The Timeline (Gantt chart) feature gives you a linear view of the project on a timeline. In the Timeline, you can work with tasks, easily change deadlines, move deadlines in bulk, or create task relations.
You can only find the Timeline in the projects if you have the Business plan or are invited by the captain of the Business plan. If you want to experience all the benefits of the Business plan, activate the Business panel testing.
As an invited user, you must have all To-Do lists visible in the project to view the Timeline.
Advantages of Timeline
The feature makes it easy to keep tasks in your project from overlapping and completing them in time.
- Saved filters (only available in multi-project Timeline): The nature of the multi-project Timeline allows you to use saved filters on the Dashboard and apply those on the Timeline.
- Side panel (only available in multi-project Timeline): You can adjust the width of the side panel on the left so that you always see the whole name of the project, To-Do list and sub/task.
- Hierarchy: Thanks to hierarchy, you can see all tasks included in the projects you’re viewing, even if you can’t directly see them on the Timeline (since you might be using a view that doesn’t show these tasks, such as daily view – some tasks might be further in the future or in the past). Simply see the panel on the left to get the bigger picture of all the tasks.
- Hide information that’s not relevant: The Timeline allows you to hide all the information from a project with one simple click. Additionally, you can also choose not to view blank lines and therefore increase the overall clarity.
- Modal window: If you wish to edit a sub/task, apart from opening the modal window by cklicking it, you can also use the arrow symbol in the side panel (if you’ve got the viewing of hierarchy enabled).
- Gaps between tasks: The conflict control (based on relations between sub/tasks) can
Timeline in one project
You can go to the Timeline via the project menu > Tasks.
You will see the project in the Timeline view. If you have already set up task relations, you will see them here.
Setting the Timeline view
You have several options for customizing your Timeline view:
- Set the timeline on which you want to see the tasks. Choose from Days/Weeks/Months/Quarters/Half a year/Years.
Set the project overview to daily, yearly or any other that works for you. - Sort by the Beginning/Deadline/Solver or To-do lists, to create new tasks or To-Do lists via the green button.
Options for sorting tasks in the Timeline. - Use the gear icon to display the subtasks and completed sub/tasks on the Timeline using the checkboxes as needed.
Touchpad – Move the Timeline sideways by simply dragging two fingers right/left, or using the gesture you have set up for that movement. Mouse – Move sideways using the grey bar at the bottom of the Timeline. Or use the shortcut Ctrl/Cmd + press the left mouse button and drag right/left.
Work with sub/tasks in the Timeline
The Timeline shows tasks and subtasks with due dates, which you can complete directly in the Timeline. Subtasks are marked with a yellow box. The Timeline of a project is always displayed next to the current day marked with a blue vertical line.
If you lose your way while working in the Timeline, you can always return via the Today button on the top right.
Unfinished tasks and subtasks without a deadline are listed under the Unscheduled section. From here, you can use draq&drop to schedule them on the Timeline. You can also use the draq&drop feature to move scheduled sub/tasks around, changing their due dates, solvers or To-Do list placement.
You can only do this action with tasks. If you try to do this with a subtask, the application will alert you that the action cannot be done.
The exception is a bulk move of the main task with its subtask to another To-Do list. This action can be done.
How to add a task
There are several ways to create a new task directly in the Timeline:
- Click in the Timeline row where you want to create the task. Write its name and confirm with Enter or click outside the new task field.
Option how to add a task to the Timeline. - In the To-Do list view you can add a task via the Add Task green button on the top left. Click on it and you will see a field to write the name of the task next to today’s date.
Example of how to add a task to the Timeline via the green button. - Via the Alt/Option + Shift + N keyboard shortcut – a form will pop up to add a new task.
Tasks created by methods 1 and 2 have a default deadline of 5 days. This deadline also applies to tasks you move from the Unscheduled section. After creating them, you can edit the deadlines as needed.
Easy control
Use keyboard shortcuts for faster planning:
- assign sub/tasks to yourself – the cursor on the task + M,
- view preview a sub/task – the cursor on the task + Q,
- edit a sub/task – the cursor on the task + E,
- set a reminder for a sub/task– cursor on the task + R.
Via draq&drop you can easily and comfortably:
- plan or replan a task,
- change the time range of a task,
- bulk change the deadlines of marked tasks,
- create blocking relations between tasks.
Multi-project Timeline
In Freelo, you can use the Timeline view (in the Business plan) on the Dashboard as well as in a single project. That can come in handy when you wish to work with tasks from multiple projects effectively, want to see in one place how certain projects are doing or for example want to move tasks between To-Do lists while changing their due dates etc. You can also combine saved filters and the Timeline view.
You can tell different projects (and tasks from them) apart based on their different colours. This setting can be personalised based on your own preference.
Settings options in the Timeline on the Dashboard
Be it setting the shown time period or changing the sorting, you can change the Timeline view just as you do in the Timeline in one specific project.
If you click the cogwheel icon, you can change the settings of the relations conflicts check. Additionally, you can choose what you actually want to see on the Timeline and what you don’t. The viewing options are as follows:
- Subtasks
- Blank lines – if this option is enabled, you will see all corresponding lines (referring to To-Do list etc. based on the settings) across all shown projects, even if there are no tasks from them to be shown in the Timeline (so the line stays empty)
- Hierarchy – this options shows you exactly in which To-Do list and project each task belongs
Navigating the Timeline on the Dashboard
The principles of working with (sub)tasks stays the same as in the Timeline in one specific project.
You can create new tasks directly in it, simultaneously change the tasks, create blocking relations etc. Using the Timeline had many advantages.
Relations in the Timeline
To make what is related obvious to everyone, Timeline offers the function of relations.
Blocking/It’s blocked prevents the task from being closed/completed before all preceding tasks have been completed. The blocked task will have a lock symbol visible to everyone in every view of the project (Kanban, Mind map,…).
Blocking/Is blocked is a type of relation exclusively available in the Business plan. However, there are other types of relations in Freelo – Related to and Is a duplicate of. Both of these are also available in the Team plan.
Relations conflicts check
The feature Sub/task conflicts check is there to make sure the correct relations of tasks and subtasks stay in the Timeline.
You’ve got 3 options:
- Preserve the gap – this option means that if you’ve got two tasks (one being blocked, one that is blocking the other one), moving the date of the blocking one will automatically postpone the due date of the other one plus save the gap between them (if it’s for example 3 days, it will stay that way).
- Use the gap – this option means that if you’ve got two tasks (one being blocked, one that is blocking the other one), moving the date of the blocking one will automatically postpone the due date of the other one. However, the gap between them won’t be saved (the blocked task will get a new due date directly following the new date of the blocking task).
- No control – in that case, if you move the blocking task (and change it’s due date), it won’t automatically postpone the task that’s being blocked.
