FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I get a Macro security warning when opening
the Plan Generator ?
There are no security risks associated with this Macro! However,
a generic warning message will be displayed on most systems, or
Macros may be disabled. For
a general overview of Macro security issues, read this article.
Macros are a very useful tool to automate tasks in Microsoft Office.
Unfortunately, like another programming language, it can be misused.
There are Macro Virus, so Microsoft Office can be configured to request
permission to run macros. Only run macros from known sources.
OfficeHelp.Biz macros are Virus Free and can be open with confidence.
Microsoft
Office XP/2003 Warning: Macros may need to be activated. Follow
instructions on the message Microsoft Excel XP/2003 will show, if necessary. Read
this article for additional information.
Help - The button doesn't work but there are no warnings If
you can open the Microsoft Excel file (both the DEMO and/or the commercial version) and
get no warnings but the button just won't work, you have Macro support
disabled. Please
refer (click here) to our article on Macro security issues for information on
how to configure Microsoft Office Macro security settings.
How do I get Support ?
Use the Support Contact Us page on this
website. No registration is necessary. Clearly describe your
problem and contact details. We will get in touch with you ASAP.
Also, the generic Contact Us page is present at the top of
EVERY page on this website . Click here to
jump to it.
HOW-TO Information
Can I stop the macro while it's running?
Yes. Press the ESC key and it will stop with a warning
message that it was interrupted before finishing generating the
calendar.
Can I import Tasks lists from Version 3.0 or below?
Yes. Just copy/paste the task list into version 4. The
fixed columns are the same, so it will work. You CANNOT import the
optional fields because they didn't exist on previous versions.
What are Daily Calendar Plans?
Daily Calendar Plans are calendar plans with a column for each
separated day in the calendar main interval. This gives maximum
detail but produces long calendars for large periods. Better for
smaller periods, when details are important.
What are Weekly Calendar Plans?
Weekly Calendar Plans are calendar plans with a column for each
separated week in the calendar main interval. This gives less detail
but produces compact calendars for larger periods. Better for larger
periods, when the "big picture" is important.
What are Monthly Calendar Plans?
Monthly Calendar Plans are calendar plans with a column for each
separated month in the calendar main interval. This gives less
detail but produces compact calendars for larger periods. Better for
really large periods, when the "big picture" is important.
What are Yearly Calendar Plans?
A completely new style of calendars. They present full years on
matrix of Months vs Days and therefore need no external legend for
the tasks. But it is a very convenient format for year long events
like meetings, holidays, vacations and long plans like software
roll-outs.
Can I make all calendars at once?
Yes, of course. Just select "All" on the Plan Type box.
WARNING: On Free DEMO Editions, the All option
disables the Split By (months) field. Instead, the
optimum selection for the Plan Demos in each case is used.
Split By (months) will work for individual plan types. .
How to use it?
1) Fill in the general (header) input fields (PIC. 1):
- The name of the calendar, that will be used to name the
Microsoft
Excel sheet on the calendar file;
- The start and end date for the calendar;
- The split options (see below for more information - leave
them as default for the first tests);
- The output types (Daily or Weekly, can be both);
PIC. 1 - Header Input Fields
2) Fill the task details on the Tasks table (PIC. 2):
- Level: Level of the task. Level 0 means a task group so
no % is used and has a bold label. Labels are indented to their
level;
- Color: Color to use for the task bar. Just change the
cell background color using the Microsoft Excel taskbar button for that;
- Deadline: If it has a "Y" or "y",
the task bar will end with a red "D" on the last day,
the deadline;
- StartDate: Date when the task bar should start. If
before the Plan start date, the bar will start on the first day
on the plan;
- EndDate: Date when the task bar should end. If after
the last day on the Plan, the bar will end on the Plan last date;
- Name: Task name or label.
PIC. 2 - Tasks details table
3) Press the Run button on the header to generate
the calendar.
4) If not satisfied, close (dump it) the Calendar workbook generated
by the macro, change the details you want and generate a new
calendar with the corrected details!
