Gantt View

The Copera Gantt view is a canvas-rendered project timeline that displays board rows as horizontal task bars on a time axis — purpose-built for project planning, scheduling, and dependency management. Each task's position and length reflect its start and end dates, bar colors match status, and dependency arrows connect related tasks. It supports all four dependency types (Finish-to-Start, Start-to-Start, Finish-to-Finish, Start-to-Finish) with optional lag/lead, live date propagation when you drag a predecessor, critical path highlighting, diamond-shaped milestones, progress bars, a today line, weekend shading, and PNG/PDF export. The high-performance rendering engine stays smooth with hundreds of tasks.

Setting Up a Gantt View

When creating a Gantt view, you configure the following:

1. Start Date column --- The date field that defines when each item begins.
2. End Date column --- The date field that defines when each item ends. If an item has only a start date, it appears as a single-day marker.
3. Dependency column --- (Optional) A link column that tracks which tasks depend on others. Configuring this enables dependency arrows and critical path analysis.
4. Visible columns --- Choose which fields are shown in the left-side task list panel alongside the chart.
5. Date change behavior --- Controls what happens to dependent tasks when you move a predecessor. Options include propagating date changes automatically or taking no action.
6. Access --- Set the view to Everyone or Private.

Both the start and end date columns must be Date-type columns already defined in your table.

The Toolbar

The toolbar at the top of the Gantt view gives you full control over what you see and how you navigate.

Zoom Levels

Choose from five zoom presets using the toggle buttons on the right side of the toolbar:

Preset	Range	Best For
1W	7 days	Day-by-day detailed planning
2W	14 days	Sprint-level planning (default)
1M	30 days	Monthly planning
3M	90 days	Quarterly roadmaps
1Y	365 days	Annual overviews

Your zoom preference is saved per view, so it persists between sessions.

Navigation

• Today --- Click to jump the viewport to the current date. The button changes appearance when today is not visible, making it easy to find your way back.
• Arrow buttons --- Move forward or backward in time by half the visible range.
• Jump To --- Open the presets menu to jump directly to This Week, This Month, This Quarter, or a Custom Date of your choice.
• Scroll --- Use the mouse wheel to scroll vertically through tasks, hold Shift to scroll horizontally, or hold Ctrl/Cmd while scrolling to zoom in and out centered on your cursor.

View Options

Click the settings icon to toggle these display options:

Option	Description	Default
Show Weekends	Highlight Saturday and Sunday columns	On
Show Dependencies	Display dependency arrows between tasks	On
Show Critical Path	Highlight the longest chain of dependent tasks	Off
Show Progress	Display a progress bar inside each task bar	On

Filter Indicator

When filters are active on the view, a chip appears in the toolbar showing the number of active filter conditions.

Task Bars

Each task appears as a horizontal bar on the timeline:

• The left edge aligns with the item's start date.
• The right edge aligns with the item's end date.
• The bar length visually represents the duration of the task.
• The bar color matches the task's status color, so you can see status at a glance across the timeline.
• A progress indicator at the bottom of each bar shows completion percentage when progress tracking is enabled.
• A row ID (e.g. #123) is displayed before the task name for easy identification.
• Tasks with no end date appear as point markers on the start date.

Moving and Resizing Bars

• Move --- Drag the body of a task bar left or right to shift both its start and end dates by the same number of days.
• Resize start --- Drag the left edge of the bar to change the start date without moving the end date.
• Resize end --- Drag the right edge to extend or shorten the task's duration.
• Schedule an unscheduled task --- Hover over an empty row for an unscheduled task, and a "Click to schedule" indicator appears. Click to place the task on the timeline at that date.

Changes are saved immediately and reflected in the underlying data across all other views. When dependency propagation is configured, moving a task automatically adjusts its dependent tasks.

tip

Drag task bars directly to reschedule --- this is often faster than opening the row detail dialog and editing dates manually.

Multi-Select and Bulk Actions

You can select multiple tasks to work with them together:

• Click a task's checkbox in the sidebar to select or deselect it.
• Ctrl+Click (or Cmd+Click on Mac) a task bar to toggle individual selection.
• Shift+Click a task bar to select a range of tasks.
• Use the header checkbox in the sidebar to select or deselect all tasks.

When multiple tasks are selected, dragging any one of them moves all selected tasks by the same number of days. A bulk actions bar appears at the bottom with options for the selected items.

The Sidebar

The left-side panel displays your tasks in a list format alongside the chart. It includes:

• Checkboxes for multi-select
• Status color dots for quick visual scanning
• Row ID and task name
• Inline field columns that you chose when configuring the view
• Unscheduled task indicators for tasks without dates

Inline Editing

Double-click a task name in the sidebar to rename it without opening the full row dialog. You can also edit field values directly in the sidebar columns.

