Task Filters

To access this screen:

The Task Filters screen lets you define and manage filters that select specific tasks in your DTS project based on conditions such as field values. These filters control which tasks are shown in lists, toolbars, charts, and reports.

Task filters help you focus on relevant subsets of tasks in schedule views and analyses. You can use filters to isolate activities such as production stops, maintenance tasks, or specific activity groups based on their properties.

The Task Filters Toolbar

The following tools appear along the top of the screen:

  1. Add a new new filter. The default naming convention for filters is New Filter # where # represents an incremental index.

  2. Copy the selected filter to create a new one. Useful for creating filters that are similar.

  3. Delete the selected filter.

    Warning: You are not asked to confirm deletion, and this cannot be undone. Use carefully!

  4. Rename the selected filter.

  5. Apply the currently selected filter to items in the Task Bar chart.

  6. Generate filters automatically using the Generate Filters screen.

To create a new task filter:

  1. Display the Filters screen.

  2. Click Add.

  3. Edit the default Filter name to something useful.

  4. Check Show Summary so that, if you have grouping defined, summary bars for the grouped tasks are automatically displayed when the filter is active. If unchecked, they are not displayed.

  5. Check In List to ensure this filter is shown in all lists where filter selections are made, for example the Task Filter toolbar, production field formulae and so on. If unchecked, the filter is not displayed.

  6. Use Group to create or add a filter to a nominal group on this screen. This is to make the ordering and categorizing of filters on this screen more interactive. By default, Group is empty, meaning the filter is listed at the 'top level'. Enter any value to the field to either add the filter to a new group, or an existing one.

  7. Next, you need to define the filter expression(s) for the new filter:

    1. In the table on the left, leave And/Or for the first row empty (it is ignored anyway for the initial filter expression).

    2. Select the Field Name containing the values to control the filter.

      Tip: Start typing the name of the field to quickly jump to the field that you need.

    3. Use the Test field to decide how the Field Name value is compared with the Values field on the right. Standard comparison operators are listed: =, not =, <, <=,>,>=.

    4. What Value are you using to see if the filter expression is true or false? Where valid values are relevant (say, where the Field Name is Assignment Type), these display in a list, otherwise freeform text is entered.

  8. Use And/Or to add a second or subsequent condition to your filter, choose how the expressions are to be considered (if you don't need multiple expressions, skip this section):

    • Or – The filter passes if assignments pass either of the current and next expressions. For example, for the filter to include values that are either "Task Type = Fixed Rate" or "Task Type = Hammock".

    • And – The filter passes if both the current and next expression pass. For example, an assignment passes the filter if both "Task Type = Fixed Rate and Total Profit < 1000".

    Tip: Remember that And is generally less inclusive (and gives rise to fewer passes) than Or for the same expression conditions.

  9. Repeat the step above for each filter condition.

  10. Click OK.

  11. Save your project.

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