Moving on with my testing, I have been resolving some page layout issues with the "top level page" that displays the dashboard for our portfolio of projects. Initially, when the top level page was produced, we placed three summary charts side-by-side, which resulted in a very wide page that required horizontal scrolling to see everything. That's a 'no-no' in the Web design world (not to mention it is annoying for users, and an indication of a Web novice at work).
With some guidance from the Support team at Bamboo Solutions, I was able to resolve the horizontal scrolling issue and still maintain the three summary charts I wanted to display by moving the third chart on the far right to just under the first chart on the far left ...that did it... much better now. I am certainly a newbie at this, but I don't have to make it obvious to everyone!
Questions for my blog readers:
What summary chart information do you find most useful to display on the Project Central tab's top level page? Also, to whom is this info most useful, aside from the PMO Manager? The default charts are Task Summary, Issue Summary, and Milestone Summary. I would greatly appreciate your feedback.
If you are interested, demonstrated below is the process I followed in order to adjust the charts. If you know of an easier way, please post any shortcuts that you may know about.
Located at the top right of the Top Level Site page, click on the Site Actions button, then click on Edit Page:
This will display the entire Top Level Site page with all of its Shared Web Parts. Scroll down to view the chart for which you wish to adjust the size. Click on the edit drop down menu located in the upper right corner of the Chart, and click on Modify Shared Web Part:
This will display the entire Top Level Site page with all of its Shared Web Parts. Scroll down to view the chart for which you wish to adjust the size. Click on the edit drop down menu located in the upper right corner of the Chart, and click on Modify Shared Web Part:
Note: You may see one or more of the menus expanded. Either way, click on the plus sign next to the 'Chart Plus Configuration' item and scroll down to the bottom section of this item to see the 'Style Sheet' section.
In the 'Style Sheet' section next to the 'Custom Settings' title (familiarity with HTML code here is helpful), click on the Edit button. Locate the 'Height' and 'Width' dimensions (in pixels) at the top of the page, adjust as desired, click on the 
button at the bottom of the page, then click to Apply the change to the Shared Web Part and see the result:
The end result should be consistent with the overall look and feel you want for all project sites within a group. It bears repeating that horizontal scrolling is an indication of poor Web design, in addition to the fact that when used, it quickly becomes annoying to users. Vertical scrolling is certainly acceptable, and is almost always unavoidable, just don't overuse it by trying to put everything on one page to the point it wears out the scroll wheel on your mouse to view all the content!
The end result should look pretty close to this, though your template graphics may vary:
'Til next time...
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Posted
Feb 25 2010, 11:30 AM
by
Mike Womack
Mike has over 25 years combined experience in academia and business relating to project based learning, information technology, project management, and the commercial arts. Currently, he is co-founder and Managing Director of Experi-ED Learning Concepts, specializing in linking business with education to provide enhanced learning opportunities to higher ed students through project-based learning. Concurrently, Mike is serving on a contract basis, part-time, as a Business Analyst for the County of Roanoke. He has been a member of the Southwest Virginia Chapter of the Project Management Institute since 2004 and received his certification in Project Management (PMP) in 2005. He received his Associate’s degree at VWCC (Virginia Western Community College), a Bachelors of Science degree in Information Technology from Capella University, and is continuing his advanced studies toward his MBA at Capella University. Mike and his family have happily lived in the beautiful Roanoke Valley for over 35 years.