Most Task windows in MPM have an Open dialog box. Each Open dialog box is specific to the Task window. The Open dialog box asks you for information needed before opening the Task window, such as which project to open, the data you want to edit, and the starting view for the window.
Some Open dialog boxes allow you to select the data to download. If you decide to use this feature, only the data you select on the Open dialog box is downloaded. Once the Task window is up, you can download additional data if needed. While loading data, MPM displays messages in the Status Bar. To cancel the download, press ESC.
Selecting, or filtering, the data when you open a Task window can save a considerable amount of time when you are working with a project that has a large amount of data. Unless you specify a filter choice, MPM loads all the data into the Task window, which may take several minutes depending on the size of your project. It is recommended that you use the filtering options on the Open dialog box to limit the amount of information that is downloaded.
Some Open dialog boxes allow you to filter by WBS Leg, expand/collapse the legs to see the available WBS legs, and select/deselect the desired leg(s). The Expand/Collapse Box next to each WBS Leg shows whether its children are displayed. A plus sign (+) indicates the WBS is collapsed and there are lower level WBS children that are not currently displayed. A minus sign (-) indicates the WBS is expanded and all children are displayed. The lack of an Expand/ Collapse Box indicates the WBS element has no children.
Use the following guidelines when expanding and collapsing WBS legs:
To select or deselect which WBS elements to download, click the check mark box.
To download the WBS element and all of its children, collapse the WBS element and click its check mark box.
To download the element plus several of its children, expand the WBS element and click the check mark boxes of the desired children.
If a collapsed WBS element is not checked, the element and its children will not be downloaded. If no WBS elements are selected, MPM loads all WBS elements.
MPM saves the WBS selections for the current project, and displays the same selections the next time you open the project.
Some Open dialog boxes offer an additional filter by Managers. For example, if you select Manager JONES, only the WBS elements assigned to Manager JONES are downloaded. MPM saves Manager selections for the current project, and displays the same selections the next time you open the project.
To select a single manager, click on the manager's name in the list.
To select multiple managers, use the Shift and Ctrl keys as you would in any Windows application.
To deselect all Manager filters, hold down the Ctrl key and click on the last manager's name. The Manager field displays <Empty>, indicating no manager has been selected.
Some Open dialog boxes offer an additional filter by Element Type. At least one Element Type option must be selected. To select elements that have not been assigned a type, click <Empty>. MPM then downloads only the elements that match the Element Type(s) selected. For example, if you selected element type Work Package, only Work Package WBS elements are downloaded when the Task window opens.
Some Open dialog boxes allow you to choose the tab (view) selected when the Task window is displayed. This handy feature can save you a little time also.