Project Management Procedures
From Hash, Inc. WIKI
Contents |
[edit] General
Those who assign tasks or have had tasks assigned must follow these procedures for:
[edit] Adding Tasks
To add a Task (Task Manager or above access only):
Most tasks you will add will belong to a parent task. ie you might add a new Scene Animation task.
Steps:
- You will select the parent task.
- Select New Task (Top right of screen)
- Fill in all the details.
- Select Save (Cancel if you want to back out)
What to fill in and why:
- In the new Task make sure you leave the Dependancy tab untouched.
- By default you will be the task owner. Usually this is OK so leave it.
- In the Human resources tab, select the people you are assigning this task to (Only those users with dotProject accounts and with upgraded access level will appear in this list).
- Fill in the description (this is a permanent description for this task) and fill in additional comments that are appropriate to this initial entry.
- Make sure you check the Notify box or no-one will get notified of the task!
- Now go to the Dates tab and choose a Finish date. Typically this will not be the actual finish date but the date on which you want a progress report.
[edit] To Update a Task
(Contributor Access or above only)
Updating a task is the process of reporting your progress or identifying issues. It is available to ANY user with Contributor Access or above.
Steps:
- Open a Task
- At the bottom of the page you see a Tab labled New Log. Click on it.
- The New Log Entry fields display. Fill them in.
- Select the Update Task button at the bottom of the page.
Mandatory Fields:
- Progress
- Notify Creator
- Description (Just put in notes – ie where you are at or why you are creating the log entry etc)
- Check ALL of the other contact check boxes
- If there is a problem check the Problem Checkbox
- If you have soemthing to show/contribute then put in the URL to that item.
- If you think you are done with this stage mark the Approval Status as “Awaiting Approval”.
The Task is now updated.
[edit] Reporting Progress
Each task may comprise more than a single stage. For most tasks using the progress% field will suffice for tracking its progress. ie Rigging tasks are typically 2 stages – Squetch Rig and Face Rig. The Squetch rig must be applied first then the Face rig is applied. This means that progress up to 50% tells us how near to completion the fitting of the Sqetch rig is. 50% means the Squetch rig is in place and the task is ready for FACE rigging. 100% means the model is fully rigged. If adjustments need to be made AFTER the fact then whoever is amending the rig can adjust the progress up/down as required AND note all progress in New Log entries.
Each animation scene though will have only 1 task in dotProject. Instead of progress, each scene will have a number of stages as follows:
When you think you are done with a stage log it as “awaiting approval”. A director will then either log the task as “not complete” with a description of why, or log it as “not complete” but in the next Choreography Stage.
See Dot Project Wish List for the history of this feature.
[edit] Old progress tracking system
This is the system that was used before the Choreographgy Stage field was added so some tasks may still be in one of these stages.
- Hand out (Task assigned, material downloaded, pitched by Bob)
- First check, usually its a layout/blocking sort of thing no secondary movement i.e. follow thru,overlaps.arcs , cushions,dialogue. Back to the animator with a conversation or notes.
- 2nd check, should have most of the above mentioned added.
If there’s still a problem back again to the animator for more refinements.[note the last stage of animation is the hardest and most time consuming in other words the first 80% is relatively easy the last 10% is time consuming and tough. Also its at this stage the program rears its ugly head but the rigs are great so it may not happen. - Last check hopefully and its on to dialogue if we haven’t a already added it. slight tweeks
- Final check off before going to maps, lighting and special effects.
When you are updating dotProject for each of your Scene Animation tasks you will update the progress as follows:
Phase 1 is complete = 20% Progress
Phase 2 is complete = 40% Progress
Phase 3 is complete = 60% Progress
Phase 4 is complete = 80% Progress
Phase 5 is complete = 100% Progress
Note you can also update part progress ie 50% means Phase 1 complete and 1/2 way through phase 2.