Apart from the in-built fields available in primavera, you can create User-defined fields which enable you to customize fields and values and add them to the project database.

For example, you can use them to track additional activity data such as ordered dates, delivery dates, revised budgets, purchase order / work order numbers, vendor names, etc.

In this chapter, let us learn how to create User defined fields, how to work with them and how to work with indicators type of User defined fields.

How to Create UDFs?

For each custom user defined field you create, you can specify any of the following data formats for that field: Text, Start Date, Finish Date, Cost, Integer, Number, Text, and Indicator.

To Define: Go to the Menu bar, Choose Enterprise, select User Defined Fields.

Select the subject area to which you want to add a new field, then click Add.

Double-click in the Title column and type a name for the User Defined Field. Double-click in the Data Type column and select the appropriate data type from the drop down menu and then click Close. To add one more UDF, you click Add again and follow the same process.

Working with User Define Fields

You can create columns for UDFs, group, sort, and filter based on UDF data, and view UDF data in reports.

You can display UDFs in the columns of the Activity Table, Activity Steps, Activity Resource Assignments, Projects, Resources, WBS, Project Expenses, Issues, Risks, and Work Products and Documents.

Grouping and Sorting by UDFs:

To group and sort based on UDFs, you have to click View>>Group and Sort.

And then select the UDF from the drop down menu in the “Group By” Column.

Filtering by UDFs:

To filter data based on a UDF, select View>>Filters

Click on New, to add the new user defined filter.

Name the Filter, from the drop down select the UDF that you have already creating to use in this new filter, and then write the condition of the filter, click ok.

Similarly, you can use the Global Change Function to assign values to Activity, Activity Resource Assignments, and Expenses user fields. To assign a global change click Tools, Global Change.

UDFs in Reports:

In the Report Wizard, you can select any UDF to be included in the report. You can also group, sort, and filter data based on a UDF. After you run the report, any UDFs you selected will appear in columns.

Format Bars:

You can create bars for user-defined date fields and view them in the Gantt chart. Click View, Bars.

In the Bars dialog, click Add. Enter a name in the Name field. In the Timescale field, select User Dates, tick the check box to enable the bar visible.

Working with Indicators:

Indicators are special type of user-defined fields (UDF) enabling you to select color-coded icons.

To Define: From the Enterprise menu, click User Defined Fields. Click Add, In the Data Type field, select Indicator and then type the subject area that you want to create, in this example, let us name it as “dp-priority

You must create columns for indicator UDFs in order to assign values to a particular activity, resource, project, etc.

An indicator UDF can have one of four values: red, yellow, green, or blue as icons in a drop-down list when you click on a UDF field

In reports, Indicator UDF columns show the text value of the icon (i.e., rather than displaying the icon, the value is red, yellow, green, or blue).

Here is an Illustrative video tutorial of the same for better understanding:

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