This chapter gives solutions to frequent problems, the keyboard shortcuts, and the definitions of the terms in this manual.
| Problem | Possible cause | Solution |
|---|
| Stratum 4D cannot open a Microsoft Project file. | The file is an .mpp file. | In Microsoft Project, save the file as XML. Then import the XML file. |
| The dates are different from the dates in P6. | The schedule options are different. | Click Project › Schedule…, then Options…. Set the same options as in P6. Read the log with View Log. |
| Stratum 4D does not save, and shows Save as new. | A different person saved the project after you opened it. | Click Save as new. Then compare the two versions. |
| A widget shows Needs a baseline. | A prerequisite of the dashboard is not complete. | Read the bar at the top of the dashboard. Do the step that it shows, for example assign a baseline. |
| A scheduled email was not sent. | The desktop application was closed, or the mail server is not set. | Start the desktop application. Set the mail server in Settings › Email. Look at the result of the last send on the schedule. |
| Elements of the model do not show during the simulation. | The elements have no link to an activity. | On the Display tab, look at Unlinked elements. Link them with a rule or by hand. |
| Explode By storey does not move the model. | The elements have no Storey property. | Select From centre, or add the Storey property to the IFC model. |
| Split Task does not split the task. | You clicked near an end of the bar, or in its completed part. | Click inside the bar, away from its ends and after its progress. |
| A section plane removes almost all of the model. | The position is a fraction of the full height, and the model has deep foundations. | Move the slider, or click ⇄ to keep the other side. |
| The exported video is slower or shorter than the animation. | The computer cannot draw the frames at the frame rate. | Use a lower resolution or frame rate. Or export a series of images and join them with a video editor. |
| The assistant does not show the Stratum tools. | The configuration is incorrect, or the assistant application did not start again. | Do a check of the path in the configuration. Make sure that Node.js 20 or newer is installed. Start the assistant application again. |
| The MCP server cannot open the database. | sql-wasm.wasm is not in the folder of stratum-mcp.cjs, or the path is incorrect. | Put the two files in the same folder. To use a different database file, set STRATUM_DB. |
| Term | Meaning |
|---|
| Activity | One item of work in the schedule. Microsoft Project calls it a task. |
| Appearance profile | The colors and visibility of an element before, during and after its activity |
| Baseline | A copy of the schedule at one time. You compare the current schedule with it. |
| BEI | Baseline Execution Index. The number of activities that finished, divided by the number that had to finish by the data date. |
| Critical activity | An activity that has no total float, or less float than the limit in the schedule options. A delay to it delays the project finish. |
| Data date | The date of the progress. Work before it is actual, and work after it is forecast. |
| DCMA 14-point check | A set of 14 checks of the quality of a schedule, from the US Defense Contract Management Agency |
| Element | One object of the 3D model, for example a wall or a transformer |
| Key (animation) | A record of the camera, the date or the view at one time of an animation |
| IFC | Industry Foundation Classes. An open file format for building models. |
| Link (4D) | A connection between an element and an activity |
| MCP | Model Context Protocol. A standard that lets an AI assistant use tools. |
| MSPDI | The XML file format of Microsoft Project |
| Relationship | The logic between two activities: Finish to Start (FS), Start to Start (SS), Finish to Finish (FF) or Start to Finish (SF), with a lag |
| Planned vs actual | A color mode that compares the progress on the current dates with the progress on the baseline dates |
| Rule (4D) | An instruction that links each element to the activity that has the same value |
| S-curve | A chart of the cumulative cost, hours or progress against time |
| Section plane | A plane that cuts the model and removes one side of it |
| Slicer | A filter on a dashboard. It applies to all the widgets. |
| SPI / CPI | Schedule and Cost Performance Index. Earned value divided by planned value, and earned value divided by actual cost. |
| Total float | The time that an activity can slip before it delays the project finish |
| Viewpoint | A saved view: the date, the camera, the sections and the color mode |
| Widget | One chart, table or number on a dashboard |
| XER | The export file format of Primavera P6 |
Related: all chapters.