5) When satisfied, save the calendar to the disk. You can now
make manual changes, multiple copies and work with it as any
other regular Microsoft Excel file!
What about the Optional Fields?
There are 3 optional fields that can be used or
not. Their labels can also be changed:
- % Done: % field for the % of task done. Usually 0%
at start
- Resource: For the task resource, usually the person
name or code
- Category: Task category, in case tasks can be
categorized
It is possible to change both 3 labels by entering
new labels into cells I35, J35 and K35. These columns are optional
because they can be disabled by changing cells I34, J34 and K34.If
they are set to "Exclude" then the column will not be used on the
plan.
PIC. 3 - Optional Fields
What are the customization options of the CONFIG sheet?
The CONFIG sheet allows for several customizations of the Calendar
Plans generated by the macro:
How to Import OUTLOOK Calendar and Tasks
To import Outlook Calendar or Tasks, all you need to do is to run
the macro on the PC where the Outlook you want to sync is installed,
and with the same account. For most cases, all you need to do is
select the source and press the "Import Outlook" button.
- Import from this Outlook Folder: Select the source for import:
Calendar (default) or Tasks
- Task Color: Color to use for the task bar. All Outlook imported
events will have this color after import. You can manually change
it.
- Task level: Level to use for ALL Outlook imported events. You can
manually change it after import.
- Deadline marker: Letter to use for ALL Outlook imported events.
You can manually change it after import.
There are also some ADVANCED SETTINGS on the Config sheet:
- Import Completed Tasks: For Tasks only, define if tasks already
completed should be imported. Default is Yes.
- Import Tasks without Start / Due dates: For Tasks only, define if
tasks without a defined Start or End date should be imported.
- Import Contact info (Protected by Outlook, user will need to
grant permission): Define if the Contact info of the Calendar events
or tasks should be imported. This will trigger an Outlook protection
and will require the user to manually accept it.
Automatic Calendar Split
Excel has a built in limit of 256 columns. Since it uses a column
for each day/week, and some columns are used for data and
formatting, you cannot have calendars longer than 253 days/weeks.
Very long calendars can also be impossible to read once printed. The
Calendar Plan Generator macro will warn you if the calendar reach
the limits and propose an automatic split of the calendar into
several plans. For your convenience, each calendar will have the
task headings and splits are automatically made at the last full
month. No months will be split in the middle.
What is the "Split Every (months)" option?
Instead of having very long calendars, you can have them split
for you, automatically, every N months. You have to select a value
from the list supplied, other values will not work.
What is the "Split by" option?
If your calendar plan is split, you can opt for each calendar
plan to be made on the same sheet (having them all together and
pre-formatted for the printer) or separated on an Excel Workbook for
each. Same sheet is the default option.
What is the "Include Levels" option?
If you have a Task list with several levels (0,1,2…), it will not
make sense to use all tasks on all calendars. In a Monthly or Weekly
calendar it may make sense to eliminate the details and use only
top-level (0,1..) tasks. On a daily calendar, it makes sense to
include all tasks. With this filter, YOU choose what level of detail
to include.
What is the "Reset Tasks" button?
The Reset tasks button will delete ALL tasks on the task list.
Therefore, you have to confirm TWICE the action. All existing Tasks
will be PERMANENTLY ERASED.
Can I change the resulting plan ?
Of course. It's an Excel Sheet like any other. There is nothing
special once it's generated, only colored cells and data.
Can I save the Plan Generator with the Plan Data ? Can I have
several copies ?
Again, of course. It's a regular Excel file. There are NO MACROS
on the resulting plan, only on the generator file.
Can I personalize the POP-UP messages?
Only on the future CUSTOM EDITION or SOURCE CODE EDITION.
Changing the messages on the Config sheet will not work on this
version.
Can I leave a Blank line between tasks?
Yes, just enter a level 0 blank task (no data or name). The supplied sample data has one (line 19).
How does the Plan Generator knows when the tasks end?
The macro will stop on the first task line with no data on the task level. So if you leave the task level empty on a line, it will stop there even if more tasks exist after that
line.
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