A data date is an object on the canvas used to represent the date to which the project has been statused to reflect actual progress. The data date appears as a blue circle with a blue line extending the height of the canvas on that date.
Setting the Data Date
By default, the first data date is technically equal to the project start, but it doesn’t show up on the canvas.
To insert a subsequent data date, click the Data Date icon
on the toolbar.
Once the cursor moves over the canvas, it changes from the Select Tool
to a set of crosshairs
.
To place the data date, click the mouse button at the desired start date, indicated by the text above the crosshairs. Release the mouse.
Once placed, any prior data dates will become faded and a counter will appear in the upper-right corner displaying the number of un-actualized (or pending) objects left of the data date. Double-click the counter to manage actualized and un-actualized objects.
As objects are statused and actualized, the counter will decrease accordingly until all objects have been tended to.
NOTE: If working in CPM Mode, all activities to the left of the data date (or crossing through it) must have start and finish constraints applied before the data date is placed. Otherwise, the network (i.e. all connected activities and milestones) will jump to the data date (since this is where drift is calculated to) and be unable to be actualized. To set constraints globally for all necessary objects, see Setting Multiple Properties for Selected Objects.
Modifying & Displaying Data Dates
The date of the data date can never be modified graphically by selecting and dragging; it may only be modified using the arrow keys or Gestural Interface.
Although a data date may never be deleted, the most current data date may be reset to the project start. This will have the effect of deleting all previous data dates and de-actualizing all objects.
To reset a data date, right-click on the data date and select .
The most current data date may also be hidden. To hide the data date, click and choose the Displays tab. Uncheck or check the box next to Current Data Date to hide or show it respectively.
Old data dates display in faded gray by default. To hide previous data dates, click and choose the Displays tab. Uncheck or check the box next to Old Data Dates to hide or show them respectively.