Why P6 layouts don't make good slides
Primavera P6 is built for planning, not for presenting. Its printouts and PDFs carry every column, code and filter the scheduler needs — and far more than a steering committee or client can read on a projected slide.
So the familiar routine starts: export a PDF, take a screenshot, or rebuild the bars in PowerPoint one shape at a time. Screenshots go blurry and can't be edited. Hand-drawn charts take an afternoon and drift out of step with the schedule the moment it's updated. GanttSnap reads the XER file directly and draws the slide for you, so the chart always matches the data.
How to turn a P6 schedule into a PowerPoint Gantt chart
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Export an XER from P6
In Primavera P6, go to File → Export, choose Primavera PM – (XER) and select the project. This is the standard export schedulers already send to clients and contractors.
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Import it into GanttSnap
Open GanttSnap in PowerPoint and load the XER file. Activities, WBS, relationships, progress and the data date are read automatically.
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Pick a template
Choose the view that fits your audience — an executive summary for the board, a detailed schedule report for the project team, or a milestone plan for the client.
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Draw, then fine-tune
GanttSnap draws the slide in seconds. Arrange activities into swimlanes, adjust colours and labels, and redraw whenever you like.
What comes across from your P6 schedule
Activities and milestones
Bars for activities, diamonds for milestones, with names and dates labelled.
WBS as swimlanes
Your WBS becomes colour-coded swimlane groups, just like the structure in P6.
Logic links
Relationships drawn as connector lines between activities.
Critical path
Critical activities highlighted in red, exactly as your schedule defines them.
Progress and data date
Progress shown on every bar, with the data date as a clear line across the chart.
Want to show slippage against the original plan? Add baseline dates from Excel or type them in, and GanttSnap draws a baseline comparison slide.
Native PowerPoint shapes, not a picture
Every bar, label and milestone GanttSnap draws is an ordinary PowerPoint shape. Recolour a phase, reword a label or nudge a milestone the same way you would edit anything else on the slide — and it stays sharp at any size, on screen or in print.
When the schedule is updated next reporting period, import the new XER and draw again. Redrawing replaces only GanttSnap's own shapes, so your titles, notes and other slide content stay where you put them.
Check the schedule before you present it
The Advanced plan also runs a DCMA 14-Point Schedule Assessment on the same XER file — logic, leads, lags, relationship types, hard constraints, high float, negative float, high duration, invalid dates, resources, missed tasks, critical path test, CPLI and BEI — and lays the results out as a scored dashboard slide, with an Excel report to go with it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need Primavera P6 installed to use GanttSnap?
No. Someone with P6 exports the XER file once; anyone with PowerPoint and GanttSnap can then turn it into a slide. The people making or viewing the slide don't need a P6 licence.
Which file formats can I import?
Primavera P6 XER and MS Project XML on the Advanced plan, and Excel on every plan. You can also type or paste activities into GanttSnap's built-in table.
Is my schedule uploaded anywhere?
No. The XER file is read inside the add-in on your own machine; your schedule data is not sent to GanttSnap's servers.
Does it work on Mac and PowerPoint on the web?
Yes. GanttSnap runs in PowerPoint on Windows, Mac and the web, and installs from Microsoft Marketplace.
How much does it cost?
P6 XER import is included in the Advanced plan at €59 per year, together with MS Project import, critical path, baseline comparison and the DCMA 14-point analysis. The free Starter plan covers Excel import for up to 10 activities, so you can try it first.