Global change in P6

KongChung,
You don’t need a place holder to store value using global change. You can directly combine two fields together.
Ex: Activity Name = (activity code) A & (activity code) B or any two fields combination.

Hi Rodel,

Thank you for your answer.

So there is no need to set up all the temp holding places via &A, &B,&C.

I tried to give myself all the powers by ticking on all the boxes. That perhaps my problem is caused by a behind-the-cockpit setup.

Take another situation. I got that template of a floor typical activities and with unique IDs, and by prefixing that template with 01, 02, 03, etc etc got to have a 20 storey building.

There is a project code of LEVL for level of the floors that in P3, I would just populate by extracting the substring of ACT first 2 characters.

In P6 global change, when I set in the ’then’ space, and when parameter is set to Levels (that LEVL), then when I get in the Parameter/Value box, when I click on it, I am faced with the extracts from the LEVL , ie Code Value and Description to chose from.

I cannot get it into the substring function to operate on ACT.

That substring function operate only on the Activity Name.

I did it the slow and dirty way by sorting it on acitivity ID and manual change and then fill down for each floor.

What have I done wrong? and how to use global change to populate that LEVL the way P3 global change allowed so easily with

Then LEVL EQ SS(ACT,1,2)

KongChung,
Try this:

Then LEVL = LeftString(Activity ID,2)

Rodel,

The problem is in P6 I could not get that LeftString(Activity ID,2) into that box to replace the value in LEVL.

That was the first thing that I tried.

P6 offered me only the choice of chosing the existing values instead of allowing me to put any string function to extract the values that I wanted.

As said in earlier email, string functions seemed only to be allowed for Activity Name and nothing else.

KongChung,
You maybe using users define field as non text that is why text function is not working or Activity Codes where value are need to define for selections. All Text field will allowed text function but not number, date, integer etc...

Hi Rodel,

Thank you for your helpfulness.

But I think LEVL is difficult to be numeric when it contained B1 B2 B3 etc for 6 levels of basement and M1 M2 etc for mezzanine floors as well as G0 for ground floor.

And then when I added fields of user_txt1 and user_txt2, the P6 residing in my machine refused to recognise that as text.

I am glad to be still using P3 on daily basis rather than P6 in ernest.

You are lucky your P6 is better behaved than mine.

KongChung,
Is LEVL activity codes? As I mention on my previous post, Activity Codes cannot be updated using text functions as it was have a define value which is theoretically correct. The base of input are limited from the define values.
User define field as text should not be a problem. See sample below.

Rodel,

I came to that conclusion too that Activity Codes cannot be updated in P6 the way it is done so naturally in P3.

But I thought one of the main use of Global Change , at least in P3, was to easily populate the Act Codes to allow meaningful grouping and collating of data.

There is still another Act Code LEVM which grouped 6 floors into Low Rise, High Rise, Sky Rise, Executive Rise etc etc etc.

And even more Act Codes to distinguish between Civil, Structural, Archi Finishing, cladding etc etc. Not to talk of E&M and subsystems.

I am lucky my contractors with me building the Port (US$1500 Million) , Dry Docks /Shipyard (US$ 750 Million) , Airport etc etc all insisted on using P3.
Their language when it came to P6 is extremely colorful.

I thought I try P6 again after I received an email from a good friend a couple weeks ago from down under at Brisbane with the his following sentiments.

’
After nearly 3 years of keeping away from P6 I’ve finally had to concede to using the thing and now that it has reached V7 and handles a whole lot more like P3 3.1 I would say it works reasonably well. Just a few more iterations and it will be just like 3.1 and it will only have taken them 10 years to get there. If only I had a stand alone copy, without interference from the IT people I might even get to like it – it makes very pretty colours you know.’

I will press on into P6 out of morbid curiosity.

I am now trying my best to make P6 talk to Excel. So that changes be made in Excel with standard string functions and reimported back.

But I got the following problem.

