Section 2.2: Manual Project Creation

To define a project's structure yourself, use New project without drafting. The page starts from a template for the kind of project you pick, and every row is yours to edit before anything is created.

Other ways to start a project:

• Have ABRAM draft it from a written brief. See Section 2.1: Draft a Project with ABRAM.
• Bring it in from a CSV file, Jira, Asana or Monday. See Section 2.5 and Section 2.6.

1. Open New project

1. Go to Projects in the sidebar.
2. Click New project.

[!NOTE] The Free plan includes one production, counted in total. Archived and completed projects still count, and deleting the project frees the slot. A new account's starter project is that one production, so deleting the starter frees the slot for a new one. When you are at the limit, a locked Pro button takes the place of New project, and the New project page reads Free includes one production. with an Upgrade to Pro link.

2. Pick the project type

The Project type menu sits beside the project name. The choices are Video production, Photography, Video editing, Graphic design, Motion design, Sound design and Multi discipline. The page opens on Video production.

Each type starts with three work packages, a few deliverables and a few milestones:

Pick the type before you edit any rows. Changing the type swaps the template while the plan is untouched. After you edit a row, or after ABRAM drafts, a new type only changes the label.

3. Fill in the basics

Name the project in the Project name field at the top of the draft. If you leave it empty, ABRAM names the project from the first line of whatever you typed under What are you making? You need one or the other to create the project. Anything you type under the question becomes the project's description.

Under the question you can also set the Client, Dates, Owner, Team and Budget. Section 2.1 describes each one. The budget is one total for the project and cannot be negative. The delivery date must be on or after the start date.

If you leave the dates empty, the plan is laid over a window that starts today and runs for the usual length of the project type. The line under the project name shows that window, and the project gets those dates.

4. Edit the plan

The right side lists Work packages, Deliverables and Milestones, each with a count.

• A work package shows a name, a start date and an end date.
• A deliverable shows a title, the work package it belongs to (No package for none) and a due date.
• A milestone shows a title and a date.

Edit a row where it sits: rename it, pick its dates from its calendar, or choose its work package. Remove a row with its x. Add one with the + beside the section heading: Add a work package, Add a deliverable or Add a milestone. Rows you leave blank are dropped when you create the project. Each work package needs its own name.

The template places every row at a point in the project's dates, so moving the Start or Delivery date moves the plan with it. A date you pick by hand on a row stays, and is held inside the project's dates. Removing a work package keeps its deliverables and milestones, with No package set.

5. After you create it

Click Create project. ABRAM creates the project with its dates, budget, work packages, deliverables and milestones in one step, then opens it.

Creating a project is all or nothing. If it fails, for example because your connection dropped, nothing is created and you can click Create project again.

When Draft with ABRAM is available to you, Create and scope sits beside Create project. It creates the project and opens Scope with ABRAM for it. See Section 2.1.

Your project number

Every project gets a six-digit number, shown next to Project in the strip at the top of the project page, for example #000123. Click it to copy it. ABRAM confirms with a message such as Project #000123 copied. Numbers run in sequence within your organization.

Work package types

Each work package has a type. There are twelve: Discovery, Strategy, Design, Pre-production, Production, Post-production, Development, Content, Review, Delivery, Coordination and Other. Change a package's type when you edit it on the project page. See Section 3.2.

6. Setting up the rest

This page covers structure, dates and budget. Add crew and the remaining details on the project page once it exists. See Section 3.1 for a map of the project page.