Project Knowledge

Displaying the Critical Path within a Gantt Chart view

Did you know you can quickly display the Critical Path within a Microsoft Project Gantt Chart view?

The Critical Path within a project plan indicates the series of tasks which must be completed on time for a project to finish on schedule.  Each task on the critical path is a Critical Task.  Any delay to the Critical Path would directly result in the delay the overall project's schedule.  

To display the Critical Path - Gantt Chart View

• for Microsoft Project 2003/2007
• for Microsoft Project 2010

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to display the Critical Path within the Gantt Chart view you can use a quick formatting function called ‘Gantt Chart Wizard’.

1. From the Format menu, select Gantt Chart Wizard (or click on ).

2. Go through the steps, making changes to dialog boxes where necessary, confirmed with the NEXT button.

3. To display the Critical Path on the Gantt Chart:

4. Move to the end of the wizard with .

5. Click  to apply the chosen formatting and then  to leave the wizard.    

Hint & Tip:  For a shortcut menu, Right-Click in the Gantt Chart background area:

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to quickly display the Critical Path within the Gantt Chart view you can access a check box using the context sensitive ribbon:

1. On the Format tab, in the Bar Styles group, click the Critical Tasks check box.

2. Critical tasks are displayed with red-coloured bars (by default).

Hint & Tip:  Criticality formatting is not applied to summary tasks or milestones.

 

 

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Create and customise your own view components within Microsoft Project

Did you know that you can create and customise your own view components within Microsoft Project? Did you also know that when developing Microsoft Project components there is a very useful function which allows you to copy project components from one project to another.  This function is Organizer.

All project plans can contain a number of view components for many different purposes such as data inputting or for reporting purposes for example.  Within Microsoft Project, a new view component can be created from scratch, edited from an existing view component or a copy taken of an existing view component to create a new view from. 

To create a new view component

• for Microsoft Project 2003/2007
• for Microsoft Project 2010
   

If you are using Microsoft Project 2003/2007, to copy an existing view to create a new view component:

1. From the View menu, select More Views…Displaying the More Views dialog box.

2. The active view component you wish to copy from will be highlighted by default, within the More Views list:

3. Select  to copy the active view component.

4. Within the View Definition dialog box, enter your own view name to create a new view:

5. Select  to confirm.

6. Within the More Views dialog box, the ‘My Gantt Chart View’ will now appear within the view list and has been created as a new view component which is saved by default, within the current plan:

7. Select  to apply the changes and to activate this view within the project plan.

8. Various view customisations can now take place without overwriting the original default view.

 

If you are using Microsoft Project 2010, to copy an existing view to create a new view component:

1. On the View tab, in the Task Views group, select More Views from the Other Views: drop down… Displaying the More Views dialog box.

2. The active view component you wish to copy from will be highlighted by default, within the More Views list:

3. Select  to copy the active view component.

4. Within the View Definition dialog box, enter your own view name to create a new view:

5. Select  to confirm.

6. Within the More Views dialog box, the ‘My Gantt Chart View’ will now appear within the view list and has been created as a new view component which is saved by default, within the current plan:

7. Select   to apply the changes and to activate this view within the project plan.

8. Various view customisations can now take place without overwriting the original default view.

 

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