Create critical path for “any activity”

In Primavera P6, when you use the default “Critical” filter, it highlights the critical path of the entire project, typically leading to the final activity.

But what if you want to identify the critical path leading to an activity somewhere in the middle of the project, not just the last one?

To achieve this, you can use the Multiple Float Paths feature in P6. This allows you to trace the driving path to any selected activity.

Step-by-Step Guide

Go to:

Tools → Schedule → Options → Advanced tab

Then configure the following:

1. Check “Calculate multiple float paths”
2. Select “Free Float”
3. In “Display multiple float paths ending with activity”, choose the target activity you want to analyze
4. In “Specify the number of paths to calculate”, you can select 1 (recommended for a clear result)
5. Click Close, then Run Schedule

After scheduling:

Go to:

View → Group and Sort

• Set Group By = “Float Path”

This will organize the activities based on their float path number.

To focus only on the relevant activities, you can create a filter to hide unnecessary ones and display only the selected float path.

You now have a “mini critical path” (or driving path) leading to your selected activity 🙂

Key Takeaway

• The default critical path only shows the longest path to project completion
• Multiple Float Paths allows you to analyze driving paths to any activity, which is extremely useful for:
  • Delay analysis
  • Intermediate milestones