[sdesaulles]

Hi, I am, with some desperation, trying to follow the instructions for how to set up styles than can be applied throughout a document. The upright green text is from the 'OMNIPLAN Help'. I have to admit to being a 'newbie' I used Omniplan 1 once and have just upgraded to 2.

Named Styles: Creating your own reusable styles
You can make up your own styles and reuse them throughout the document.
Great, I would sort of expect so.
How to set up named styles
Click the plus button at the bottom of the styles list to create a new named style.
Yes, this works, assuming that the 'Style list' is the one in "Project, Styles", I have generated four styles, just simple colour attributes.
Then, while you have the named style selected, use the controls on the right side of the inspector to change its attributes.
Yes, this works too.

Once the style is set up how you want it, apply it to an item in the main window by either dragging it and dropping it on the item,

which part of the ''Main window' onto the item? onto the task bar? onto the task name? Seems to do absolutely nothing dropping onto task bar in Gantt chart, or onto task name.

or by selecting the item and then pressing the appropriate function key.
No, does not work either, the function key assignments are shown F1, F2 etc - but all seem to be greyed out - no idea why? Should they be un-greyed / black to work? If so how do I get them to be black?
You can keep applying the named style to items, and any further changes you make to the named style will get applied to every item that has it applied.
That would be lovely. Like styles work in inDesign, Pages, Dreamweaver etc, but just cannot get this to function on Omniplan

Also, is there any way to extend the Project: Styles window? The only one of the windows that seems to be extendable is the one with the least information in it - the style attributes one, all others seem to be fixed height, so Project:Styles panel allows for one user assigned style before you have to start scrolling to see through the 'letterbox' to find the style you want.

Thanks for any assistance on this.

Stephen

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by sdesaulles

Once the style is set up how you want it, apply it to an item in the main window by either dragging it and dropping it on the item,

which part of the ''Main window' onto the item? onto the task bar? onto the task name? Seems to do absolutely nothing dropping onto task bar in Gantt chart, or onto task name.

It should work if you drop the style on the task name. However, if you try to do it repeatedly, it may not work because you've already applied a style. If you look at the Style Attributes inspector (command-3) you'll see multiple values and buttons to clear various style attributes. In the example below, I've created a Green text style and an Orange text style and applied them both in succession by dragging and dropping; after doing it the second time, attempting to go back to the green text by dragging the style onto the orange text will not work, and one must clear some of the stacked styles.

or by selecting the item and then pressing the appropriate function key.
No, does not work either, the function key assignments are shown F1, F2 etc - but all seem to be greyed out - no idea why? Should they be un-greyed / black to work? If so how do I get them to be black?

Did you try it, or did the gray description deter you? I get the gray labels, but if I hold down the fn key on my laptop and press the f1 key, the first style is applied to the selected row(s).

You can keep applying the named style to items, and any further changes you make to the named style will get applied to every item that has it applied.
That would be lovely. Like styles work in inDesign, Pages, Dreamweaver etc, but just cannot get this to function on Omniplan

Again, not my experience; if I apply a style, then edit the style (changing the color of the text, for example) all rows in that style change in concert.

Also, is there any way to extend the Project: Styles window? The only one of the windows that seems to be extendable is the one with the least information in it - the style attributes one, all others seem to be fixed height, so Project:Styles panel allows for one user assigned style before you have to start scrolling to see through the 'letterbox' to find the style you want.

Sorry, I don't know a way to do that, but you could use Help->Send Feedback to make a feature request.

[sdesaulles]

Hi Whpalmer4,

Many thanks for your response. Your post, some dialogue with the support ninja and some experimentation has made things clear, as I emailed the Ninja:

.. OK, so through some further experiment I think I have cracked it. Basically there are four ways to drag from the style palette to the task, one works and three don't,

Graphic on style palette to graphic on chart fails
Graphic on style palette to text on chart fails
Text on style pallete to graphic on chart fails
Text on style palette to text on Task works.

So I finally understand, but there is no highlight or rollover behaviour on click down without dragging on the style pallet to help the user understand this, and the style inspector doesn't show the attributes of the task you've dropped the attribute onto until you separately click select it.

So, finally, I know how to do it. (Have also understood if you want to use this to change the bar blue to red, then change to green that's fine, but if you want to change to red again you need to delete the first red attribute - just a side issue but that was also confusing, could perhaps have a warning that you are re-applying a style already applied)

But that UI could do with a little more clarity - especially from a company that promotes ease of use over endless features and reports - e.g. MS with their Project.

Thanks again for your helpful post.

[whpalmer4]

I don't use styles often enough to remember all of the details, and usually have to experiment a bit each time. It may be one of those things where it is confusing to the infrequent user, but superior enough for the frequent user that the trade off makes sense. There are few things involving computers which cannot be better documented, I find :-)

[pkenny]

How can one make styles for tasks inherit from their group's styles? (e.g. A group's style includes a green bar, and I want all tasks under this group to automatically inherit a green bar as well.)

[skwirl]

Originally Posted by pkenny

How can one make styles for tasks inherit from their group's styles? (e.g. A group's style includes a green bar, and I want all tasks under this group to automatically inherit a green bar as well.)

This isn't possible right now, but we have a feature request for this that I'll add your vote to.