Drag to Reorder

Drag tasks up and down in the sidebar to change their vertical order in the chart.

Scroll Sync

The sidebar and the chart area stay synchronized --- scrolling one automatically scrolls the other.

Dependencies

Dependencies define the order in which tasks should be completed. To use dependencies, configure a Dependency column when setting up or editing your Gantt view.

When a dependency exists, an arrow connects the two related task bars:

• Finish-to-Start --- The most common type. Task B cannot start until Task A is finished.
• Start-to-Start --- Task B starts at the same time as Task A.
• Finish-to-Finish --- Task B finishes at the same time as Task A.

Creating Dependencies

Hover over a task bar and you will see connector dots on the edges. Click and drag from a connector dot on one task to another task to create a dependency between them. You can also specify a lag (delay in days) between dependent tasks.

Removing Dependencies

Click on a dependency arrow to remove the link between two tasks.

Dependency Propagation

When Date change behavior is configured on the view, moving or resizing a predecessor task can automatically push its successors forward. This ensures your schedule stays consistent without manual adjustments.

note

Dependency features require a link-type column configured as the dependency column in your Gantt view settings. If no dependency column is configured, an informational banner appears at the top of the view.

Critical Path

The critical path is the longest chain of dependent tasks that determines the shortest possible duration for your project. Enabling Show Critical Path in the view options highlights these tasks in a distinct color, making it easy to see which tasks directly affect your project's timeline.

Any delay to a critical-path task will delay the entire project. Use this feature to focus your attention on the tasks that matter most.

Milestones

Milestones are tasks with the same start and end date, displayed as diamond-shaped markers on the timeline. Use milestones to mark key deadlines, deliverables, or checkpoints in your project. The milestone label appears to the right of the diamond.

Progress Tracking

When Show Progress is enabled, each task bar displays a small progress indicator at its bottom edge. The filled portion represents the completion percentage based on your progress data. This gives you an immediate visual sense of how far along each task is relative to its scheduled dates.

Today Line

A dashed vertical line marks the current date on the timeline, giving you instant context for where your project stands relative to today.

Exporting

You can export the current Gantt view for sharing or printing:

1. Click the export icon in the toolbar (download arrow).
2. Choose your format:
   • Export as PNG --- Saves the chart as an image file, including dependency arrows.
   • Export as PDF --- Opens the print dialog for a PDF export with the chart title and date range.

The export captures the chart exactly as displayed, including any dependency arrows and the current zoom level.

Keyboard Navigation

The Gantt view supports keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation:

• Arrow keys --- Move between tasks when the chart area is focused.
• Enter --- Open the selected task's detail dialog.
• Escape --- Cancel an in-progress drag or resize operation.

Grouping and Filtering

All standard toolbar controls work in the Gantt view:

• Group By --- Cluster tasks under expandable section headers based on a Status, Dropdown, or Users column.
• Filter --- Show only tasks that match specific criteria.
• Sort --- Control the vertical order of tasks in the left-side table panel.
• Search --- Find specific tasks by keyword.

Tips and Best Practices

tip

Start with the 2W (two-week) zoom level for a balanced view, then switch to 1M or 3M as you zoom out for roadmap planning.

tip

Configure the Dependency column to unlock arrows, critical path analysis, and automatic date propagation --- these features transform the Gantt from a simple timeline into a full scheduling tool.

tip

Use Show Critical Path before important deadlines to identify which tasks cannot slip without delaying the entire project.

tip

Combine grouping by team or phase with the Gantt view to see each group's timeline in context.

tip

Export to PNG for sharing in presentations or documents where an interactive chart is not needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do some tasks show as diamonds instead of bars?

Tasks where the start date and end date are the same are displayed as milestones (diamond shapes). These represent specific deadlines or checkpoints rather than work that spans multiple days.

Why are dependency arrows not showing?

Make sure you have configured a Dependency column in your Gantt view settings and that Show Dependencies is enabled in the view options menu. If no dependency column is configured, an informational banner will appear at the top of the view with a link to configure it.

Can I have tasks without dates in the Gantt view?

Yes. Unscheduled tasks appear in the sidebar without a bar on the chart. Hover over their empty row on the timeline and click to assign a date directly.

How does date propagation work?

When you move or resize a task that has successors (tasks that depend on it), the dependent tasks can automatically shift to maintain the dependency relationship. This behavior is controlled by the Date change behavior setting in the view configuration.

Related Features

• Filters & Sorting --- Use the same filter operators in Gantt toolbar controls.
• Formulas --- Create computed values that complement your Gantt scheduling.
• Board Permissions --- Control who can create and manage Gantt views.