PDF'ing Project in a way that keeps Expandable/Collapsable structure intact?

[KingKikapu]

I use the resource usage view with an applied grouping that groups our
resources based on our company two level resource outline code. This
works great in summarizing our costs, so this view is the one I use for
our budget reports (I collapse everything to the outline code summary
level and print to PDF with the intent of emailing it to the respective
parties). Overall it is a good system.

My only problem is sometimes there are notes explaining any large cost
variances (at the assignment level), but there is no way to write these
at the grouping summary levels (project won't let you). I would like to
show some of these notes, but I do not want to print the report with
everything open as they quickly get overwhelmed with details. I want to
be able to print the view to PDF and MAINTAIN accessibility to the
expand/collapse function.

I know Kidasa Milestones 2008 has something like this, but the program
is admittely a mess. Is there a way to implement this, or does anybody
know of an app that produces this sort of functionality?

Many Thanks

 

[Jack Dahlgren MVP]

There is no PDF writer which does this.
I think that exporting to excel might give you the ability to group and
collapse, but it would not be collapsed by default.

-Jack Dahlgren

 

[KingKikapu]

Damn you WYSIWYG!

What about some sort of HTML export? Exporting to excel makes for
formatting mess

 

[Rob Schneider]

HTML is just a "suggestion" to the web browswer about how to display
data. There was a time where we created a lot of HTML from Project data
files. But it's static because HTML is static and the browser is static.

You are asking to "MAINTAIN accessibility to the
expand/collapse function." That means your "container" document has to
be some sort of (very) sophisticated program that presents data controls
to the user and allows them to expand/collapse. Surely this is possible
to develop (not trivial); but like Jack, I know nothing out of the box.
Excel can do it sort of out of the box if you set it up right. There
are all kinds of ways for developers to exploit tree controls in Windows
and/or the browser; but development required.

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[KingKikapu]

Alright thanks for your suggestions gentlemen.


I will have to find another way to succintly report without presentin
full access to the Project files

 

[Rob Schneider]

My recommdation is to write a report and say what you think and what you
establish from the data. You tell the story. Don't rely on data to
report on the project. Keep the data site at a minimum. Keep it short.
Even the largest projects can be reported on in a page or so (plus
attachments, of course!)

--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[JulieS]

Hello KingKakapu,

You may find one of the third party project viewers (Housatonic,
Seavus, Steelray) might work for your users. See:
http://project.mvps.org/comprods.htm

for a list of companion products. If you search the page for
"project viewer" you'll hit upon several.

I hope this helps.

Julie
Project MVP

Visit http://project.mvps.org/ for the FAQs and additional
information about Microsoft Project

 

[KingKikapu]

Is there a way in these project viewers to restrict what is viewable?
My organisation only uses MSP Pro 2007 (and it's not going to chang
despite my requests), and not everyone is cleared to see everything in
project file (they are worried about this information getting into th
wild), so I can't just grant full access to anyone

 

[Rob Schneider]

The viewers are sold/offered by other vendors. Best to ask them.

(My hunch is that most do not provide this level of sophistication.
Even Project was never designed to and does not provide this sort of
information security controls).

--rms

www.rmschneider.com