In this article, we'll show you:
How to switch between planning mode and view mode
How to plan tasks, move them, and set their status
How to customize the view via Settings (Information, Structure, Grouping)
How to work with filters and export or print the Lookahead plan
Video: Lookahead plan
Timestamps
0:00 – Introduction: planning mode and view mode
0:35 – Planning tasks (from the task list & via the date)
1:27 – Selecting in the Lookahead plan & link to the model
2:36 – Bar mode and Note mode, moving tasks
4:12 – Setting status & the quick-access legend
5:02 – Date filter and zoom
6:08 – Showing and hiding the full structure
6:48 – Settings: workforce curve, progress, coloring
9:57 – The three dropdowns: Information, Structure by, Group by
15:05 – Expanding and collapsing rows
16:28 – Adjusting size, filters, export and print
Step-by-Step Guide
1. The two modes of the Lookahead plan
The Lookahead plan has two modes: planning mode and view mode. In planning mode you can plan, edit, extend, and move tasks. When it is not active, you cannot make any changes – except for setting the status.
Here's how to do it:
Click the
Planbutton to activate planning mode.The
Tasksopen automatically. You can also show or hide it manually – it is important for planning.
2. Planning tasks
To plan a task, select an area in the Tasks – for example the cast-in-place columns – and within it a task such as the concreting.
Here's how to do it:
Drag the task into the Lookahead plan and pick a date, or
Select the desired dates at the top below the date and click
Plan for 5 days.
Alternatively, select the days directly in the Lookahead plan. The task list then automatically filters to the matching area (e.g. Building 1C, floor). This lets you plan the related tasks right away.
Important: When you select something in the Lookahead plan, the corresponding elements are also selected in the model in the background. This direct link between the Lookahead plan and the model is what makes the filtering in the task list work reliably.
Only when you select a day in the top row is there no link to the model. This is useful when you want to plan something that has no reference to the model: select the days at the top, click Plan for 5 days, choose a trade, and confirm.
3. Bar mode and Note mode
The Lookahead plan offers two display modes:
Bar mode: A task planned across several days is shown as a single bar.
Note mode: Each day is shown as an individual note that you can move.
Here's how to move tasks in Note mode:
Select a note, hold it, and drag it onto another day.
To select multiple notes, hold
Shift(a cross icon appears) or drag a box over several tasks.Move the selected tasks together.
With Ctrl + Z you can undo your changes at any time. As an alternative to the Shift key, you can activate Box selection at the top and drag a box over several tasks.
4. Setting status and the quick-access menu
As soon as you select tasks, a legend with quick commands appears at the bottom. Use it to change the status, for example from planned to started (a blue icon appears) and to completed.
Important: Always set finished tasks to completed so they are recognized correctly. A completed task is frozen – you can no longer extend or shorten its bar.
Using the right-click menu or the legend, you can also: edit a task and activate Delayed, copy it, delete it, add a Label, or select the entire row.
5. Date filter and zoom
Use the date filter in the legend to set the displayed time period (default: 6 weeks).
Here's how to do it:
Set the time period, e.g. from 6 to 3 weeks.
Zoom in and out with the mouse wheel or the touchpad.
Remove the filter or choose a long time period to see all previously planned tasks across the entire period.
6. Settings – customizing the view
In the Settings you set up the view that works best for you. The most important options:
Full structure: If you deactivate it, only the areas where something is actually planned within the time period are shown.Workforce curve: shows the theoretically required number of workers compared to the actual headcount on file (from your resources or the daily report).Progress: as man-hours or a percentage; checked-off tasks are shown in green-blue.Trades (e.g. reinforcement, precast): show or hide them via the legend.
Status icons: show or hide the progress icons (recommendation: keep them active).Show daily report: tick this box to access the daily report directly from the Lookahead plan.Color by status: colors tasks by status instead of by trade – planned dark blue, started light blue, completed green, delayed orange.Outline bars: show them permanently, not just on hover.Hide non-working days: e.g. Saturday and Sunday. You also define which days are working days or public holidays in the Settings.
7. Information, Structure by, and Group by
In the Settings you'll find three key dropdowns.
Information
Defines what appears on a note – by default the task name and a comment. With Show empty information you see a placeholder dash when no comment has been entered yet. You can add further details such as trade, quantity (e.g. tons, square meters), location, building, or the automatically detected axis position.
Structure by
Determines the columns on the left, e.g. task type, building, floor, or task group. If you remove the floor, for example, only the building remains. You change the order using the six dots; you can also drag individual rows (e.g. floors) up or down.
Tip: You can add a visual separation (black lines) between certain layers of the Lookahead plan by selecting the check-box "Show border".
Group by
Especially relevant in Bar mode: defines what is combined into a single bar. Example: if you activate Task status, planned, completed, and delayed are shown as separate bars. Other criteria include creation date, trade, or ordinal number.
Tip: Deliberately define the standard for your project once and save it as a "View".
8. Expanding and collapsing rows
You can expand and collapse individual rows using the arrow icon. When you collapse a row, the grouping settings for that row are temporarily removed and several bars are combined into one. This lets you quickly show more or less detail and easily replan, extend, or shorten tasks.
9. Adjusting size, filters, export and print
Finally, a few handy functions:
Fit to screenbutton: adjusts the display to your screen size – useful in combination with the date filter.Filters: Choose an existing filter (e.g. concretings) or create a new one via the plus icon. The plus also lets you build intersections (e.g. concreting and slab = only slab concretings). Filters can be duplicated and edited.
Export: Export the view as a
CSVfile to save versions or reuse them in other programs.Print: The
Printbutton takes you to the report component, where the print of the currently selected area is generated.
10. ⏱ Shift Tasks in Case of Delays
Option 1: Simple Rescheduling
If a task is delayed, drag it to a later time.
When multiple tasks are selected consecutively, their sequence is preserved.
Option 2: Document a Delay
Right-click the task
Select the Delayed status
Provide a reason (e.g. bad weather)
Set a new start date
The task will be rescheduled automatically — maintaining its original duration and updating the start date.
11. 💾 Save and Print Your Custom View
Adjust the view — e.g. change the column layout or zoom level.
Click
Views>Save View, enter a name, and save your layout.You can return to saved views at any time or overwrite existing ones.
To print your current Lookahead Plan, click the
print iconin the top right corner.