Bar Types & Styles
Available in: All plans
Last updated: 05-Mar-2026
Overview
Kazinex renders Gantt bars using a bar style definition system inspired by Primavera P6's Bars dialog. Each bar style defines which activities it applies to, which date fields map to bar start and end, and how the bar looks (shape, colour, labels). You can enable, disable, reorder, and fully customise every style.
By default, Kazinex ships with 11 bar style definitions. The first six are visible out of the box; the remaining five are available but hidden.
Default Bar Styles
Visible by Default
| # | Style Name | Applies To | Date Range | Colour | Shape |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Remaining Work | All non-critical tasks | Remaining start → Remaining finish | Green gradient | Flat caps, gradient body |
| 2 | Actual Work | All tasks with actual dates | Actual start → Actual finish | Blue gradient | Flat caps, gradient body |
| 3 | Critical Remaining Work | Critical-path tasks only | Remaining start → Remaining finish | Red gradient | Flat caps, gradient body |
| 4 | Milestone | Start / Finish milestones | Finish date (single point) | Purple | Diamond shape |
| 5 | Summary | WBS summary rows | Early start → Early finish | Dark slate | Pointed caps, solid body |
| 6 | Level of Effort | LOE activities | Early start → Early finish | Cyan | Fenced caps, striped body |
Hidden by Default
| # | Style Name | Purpose | How to Enable |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | Primary Baseline | Shows baseline dates as a secondary bar below the current bar | Toggle in Gantt Settings → Bar Styles |
| 8 | Total Float | Green striped bar extending from early finish to late finish | Toggle in Gantt Settings → Bar Styles |
| 9 | Late Dates | Amber dashed bar showing late start → late finish | Toggle in Gantt Settings → Bar Styles |
| 10 | Negative Float | Red dashed bar for activities with negative float | Toggle in Gantt Settings → Bar Styles |
| 11 | Constraint Marker | Diamond marker at the constraint date | Toggle in Gantt Settings → Bar Styles |
Bar Shape Components
Every bar is built from three visual components:
End Cap Shapes
| Shape | Description |
|---|---|
| Flat | Straight vertical edge (default for tasks) |
| Pointed | Arrow/chevron pointing outward (default for summary bars) |
| Rounded | Semicircle cap |
| Fenced | Picket fence style, matching Primavera P6 LOE styling |
| Notched | V-notch cut into the edge |
| Diamond | Diamond/lozenge shape (default for milestones) |
| None | No visible cap |
Body Shapes
| Shape | Description |
|---|---|
| Solid | Filled rectangle |
| Hollow | Outline only |
| Striped | Diagonal hatch lines (default for LOE) |
| Dashed | Dashed outline |
| Dotted | Dotted outline |
| Gradient | Gradient fill (default for task bars) |
| Necked | Pinched at the progress point, matching P6 style |
Necking (Progress Pinch)
When necking is enabled, the bar narrows at the progress point. The neck ratio controls how thin the pinch is (e.g., 0.3 = 30% of bar height). This matches the P6 "necked" appearance for in-progress activities.
Bar Labels
Each bar can display labels at seven positions:
| Position | Example Use |
|---|---|
| Left | Activity ID |
| Right | Activity Name (default) |
| Top | Resource names |
| Bottom | Calendar name |
| Inside Left | Percent complete |
| Inside Right | Remaining duration |
| Inside Centre | Total float (for float bars) |
Labels can show any of these data fields: activity_id, activity_name, activity_code, start_date, finish_date, duration, remaining_duration, total_float, free_float, percent_complete, resource_names, wbs_name, or calendar_name.
Customising Bar Styles
Step 1 — Open Bar Styles Dialog
Click the Settings icon in the Gantt toolbar, then select the Bar Styles tab.
Step 2 — Toggle Visibility
Use the visibility switch next to each style to show or hide it.
Step 3 — Edit a Style
Click a style row to expand its editor. You can change:
- Filter — Which activities the style applies to (e.g., critical only, specific activity type)
- Date mapping — Which timescale to use (early, late, actual, remaining, baseline, current)
- Colours — Start cap, body, and end cap colours independently
- Shapes — Start cap shape, body shape, end cap shape
- Height — Bar height as a percentage of row height (10–100%)
- Labels — Configure which labels to show and where
Step 4 — Reorder Styles
Drag styles up or down to change their rendering order. Lower-order styles render behind higher-order ones.
Step 5 — Reset to Defaults
Click Reset to restore all 11 default bar styles.
Tips & Best Practices
- Enable the Primary Baseline bar when comparing current vs. baseline schedules visually
- Use the Float bar to quickly identify activities with significant positive float
- Enable Negative Float bars to highlight schedule slippage at a glance
- Use necking on tasks to visually distinguish the completed vs. remaining portion
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Bars not visible | Style is disabled | Open Bar Styles dialog and toggle visibility on |
| Milestone appears as a bar | Wrong activity type classification | Check the activity type field (task_type) in the grid |
| Baseline bar not showing | Baseline style hidden by default | Enable "Primary Baseline" in Bar Styles and ensure a baseline is marked |
| Labels overlap | Too many labels enabled | Reduce label positions or increase zoom level |