Visual Target Mode

In Visual [anchor]Target[/anchor] Mode, activities, milestones, and benchmarks that are ahead of or behind schedule can be made either smaller, larger, or lighter or darker, resulting in a visual comparison. The definition of ahead of schedule and behind schedule can be customized through a filter to include variances in start dates, durations, finish dates, floats, drifts, total floats, or any combination desired. And the criteria of the filter can be defined as “and”, in which case an activity must satisfy ALL of the criteria, or the criteria can be defined as “or”, in which case an activity can satisfy ANY of the criteria.

Once a filter has been applied and the Visual Target Mode  icon selected, any activity which matches the filter will be formatted on the canvas. This formatting will have NO effect on colors or sizes specified outside of Visual Target Mode and the two will be stored separately. If an object is modified within Visual Target Mode such that it no longer matches filter (e.g. its duration is crashed and its variance reaches zero), its formatting will refresh dynamically, resulting in kinetic, real-time feedback. Visual Target Mode requires at least one target to have been captured by the user and a base and alternate designated.

Activities whose finish dates are at least 5 days behind schedule have been made darker and bigger; activities whose finish dates are at least 5 days ahead of schedule have been made lighter and smaller; activities which match neither are faded.

NOTE: Whereas the tabular comparison can be generated between any two targets, the visual comparison can ONLY be generated if one of the two targets is the Current State. If two targets have been selected but neither is the Current State, the formatting on the canvas will be cleared and the Apply button will be disabled.

Steps

Viewing the Comparison

1. Click the Visual Target Mode  icon in the toolbar. The Visual Target Mode Filters window will open.
   1. If a base and/or alternate have not yet been designated, the Targets Manager will open. In the first column on the left (base), check the box next to a desired target.
   2. In the second column (alternate), check the box next to Current State.
2. If no criteria have been added yet, click the Add button, and customize as desired. Otherwise, skip to step 3.
3. Click the Apply button.
4. When finished, click the Exit icon in the upper right.

Clearing the Comparison

1. Click the Visual Target Mode  icon in the toolbar.

Adding Filter Criteria

1. Click Tools > Modify Visual Target Filters from the menu bar. The Visual Target Mode Filters window will open.
2. Click the Add button.
3. Customize as desired.
4. Click Apply to save the changes and display them on the canvas. NOTE: The Apply button will be disabled unless Target Mode has been entered. To enter, click the Target Mode icon  in the toolbar.
5. When finished, click the Exit icon in the upper right.

Modifying Filter Criteria

1. Click Tools > Modify Visual Target Filters from the menu bar. The Visual Target Mode Filters window will open.
2. Select the desired cell in the list.
3. Customize as desired.
4. Click Apply to save the changes and display them on the canvas. NOTE: The Apply button will be disabled unless Target Mode has been entered. To enter, click the Target Mode icon  in the toolbar.
5. When finished, click the Exit icon in the upper right.

Deleting Filter Criteria

1. Click Tools > Modify Visual Target Filters from the menu bar. The Visual Target Mode Filters window will open.
2. Select the desired row in the list and click the Remove button.
3. Click Apply to save the changes and display them on the canvas. NOTE: The Apply button will be disabled unless Target Mode has been entered. To enter, click the Target Mode icon  in the toolbar.
4. When finished, click the Exit icon in the upper right.

Notes

Bar Shadows and Selecting Activities

In Visual Target Mode, selecting an activity, milestone, or benchmark on the canvas will trigger a light grey shadow to appear beneath its bar, indicating its position and dates from the base target. In addition, dates, durations, etc. will no longer reset or enlarge.

Visual Target Mode Filters

The Visual Target Mode Filters window can be left open and worked with side-by-side with the Targets Manager, if desired.

Filter Criteria

Non-matching Objects

This formatting will have NO effect on colors or sizes specified outside of Visual Target Mode and the two will be stored separately.

Matching Objects

All Objects