Actara Documentation

All menu button Explained!If you’re starting from an existing schedule file (XER)
1.Click XER Hub (load one or more schedules)
2.In XER Hub, select a file → click View (build the Activities view)
3.Use Compare (differences between two versions)
4.Use Network (build/use a network workflow from loaded schedule data)
5.Run Mechanic (quality checks / report pack)XER Tools (left side)
XER Hub
(XER) into Actara.
- Opens XER Hub (load/remove/select XERs and build the Activities view).
- To view a schedule: XER Hub → select file → View.
Use View when you want to:
- Inspect activities and key fields
- See schedule information in a clean Excel-friendly layout
- (Depending on your viewer settings) show bars/visuals that help reading timelines
Best practice: XER Hub → View is the “hello world” of Actara.
Compare
Compares two uploaded schedules and generates a differences report.
Typically used for:
- Progress updates (what changed since last update?)
- Claim/support reviews (what moved, what got added/removed?)
- Sanity checks (why does this version feel… suspicious?)
What you usually get:
- Added
- Removed
- Changed
…and fewer “unchanged rows” wasting oxygen.
Mechanic
Runs a schedule “mechanics” check and generates a report pack.
Use Mechanic when you want:
- Quality checks / common issues flagged
- A summary of hotspots (the loudest problems)
- A detail appendix (the “receipts”)
- This is the button you press when someone says:
“The schedule is fine.”
…and you’d like facts to respond politely.
Navigate
Opens a navigator/details panel for browsing activity-level information more comfortably.
Good for:
- Jumping around activities quickly
- Sorting/filtering workflows (depending on your setup)
- Working with activity details without constantly hunting through the sheet
If you’re already looking at an activity list, Navigate usually helps you move faster with fewer clicks and fewer “where was that row again?” moments.
Extra tip: If you select an activity node in a Plan sheet or XER-generated core network and click Navigate, Actara jumps back to the matching row in the Activities sheet and opens that activity’s details automatically.PLF
Generates a Primavera P6 PLF layout from a selected Excel range. Select a column/range of Activity IDs you want to focus on, and Actara creates a PLF you can import into P6. The imported layout includes a filter populated with those Activity IDs, so you can quickly isolate the same set of activities again (reuse the filter anytime).
Network
Opens Actara’s network-building workflow.
Use Network when you want to:
- Build or generate a network view based on schedule data you’ve loaded
- Create a structured diagram faster than manual node-by-node drawing
- Work with consistent IDs/logic patterns (especially helpful on big schedules)
- Selecting a node in a Plan or XER core network and clicking Navigate takes you to the matching activity in the Activities sheet and opens its details automatically.
If you’re not sure where to start:
Xer Hub→ Network is a great “turn schedule into a usable diagram” path.Planning tools (middle)
New Plan
Creates a fresh plan canvas where you build your network diagram.
Use New Plan when:
- You want a clean workspace
- You’re starting a diagram from scratch
- You want a sandbox to test logic without risking a real file
After creating a plan, you’ll usually add:
- Milestones (start/finish points)
- Activities (work items)
- Links (logic)
Milestone
Creates a milestone node.
Milestones are:
- “Point-in-time” markers (zero duration)
- Great for Start, Finish, gates, approvals, handovers
Tip: Use milestones as anchors so your network doesn’t feel like a jellyfish floating through time.
Activity
Creates an activity node.
You typically enter:
- ID (recommended)
- Name/label
- Duration
- Optional fields like category and comments (if you use them)
Add Link
Creates logic between two nodes.
How to use it:
1.Select two nodes
- First click = predecessor
- Second click = successor
2. Click Add Link
If it refuses:
- You didn’t select exactly two nodes
- You selected a connector instead of a node
- You selected something Excel invented purely to cause suffering
Edit Selected
Edits whatever is currently selected.
- If you selected a node, it opens the node editor (activity/milestone details)
- If you selected a link, it opens link settings (relationship type / lag)
This is the “I made a typo and I refuse to live with it” button.
Audit Plan
Generates a plan audit / snapshot output.
Use it for:
- A clean table-style view of your network contents
- Reviewing IDs, labels, categories, logic fields
- Sharing an “inventory” of the plan without sending the whole diagram
Helpful when:
- “Can you send me a list of everything in the plan?”
…and you’d rather not take 42 screenshots.
Toggles: Lags / Float / Critical
These are display/analysis helpers.
=> Lags : Shows lag information on links (so you don’t have to click each link like you’re playing “find the lag”).
=>Float: Shows float-related labels/info (useful for logic health checks and seeing what actually matters).
=>Critical: Highlights critical logic/pathing (typically based on your current focus/selection).
If it asks you to select something first, that’s Actara being helpful, not dramatic.
Arrange
Opens layout/arrangement tools to tidy your network.
Use Arrange when:
- Nodes overlap
- Links cross like spaghetti
- Your diagram looks like it was drawn during turbulence
Common outcomes:
Align nodes neatly
Space nodes evenly
Make the network readable in under 3 minutes (a luxury)
Quick Risk
Runs a fast risk-style simulation on your plan.
Typically used for:
- A quick “range of outcomes” view
- Sensitivity / tornado-style insights
- Distribution/curve summaries
This is the button for:
“We need an answer today, not a PhD thesis.”General Section
Export to P6
Exports your plan into a format that’s friendly for Primavera-style workflows.
Use it when:
- You built logic visually in Actara and need to hand it off
- You want a structured export for review/import/traceability
About
A short explanation of what Actara is and what it can do.
Share
One-click sharing.
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Close
Closes the menu window.
No tricks. No drama. Just… close.