Primavera P6

Primavera P6 View Menu Explained: Complete Beginner Guide - Chapter 3

Learn the Primavera P6 View Menu (Alt+V) step by step. Understand layouts, filters, columns, bars, critical path views, and schedule visualization.

Suraj Manikpuri

Jun 3, 2026 - 16:42

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Primavera P6 View Menu Explained: Complete Beginner Guide - Chapter 3

Primavera P6 View Menu (Alt+V) Explained – Tutorial Chapter 3

Introduction

After learning the File Menu and Edit Menu, the next important menu every planning engineer should master is the View Menu (Alt+V).

In real projects, creating a schedule is only half the job. The other half is presenting the schedule in a way that project managers, clients, consultants, and site teams can easily understand.

This is where the Primavera P6 View Menu becomes extremely valuable.

The View Menu controls how project information is displayed on your screen. Whether you want to show only critical activities, customize Gantt charts, add new columns, highlight delayed work, or create management-friendly layouts, almost everything is controlled through the View Menu.

As a planning engineer working in steel plant projects, shutdowns, mechanical erection, commissioning, and EPC projects, I use View Menu options every day. In many cases, the difference between a professional schedule and a confusing schedule is simply how well the View Menu has been configured.

Use of View Menu in Primavera P6

The View Menu is primarily used to customize how project information appears on the screen.

Access it through:

View → Alt + V

The View Menu helps users:

Create layouts
Customize Gantt charts
Filter activities
Change displayed columns
Modify timescales
Highlight critical paths
Display progress lines
Organize schedule views

Think of it as the "Display Control Center" of Primavera P6.

Without the View Menu, even a perfectly developed schedule can become difficult to understand.

Why the View Menu is Important in Project Planning

A project schedule may contain:

500 activities
5,000 activities
50,000 activities

Showing all activities simultaneously creates confusion.

Different stakeholders require different views:

Project Manager

Needs:

Critical path
Milestones
Project completion date

Site Engineer

Needs:

Current month activities
Area-wise activities
Resource requirements

Client

Needs:

High-level summary
Major milestones
Progress status

Planning Engineer

Needs:

Float values
Logic relationships
Critical activities

The View Menu allows each stakeholder to see only the information relevant to them.

Major Options Available in Primavera P6 View Menu

The View Menu contains several important functions:

Layout
Show on Top
Show on Bottom
Bottom Layout Options
Bars
Columns
Time Scale
Filter By
Group and Sort By
Progress Spotlight
Progress Line
Attachments
Line Numbers
Activity Critical Path
Check Schedule
Table Font and Row
Zoom
Expand All
Collapse All

Let's understand each option practically.

Layout

Purpose

A Layout controls how project information is displayed.

Practical Example

You may create separate layouts for:

Client Reporting
Weekly Progress Review
Shutdown Planning
Resource Monitoring

Real-Life Use

In a steel plant project, management may want a milestone-only layout while site engineers need detailed activity layouts.

Instead of changing settings repeatedly, create different layouts and switch between them instantly.

Professional Tip

Always save custom layouts with meaningful names:

Monthly Progress Layout
Critical Path Layout
Client Review Layout

Show on Top

Purpose

Displays selected details at the top section of the screen.

Practical Use

Useful when reviewing:

Activity Details
Resource Assignments
Relationships

on large monitors.

Show on Bottom

Purpose

Displays details in the bottom pane.

Practical Application

Most planners prefer:

Activities Table
Gantt Chart
Activity Details

in the bottom section.

This allows quick access to predecessor and successor information.

Bottom Layout Options

Purpose

Controls what information appears in the bottom layout.

Common Options

General
Status
Resources
Expenses
Relationships
Notebook
Codes

Practical Benefit

Reduces screen clutter and improves productivity.

Bars

Purpose

Customizes the appearance of Gantt chart bars.

Controls

Colors
Shapes
Critical activities
Baseline bars
Actual progress bars

Practical Example

Display:

Critical Activities = Red
Non-Critical Activities = Blue
Completed Activities = Green

This instantly improves schedule readability.

Professional Tip

Use company-standard bar colors for reporting consistency.

Columns

Purpose

Controls which fields appear in the activity table.

Common Columns

Activity ID
Activity Name
Start Date
Finish Date
Duration
Total Float
Percent Complete

Real Project Example

For delay analysis, add:

Total Float
Free Float
Remaining Duration

For progress reporting:

Percent Complete
Actual Start
Actual Finish

Why Important

The right columns help planners analyze schedules much faster.

Time Scale

Purpose

Controls the timeline shown in the Gantt chart.

Available Views

Hours
Days
Weeks
Months
Quarters
Years

Practical Example

Shutdown Schedule:

Hours
Days

Building Construction:

Weeks
Months

Mega Steel Plant Project:

Months
Quarters

Professional Tip

Always choose a timescale appropriate to project duration.

Filter By

Purpose

Displays only selected activities.

