How to Draw a Gantt Chart - Simple Tutorial
Preparations for Creating a Gantt Chart
Preparation has always been an indispensable step before creating a Gantt chart. You need to turn your project into a step-by-step plan and list the activities in a table. For each activity on your list, estimate how long it will take you. How long are you going to spend? To put it simply, how many tasks can you do in a day? How about your team members?
It will help if you put activities in order. What is the first thing that you are going to do? What will you do next? All you have to do is put everything in order since you can not do one thing until another is started or finished. Besides, don't forget to make a note of any dependencies.
When you finish the list and know how long everything will last, you need to combine, divide, or readjust the tasks to manage the whole project more effectively.
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How to Draw a Gantt Chart
After installing Edraw Project management tool, it's time to create your own Gantt chart now! Start a Gantt chart drawing page from the Project Management category. On the left of the canvas, you will see a library containing a group of Gantt chart templates. Drag a template and drop on the canvas, and the Gantt Options dialogue will pop up automatically. You can set the date unit, date format, start and finish date in the dialogue. (Note: This dialogue could be reopened though Set Date button under Gantt Chart toolbar.)
Add a Task or Sub Task in Gantt Chart
You can right click on the mouse to add a task or a sub task.
You can also use the quick buttons under the Gantt Chart toolbar to add a task, add a sub task, or delete a task.
To change the column width, place the mouse cursor on the line between two cells and drag, just like the way excel does.
Insert Columns
You can right click to insert a new column after the selected column. Choose the title of column from the pop-up dialogue box. For example, we can add a priority column.
Note:
For more details, let's watch the following video tutorial
How to Change the Task Bar
When double clicking the text editing box to input task start date and finish date, the progress bar will be updated automatically according to the new date.
Also, you can hover the cursor at the end of a bar, when the cursor changes as a two-way arrow (No.1), drag the bar to change the finish date.
Hover the cursor above a bar, and when the cursor changes as a four-way arrow (No.2), you can move the whole task bar. When the bar is moved, the start and finish date will change accordingly.
Input the task completed percentage, and the green progress bar will be upgraded automatically. Also, hover your cursor at the beginning of the bar, when the cursor turns as a two-way arrow and a percent symbol (No.3), drag the bar to change the complete percentage.
Different Task Type in Gantt Chart
There are three different task types in the Gantt chart: Normal, Summary and Milestone.
You don't have to set the type explicitly. The Gantt chart software will process it automatically. The normal task has a completed percentage. You can set it as the above description. If a task has some sub tasks, the task will become a summary. A milestone task can be a diamond shape while you drag the two yellow control points together.
Share the Gantt Chart
When you complete the Gantt chart, you can save it as the project file for revision later. You can print it or export it as the html, pdf, svg, transparent png format. You can also export it to MS Word, Excel or PowerPoint with one click. See a svg format export effect: How to Draw a Gantt Chart
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