy paint" must finish before the task "Paint fence" can begin.
Duration
Duration, in contrast to effort, is how long a task takes to complete in actual working time (that is, not including off-time). For example, a task which takes 4 hours of effort, and is assigned to 2 resources, has a duration of 2 hours. When you assign resources to a task, the duration or effort may change.
Efficiency
The measure of how much work a resource can get done in a certain amount of time. Efficiency can affect duration and effort: 100% efficiency means the resource can contribute 1 hour of effort for every hour of work; 50% efficiency means it can contribute 1 hour of effort for every 2 hours of work; and so on.
Effort
Effort, in contrast to duration, is how much work time a task takes to complete, considering all of the resources assigned to it. For example, a task which has a duration of 4 hours, and has 2 resources assigned to it, has an effort of 8 hours. When you assign resources to a task, the duration or effort may change.
Equipment

Equipment is a type of resource. It represents some kind of reusable asset, such as some special computer hardware. It can also be useful to consider things like meeting rooms to be equipment, if you need to balance their use between different tasks.

For equipment resources, Units represent how many of the resource are available. The number of available units can affect resource leveling.

Equipment can have Efficiency, Cost per Use, and Cost per Hour values.

Gantt Chart
The Gantt chart is a chronological representation of the project. Each task is represented by a bar, corresponding to a row in the outline, and possibly connected to other tasks by lines representing dependencies.
Group
Items in the task outline or the resource outline can be grouped together. The members, or "children", of the group appear indented from the group itself in the outline. In the Gantt chart, a task group appears as a bracket enclosing its members.
Level

Leveling the project, or leveling resources, means automatically rearranging the project to make sure the resources are being used as efficiently as possible. This means not allowing a resource to be assigned at more than 100% of its available units at any time, and finding the best order for resources to work on tasks in order to complete them more quickly.

Newly created projects by default require leveling to be manually triggered, but automatic leveling can be enabled in the Resources Inspector.

When not leveling automatically, you should level your project after making changes like updating task completion or changing resource assignments.

Material

Material is a type of resource, representing consumable supplies.

For material resources, Units means how many of the resource are being used throughout the project. This value updates as the resource is assigned to more tasks.

Material resources can have Cost per Use and Cost per Hour values.

Milestone
A milestone is like a task, except that it has no duration and requires no effort. Its purpose is to mark some important point in time. Based on dependencies and work schedules, a milestone may shift in time.
Parent
A group is considered the "parent" of all its members; this is common terminology for outlining software.
Resource
Resources are the people and things needed to get a project done. Resources are listed in the Resources Inspector, and can be assigned to tasks. The three types of resources are Staff, Material, and Equipment.
Resource load / Resource allocation
A resource’s load is the amount of effort it is assigned to do at various times throughout the project. If a resource is assigned at more than 100% of its availability all at once, it is said to be overloaded or overutilized. Resource leveling tries to alleviate overload of resources.
Staff

Staff is a type of resource, representing people who work on the project.

Staff units are measured as percentages. A person who is fully available to the project has a units value of 100%; someone who is spending part of their working hours on other projects would have lower available units. Note that this is not the same as having fewer working hours (which can be set in the calendar view), or being less efficient (which can be set in the Resource Information inspector).

Staff can have Address, Efficiency, Cost per Use, and Cost per Hour values.

T day
The first day of a project that has an undetermined start date. Until the start date is set, all dates are represented by an amount of time after T day, such as T+2w 1d.
Task
Some item of work that needs to be done for the project to progress, represented by a corresponding task bar in the Gantt chart.
Units
Units measure amounts of resources in various contexts. For a staff resource, the units value is a percentage representing how much of the person’s time is available to be assigned to tasks. For equipment and material resources, the units value is a number representing a physical quantity.
Variance
Variance is the amount of time by which the actual date differs from the baseline date.
Violation
A violation is some sort of problem in the project that prevents it from working out properly. Such problems are things like tasks that start before the project start date, tasks that don’t have enough time to complete before their dependent tasks need to start, or dependencies that cause a task to be prerequisite to itself.

Chapter 7

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you're using OmniPlan for iOS with an external keyboard connected to your device, you can take advantage of the app's built in keyboard shortcuts for many common tasks.

The keyboard shortcut overlay in the OmniPlan 2.4 for iOS editor.

Anywhere in the app, press and hold the Command (⌘) key on your connected keyboard to view a list of available shortcuts. There are some shortcuts that work no matter where you are, while others are specific to your current view. Some locations may have more than one overlay screen's-worth of shortcuts available; in that case, browse between pages by swiping left or right with the Command key held down.

Note
The keyboard shortcuts listed in this chapter are available in OmniPlan for iOS on all devices. However, only iPad offers the reference overlay mentioned above.

Universal Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are available anywhere in OmniPlan.

Undo (Command-Z)
Revert the most recent action taken.
Redo (Shift-Command-Z)
Reinstate an action that was just reverted. Note that redo works best immediately after undoing something; if you switch views or take additional actions redo may not be available.
Cut (Command-X)
Remove the selected text or item(s) and copy them for pasting elsewhere.
Copy (Command-C)
Copy the selected text or item(s) for pasting elsewhere.
Paste (Command-V)
Insert copied text or item(s) at the selected location.
Delete (delete)
Delete the currently selected item(s). In the document browser this moves local documents to the trash; in the project editor this removes tasks from the Gantt chart.

Document Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are available when working with files in the document browser, or are used to return from an open document to the document browser.

New Document (Command-N)
Create a new OmniPlan document in the current location in the document browser.
Close Document (Command-W)
Close the project editor for the current document, saving changes, and return to the document browser.

Project Editor Shortcuts

The following shortcuts are available when working with tasks in the project editor. Alternate shortcuts are listed for when editing text in-line.

New Task (return)
Create a new task in the project editor's Gantt chart.
New Milestone (M or Shift-Command-M)
Create a new milestone in the project editor's Gantt chart.
Expand Group (right arrow or Command-right arrow)
Expand the contents of a currently selected group.
Collapse Group (left arrow or Command-left arrow)
Collapse the contents of a currently selected group.
Previous Task (up arrow or Command-up arrow)
Move to the task above the current task in the Gantt chart.
Next Task (down arrow or Command-down arrow)
Move to the task below the current task in the Gantt chart.
Edit Title (E or Command-E)
Select and edit the title of the currently open OmniPlan document.

Chapter 8

Getting Help

When you’re in need of help—whether you’re puzzled by the Gantt chart, having trouble syncing, or experiencing another issue with OmniPlan—it’s good to know that the Support Humans at The Omni Group are available to lend you a hand.

The OmniPlan Website

The OmniPlan website is always a good place to find the latest information about OmniPlan, complete with an ever-growing support section.

The Official Forums

The Omni Group maintains online forums for all of our products, and you’re invited! Come share your questions and ideas with other users and Omni staff.

Email Support

If you’re stuck, if you have a good idea for a future version of OmniPlan, or if you just want to let us know how we’re doing, go ahead and send us an email. Choose Send Feedback from Settings to conjure up a message addressed to us. We take support seriously, so you can expect a prompt response actually typed by human hands.

Release Notes

For detailed information about what has changed in each minor version of OmniPlan, check out the release notes in Settings.