Color issues in Visual Reports generated Excel charts for Project

[Michael]

Hi all -

I am having trouble with Visual Reports in MS Project 2007.
From the Report menu,
-> Select Visual Reports

Any report you clikc on in MS Project displays in various tones of one color
(gray, green, etc) in the Preview Pane. However, when you hit the "View"
button, if you have Office Excel 2003 installed, the resultant Excel Chart
actually displays in color.
I have Excel 2007 installed now, and it actually displays in whatever the
preview window showed.

For example, from the Visual Reports dialog, select the:
Resource Usage tab
-> Resource Work Summary Report (displays gray colors for bars)
or
-> Resource Work Availability Report (displays green colors for bars)

So, if you have Excel 2003 installed, both of these result in a multi-color
pivot table chart. But with Excel 2007 installed, both of these result in a
chart that displays teh same fixed color gradient as the preview window in
Project (Gray for Work Summary and Green for Work Availability).

When I try to change the colors in Excel:
Format
-> Colors
I notice that the multi color "Office" colors are selected even though it
is actually displaying a gray (or green) scale gradient.

I have tried changing the color scheme, but no actual colors on the chart
are changed.

Can anyone help?
A. Can anyone reproduce this with Project 2007 and Excel 2007?
B. Can anyone provide a solution so I can display in color?

Thanks!!

-Michael

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

I think that Excel 2007 is trying to apply a theme. I think you may be able
to override it by manually formatting or selecting a different palette. Here
is how to change palettes:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/288412

I think that should do it, but can't confirm since I don't have a copy of
2007 available right now.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[Michael]

Thank you for your quick reply, Jack.

Unfortunately this is not what I am looking for. The link you provided
explains how to change individual colors in the entire color pallete.

What I am looking to do is make Project generate an Excel sheet in the
correct multi-color format instead of the green or gray scale gradients...
and/or how to change the output in Excel so the entire chart is on a color
scheme instead of a gray/green scale gradient... other than changing each
separate bar one by one every time i generate a report...

Please let me know if anyone else has any ideas.

Thanks so much!

-michael

 

[Jack Dahlgren]

Why do you say that the multi-color format is "correct"?
Office 2007 is much more monochromatic in its themes.
Have you investigated changing the themes?

I'll check on it when I am back at a machine with excel 2007

-Jack

 

[Michael]

Multicolor is correct because multicolor is selected, but it still displays
in green or gray scale - no matter what you change the colors to as explained
in my post below:

When I try to change the colors in Excel:
Format
-> Colors
I notice that the multi color "Office" colors are selected even though it
is actually displaying a gray (or green) scale gradient.

Sorry if I wasn't clear - maybe this is confusing - it certainly confuses
me. *smile* In any case, have you (or anyone else?) been able to confirm this
or resolve this?

Thanks all!

-michael