Add or Update Timeline Event
Events are the key component of any timeline. Events represent anything from an upcoming project milestone to the building of the pyramids and everything in between.
To add an event, click the Add Event button above your timeline or press Ctrl+A on your keyboard.
To update an event, click the Event in the timeline.
The event name and start date are the only two required fields. Once they are entered, you can hit either Add Event or Update Event to save your changes.
Name
The name is a required field. Every event must have a name to display on the timeline.
The position of the event name varies:
- If an event has a start date only, then its name will always be placed to the right of the icon.
- If an event has a start date and an end date, then its name will be placed within the color bar, if the name fits. Otherwise, the name will be placed to the right of the bar. You can change this behavior under the timeline's appearance settings (Event Design tab) to have Preceden always display the name to the right of the colored bar for the timeline that you are editing.
Color
Click into the color to open the color picker to select a color for the event bar.
The color picker shows a palette of colors to choose from as well as a set of Standard Colors, Legend Colors, and Recent Colors.
Click Custom Color to have more control setting the color using a grid, spectrum setting or sliders to set the RGB or sRGB Hex Color.
Icon
Click the icon image to open icon selector. Then click the desired icon.
The icon is displayed to the left of the event name and the event list below the timeline when the event only has a start date.
If you specify an end date for your event, the icon will appear when you hover over the event and in the event list below the timeline.
You can also request additional icons: Request a New Icon.
Shape
This option overrides the default event shape (which is set in the Appearance dialog) accessed on the main timeline screen. Click the shape to override the default. Click it again to return to select a different shape.
Click the shape image to open shape selector. Then click the desired shape. The shape appears in the timeline when the event has both a start and an end date.
Start Date
Every event must have a start date. Use the date picker or type in a date in one of the many date formats to enter a date. If you have multiple events on the same day, you can enter a time after the date to organize the events in their proper order (e.g., November 23, 2019 7:30 am). When two events start at the same time they will be ordered alphabetically. You can also change the order by clicking on the event and dragging it to a new location to achieve the desired placement.
Dependent
You can set one event to start when another event ends. We call these events Dependents because they depend on another event to determine their start date. When the checkbox is marked, the start date field transforms into a pulldown list which requires you to select the event that precedes this event.
You can read more about this here: Make This Event Start When Another Event Ends.
Approx.
For events where you don't know the exact start date, click the start date's Approximate checkbox. Being marked as approximate will cause the color bar to fade in (to indicate it is an approximate date).
Marking an event that only has a start date as approximate has no impact on how the event is displayed.
End Date
Approx.
For events where you don't know the exact end date, click the end date's Approximate checkbox. Being marked as approximate will cause the color bar to fade out (to indicate it is an approximate date).
Marking an end date as approximate for an event that only has a start date assigned has no impact on how the event is displayed.
Notes
This field is for any additional notes about the event. These notes will be displayed when you hover your cursor over the event on your timeline and within the list of events below your timeline.
You can also add links to the notes.
See our guide on markdown formatting for examples and answers to common questions and issues with editing notes.
Layer
When your timeline contains multiple layers, use this dropdown to specify which layer you want to associate with the event.
To add a layer, click the Add Layer link above the timeline (see Layers for more details).
More Options
Click on More Options text to show or hide the additional event fields.
Image
Click the Choose Image button to add images to your timeline. Learn more here: Add Images to Your Timeline
Percent Complete
Track progress for the event by specifying a percent complete value. This will shade in a corresponding percentage of the bar on the timeline for events with a start and end date. Percent complete values will be displayed on the timeline by default but can be hidden in the Appearance settings by the content visibility setting in the events section.
Connected Events
Type and select a name in the Connected Events field to have a relationship line drawn between the current and the selected connected event. Click the X next to a previously chosen Connected Event to remove the relationship line. There is an option to select either a Solid Line or a Dashed Line.
Make This Event a Milestone
A milestone represents an important event that you want to stand out on your timeline.
When you check the milestone setting, only a start date can be specified and the event will be displayed as a vertical line that spans the full height of the timeline:
Hide this event's name, date and duration on the timeline
Use this check box to continue to display the event bar while hiding the name, date, and duration on the timeline. Note, any associated image or percentage complete will continue to be visualized in the timeline.