Timeline Diagram

Help|Tutorials|Diagrams|Diagramming| 10 October 2023 | Dusan Rodina - softwareideas.net
A Timeline Diagram is a visual representation of events in chronological order. It's a simple line with regularly distributed event nodes. Using Software Ideas Modeler, creating and editing such diagrams is a breeze. In this tutorial, we'll walk you through the process of creating a timeline diagram using the tool.

Getting Started

Initialize the Diagram: Create a new Timeline Diagram using the New Diagram Menu or Dialog (CTRL+D, CTRL+SHIFT+D). You can find the diagram in the Infographics group. The initial diagram will contain a timeline container with 5 predefined events.

Adjust the Start and End Points: Select the timeline container (not its events). At both ends of the timeline, you will find orange rhombus grips. You can click and drag these grips to adjust the start and end points of your timeline.

Add a New Point: Between any two points on the timeline, an orange plus grip will appear. Clicking this grip will add a new point to the timeline, evenly spacing the events.

Diagram Element Types

Using the toolbox, you can add following types of elements to your Timeline diagram:

  • Timeline: Think of this as the backbone of your diagram. It's a container element without rendered bounds, and it displays a wide stripe between events.
  • Major Event: Represented by a full circle. Use this to mark significant events or milestones.
  • Minor Event: Represented by an empty circle. This is for less significant events or sub-events.

Context Toolbox (for the Timeline element)

When you select the Timeline element, a context toolbox appears, giving you options to:

  • Add Major Event: Clicking this will place a major event (full circle) on your timeline.
  • Add Minor Event: Similarly, this will place a minor event (empty circle) on your timeline.

Customizing the Timeline

Adjusting Timeline Height: You can tweak the height of the stripe in the timeline using the Proportion modifier in the Style sidebar.

Styling: If you set a style to the Timeline, all the events inherit that style by default. However, individual events can be styled differently by selecting them and applying the desired style.

Use Cases for Timeline Diagram

Project Milestones: Tracking important milestones and tasks in a project.

Product Development: Showcasing the development phases and launches of a product.

Business Growth: Representing achievements, launches, and expansions of a business.

Biography: Highlighting significant events in a person's life.

Historical Events: Displaying key events in history in chronological order.

Timeline Diagram Example

Timeline Diagram Example
Timeline Diagram Example

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