MS Project dual screen support (or not)

[Clive Long,UK]

****** I have copied the original postings here - with new question at
end - I could not link to original posting - Google !!!! *****
****************************************************

Hello,


I often want to have two views of a project open at the same time
"Side-by-side".

The scenario would be a detailed Gantt view on the left and a
summary Gantt view on the right. The idea is if I change the duration
of a single task or its dependencies, I can see the impact onthe "big
picture" of the project.

Now a dual-screen set-up is needed for that, let's assume we have
this. I think you may also need Windows XP to manage the window across
two physical screens.

HOw?

Clive, London , UK

HI Clive,

The Window, New Window functionality is a feature of Windows but is
available to users running all versions of windows after and including
Win
95.

It works for all versions of Project from 95, 98, 2000 and 2002 so its
been
around for some time !!

And you can use it to create multiple windows on the same project, not
just
dual windows.

However when you close a project the windows cannot be saved - so it
requires that you recreate a new window each time you open a project
plan.
Unlike Views which are saved with the plan of course.

Regards

James


**************** End of copies ********************

Hopefully the above gives the context for the following question.

So ... I have now got a video card with dual screen output. I am
running Windows XP and have set up the "Windows extend desktop to
second monitor". This works - although it is a little clumsy to have
to drag items across the desktops - rather than being able to get the
windows to open natively in 2nd window.

Anyway

The question related to MS-Project is this.....


In MSP 2k I want to be able to have two windows open at the same time,
"looking" at the same project. The desired situation is I can have two
views in two screens - one allowing me to make the "micro" changes to
the plan and the other allowing me to viewing the impact of the
change on a "macro" or "whole plan" Gantt view.

Now, with MSP 2k I have only been able to do the following. If I open
the project - OK I see any view I want . Then if I use "New Window", I
get what I describe as a "window within a window". I can't drag this
second window over to the new desktop and look at the two views,
full-screen, at the same time.

Maybe another way to describe this is by analogy with MS-Word 2000.
This enables one to open two separate instances of Word at the same
time and manipulate the contents in the two screens independently.
However, for me I want to see two views of the SAME plan concurrently.

The way Power POint supports this dual-screen is through the
"Slide-show" where the slide show can be "pointed" at the second
monitor. SO we have one file and two different, concurrent views.
Hopefully this explains what I would like to achieve with MSP. ?????

If not in MSP 2k, is this "dual-screen" support available in MSP 2.2k?
(I can guess the answer).

Thanks , Clive

 

[Kelvin Kirby]

Hello Clive,

I am not clear on your issue here - its not necessary to have two monitors
to show two seperate views.

Just go to Window, New Window and setup a new Window that shows the
additional view you want. Then use the arrange all option to arrange them
horizontally or vertically. In this way you can adjust the windows so you
can see a Gantt Chart on the left and a Gantt Chart on teh right, or show
them above one another.

If you want to use two monitors its possible to do so but you need to enable
dual-monitor support and have two video outputs - then you just repeat the
above process.

Your PC will need to support dual video cards though , and not many do (at
least not out of the box).

Hope this helps

Regards

Kelvin Kirby
Technology Associates


Kelvin Kirby

 

[Clive Long,UK]

Hello Clive,

I am not clear on your issue here - its not necessary to have two monitors
to show two seperate views.

CRL comment

If I add the clarification in CAPITALS ....

In MSP 2k I want to be able to have two windows open at the same time,
"looking" at the same project BUT THE TWO WINDOWS ARE DISPLAYED FULLY
OPEN ON TWO SEPARATE MONITORS AT THE SAME TIME.

Just go to Window, New Window and setup a new Window that shows the
additional view you want. Then use the arrange all option to arrange them
horizontally or vertically. In this way you can adjust the windows so you
can see a Gantt Chart on the left and a Gantt Chart on teh right, or show
them above one another.

CRL comment

But that does not give enough screen area to see useful detail in
either window -hence the desire to use two monitors

If you want to use two monitors its possible to do so but you need to enable
dual-monitor support and have two video outputs - then you just repeat the
above process.

CRL comment

As in my original post - I have successfully set this up in Windows XP

Your PC will need to support dual video cards though , and not many do (at
least not out of the box).

Hope this helps

Regards

Kelvin Kirby
Technology Associates


Kelvin Kirby

<< cut >>

Regards

Clive Long

 

[Rob Schneider]

I appreciate your need for more "real estate" to see more on the screen
in Project. I've always wanted same. Best I've done is use 21" monitor.

I may be missing something here, but I suspect that what you want to do
is not possible in Project. To get what you want requires that Project
either a) be MDI (Multiple Document Interface) application ... and it is
not -- this type of application seems to have gone out of favour, or b)
open up the same file twice either in the same instance of Project with
multiple instances opening the same file ... this also does not seem to
work.

I've never worked on a multiple monitor setup for XP, but maybe if
these boards can simulate a double size (spanning the monitors) you'll
get what you want. Somewhere I remember seeing a bank of 6 x 3 LCD
screens display one XP desktop ... so I know something that exists (but
I don't know the cost ... many thousands).

Hope this is useful to you. Let us know.

rms

 

[Gavin Jacobs]

Clive,
I have a 2 monitor setup, and I have done what you describe.

Here is how you achieve your goal:
1. Open any project, select a view
2. Assume the MSP window is on the Right (as opposed to Left) monitor, make
sure the window is NOT maximized
3. Drag the left vertical edge of the MSP window across the gap and all the
way to the Left side of the Left monitor
4. Select Window -> New Window
5. Select Window -> Arrange All
6. Adjust the size and location of the child windows, select a view for each

HTH

Gavin

 

[Clive Long,UK]

Clive,
I have a 2 monitor setup, and I have done what you describe.

Here is how you achieve your goal:
1. Open any project, select a view
2. Assume the MSP window is on the Right (as opposed to Left) monitor, make
sure the window is NOT maximized
3. Drag the left vertical edge of the MSP window across the gap and all the
way to the Left side of the Left monitor
4. Select Window -> New Window
5. Select Window -> Arrange All
6. Adjust the size and location of the child windows, select a view for each

HTH

Gavin

BINGO !!

This does it

Although a little clumsy to setup, it works.

Using this two monitor setup, alongside Creating a new view (Say,
Copy of Gantt) mapped to a Copy of its "base" table (say, Copy of
Entry) -- then the time-scale and level of detail of each view can be
manipulated independently so the level of detail I need at the "micro"
and the "macro" level can be visible at the same time - and the impact
of "single" changes on the "whole" project can be quickly seen

Thank-you