Vladimir,

The new formula modifier dialog is awesome, finally not only specific cell references are easy but the conditional selection adds even more power. This improved functionality adds power while simplifying the interface, it is a double bonus. So easy and intuitive no instructions are needed. 

Best Regards,

Rafael

Vladimir,

Got it, it is a Gantt Option you got to setup, it works as expected, it is great. Now I can see in the same Gantt the activities in compared schedule missing on current.

DIFFERENCE fields on absent activities is empty, some value shall be considered for purpose of filtering, maybe an asterisk. 

This reminds me of a minor request for functionality to save and load Gantt Options in a way similar to Layout.

Maybe saved Layout in Project and saved Gantt Options in Project shall be stored on Report Template upon creation. In this way even the time scale zoom size and range on the report will be remembered. 

Best Regards

Rafael

Found it, it allows me to highlight all or any combination overloaded resources as per my request. By the way the filter for selected resource overloaded activities is very handy.

In the following figure I selected to highlights overloads for resource B only [on the overloads bar], now I see when the overloads occur and can filter for activities at a specific occurrence. As you can see I selected 12/02/2011.

It is perfect just I was not aware.

Perhaps adding to the right click options the <<Resource Peak Work Load Options>> and the <<Resource Peak Work Load>> Calculation menu items will make it even easier.

Vladimir,

About "Link will not be shown as driving if you will select Ignore preceding activity links if activity is in progress." is there a way to make this option not the default when creating new jobs. I do not like it, though I am tolerant to those who plan with it. I believe the planner shall keep the options and others shall be able to identify it, Spider Provides for both, it is just an issue with the default, at times I miss overriding such settings.

Perhaps not only to expand the selection of options but to make it an option to keep the settings when updating the software.

Of course this shall not be a substitute to job templates nor to Reference Books. I would like to have access to a table with those single value fields I can edit given the access rights and I can transfer with Standard Reference Books plus I can report on them.

Regards,

Rafael

From http://cmaanet.org/files/pentagon.pdf you will see the term Banana Curve refers to the combination of Early and Late S-Curves. The following illustration, from the above reference shows the concept but Spider Project in a similar way P3 was able to do, will display a split for the current schedule progress curves, one split representing projected early and the other representing projected late while before the data date the curves converge to the actuals. Spider representation as well as P3 are the most adequate representations.

Because the progress line is almost always below the early finish line, the contractor almost always appears to be “behind schedule. ” This can be an unfair assessment—or it could be a valid assessment. There is insufficient information to judge! A better method of graphing the status is to plot both the early finish curve and the late finish curve together. As shown in Figure 5, this forms the so-called “banana curve. ”

 About Conditional Scheduling, to my understanding this is novel functionality but not a novel need, in fact I believe it to be old and common. It is not unusual to make plans with options that will depend upon the occurrence of some events whose timing is unknown at the initial stages of planning. For the moment we have to make the assumptions and manually change the schedule as these events do happen, even when ahead of time we know the rules for the moment we do not have the tools to embed them into our model. To my view this will be a very welcomed functionality not only because it will prevent omissions but because it will make it transparent as everyone will be informed and aware of these.

About the new functions I believe they are still on the works and a few more are to be released, therefore the English language documentation of these is perhaps on hold for a while, same as the syntax for specific table cell references in formulas. They will be welcomed as I cannot live without the formula functionality as is.

Now in case you have an owner who insists in using his Excel template it is very easy to create the required tabular report with Early and Late values for Cumulative, Per Period or both although it is no longer needed, it would be a caprice. Why wasting a few valuable minutes when it is already there? Yes, now very easy but for these purposes the Excel icon is not needed anymore, the Graph as generated by Spider Project is perfect, even the table of values can be displayed.

As a matter of fact I would trust more on the projected values by the software than those by an Excel spreadsheet that can be manipulated, it makes validation easier, easier for the contractor and easier for the owner's rep who has to certify the projected curve is correct.

Note: The above graph is from a sample job that was updated by delaying the start of the job, therefore no activity show actual start or finish, this is only for a fast illustration of the S Curves. The sample current schedule S-Curve values were obtained by creating a second graph using monthly periods while the graph per se was generated using daily periods. The sample below my posting before DD displays a single line that splits into two just after the DD as expected.

Marcus,

This is even better, we now are able to display Actual, Baseline Early and Baseline Late plus Current Early and Curren late Diagrams, no need to use Excel and with the ability to display multiple Diagrams.

The following functionality, I am still wondering how it is to evolve, is as novel as other resource loading functionalities unique of Spider Project. The software will be able to toggle on/off links based on formula values that might change as the schedule is updated.

Best regards,

Rafael

Vladimir,

This new view will add a new dimension to reporting, I like the idea of keeping it at the Main Window instead of at the Project Window, it keeps the core easily accessible, excellent choice.

That you do not expect loops is good news, give me some peace of mind, Dynamic/Conditional links I believe will add additional advantage to Spider over the rest.

Best Regards,

Rafael

Vladimir,

A few moths ago I read on the internet that optimization algorithms although all search for the optimum how close will depend on the particular schedule, some schedules will be better optimized by a certain algorithm while others by other algorithm. Perhaps the response is so complicated that only by running the different algorithms you will know which is best for your particular schedule.

If Optimization and Optimization + target the same group of schedules then is ok to remove the first, and keep the space for other algorithms that target other schedule groups.

The trick to select previous optimization after selecting optimization plus in order to speed it up is a good one, thanks for the advice.

I have noticed (I believe), that the use of certain functionalities such as Skills can also impose some extra burden on the resource leveling and therefore can slow the computations. Am I correct?  I ask because most of my schedules are of about 600 activities, so small that the difference is not much.

Best regards,

Rafael