Task Lists

Source file: create-task-lists.htm

Use the Task Lists subtab to define a sequence of tasks that form a task list. More specifically, you can schedule geometric tasks, virtual tasks, delays, and stockpile reclaims in task lists. You can then assign task lists to equipment in the Resource Allocation tab. Epoch also allows you to import task lists in a CSV file.

This Task Lists subtab tab contains the following task templates:

• Geometric Tasks. Displays all solids in your setup pit(s), based on task keys attributes that you have specified in the Task Keys subtab. For information on defining task keys, see Task Keys.

• Virtual Tasks. Displays any virtual solids. For information on creating virtual solids, see Virtual Solids.

• Delays. Allows you to define and view delays.

After adding tasks to a task list, you can control the ending of each task by using ending conditions. Ending conditions allow you to specify if the equipment working on the task list should end a task early based on a given condition. You can also directly schedule stockpile reclaims by adding specific reclaim tasks to the task list.

Creating task lists

To create a task list, follow these steps:

1. Specify task keys attributes in the Task Keys subtab (see Task Keys for more information).

2. Enter the Task Lists subtab from the Task Sequence drop-down on the ribbon.

   The Task Lists window will appear. This window contains three main fields:

   • Task Lists: Contains all of the task lists in your setup.
   • Task Templates: Contains tabs that display all tasks in your setup, categorised by task type.
   • Task List: Displays the task list selected in the Task Lists area. The task list is shown in the order the tasks are scheduled to occur.

   

3. Click to add a task list to the Task Lists field.

4. Optionally, change the name of the task list in the Task Lists field.

   

5. Add tasks to the task list. Epoch contains three types of tasks that you can add to a task list. Use the following options to add the required task type:

   • Geometric Tasks
     To add geometric tasks, follow these steps:

     1. Select the Geometric Tasks tab from the Tasks Templates field.

        Epoch will display the geometric tasks in order of the task key definition. For example, if the task has the attribute definition of bench, stage, X, Y, and Z, then the geometric tasks will appear in this order, in a hierarchical tree structure.

        

     2. Optionally, rearrange the task key attributes to modify the geometric task tree structure. You can do this by dragging the required attribute to the required position.

        

        Epoch will update the tree as you make these modifications.

        

     3. Add geometric tasks using the following selection methods:

        • Full checkbox selection. You can select the higher level heading checkboxes to select all of the tasks under the checkbox heading.

          You can add the selected tasks to the task list by clicking (Add Geometric Tasks) or (Add all tasks in this group to the selected task list).

          

        • Partial checkbox selection. You can select individual tasks in each heading drop-down. Epoch will flag a heading that contains some selected tasks with the partially selected checkbox .

          You can add the selected tasks to the task list by clicking (Add Geometric Tasks) or (Add all tasks in this group to the selected task list).

          

        • Optionally, you can add the tasks in the reverse order by clicking the drop-down and selecting Add in reverse order. Epoch will add the corresponding tasks to the task list, in the reverse order to how they appear in the Task Templates field.

          

        Tip:  Rearrange the tasks in the task list by dragging them to the required areas.

   • Virtual Tasks
     To add virtual tasks, follow these steps:

     1. Select the Virtual Tasks tab from the Tasks Templates field. Epoch will display the virtual solids in the Tasks Template fields. For information on creating virtual solids, see Virtual Solids.

        

     2. Find the required virtual solid by scrolling through the list or by using the search bar.

     3. Drag the required virtual solid from the Task Templates field into the required position in the task list field.

        

        Epoch will add the virtual solid to the table in the following form:

        

   • Delays
     To create and add delays, follow these steps:

     1. Select the Delays tab from the Task Templates field.

     2. Click to add a new delay template. A new delay row will appear in the field, with the default name Delay.

        

     3. Optionally, enter a new name for the delay in the name area.

     4. Set the duration of the delay by clicking and adjusting the days, hours, and minutes.

        

     5. Click Close.

     6. Drag the delay from the Task Templates field to the required position in the Task List table.

        

        Epoch will add the delay to the table in the following form:

        

6. Optionally, add reclaim tasks to the task list. Reclaim tasks allow you to manually schedule stockpile reclaims to the schedule.

   To add reclaim tasks to a task list, follow these steps:

   1. Click Add Reclaim in the Task List section.
      

      Epoch will add a Reclaim task row to the bottom of the task list.

