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Build Your Perfect Grid View

Time: ~12 minutes Level: Beginner Applies to: Free · Pro · Enterprise

What You Will Learn​

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able to:

  • Add and remove columns from the activity grid
  • Reorder columns to match your workflow
  • Group activities by WBS level
  • Create and save filter presets
  • Apply a saved filter from the toolbar

Prerequisites​

Step 1 — Open the Activities Tab​

Start from your schedule view where the grid is displayed.

  1. Open a project from the Projects tab.
  2. Click the Activities tab in the main navigation.
  3. The grid displays the default set of columns: Activity ID, Activity Name, Start, Finish, and a few others.

What you should see: A data grid on the left and a Gantt chart on the right. Each row represents one activity.

Step 2 — Open the Column Chooser​

The Column Chooser lets you control which columns appear in the grid.

  1. Click the columns icon in the toolbar (it looks like a grid with a plus sign).
  2. The Column Chooser panel opens on the right side.
  3. You see two sections: Available Columns on the left and Selected Columns on the right.

What you should see: A panel listing all available columns grouped by category (Dates, Float, Progress, Cost, Resources, and more). Selected columns appear on the right with drag handles.

Step 3 — Add Columns to the Grid​

Add the columns you need for your analysis.

  1. In the Available Columns section, type Total Float in the search box.
  2. Click the result to add it to your selected columns.
  3. Clear the search, then browse to the Percent Complete category.
  4. Add Schedule Percent Complete, Performance Percent Complete, and Physical Percent Complete.

What you should see: Each column you add appears in the Selected Columns list on the right. The grid updates in real-time behind the panel.

Step 4 — Reorder Columns​

Arrange columns in the order that makes sense for your workflow.

  1. In the Selected Columns list, find Total Float.
  2. Drag it using the handle and drop it after Activity Name.
  3. Move percentage columns together so they sit beside each other.

What you should see: As you reorder in the panel, the grid columns rearrange to match. Your most important columns are now visible first.

Step 5 — Remove Unwanted Columns​

Clean up your grid by removing columns you do not need.

  1. In the Selected Columns list, find a column you want to remove (for example, Original Duration).
  2. Click the remove icon (X) next to it.
  3. The column disappears from the grid.
  4. Close the Column Chooser by clicking outside it or pressing the close button.

What you should see: A streamlined grid showing only the columns you chose, in the order you set.

Step 6 — Group Activities by WBS​

Grouping collapses activities under meaningful headings like WBS nodes.

  1. Click the Group button in the toolbar (or right-click a column header and select Group by this column).
  2. In the Grouping dialog, select WBS Level 2 as the grouping field.
  3. Click Apply.

What you should see: Activities are now nested under WBS Level 2 headings. Each group shows a header row with the WBS name and a collapse/expand arrow.

Step 7 — Expand and Collapse Groups​

Navigate through grouped data efficiently.

  1. Click the collapse arrow on a group header to hide its activities.
  2. Click the expand arrow to reveal them again.
  3. Use the Expand All and Collapse All buttons in the toolbar to toggle all groups at once.

What you should see: Groups open and close smoothly. The Gantt chart adjusts to show only the visible activities.

Step 8 — Create a Filter​

Filters let you focus on a subset of activities.

  1. Click the Filter button in the toolbar.
  2. The Filter dialog opens.
  3. Set the first condition: Status equals Not Started.
  4. Click Add Condition to add another rule: Total Float less than 10.
  5. Set the logic to AND so both conditions must be true.

What you should see: The filter builder shows two condition rows connected by an AND operator.

Step 9 — Apply and Save the Filter​

Save your filter for quick access later.

  1. Click Apply to activate the filter.
  2. The grid shows only activities that match both conditions.
  3. Click the Save icon in the filter toolbar.
  4. Name the preset: Critical Not Started.
  5. Click Save.

What you should see: The grid displays a filtered subset of activities. A filter indicator appears in the toolbar showing the active filter name.

Step 10 — Apply a Saved Filter​

Switch between saved filters quickly.

  1. Click the Filter Presets dropdown in the toolbar.
  2. Select Critical Not Started from the list.
  3. The filter applies instantly.
  4. Select Clear Filter to return to the full activity list.

What you should see: The grid toggles between filtered and unfiltered views. Switching presets updates both the grid and the Gantt chart immediately.

Step 11 — Verify Your Work​

Confirm your customised grid view is working correctly.

  1. Check that your chosen columns are visible and in the right order.
  2. Verify that grouping by WBS Level 2 is active (group headers are visible).
  3. Apply your saved filter and confirm the correct subset of activities appears.
  4. Clear the filter and verify all activities return.

What you should see: A fully customised grid with your preferred columns, WBS grouping, and a saved filter preset ready for daily use.

What's Next?​

Troubleshooting​

IssueSolution
Column Chooser does not openEnsure you are on the Activities tab. The column chooser is only available in the grid view.
Drag-and-drop reorder not workingClick and hold the drag handle (three horizontal lines) on the left of the column name, then drag.
Filter shows no resultsCheck your filter conditions. Combine less restrictive conditions or switch from AND to OR logic.
Saved filter preset missingFilters are saved per-session. Ensure you clicked Save and gave the preset a name.
Grouping not visibleMake sure you selected a valid field for grouping. WBS Level 2 or Activity Code Type are common choices.