How to Use the Project Gantt Chart in Project Insight

The Project Gantt Chart in Project Insight provides a visual timeline of your project plan. It displays tasks, durations, milestones, summary tasks, predecessor relationships, actual progress, deadlines, and other schedule information based on the data entered in the project.

You can also use the Gantt Chart to create or remove task dependencies, adjust task dates and durations, add tasks, update task details, apply filters, change the timeline scale, and export or print the schedule.

Best for: Project managers, schedulers, and team members who want to visually review, update, and share a connected project schedule.

How do I open the Project Gantt Chart?

Open the project.
Go to the available project views.
Select Gantt Chart.

The left side contains task information similar to the Task List. The right side displays the same tasks as a visual schedule.

What does the Project Gantt Chart show?

Each horizontal bar represents a task and its scheduled duration. Lines and arrows between task bars represent predecessor relationships that determine how tasks are scheduled in relation to one another.

Project Insight does this by turning the task dates, durations, relationships, progress, and other project information into a visual timeline.

What do summary tasks look like?

When a summary task is collapsed, it appears as a black bracket that acts as an umbrella over the tasks contained within it.

How is actual time displayed?

A black bar within a task bar indicates actual time entered against the task.

How are predecessor relationships displayed?

Predecessor relationships appear as arrows connecting related tasks on the Gantt Chart.

Learn more about adding predecessor relationships in Project Insight .

How are milestones displayed?

Milestones appear as milestone symbols on the chart. To designate a task as a milestone, enable the Milestone option on the task edit screen.

What does the green line mean?

The green vertical line marks the current day. It helps you compare today’s date with the timing of tasks in the project plan.

How is a deadline displayed?

To add a deadline, open the task edit screen, go to the Advanced tab, and enter a date in the Deadline Date field.

How do I create a predecessor relationship on the Gantt Chart?

Find the task that should happen first.
Click and hold the task bar.
Drag the relationship line to the task that should happen next.
Release the mouse over the successor task.

Project Insight creates the predecessor relationship and automatically recalculates the connected schedule.

How do I remove a predecessor relationship?

Select the arrow connecting the two tasks.
Confirm that you want to delete the relationship.

Project Insight removes the dependency and recalculates the schedule based on the remaining task relationships.

How do I change a task duration on the Gantt Chart?

Drag the end of the task bar to the right to make the task longer. Drag it to the left to make the task shorter.

When the task is linked to other tasks, Project Insight recalculates the subsequent schedule based on the new duration.

How do I move a task to another date?

Drag the task bar forward or backward on the timeline.

Moving the task this way creates a Start No Earlier Than constraint date. A constraint indicator appears beside the task to show that a constraint has been applied.

How do I remove a constraint date?

Select the constraint indicator beside the task.
Choose the option to remove the constraint date.
Confirm the change.

Project Insight removes the constraint and recalculates the task dates using the project’s scheduling relationships.

How do I add a new task from the Gantt Chart?

Go to the task area on the left side of the Gantt Chart.
Select Insert.
Select New Task.
Enter the task information.

You can also create a task row and then adjust its duration and connect it to other tasks from the chart.

How do I view or edit a task from the Gantt Chart?

Select a task to open its details. From there, you can open the individual task or continue to the full task edit view.

The available task details shown in the video include:

Task status
Comments
Task color

How do I change a task color?

Select the task.
Open the task color option.
Select a color.

The selected color appears on the Gantt Chart. To return the task to the default color, open the same option and remove the custom color.

How do I change the Gantt Chart scale?

Right-click the timeline bar at the top of the chart and select a scale.

Available scale options include:

Quarter-day
Half-day
Day
Week
Month
Quarter

Use a smaller scale for short, detailed schedules. Use a week, month, or quarter scale when the project covers a longer period.

What display options are available on the Gantt Chart?

Open Display Options to change how the Gantt Chart appears.

Gantt-specific options include:

Scale: Change the timeline to quarter-day, half-day, day, week, month, or quarter.
Show Critical Tasks in Red: Highlight tasks on the critical path.
Show Baseline as a Separate Row: Display the saved baseline as a gray bar beneath the task.

Learn more about project baselines in Project Insight .

How do I colorize tasks by other values?

Open the advanced filter and display options to change how task bars are colorized.

The tutorial shows options to colorize tasks by:

Task color
Task type
Work status
Assigned resource

You can also choose to show task names, actual information, or a separate baseline row.

How do I filter the Gantt Chart?

Use the filters to limit the tasks shown on the schedule. The tutorial demonstrates filters such as:

Completed tasks
Incomplete tasks
Current tasks

These filters are similar to the filters available on the Task List.

Project Insight does this by displaying only the tasks that match the selected criteria, making it easier to focus on the work you need to review.

How do I collapse or expand the project plan?

Use the controls beside summary tasks to collapse or expand individual sections of the project plan.

You can also collapse all sections and then open only the parts of the project you want to review.

How do I resize the Gantt Chart?

Drag the divider between the task information and the visual timeline to show more or less of either side.

Double-click the divider to expand the Gantt Chart across the full window. Double-click it again to return to the split view.

How do I print the Gantt Chart?

Use the Print Friendly option to create a printable version of the Gantt Chart currently displayed.

The print-friendly view reflects the tasks and timeline shown in the current view.

How do I export the Gantt Chart to PDF?

Select Export to PDF to download the complete Project Gantt Chart.

The PDF includes the full project schedule, including areas that may be outside the currently visible screen and require scrolling in Project Insight.

What does the Gantt Chart help a team accomplish?

The Project Gantt Chart helps teams understand how tasks fit together over time and how one schedule change may affect the rest of the project.

Teams can use it to:

See the full project timeline
Understand task sequencing and dependencies
Adjust dates and durations visually
Review milestones, actual progress, deadlines, and baselines
Focus the schedule with filters and scale options
Update tasks without returning to the Task List
Print or export the project schedule for stakeholders

In short, Project Insight combines task information and a visual timeline so teams can build, maintain, and communicate a connected project plan.

What are common mistakes when using the Gantt Chart?

Dragging a task without realizing that a scheduling constraint may be created
Removing a predecessor without reviewing how the schedule recalculates
Using a day scale for a long project that would be easier to view by week or month
Leaving filters active and assuming tasks are missing
Changing a task color while another colorization option is being used
Using Print Friendly when the complete schedule is needed in the output
Changing durations without reviewing the effect on successor tasks

Can I create task dependencies from the Gantt Chart?

Yes. Drag from the predecessor task to the successor task to create the relationship.

Can I edit a task without leaving the Gantt Chart?

Yes. Select a task to review its details, update available fields, or open the full task edit screen.

Can I view critical tasks on the Gantt Chart?

Yes. Enable Show Critical Tasks in Red in the Gantt Chart display options.

Can I see the project baseline on the Gantt Chart?

Yes. Enable the option to show the baseline as a separate row. It appears as a gray bar beneath the task.

Can I export the entire Gantt Chart?

Yes. Use Export to PDF to include the complete project schedule, including areas outside the currently visible screen.

Where can I get help with the Project Gantt Chart?

Visit Project Insight Support for help with task relationships, scheduling, filters, baselines, printing, or exports.