Recently we had a request for us to describe how Primavera P6 can make a spotlight on specific activities within a specific range of dates. As a result of this request we thought it would be good to share the different highlight features available in Primavera P6.
You can use Primavera P6’s numerous highlighting and filter capabilities to highlight activities within a range of dates or some other criteria. You may also use Primavera P6’s spotlight feature to highlight activities and Gantt chart bars within a range of dates starting with the data date.
This article describes how to use Primavera P6 filters to highlight various activities and also how to use the spotlight to highlight activities.
First, we’ll look at the highlight features associated with the filter tool. An example schedule is displayed in Figure 1.
Figure 1
Select the filter icon at the top of the screen, Figure 1. This brings up the Filters dialog, Figure 2.
Figure 2
Let’s create a filter for our specific range of dates. Select the +New icon, which brings up the Filter dialog, Figure 3.
Figure 3
Set the Parameter to Start. We are going to create a filter to highlight all activities that are scheduled to start within a specific date range. So set the variable Is to ‘is within the range of’. Set the Value to a Custom Date and the High Value to a custom date, Figure 4.
Figure 4
The example filter is as displayed in Figure 5.
Figure 5
Note the filter name: ‘Specific Range of Dates’. We are going to highlight all activities that have a start date within the range of 12-Jan-2015 to 15-Feb-2015. Click OK. Next, select the filter ‘Specific Range of Dates’, then select the feature ‘Highlight activities in current layout which match criteria’, which is at the bottom of the Filters dialog, Figure 6.
Figure 6
Select OK and your activities view will be as displayed in Figure 7.
Figure 7
All the activities within our date range are highlighted in blue.
We can also use Default filters to highlight specific types of activities. As an example select the Critical filter, Figure 8.
Figure 8
Again, select the ‘Highlight activities in current layout which match criteria’ feature at the bottom of the Filters dialog. The resulting activities view will be as displayed in Figure 9, which has all the critical activities highlighted in blue.
Figure 9
Now suppose we want to highlight all activities from the current data date to a specific date. To do this select the Progress Spotlight, Figure 10.
Figure 10
Left click on the high range edge of the spotlight, Figure 11, and move the cursor to either the left or right depending on the high date of your date range.
Figure 11
As the data date is updated the spotlight start date will move to the right in the Gantt chart calendar view. Note that the Gantt chart date range is highlighted in yellow as well as the individual activities that fall within that date range.
Summary
It is possible in Primavera P6 to create filters and have all the activities that fall within your filter range to be highlighted in blue. You may also use any of the several default filters already predefined in Primavera P6, and again highlight all the activities that meet that filter criteria.
You may highlight the Gantt chart from the current data date to a date you specify on the Gantt chart using the spotlight feature. This will highlight the date range on the Gantt chart and highlight all the activities in the activities view that fall within that date range.
These are just some of the features available in Primavera P6 for easy viewing of activities and Gantt chart bars.