Common Filters

Critical Activities
In Progress Activities
Completed Activities
Activities Starting This Month

Practical Example

Before a weekly review meeting, show:

Activities Starting Next 14 Days

instead of displaying 5,000 activities.

Major Benefit

Improves schedule review efficiency.

Group and Sort By

Purpose

Organizes activities into logical categories.

Grouping Options

WBS
Area
Responsible Manager
Activity Code
Resource

Example

Mechanical Erection Project:

Area-1
Area-2
Area-3

Activities are automatically grouped by area.

Professional Advantage

Creates cleaner reports.

Progress Spotlight

Purpose

Highlights activities occurring within a selected time period.

Practical Use

Suppose today's date is:

01-July-2026

You want to review work planned during the next 30 days.

Progress Spotlight highlights those activities automatically.

Best Use

Short-term planning.

Progress Line

Purpose

Graphically displays project progress against planned schedule.

Practical Example

A project should be 60% complete.

Actual progress is only 45%.

The Progress Line immediately highlights delays.

Why Project Managers Love It

Provides quick visual understanding of schedule health.

Attachments

Purpose

Displays attached documents.

Examples

Drawings
Method Statements
Inspection Reports
Vendor Documents

Practical Use

Link drawings directly to activities.

Example:

Pump Installation Activity
Attached Drawing No. HPDS-P-101

Line Numbers

Purpose

Displays row numbers in activity tables.

Benefit

Improves schedule navigation during reviews.

Activity Critical Path

Purpose

Highlights the project's critical path.

Why Important

Critical activities directly affect project completion.

Any delay in these activities delays the entire project.

Practical Example

HPDS Installation Project:

Critical Path:

Foundation
Grouting
Pump Installation
Hydro Testing
Commissioning

The View Menu can highlight these activities instantly.

Check Schedule

Purpose

Displays schedule quality checks.

Helps Identify

Missing relationships
Open ends
Constraints
Logic issues

Best Practice

Run schedule checks before client submissions.

Table Font and Row

Purpose

Changes table appearance.

Options

Font size
Row height
Text style

Benefit

Improves readability during presentations.

Zoom

Purpose

Changes Gantt chart zoom level.

Options

Zoom In
Zoom Out
Entire Project

Practical Use

During executive meetings, zoom out for overall project visibility.

Expand All

Purpose

Expands all WBS levels.

Useful When

Reviewing complete project details.

Collapse All

Purpose

Collapses all WBS levels.

Useful When

Presenting high-level summaries.

Practical Example from a Steel Plant Project

Consider a High Pressure Descaling Unit (HPDS) installation project.

Project Contains

850 Activities
12 WBS Levels
Multiple Contractors

Before the weekly review meeting:

Planning Engineer Uses

Filter By

Next 30 Days Activities

Group and Sort

By Mechanical Area

Columns

Start
Finish
Percent Complete

Progress Line

Review delays

Activity Critical Path

Highlight critical activities

Within minutes, a highly professional review layout is ready.

Best Practices for Using the View Menu

Create Multiple Layouts

Separate layouts for:

Management
Client
Site Team

Keep Columns Relevant

Avoid showing unnecessary fields.

Use Filters Frequently

Review smaller, focused activity groups.

Highlight Critical Activities

Makes delay analysis easier.

Save Layouts Regularly

Prevents rework.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

Using Default Layout Only

Creates cluttered schedules.

Displaying Too Many Columns

Reduces readability.

Ignoring Critical Path Display

Makes schedule reviews difficult.

Wrong Timescale Selection

Can hide important project details.

Not Saving Layouts

Results in repeated customization work.

Conclusion

The Primavera P6 View Menu is one of the most powerful tools available to planning engineers. While the schedule contains the data, the View Menu controls how effectively that data is presented and analyzed.

Whether you are preparing a client report, conducting a delay analysis, monitoring critical activities, or managing a steel plant shutdown project, the View Menu helps transform raw schedule data into meaningful project information.

For beginners, mastering the View Menu is one of the fastest ways to improve productivity and become comfortable with Primavera P6.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the shortcut key for the View Menu in Primavera P6?

The shortcut key is Alt + V.

What is the purpose of Layouts in Primavera P6?

Layouts allow users to save customized schedule views for different reporting and analysis requirements.

Which View Menu option is used to display only critical activities?

Use Filter By → Critical Activities.

What is the use of Progress Line?

Progress Line graphically compares actual progress against planned progress.

Why is Group and Sort important?

It organizes activities into logical categories, making schedules easier to review and analyze.

What does Activity Critical Path do?

It highlights activities that directly impact project completion dates.

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Suraj Manikpuri Mechanical Engineer and Project Management Professional, Six Sigma & NDT certified with 15+ years of experience in steel plant and heavy industrial projects. Currently working as a Projects Manager, specializing in mechanical equipment erection, commissioning, and project execution. Skilled in Primavera P6 project planning, QA/QC systems, and site coordination, with a strong track record of delivering projects safely, efficiently, and on schedule.