Chief Architect Help Database - Article Number:  678

How to Track the Amount of Time Spent on a Project

The information in this article applies to:
  • Chief Architect X5
  • Chief Architect X4
  • Chief Architect X3
  • Chief Architect X2
  • Chief Architect X1
QUESTION

I would like an accurate method by which I can track the amount of time I dedicate to a particular project or assignment. How can I do this?

ANSWER

The Time Tracker utility enables you to accurately track the amount of time spent on a particular plan or layout file.

To start the Time Tracker, stop it, view the Time Tracker Log, and edit the log

  1. Open the plan in which you would like to track time spent and from the menu, select Tools> Time Tracker .




  2. Notice that the Start Time Logging  option is not enabled. This is because Time Tracker automatically begins logging time the moment you open a new or existing file.

    • If you prefer, this automatic start can be disabled on the Time Tracker panel of the Preferences  dialog.


  3. To stop tracking the time spent on the current file, from the menu select Tools> Time Tracker> Stop Time Logging .


  4. To view or edit the amount of time recorded for this specific file, from the menu select Tools> Time Tracker> View Time Log


  5. In the Time Log dialog, click on the Start Time of any entry to select that entry and then edit it below.

    • Click in the Start field to change the start date or time of the selected entry.

    • Click in the End field to change the end date or time.

    • Type comments in the Notes field.

    • Click on any entry's start time to apply your changes.

       
  6. Click the Add button to add a new entry below the currently selected entry.


  7. Click the Delete button to delete the currently selected entry.


  8. Click the Export button to export the information in the log into a .txt or .csv (comma separated values) file that can be opened by a word or spreadsheet program.   This is particularly helpful if multiple plan and layout files are used for a single project.  See the note below.


  9. Click the Print button to print the Time Tracker log.

 

Note: The Time Tracker utility logs the time spent working on individual files - not on an entire project. Most design projects include a layout file and at least one plan file, resulting in multiple time logs.

Use the Notes fields in your Time Log dialogs to keep a record of important actions such as the renaming of files or of time periods logged in more than one file.

Separate time logs can be exported into a spreadsheet program and combined into one document, as described above.

Last updated on: Mar 29, 2013


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