Meet the new BigPicture navigation
A faster, smarter, and more intuitive way to work is here. We’ve redesigned BigPicture navigation to give you a smoother experience and better access to what matters most.
→ Discover what’s new, explore key improvements, and review feature name updates on the New navigation page.
→ The rollout will happen gradually, and the previous navigation will be retired in September 2026.
Manage task templates
Basic tasks have been renamed to BigPicture tasks as part of the new navigation rollout.
Both names refer to the same functionality. You may see either term depending on whether you’re using the previous navigation or the new navigation that is currently being rolled out in BigPicture.
Manage task templates (old navigation)
With the task templates, you can predefine templates of basic tasks (basic tasks can be viewed only in the app). This will arrange a group of tasks in an independent micro-structure, which can be reused as a template in the Gantt, Scope, and Calendar modules later on.
You can use basic task templates, create simple schedules to arrange your data into phases and stages or represent external providers' tasks.
To achieve a preconfigured arrangement of that sort, you need to use the relative dates column. It is relative because the numbers you put there are counted since the parent task (if there are any).
The template will appear in your task templates list in the +Add task menu, and you will be free to fit it into your structure in any desired way with pre-defined dependency rules.
Security and access
Keep in mind:
A box type contains the default settings applicable to multiple boxes (all boxes of a given type). Those settings are adjusted in the app Administration.
Box configuration refers to the settings of a single, individual box. They are dependent on the box type settings.
The table presents what you can configure at the box type and box levels.
Area | Security and access | What can be configured |
|---|---|---|
Box type configuration | Only a user with the App Admin security role can access and manage the box type configuration. Go to the App Administration > Box type > choose the box type you want to edit > Tasks > Task templates.  | For a box type (all boxes of a given type), you can:
|
Box configuration | Only a user with a minimum Box Admin security role can access and manage the box configuration. Go to box configuration > Tasks > Task templates. Alternatively, go to +Add task > Manage templates in the Gantt, Scope, or Calendar module. The box configuration page will not be visible if the module was deactivated or the inheritance mode is set to inherited only. | For a particular box, you can add:
|
Inheritance mode
The task templates can be inherited by the sub-level boxes when the inheritance mode is set to Inherited only or Own with inherited in the Box type configuration of the upper-level box. This way, every time you create new templates or edit the existing ones, all available views will also be updated in the sub-level boxes.
Inherited templates are marked with an arrow pointing upward and cannot be deleted.
Learn more about the inheritance mode on the Inheritance mode page.
Default task templates
Changes made to the default task templates don't impact existing Boxes - new settings apply only to Boxes created from that point on.
You can create default templates when the inheritance mode is set to either Own or Own with inherited:
The default templates are automatically set up when you create a new box. Afterward, Box Admins can edit and remove the default templates (if the Inheritance mode allows it). Click the '+' drop-down in the Gantt/ Scope/ Calendar module to select from the list of available templates:
Add new task templates
To add new templates:
Click Add new task template.
Enter a template name.
Add Description (optional).
To confirm, click Create.
Once added:
Click the clickable name link.
Click Create new task.
Enter Name.
Provide Start date lag time and End date lag time.
To confirm, click Create.
Now, you can use the template by selecting it from the +Add task menu in the Gantt, Scope, or Calendar module.
Edit templates
To update the name and the description fields of the created template, click Edit.
Delete templates
To remove a template, click Delete. You can’t recover deleted templates.
Manage task templates (new navigation)
With the task templates, you can predefine templates of BigPicture tasks (these tasks can be viewed only in the app). This will arrange a group of tasks into an independent micro-structure, which can be reused as a template in the Gantt, Scope, and Calendar modules later on.
You can use BigPicture task templates, create simple schedules to arrange your data into phases and stages, or represent external providers' tasks.
To achieve a preconfigured arrangement of that sort, you need to use the relative dates column. It is relative because the numbers you put there are counted from the parent task (if there is one).
The template will appear in your task templates list in the Tasks > BigPicture task from template menu, and you will be free to fit it into your structure in any desired way with pre-defined dependency rules.
Security and access
Keep in mind:
A box type contains the default settings applicable to multiple boxes (all boxes of a given type). Those settings are adjusted in the app Administration.
Box configuration refers to the settings of a single, individual box. They are dependent on the box type settings.
The table presents what you can configure at the box type and box levels.
Area | Security and access | What can be configured |
|---|---|---|
Box type configuration | Only a user with the App Admin security role can access and manage the box type configuration. Go to the Administration > Box type > choose the box type you want to edit > Tasks > Task templates. | For a box type (all boxes of a given type), you can:
|
Box configuration | Only a user with a minimum Box Admin security role can access and manage the box configuration. Go to box configuration > Tasks > Task templates. Alternatively, go to Tasks > BigPicture task from template > Manage templates in the Gantt, Scope, or Calendar module. The box configuration page will not be visible if the module was deactivated or the inheritance mode is set to inherited only. | For a particular box, you can add:
|
Inheritance mode
The task templates can be inherited by the sub-level boxes when the inheritance mode is set to Inherited only or Own with inherited in the Box type configuration of the upper-level box. This way, every time you create new templates or edit the existing ones, all available views will also be updated in the sub-level boxes.
Inherited templates are marked with an arrow pointing upward and cannot be deleted.
Learn more about the inheritance mode on the Inheritance mode page.
Default task templates
Changes made to the default task templates don't impact existing Boxes - new settings apply only to Boxes created from that point on.
You can create default templates when the inheritance mode is set to either Own or Own with inherited.
The default templates are automatically set up when you create a new box. Afterward, Box Admins can edit and remove the default templates (if the inheritance mode allows it).
Add new task templates
To add new templates:
Click Add new task template.
Enter a template name.
Add Description (optional).
To confirm, click Create.
Once added:
Click the clickable name link.
Click Create new task.
Enter Name.
Provide Start date lag time and End date lag time.
To confirm, click Create.
Now, you can use the template by selecting it from the Tasks > BigPicture task from template menu in the Gantt, Scope, or Calendar module.
Edit templates
To update the name and the description fields of the created template, click Edit.
Delete templates
To remove a template, click Delete. You can’t recover deleted templates.