Bulk Editor

Preceden's Bulk Editor lets you quickly add and edit events on your timeline:

You can find it by clicking the Bulk Editor button in the timeline editor (if you don't see it, you're likely using a device with a small screen size - try switching to a desktop, where the bulk editor is easier to use).

Things to Know

Key Details Only

The Bulk Editor lets you set the following key details about events:

  • Name (required)
  • Start Date (required)
  • End Date
  • Color
  • Icon
  • Notes

To indicate whether the start of end date is approximate, you can add a tilde (~) before the actual date: ~March 3, 2021.

The following event details cannot be set with the bulk editor:

  • Image
  • Connections
  • Percent Complete
  • Milestone
  • Dependencies

Similarly, the only thing you can set about a layer is its name.

If you need to set any of these other options, you can simply edit the event or layer outside the bulk editor (by clicking on it in the timeline). 

Automatic Syncing

As you make changes to events and layers, Preceden will automatically save those changes. You can tell that it's saving by the presence of the green spinner after you change a field. 

If all went well, the spinner will be followed by a green check when the update is complete:

If there's a problem (like you entered a date that Preceden doesn't recognize) it will show you a red error icon to the left of the name. You can hover over it to learn about the issue:

Keyboard Shortcuts

There are a few key keyboard shortcuts you should take advantage of in the bulk editor:

Enter  will normally move to the name of the next row in the editor. If you press it in the last event in a layer, it's the same as clicking Add Event to start creating another event. If you press enter in a blank new event row, it'll take you the name of the next layer if there is one. This lets you effortlessly move through your timeline's content:

Tab lets you move forward to the next field:

Similarly, Shift + Tab will move you to the previous field.

Lastly, you can use the Up arrow and Down arrow to move to the same field in the previous or next event.

There's currently no way to change the color, icon, or notes using keyboard shortcuts, but if that's something that would be helpful to you drop us a note to let us know: [email protected].

Reordering Layers

You can reorder layers by clicking the grip icon beside it's name and dragging the layer into a new position:

Preceden will automatically save the new order and it will be reflected on your timeline when you leave the bulk editor.

Reordering Events

You can reorder events in a similar way:

However, unlike layers, the event order here has no impact on things outside of the Bulk Editor. The reason for this is that the order on your timeline is governed by other factors (like the event's dates and whether you've drag and dropped it into new positions) and the order in the list below your timeline is based on the events dates. Reordering events in the bulk editor is provided as a way to make it easier for you to organize the events while editing them using this tool.

That said, you can use the reorder events feature to move an event from one layer to another which will actually change the event's layer on your timeline.

Deleting Content

When you hover over a layer or event, you'll see a red X on the right that you can click to delete that event or layer. 

There is no confirmation for deleting an event (which makes it easier to delete multiple events quickly):

But if you try to delete a layer with events in it, Preceden will ask you to confirm you want to delete it (since accidentally deleting a layer and all of its events can cost you a lot of time):

Feedback Wanted

The Bulk Editor is a new feature and so we'd love any feedback or feature requests you may have. Please send all questions/comments/feedback to [email protected] - thanks!

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