Insights

Setting the Timescale & Planning Canvas Area

NetPoint is a graphic planning tool with real-time calculation based on the tie between object location on the planning canvas and the date. Why? Each time unit requires one horizontal pixel for real-time calculation based on printer and page setup.

Set Up the Planning Canvas

Step 1. Set timescale and date display:

1. Click the Schedule icon to open Schedule Properties
2. In the Dates tab, see the time unit set to Day.
3. Now set Calendar Dates to define the timespan/calendar strip dates. Also see new option to set Fiscal/Ordinal Start.
4. Set Project Dates at least one unit within Calendar Dates.
5.  In Displays tab, set the calendar strips displayed and vertical canvas sightlines to delineate canvas time segments.

TIP: Before objects are added, use Auto-fill to set the Project Dates 1 day within the timescale. Then adjust Project dates may be moving the project flag on the canvas.

Step 2. Print setup. Select printer and page size.

1. Via File > Print Setup, select the printer.
2. Next select paper size. A wider page gives more pixels to allow a longer timescale per page or tile pages for more flexibility.

Step 3. Option to tile the number of pages:

1. In Print Setup window via File > Page Setup (Tiling …), add horizontal times to increase available planning canvas timescale and adjust the proportion of objects on the plan.
2. See option to display page breaks on the NetPoint canvas.
3. See option to print calendar strip on the top of each tiled page.

TIP: As the planning canvas is defined, NetPoint gives options to meet pixel/resolution needs if the current setup does not meet requirements.

Other Plan Setup Considerations

• The resolution of the monitor, projector and printer can be adjusted to increase pixels.
• Use gray handles at canvas edge to adjust grid height and number of grids on the page.
• Day is the default time unit and is set in the Schedule Properties Dates tab. Conversion from larger to smaller time units is supported. See Polytime in the User Guide for details.
• Available print dimensions of the same page size may vary between printers.
• On printing to PDF, Adobe may slightly reset the print location of object text and data.