Varying resource start and end dates on activities

why not link the activities recalculate then schedule the project and then check how the resources are being spread over the sanctities. 

you do not UPDATE the start date unless it is an ACTUAL date.

Are you are describing manual resource levelling, where I look over the resource utilisation spreadsheet and then delete hours as necessary to reflect a later start date for the resource?

What if my activity is several months long, and the resource in question starts 1 month into the activity, do I then have to individually delete the hours for this resource for each day of the first month? Is there no easier way?

create a custom curve to spread the manhours as you wish then assign the custom curve to resource for that activity

If resources start to work at different time then the work is changing. Why you do not want to create several linked activities instead of one with certain resource crews working at these activities all the time. It is easier to plan and to control project execution and besides resource leveling will be correct. 

Hello,

Thank you for the replies.

Vladimir - in theory I could do this but in my particular case the activity is just 'construction supervsion, with a team of about 50+ personnel.

I would have to create 50+ activities to represent each resource starting at a different time - and this will make a very busy schedule.

What I have done is created various different manual resource curves......unfortunately if I then assign these curves to the resources, and assign the resources to the activity - the units are still evenly distributed throughout the activity duration.

The only way to make P6 represent the accurate distribution of units throughout the duration is to make the activity 'resource dependent' not 'task dependent'.