*****************************************************
* EXCEPTION REPORT *
*****************************************************
Date: 03-May-10

Executable: PM.exe
Application: Primavera P6 Project Management
Event Code: CNFII-2364-D
Message:
Could not find installable ISAM

Context:
1: TfrmWizExport.RunExportWizard
2: TfrmMain.actHomeExecute
3: TCFormManager.SetToolbar
4: TfrmLogin.FormCreate
5:
6:
7:
8:
9:
10:

Detail:
Type: EOleException
Object Type: TCUltraButton



System Info
===========
Username: chank Hostname: W-UAEL-07486
OS Version: Windows NT ver 5.1, build 2600, Service Pack 2 (Intel Pentium)

My IT Manager is hopeful he can sort this out.

Perhaps you might be even more helpful than my IT Manager.

Warmest regards

KC Chan

KongChung,
Your security profile is limited and not allowing you to use this function that is why you will get this kind of error. You should asked superuser profile to avoid this kind of difficulties. I used P3 starting from dos to windows including the external function and API but I found it easier when I used P4 to P6 and more module and functions added.

In regards to your Problem, Global change still can used but more effort because you have to run it every value that you have in your Activity Code. I suggest using import/export function but on your case it is not possible due to restriction of your profile. The only alternative is fill function by grouping or sorting your activity ID.

Best Regards,
Rodel

1-can one delete some activities by using global change?
i.e.
If sctivity type="WBS summary" THEN remove

2-can transfer values of a fiels to another field?
FOR all activities Do:
labor units (of a activity)==units budgeted (of a resource assigned to this activity)
or:
units budgeted (resource)--> labor units (activity)

Regards,

Rodel,

:-)

I been using P3 from DOS days. I think the Penguin in P3Dos is so much better than in P3 Windows.

But that is just my humble opinion.

I am a standalone user in P7. You read in my earlier letter that

’I tried to give myself all the powers by ticking on all the boxes. That perhaps my problem is caused by a behind-the-cockpit setup’

As the Adminsuperuser, I cannot be more super as it is.

:-)

Or is there a Hyper user?

As said, it is lucky I do not have to us P6 in ernest. But I thought it better for me to try it out before that.

I just imported another old project with massive resources manipulation and cross resources levelling to interate the optimum crew sizings.


Abed Prnd,

I wish you luck in your quest. And do remember to duck and stay in one piece and alive.

Abed,
1) You don’t need a global change to delete WBS Summary Activities. Just use a Filter to show all WBS Summary only and press ctrl+a to highlight all and press delete and presto all WBS summary activities are deleted.

2) Yes it is possible to transfer data in one field to another field. Just confused on your example because once you add resource, their unit goes to budgeted units automatically and override what ever value it has before without resources. (labor or non-labor or material

KongChung,

Sorry I think I misinterpret your post. I believe the problem is in the installation, may need to repair or reinstall P6. There is no Hyper superuser and don’t need to tick all the boxes because some of them are for WEB Access, Timesheet Module etc… Accepting the default admin superuser should be enough. You may include those miscellaneous application like SDK and Project Link which is very useful.

Hi again,

In P3, I have undo updates in activites using global changes.

I normally have backup of project during updates to fall back onto. Even if not, I could get back to where I wanted it to be by first updating the P3 to the data date I wanted (which might be in the past)

Then global change to AS EQ "" AND AF EQ "" for activities selected . That followed by setting percentage done PCT EQ 0 . The RD will automatically take on the OD value.

Pressing F9 will then restore the project to what it was.

Is there a way to do that equivalent in P6?

Needless to say, I tried Global change on them like in P3.
I struggled for the last 3 hours. Even trying to revert updates manually in P6 is a challenge

Using the ’status tab’ on the activity details, the moment you click on the boxes for ’Started’ and ’Finished’, the durations all revert to 0.

Is there a solution to my problem? Other than making sure of earlier backups before doing updating.

Warmest regards

KC Chan

I just wanted to add that when setting PCT EQ 0, the Cost to date, BCWP etc etc all got reset as well. The Budgetted Cost remaining unchanged as it should be.

