Next start date based on prior end date
 

We can have tasks within a project be sequential.
But, how do we have the start date of the next task be on or after the end date of the previous task?

Or am I trying to think of this too much like OmniPlan?

Christopher

That feature doesn't exist in OF. (Yet?)

Christopher, how do you see yourself using this feature, if implemented? I've often wished for the ability to set a start or due date based on an offset from the completion of the previous task (example: after I pick up this book from the library, I have 14 days to read it), but even though I'm a heavy user of start dates, I don't find myself wanting each action to have a start date immediately after the previous action finishes. I'm always interested in hearing about other people's techniques, though!

If you want to put in a feature request, be sure to use Help->Send Feedback or email [email]omnifocus@omnigroup.com[/email] so that it is put in the development database, as forum posts usually aren't counted.

I think this would be a great feature... with it being optional & configurable in the Project Inspector in a similar way to repeats & reviews.
It would speed up the progression of the main projects of the day or the week... where I'm ploughing through one action after another and I want the subsequent actions to appear in my "Do Today" list (filtered & sorted by Start Date).
Perhaps part of the planned close integration of OF & OmniPlan?

If you have an idea of a "main project of the day (or week)" why not just open them up in a separate focused window in project mode and work them? You can flip back and forth into context mode if helpful. No need to worry about start dates (except to indicate that you can't start something yet) once you've started the project that way.

All of us work differently...
I prefer to rely on Start Dates.
I will have several main projects to get through for the day plus a few singles and any actions from stalled or longer term projects that come due. I operate out of a Perspective that lists today's tasks according to start date (ie today's date).
Flipping back and forth from Project to Context mode is a pain (and part of the GUI of OmniFocus that I personally hope will be redesigned but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen).
It would be nice to have the option of cascading start dates within a project... again the operative word is [I]option[/I]. An app like this should be flexible so that users can customise it the way they want.

okay everybody, thanks for the help
now I'm more confused that at the beginning

I was wanting it so that only the next task was showing up. I'm still new to all this and trying to figure things out. Maybe the focus and filter will help with this.

Christopher

Christopher, you may be new to all this but your first instincts were right... it's a great idea!
If you operate out of a Context Perspective grouped by Start Date with the group called Start Today expanded, and Availability filtered by Next Action or Available... when you click on an action to make it completed then it would be great if the next action of that project was automatically assigned to now as it's start date because it would pop into your Context Perspective as the next thing to do in that project without you having to leave that Perspective! I know a similar thing would happen if you just gave the Project a start date but there are times when this universal date assignment can cause problems, especially now that projects appear in some Context views.
James