Set Cell Properties
Use the Cell Settings tab to define the type and content of a time/distance cell selected in a view. On this tab, you can do these things:
Name and specify the type and content of a cell.
Define a cell's axes.
Modify the visible area of a cell.
Define or select a filter for a cell.
Specify a master cell that controls the layout of adjacent cells.
Configure a custom Y-axis for a distance cell
Note: Different cell types offer different settings within the tab.
Prerequisites
Integrated view with a time or distance cell
Ways to access
Select a cell in the view and click the Cell Settings tab.
Options
Cell type/content
Name - The name of the cell is displayed resp. can be edited. The row and column numbers (X, Y) of the current cell are displayed.
Cell type - Selection of the type of cell from the drop-down menu. See the description below.
Cell content - Selection of the Cell content. Depends on the Cell type. See the list of Cell Contents in page Integrated View.
Axis - Selection of the arrangement of the time axis (horizontal or vertical). This cannot be edited if a master cell has been set.
Master cells
Master cells can be either time-distance cells or just distance cells. See Define Master and Dependent Cells.
Time Master Cell - A list of all time/ distance cells or Gantt Chart cells (coordinates and name if necessary). It is active for cells with a Time Axis. The time range is taken from the selected Time master cell in order to synchronize. Then the time range fields will be disabled. Only cells in the same row or column can be assigned as a master cell of the activated cell. Setting this for a distance cell has no effect; the values determined by the time axis will be read-only.
Distance Master Cell - A list of all time/ distance cells or Gantt Chart cells (coordinates and name if necessary). The distance range is taken from the selected Distance master cell in order to synchronize. Then the distance range fields will be disabled. Only cells in the same row or column can be assigned as a master cell of the activated cell. Allows selection of either time-distance cell or just distance cell. This setting determines the coordinate of the first axis. If nothing is set here, the axis definitions are independently taken from the next section. Also see Custom Y-Axis below.
Icons
Cell Wizard - Opens the dialog Cell Wizard, in order to create new cell content.
In Gantt Chart Cells - Select Projects opens the dialog to select one or more required subprojects.
In Time Distance Cells - Select Projects opens the dialog to select one or more required subprojects.
Cell Borders - Opens the dialog Border Properties, in order to edit the margin lines of the cell.
Adjust View Range - Open Adjust View Range dialog
Visible area and scale
Defining the visible area per cell is one of the most important methods for selecting what to display. You may only display a part of the overall project area in distance or time. The result is then just a detailed view.
If these settings are disabled/read-only (gray), they are taking their values from a master cell (described above).
Start
Start (Distance) - Shows at which distance position the cell should begin.
Start (Relative) - Shows at which relative distance position the cell should begin.
This field is only visible if the option Enable equation is active in the Dialog - Options - Functions.
Start (Date) - Shows from which date the cell should begin.
Start (Time) - Shows from which time the cell should begin.
End
End (Distance) - Shows at which distance position the cell should end.
End (Relative) - Shows at which relative distance position the cell should end.
This field is only visible if the option 'Enable equation' is active in the Options Toolbar in the tab Functions.
End (Date) - Shows on which date the cell should end.
End (Time) - Shows at which time the cell should end.
Length
Length (Distance) - Shows the difference between the start and end of the distance.
Length (Date) - Shows the time period in calendar time between the start and end date.
Scale
Scale (Distance) - Number of distance units per drawing unit (Centimeters or Inches).
Scale (Date) - Duration per drawing unit (Centimeters or Inches).
Distance axis descending - If you activate this option, the distance axis is displayed descending.
Time axis vertical - End point = left and start point = right
Time axis horizontal - End point = top and start point = bottom
Time axis descending - If you activate this option, the time axis is displayed descending.
Time axis vertical - End date = top and start date = bottom
Time axis horizontal - End date = left and start date = right
Advancing the view of WPA progress in set increments
Use the Earlier and Later buttons for a 2-axis distance cell to move backwards and forwards in time. These buttons make it easy to scan phased work over time in defined intervals. You can specify the time interval for movement from one minute up to hundreds of weeks.
Note: Work phase planning requires a WPA license.
Custom y-axis
Use these settings to configure a distance cell to use a Y-axis that is based on a distance unit. This enables you to connect graphical objects in a distance cell with Activities to create a map that responds to schedule changes. Objects shown in these cells could be, for instance, rail tracks, building footprints, or other structures that affect work phase planning. You can display every phase of your project on such a map. You can also import/export data into/from such a distance cell.
This means that you can build any time-distance view on the basis of different distance cells (taking coordinates from each other), and easily define objects for different phases/different sectors for any track. This makes it possible to create different objects inside distance cells.
Note: This setting and the Distance master cell setting (above) are licensed to the Work Phase Assistant. For details, see the Planning Phased Work with WPA help topic.
Custom y-axis
Check this box to enable the settings below (similar to the settings available before for the X-axis).
Start (distance) - Shows at which distance position the cell should begin.
End (distance) - Shows at which distance position the cell should end.
Length (distance) - Shows the difference between the start and end of the distance.
Scale - The units for the x- and y-axes can be different. Objects inserted into the cell will reflect this in their dimensions.
Distance descending - Change the Y-axis direction in the distance cell so a site map can be displayed in the right direction. When this box is checked, the start and end coordinates are swapped so that the start distance has a larger value than the end distance and the direction of the cell’s axis changes accordingly.
Note: When you check the Y-axis box, the Distance Cell Settings tab appears with additional WPA options. For details, see the Setting 2-Axis Distance Cell Properties.
Other things to know:
Dimensions
The y-axis can be defined using a distance unit out of the library, e.g., meters or track grid line number. The default Y-axis unit is in % of the distance of the x-axis?
Time grid -functionality is available as a horizontal grid or y-axis grid.
Adjacent cells can use different axes: one horizontal and one vertical.
Content/objects
Any object that is inserted into a distance cell is defined by two coordinates; one from the x-axis and one from the y-axis.
You will also be able to copy objects between different cells.
You can show the same object in multiple cells if you choose the same cell content. (see above)
Each object in a distance cell has its own unique ID (UID). The comparison, matching, and update of objects in a distance cell is made using each object's UIDs.
All objects in a distance cell are editable (movable and resizable) both by clicking-and-dragging handles graphically and by entering values on the Details tab of the Object Properties pane.
Import/export
You can import and export the objects of a distance cell from/to the clipboard.
There are multiple options if imported objects already exist in the distance cell (based on their UID's matching) :
Keep existing (ignore import data values)
Overwrite existing (change only imported values)
Replace existing (delete existing object and replace by imported object).
Master cells
Adjacent cells can be linked to a master cell to display scales and descriptions assigned to the vertical y-axis units. The cells can also take their coordinates from the master cell. So, for instance, a center cell can be a master for a cell to the right and to the left. If you edit the dimensions of the master cell, the other cells are updated accordingly.
Next topic: ---