At least P3 did that for me and should do that for you too.

KC Chan

make sure your calculation setting under project details is "reset remaining duration to original"

KongChung,
Below are the steps in removing actuals in P6.
You need to change Project Settings first
1) Project Window(select the project that need to change the setting)-> Calculation tab-> tick "Link Budget At Completion for non started activities" and tick "Reset Remaining Duration and Units to Original"
2) If have resource assigned you have to remove tha actual first.
Global Change: Remove Actual units
Subject Area: Activity Resource Assignments
if
Where:
Then:
Actual Labor Unit = 0.00
3) Global Change: Change Activity Status
Subject Area: Activities
If
Where:
Activity Status is not equal to Not Started
Then:
Activity Status = Not Started

Best Regards,
Rodel

Thank you folks.

That sound like what I wanted, and I guess part of the cockpit settings of P6 I need to get familiar with.

Thurs-Friday are weekends in Oman and P6 resides in office machine that I only can (and want) to get back to after the weekend.

Which might get extended should the cyclone off the coast of Oman truly hit us.

Thanks again


KC Chan

Hi dears,
Hi dear Rodel!
I need to delete the bottom WBS level and transfer it’s activities to upper level.
i.e. WBS BB.3.2.1.1 merges into BB.3.2.1
somthhing like this in Global Change:
user_text1={RightString(WBS,5)}
WBS=user_text1
but the problem is that you are forced to pick a specific WBS.

can anyone help please?


Regards,
Abed

OR:

How can one delete some WBS levels without losing their activitis, in one sweet step?

Abed,
It’s very simple. On Activity Window right click and select Column-> General-> WBS. Once the WBS columns is shown then change the WBS of the top row of those activities that need to change then highlight from top row to the last row while the cursor is on WBS column. Press Ctrl+e (fill command) then press F5 to refresh the database. All WBS is now changed. You don’t need to delete the WBS for future use or if required go to WBS Window and delete it from there.

Note: Make sure that Activity count is 0 before you delete to make sure that no hidden activities.

Dear Rodel
Thanks for your attention,
your suggestion is very helpful but It does’nt perfectly suit this case (and also my lazyish style :))
there’re more than 400 different WBS path that i had to change, more than 60 WBSs with only one activity
(it seems that the one who prepared the sketch plan had a deep interest in making multilever structures, perhaps he was paid by total numbers of pages :))
anyway, I had to use global change forremoving those WBSs?
any idea? I’m realy counting on you for this.

Regards
Abed

How about I export it to excel, modify it and then import edited wbs to P6 ? huh?

look forward to hear from you.

Abed,
If just removing WBS that process works if you highlight from top first row to bottom regardless of sitting in different WBS. If you fill down then all WBS will be change using the first WBS that you assigned.
You can also use Global Change to remove WBS.
Ex:
If:
Where: WBS under (original value of WBS that you need to change)
Then: WBS = (Use project directory or root WBS)

You can also use export/import spreadsheet function and modify WBS from there.

Note: If you remove the WBS column from exported file and import it back all activities will removed WBS assignment and will sit on Project directory.

How to Copy EPS activity codes  to a normal activity codes? anyone knows the answer. Please lets me know.

Cheers

Hello,

anybody know my concern on the Global Change.

My Budget example for the X1 Activity is 200 Mhrs, but when i calculate this Budget in the Global Change using the UDF the value become times 8 = 1600. it should be 200 for the Budgeted Manhours as well as the Budget at Completion. I do not know where is the problem, i checked all the settings but doing okay.

Thanks for the help and advise!

 

Marcos

Hello,

anybody know my concern on the Global Change.

My Budget example for the X1 Activity is 200 Mhrs, but when i calculate this Budget in the Global Change using the UDF the value become times 8 = 1600. it should be 200 for the Budgeted Manhours as well as the Budget at Completion. I do not know where is the problem, i checked all the settings but doing okay.

Thanks for the help and advise!

 

Marcos