      

   2. Select a stockpile for the reclaim task from the drop-down.

      

   3. Select an accumulation type for the reclaim task from the drop-down.

      

      Note:  Each setup can have manual or automatic stockpile reclaim behaviour. If you select automatic reclaim behaviour, Epoch will ignore any reclaim tasks defined in a task list. See Stockpile for more information.

7. Optionally, add ending conditions to the tasks. The equipment will remain assigned to these tasks until the specified conditions are met. To specify ending conditions, proceed as follows:

   1. Open the Ending Conditions tab and select the required task from the Task List field.
      

      Tip:  Hold Ctrl while selecting to add the same ending condition to multiple tasks.

   2. Select the required condition type: 

      • None: Makes it obligatory to complete the entire task before the next task begins. In other words, the task has no ending condition.

      • Date: Ends the task at a specified date.

      • Duration: Ends the task when a specified duration of time has passed.

      • Percentage: Ends the task when a specified percentage of the total work required to complete the task is done.

        Note:  If a percentage of a task has already been completed, the percentage ending condition is measured from the initial required work of the task and not the remaining percentage of work required.

   3. Configure the conditions based on the following:

      • A None condition requires no configuration.

      • For a Date condition, a date field will appear in the Ending Condition column of the Task List table. Enter the required date by selecting and using the drop-down calendar. Click Close to save the selected date.

        

      • For a Duration condition, a duration field will appear in the Ending Condition column of the Task List table. Enter the required duration by clicking and using the drop-down duration panel. Click Close to save the selected duration.

        

      • For a Percentage condition, a percentage field will appear in the Ending Condition column of the Task List table. You can specify the percentage by double-clicking in the field and entering a value. You can also use the arrows to adjust the percentage value.

        

      • For stockpile reclaims, enter the accumulated material reclaim value.

        

• Delete a task that is no longer required by selecting it on the list and clicking (Remove tasks from task list) or by clicking Remove in the row corresponding to the given task.

• Remove all invalid tasks at once by clicking Clear invalid.

  Note
  The tasks become invalid in case of the following:
  

  • The task key is out-of-date.
    For example, if you add a task and then change how the task key is defined, the old task will be invalid as it no longer matches the expected task key format.

  Or

  • When important information needed to describe the task is missing.
    For example, if you do not select an option in the drop-downs in a reclaim task.

• Toggle the Skip unavailable tasks button to enable or disable omitting the tasks that cannot be performed at the given point in time.

Importing task lists

Epoch allows you to import tasks lists in CSV files. The CSV file must contain the following column headings and information:

• Type. The column contains information on the type of each task in the task list. A task can be one of the following types:

  • Geometric: A task associated with a solid within a setup model.
  • Virtual: Additional site material that has no associated geometry.
  • Delay: Ad-hoc delays such as maintenance or breaks.
  • Reclaim: Manually scheduled stockpile reclaims.

• Key. The column contains the following for each type:

  • For Geometric tasks, the key must be unique.
  • For Virtual Solid tasks, the key must match the key of the virtual solid in the setup.
  • For Reclaim tasks, the key is the name of the required stockpile.

• EndConditionType. The column contains the type of ending condition associated with a task. This column is optional for all tasks except Delays that must have an ending condition. A task can have one of the following ending conditions:

  • Date
  • Duration
  • Percentage
  • Accumulation (reclaim tasks only)

• EndConditionData. The column contains the criteria for an end condition. You can leave this column blank, unless an EndConditionType is specified. For example, for a percentage EndConditionType, the EndConditionData must be a percentage value.

  Note:  Delay task type only supports duration ending conditions (EndConditionType). Additionally, you can only assign the accumulation ending condition (EndConditionType) to reclaim task types.

An example CSV file format is pictured below.

To import a task list in a CSV file, follow these steps:

1. Click Import.

   The file explorer will open.

2. Select the required file with task list (with the extension .csv) from the Task List File explorer.

   

3. Click Open. The Import Results panel will appear.

   

4. Click Import to import the task list. Epoch will add the task list to the Task List table field.

Other operations

• To add a new task list, click (Add task list).

  

• To remove a task list, select the required task list and click (Delete task list).

  

• To duplicate a task from a task list, click (Clone task list).

• To view the warning message associated with a task, hover over the warning symbol icon. You can still proceed with scheduling without addressing these task warning messages. However, Epoch will ignore these tasks as they are missing information required for scheduling.

  

See also:  Task lists in Epoch viewer