Leveling options

Leveling options

The Level resources window resolves overallocation by shifting tasks. It works in two steps: Calculate builds a proposal (nothing changes yet), Apply carries it out.

Opening

Resources → ribbon group Leveling → Level…. Esc, the close cross or a click outside the window closes without applying.

Options

• Level only within slack (smoothing) — project end date stays fixed — when ticked, leveling shifts tasks only within their total float: the end date cannot move, but not every conflict can then be resolved. Unticked (default), the project end date may extend to resolve all conflicts.
• Resources — a checkbox per resource: which resources take part. Material resources are absent here (material is not leveled). All resources are on by default.

Calculate

Requires an up-to-date calculation; otherwise the window shows "Calculate the schedule (F5) before leveling." The button is also disabled while no resource is ticked. Any option change invalidates an earlier proposal — calculate again.

Proposal (preview)

• Project end date line — "unchanged (date)" or "old date → new date" (red) if the project extends.
• Table — per shifted task: Task, Old start, New start and Days shifted. Non-resourced successors that shift along through the logic are included too.
• If there is nothing to do, the window reports "No tasks need to move — the schedule is already conflict-free."

Remaining conflicts

Tasks that do not fit within the rules, with per task the number of conflict days and a reason:

• "… peaks at … units/day, capacity is … — cannot be resolved by shifting." — an assignment demands more at its peak than the resource capacity; lower the units/day or raise Max units.
• "The resource does not work on all days this task needs — shifting cannot resolve this." — calendar mismatch between task and resource.
• "Not enough free capacity within the slack to resolve this conflict." — mostly with smoothing: no free window within the available float.

Apply and undo

Apply carries out the proposal and closes the window; Cancel closes without change. Undo an applied leveling with Clear leveling (same ribbon group) or Ctrl+Z.

Further reading

• Resources, histogram & leveling — spotting overallocation in the histogram and the full leveling workflow.