How to Limit the Date Range on the Cross-Project Gantt Chart

Project Insight allows you to limit the date range displayed on a Cross-Project Gantt Chart so you can focus on the projects and milestones that occur during a specific period. This can make a large portfolio schedule easier to review, print, and export.

Best for: Project managers, program managers, and PMO teams that need to review a large cross-project schedule without displaying several years of project data at once.

1. Open the Cross-Project Gantt Chart.
2. Select Filter.
3. Change the date selection from All Dates to the date range you want to review.
4. Select Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates.
5. Run the report.

Project Insight redraws the Gantt chart using only the selected date range. For example, you can select the current year so the chart displays one year instead of several years of portfolio data.

What does Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates do?

The Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates option limits the visual timeline to the dates selected in the report filter.

Project Insight does this by drawing only the selected period on the Gantt chart instead of displaying the full date range represented by all projects in the portfolio.

In short, selecting a date range alone identifies the period you want to review, while the limit-display option restricts the visible Gantt timeline to that period.

Why should I limit the Cross-Project Gantt Chart date range?

A Cross-Project Gantt Chart may include several years of schedule data when it displays every project in a portfolio. Limiting the date range removes the periods you do not currently need to see.

This helps teams focus on current work, reduce visual clutter, and make the schedule easier to interpret.

Can I show only the current year?

Yes. Select the current year as the report date range and enable Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates.

The resulting chart will draw only the current-year portion of the cross-project schedule.

How can I improve the milestone information on the chart?

You can combine the date filter with the available milestone display options. The tutorial shows options for displaying the milestone name or milestone end dates.

1. Open the report display options.
2. Find the milestone settings.
3. Choose whether to display the milestone name or end date.
4. Run the report again.

Combining a shorter date range with milestone labels can make the Cross-Project Gantt Chart easier to review.

Can I change the Gantt chart scale?

Yes. The Cross-Project Gantt Chart also includes an option to limit or adjust the scale.

Changing the scale provides another way to control how much schedule detail appears in the available space.

[Product detail placeholder: Add the exact scale options available in the Cross-Project Gantt Chart.]

Does limiting the date range help with printing and exporting?

Yes. A shorter Gantt chart is easier to view when printing the report or sending it to Excel.

Project Insight does this by reducing the length of the displayed timeline before the chart is printed or exported.

[Related article placeholder: Add a link to the article about exporting the Cross-Project Gantt Chart to Excel.]

What should I check before running the report?

• Confirm that the selected date range covers the period you want to review.
• Enable Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates if you want the timeline itself restricted.
• Choose the milestone labels that will be most useful.
• Review the Gantt chart scale when the report still contains too much detail.
• Run the report again after changing filters or display options.

What are common mistakes when filtering a Cross-Project Gantt Chart?

• Selecting a date range but not enabling Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates
• Leaving the report set to All Dates when only current work is needed
• Displaying several years of data when preparing the chart for printing
• Forgetting to rerun the report after changing filters or milestone options
• Adjusting only the date range when the Gantt chart scale also needs to be changed

Related questions

Can I hide prior years from the Cross-Project Gantt Chart?

Yes. Select the date range you want and enable Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates.

Does the date filter change the visible Gantt timeline?

It does when Limit Gantt Chart Display to Selected Dates is also selected. The Gantt chart will then draw only the chosen period.

Can I show milestone names on the Cross-Project Gantt Chart?

Yes. Use the milestone display options to show milestone names.

Can I show milestone end dates?

Yes. Select the option to display milestone end dates and rerun the report.

Will a shorter date range make the report easier to print?

Yes. Limiting the visible timeline reduces the amount of schedule data that must fit into the printed or exported report.

Where can I get help with Cross-Project Gantt Chart filters?

Visit Project Insight Support for help configuring Cross-Project Gantt Chart filters and display options.