Milestones represent significant points in time, such as "Substantial Completion" or "Building Dried-In." By toggling the Critical Path view, you can see if these milestones are at risk due to delays in preceding tasks.
Critical Path Definition:
Native Schedules (Option 2): Activities with zero float.
Imported Schedules (Option 1): Definition provided by the source file (P6 or MS Project).
Lookahead Limitation: The Critical Path toggle is disabled in the Lookahead tab as it is derived strictly from the master schedule.
Navigate to the Scheduling tool.
Create a new activity row or select an existing one.
In the Duration column, type "0" and press Enter.
Note: The Gantt bar will transform into a diamond-shaped icon, indicating a milestone.
In the top-left control toolbar, locate the Toggle Critical Path button.
Click to enable the view.
Note: All activities and milestones on the critical path will be highlighted in red.
Analyze the red path to see which activities must be completed on time to prevent the project finish date (and final milestones) from shifting.
If the screen is too cluttered to see the path clearly, click the Toggle Dependencies button to hide or show the relationship arrows.
Use the Views button to ensure Logic Constraints and Dependencies are visible on the Gantt bars for deeper analysis.