Set up Layouts for Planning and Lookahead Meetings

The Layouts window allows you to save and restore layouts. Layouts can optionally be organized in folders.

1. Open the following SYNCHRO project file: Layouts for planning and lookahead meetings - Start.sp. To open Layouts panel on the left, go to Navigator ribbon, then click Layouts.
   
   
   
2. Right click in blank area the Layouts panel, choose Save Layout, then name the created layout as Default.
   
   Note: When you right click in the Layouts panel, you will access the context menu.
   
   
   • Create Layout Folder - Right click in the blank space to create a new folder, or right click on an existing folder to create a sub-folder.
   • Rename - allows you to rename the selected folder or layout.
   • Remove - allows to remove the selected layout or folder (and all contents included).
   • Find - Click Find to search for an existing Layout.
   • Open Layout - will apply the saved layout to the current file.
   • Save Layout - overwrites the selected layout with the current settings.
   • Save Layout As - will create a new layout. Right click an existing layout folder to add the layout inside the selected folder.
   • Import Layouts - will import Layouts from an internal or external files
     
     

3. To create a new Layout, you can modify the display of columns. Right click in Task List column headings, choose Customize Columns. For example, you can hide the Duration column, and add Budgeted Total Cost (BAC) and Budgeted Direct Cost columns.
4. You can also move the Focus Time forward to the end of the project.
   Hint: Focus Time position will be recorded when a new Layout is created.
5. To hide a few 3D objects, box select a few, right click in the 3D View. go to Filters > Hide Selected.
   Hint: Activated Filters (3D Filters, Task Filters and Column Filters), will also be saved in the new Layout to be created.
   
   
   
6. To create a new layout based on the changes made from Step 4 to 7, go to Layouts panel, right click then choose Save Layouts. Double click to rename this Layout as Test.
     
   
   Note: 
   • The name of the current or activated layout will be bold.
   • To open the Default layout, right click then choose Open Layout.
   • Always choose No in the prompted message window that reminds you to save changes in the current layout, unless you would like the current layout to be overwritten.

7. We can find that using the Layouts feature, we will be able to save the current viewpoint, all filters, columns and all other key components on the screen and capture all of them as a “status” for later use.
    

Viewpoint with Markup

1. When reviewing the 4D model, we sometimes need to create a callout or mark up the 3D View for review later.
2. Right click on the Test layout in the Layouts panel, and click to choose Open Layout so we start this exercise with the same layout.
3. Move Focus Time to 2/2/2019. And rotate in 3D View to show the structural steel work in progress.
     

4. Right Click in 3D View window, click Enable Markup Mode.
   
   
   
5. After the MarkupMode is enabled, you will see the markup tool bar and use the different markup tools to create markups. For example, you may find some issues with the structural steel sequence, and you would like to create markups to circle the steel with issues and provide comments for other colleague’s review.
    

6. Select the markup tool that you would like to use and draw in 3D View, for example, select Cloud Markup and circle the interested area.
7. Also use the Note Markup tool to add comments. You can customize the color and width for the border, the foreground and background color, and the font size.
   
   
   
8. To exit Markup Mode, click the Enable Markup icon again to disable Markup Mode.
   
   
   
9. You can find a new Viewpoint has been automatically created and listed in the Viewpoints window.
   Hint: You may rename the Viewpoint as [Pending]+issue description. You can rename it as [Solved]+issue description after review.
   
   
   
10. Layouts and Viewpoints are different.

• A Viewpoint only captures the 3D View, Focus Time, Cutting Plane(s), and 3D Filter(s).
• A Viewpoint only captures one specific 3D View, while a Layout can capture the status of all 3D Views (multiple 3D Windows).
• A Layout can include everything in a Viewpoint.
   

Create Layouts for Meetings

The Layout that we would like to create may depend on the use of the Layout and who will be who attend the meeting. For example, if you would like to meet with steel crew, you may need to review their specific scope by enabling a 3D Filter such as the Steel 3D Filter to filter to all related steel 3D objects.

1. In this project, we have an existing New Steel 3D Filter, which can be found in Navigator ribbon > 3D Filters panel. Go to 3D Filters panel, scroll down to find the New Steel filter, or type in Steel in the search box.
2. Select New Steel Filter and click Activate in selected 3D view to apply the selected 3D filter to the active 3D View.
   
   
   
3. Similarly, to facilitate the review of the steel work, we can create a Task Filter to filter to the activities that are associated with the 3D Objects or Resources in the New Steel filter.
4. Right Click New Steel 3D Filter, then choose Select filtered 3D objects. You will see all New Steel 3D objects are highlighted in the 3D View.
5. Go to Navigator ribbon, select Task and Path Filters so the Filters panel is opened.
6. In the Task and Path Filters panel, right click to create a new task filter, and rename it New Steel.
7. Once the New Steel task filter is checked, all tasks disappear from the Task table.
   
   
   
8. Select the New Steel task filter, and choose Resources in the General tab. An additional Resources tab will be added next to the General tab.
9. While the New Steel task filter is selected, move on to the Resources tab. Click Mark Selected button to mark all tasks that are associated with the selected 3D Resources.
   
   
   
10. Immediately after the Mark Selected button is clicked, you will see the filtered steel tasks appear in the Task List.
    
    
    
11. Adjust the columns in the Task List. For example, move the 3D Resources column next to the ID column.
    
    
    
12. Create a new Layout by right clicking in the Layouts panel, choose Save Layout As. Name this layout as New Steel Planning.
13. Now the saved New Steel Planning layout has the following features:
    • 3D Objects in New Steel 3D Filter
    • Tasks associated with the filtered New Steel objects

14. If your team is only interested to review the work in the following four weeks, you can right click to Add Task Filter in the Filters panel, Rename this filter as Look ahead week 1-4.
15. Set this filter as a Look ahead filter in the General tab, and change the Look Ahead Duration to 28d in the Look Ahead tab.
    
    
    
16. Activate both New Steel and Look ahead week 1-4 Task Filters.
17. Go to Layouts panel, right click to Save Layout As and name this layout New Steel Look ahead week 1-4.
18. Now you can move your Focus Time in Gantt Chart, from Data Date to the end of week 4 which is indicated by the last filtered task.
    

Synchro Challenge

How can you create a Task Filter to show upcoming steel work from week 5 to week 8? Can you create a Layout for it as well?
Hint: Use Date Range for the Task Filter.

Setting Up Layouts for Planning and Lookahead Meetings (Video)