Generating a resource usage view

To generate a resource usage view:

On the View tab, in the Graph group, click New Resource Usage. A new pane, divided into three sections - the resource usage view pane - appears along the bottom of the bar chart view:
Click Properties in the left section of the resource usage view pane. The Resource Usage Properties dialog appears. You use this dialog to specify the types of resource or cost centre that are analysed in the resource usage view and to configure the way in which the view appears.
On the Allocations tab of the dialog, use the radio buttons and check boxes in the Resource and cost allocations group to specify which types of allocation to include in the resource usage view and whether to analyse actual amounts, remaining amounts, or both. If you are analysing permanent resource allocations, you can also choose to analyse the average allocation of permanent resources.
Use the fields in the Standard work assignments group to specify whether standard work is included in the analysis - and if so, which types of standard work should be included. If you configure the resource usage view to display details of standard work, extra rows appear for each resource - one row for each type of standard work that they have assigned.
On the Fields tab, use the Display columns grid to specify which columns of information to display in the resource usage view, beneath the spreadsheet. These columns display information about the bars or tasks to which the resources or cost centres have been assigned, or about the resources or cost centres, or allocations, themselves.
Use the Group/Sort grid to specify the way in which the rows in the resource usage view are sorted/grouped. You can apply as many levels of sorting/grouping as you like, with rows in the resource usage view being sorted by the topmost level first, then by the next level, and so on.
On the Scope tab, use the Assignment scope group to specify the scope of the data that should be included in the resource usage view when analysing resource or cost centre usage.
Select a filter in the Activity filter field if you want to apply a filter to the resource usage view.
Enter one or more dates in the Date range fields if you want to limit the resource usage view to a particular range of dates.
On the Appearance tab, use the Grouping and display rows grid to specify the text colour, background colour and font that you want to apply to the rows within the resource usage view that indicate the way in which resources or cost centres are grouped/sorted and to the rows in the resource usage view that display usage values for resources or cost centres. You can specify a different appearance for each level of grouping/sorting that you specify on the Fields tab of this dialog.
If the resource usage view is configured to display information about permanent resource allocations, you can choose to highlight whether the resources are under-allocated, fully-allocated or over-allocated during each day, week, month or quarter. A resource usage view that highlights the allocation status of resources in this way is known as a "heat map". Heat maps give you an instant visual indication of resources' allocation status. If you want to highlight the allocation status of resources, use the Heat maps and Colours groups to specify the way in which to measure and highlight this.
Click the appropriate radio button in the Display units group to specify whether to display values on a daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. Click the Auto radio button to specify that the columns in the resource usage view should be set automatically, according to the scale at which the bar chart is set at any one time.
Select the Zero as blank check box to configure the resource usage view to display nothing in the case of a zero value, or clear the check box to configure the resource usage view to display a zero ('0').
Select the Show detail labels check box to specify that an additional column should be displayed in the resource usage view, indicating the type of value that is displayed in each row (Actual, Remaining, Total or Avg. allocation), or clear the check box to omit this column. It is useful to display this column when you select more than one of the Detail styles check boxes on the Allocations tab of the Resource Usage Properties dialog.
Select the Show tool-tip check box to specify that a tooltip should be displayed when you hover the mouse pointer over cells in the resource usage view, displaying further details of the resource or cost centre usage for the period in question, or clear the check box to omit these tooltips.
Click Close.
Select the resources or cost centres whose usage you want to analyse in the leftmost section of the resource usage view pane. The resource usage view displays an analysis of the selected resources or cost centres: