The toolbox

In addition to the main tools on the top row, the toolbox offers symbols, bars, vertical links and drawing tools.  Each symbol, horizontal bar, and vertical link can be changed to a different shape, color and more. Changes to the toolbox are saved with the individual schedule.  A custom toolbox can be saved with the default template.  

 Tutorial Lesson 4 - Customize the toolbox

 

Contents

  1. Choose the toolbox location
  2. What's in the toolbox?
  3. Customize the toolbox contents
  4. Copy a toolbox to another schedule
  5. Copy and paste a toolbox row
  6. Start every schedule with the same toolbox
  7. Hide or show tooltips for the toolbox
    1. Determine which toolbox symbol is used for a symbol that has been added to the schedule:
  8. Default text for toolbox symbols
  9. Change symbols on the schedule to another symbol type in the toolbox

Choose the toolbox location

  1. Right-click anywhere on the toolbox and choose Sidebar Options.

  2. In the Sidebar Options dialog box, choose Show Sidebar on right or left.

  3. This will anchor the toolbox within the sidebar on either the right side or the left side of the schedule.

  4. For a free-floating toolbox, choose Do Not Show Sidebar.

  5. Close and restart Milestones in order for the Sidebar changes to take effect.
Toolbox on the sidebar      

 
Floating

 

For a free-floating toolbox, choose Do Not Show Sidebar.

 

What's in the toolbox?

 

 

The toolbox displays rows of symbol+bar+symbol combinations which can be added to the schedule in a quick click-drag-and-drop movement. Symbols can also be added independently.

 
  1. The 3 main tools (plus, arrow and text)
  2. The drawing tools (line, box, circle), optional
  3. From 1-32 rows of symbol+bar+symbol combinations
  4. From 0-2 rows of vertical connectors.

 

Plus tool - Use to add symbols, horizontal bars and vertical links.

Arrow tool - Use to change symbol dates, and to move and select items on the schedule.

Text tool - Use to type text directly onto the schedule.

Line tool - Use to draw lines on the schedule.

Box tool - Use to draw boxes on the schedule.

Circle tool - Use to draw circles on the schedule.

 

 

Customize the toolbox contents

Change toolbox properties    

  1. Right-click the toolbox.

  2. Choose Toolbox Properties.

  3. Miles00000292.gif Open File with Arrow Tool Active. This helps avoid adding symbols until the user actively clicks the Plus tool in the toolbox.

  4. Choose the values  for the number of Symbols, Horizontal Bars, and Vertical Link Rows.

  5. Miles00000292.gif Extra Highlighting for Selection to add a thick black line around the current tools, symbols and bars.

  6. Miles00000293.gif Show Light Blue Background for Current Selection to add a light blue color to the selected symbols and bars.

  7. Show Line, Box and Circle Tools to include these tools in the toolbox.  (Typically not needed)

Change the number of rows of symbols and bars   

  1. Under Rows make a selection from 1-32.  

Customize the toolbox vertical links

Vertical links can be used to establish dependencies (predecessor and successor relationships) between dates on different task rows.

The set of links displayed in the toolbox is just a small subset of the vertical link types built into Milestones Professional. Double-click a vertical link in the toolbox to change its properties.

 
 

 
Largest possible toolbox
  • 32 rows of symbols+bars
  • 2 rows of vertical connectors
  • drawing tools 

    
Minimalist toolbox
  • 2 rows of symbols and bars
  • no vertical connectors
  • no drawing tools

    

 

Background color

We recommend light blue but other colors are possible:

    

 

Hide the floating toolbox

Floating toolboxes can be hidden by right clicking the toolbox and choosing Hide Toolbox.  To show a hidden toolbox, just right-click the schedule and choose Toggle Toolbox Display.

 

Customize the toolbox drawing tools

The drawing tools in the toolbox are used to add extra annotation to the schedule.

  1. Double-Click on the Drawing Tool (Circle tool , Line tool , or Box tool ) that you want to customize.

  2. Change the properties of the tool.

  3. Click OK. From now on, when customized tool is used, it will use the chosen properties.

 

Copy a toolbox to another schedule

  1. Open both schedules in the same instance of Milestones (a single Milestones window with two files open).

  2. Right-click anywhere on the toolbox

  3. Choose Copy Toolbox.

  4. Choose View | Window Controls | Switch Window menu and select the other schedule.

  5. Right-click that schedule's toolbox and choose Paste Toolbox.

Copy and paste a toolbox row

  1. Click the small plus next to the row to be copied.  This will select the row.

  2. Right-click the selected row and choose Copy Selected Row.

  3. Click the small plus next to the row to be changed.

  4. Right-click the "destination" toolbox row and choose Paste Copied row over selected.

A toolbox row can also be copied to another schedule.  On the View tab, click the small arrow next to Switch Windows to use a different schedule

Start every schedule with the same toolbox

Once a toolbox has been customized, it can be saved as part of the default template for use on all future schedules created with the New file icon.  Just save a template (File | Save As | Personal Template) with the name Default.mtp

 

Hide or show tooltips for the toolbox

To hide tooltips which appear next to the cursor in the toolbox, choose Tools | Program Options | Help and choose No Tooltips in Toolbox.

Determine which toolbox symbol is used for a symbol that has been added to the schedule:

  1. Right click the symbol.

  2. Choose Select Symbol and Bar in the Toolbox.

  3. The symbol and connector (if any) being used will highlight in the toolbox.

Default text for toolbox symbols

Assign up to three lines of text to each symbol in the toolbox. When a symbol with Default Text is added to the schedule, both the symbol and text appear.

The text is based on user-entered text or text from a selected column.

Text attached to any symbol already on the schedule will not be affected by changes to the Default Text. That is, changes to the Default Text only affect symbols that subsequently get added, not those already on the schedule.

Assign default text to a toolbox symbol:

  1. Double-click the symbol in the toolbox.

  2. Choose the Default Text tab.

  3. For user-entered text, under Line, enter the text to appear when this symbol is added to the schedule.

  4. For a column's text to appear as the default text, under Insert Text from Column below, select an existing column from the drop-down list, then press Insert.

  5. Repeat by assigning user-entered text and/or column-based text for up to three symbol text slots.

Example: Default symbol text

In the example below, default text is assigned to the red triangle symbol in the toolbox. The text from the Name column is assigned to Line 1; the word Finish is assigned to Line 2; and the text from the % column is assigned to Line 3. When the red symbol is added to the schedule, the default text appears automatically.

 

Change symbols on the schedule to another symbol type in the toolbox

Change one symbol on the schedule to another symbol type in the toolbox:

    1. Click  (the toolbox Arrow tool.)  

    2. Click once on the symbol (in the schedule area) to change.

    3. In the Toolbox, click once on the new symbol.

Change many symbols on the schedule to another symbol type in the toolbox:

    1. Click  (the toolbox Arrow tool.) 

    2. Hold Shift while clicking the various symbols in the schedule area.

    3. In the Toolbox, click the new symbol.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Related Topics

  1. Templates
  2. The Milestones Professional window
  3. Schedule area definition
  4. Determine_which_toolbox_symbol_is_being_used
  5. Add a bitmap symbol to the toolbox

 

 

  

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