Process Analytics > User Guide > Process Analytics Studio > The Timeline

The Timeline

The timeline structures the Gantt Chart in particular chronological sections. The length of the time intervals and their corresponding unit depends on the current zoom factor. You can use the timeline to modify the size of the displayed time slot. It also provides functions that can be used to navigate through the time.

The timeline includes three components:

  • (1) Header line:
    Overview of the periods (2). The header line displays the year provided that the intervals (lower line) include at least one day. If the time periods are shorter than a day, the header line shows the date (month + day).

  • (2) Time periods:
    This bar structures the Gantt Chart in particular chronological sections. Depending on the zoom level, the time period can comprise a time span of 5 second to a maximum of one month.

  • (3) Navigation buttons:
    The arrow buttons can be used to navigate through the timeline. Clicking moves the timeline for an interval.

The timeline identifies the start and end time and the duration of the task bars.

Timeline

The timeline offers several navigation and zooming options:

Multiple Selection

Keeping the CTRL key pressed allows to select several time periods. You cannot skip an interval that lies in between. Selecting time periods that are not positioned next to each other has the effect that all intervals that lie in between are also selected.

Multi selection is useful in combination with the Zoom In popup-menu command. The new time frame now complies with the selected time periods.

Defining the time frame by using the multi-selection of time periods, step 1
 
Defining the time frame by using the multi-selection of time periods, step 2

Zooming by Using the Double-Click Function

If you double-click a time period, you define it as a new time frame.
For example, double-clicking the time period 12:00 - 0:00 has the effect that the Gantt Chart only displays the data from 12 to 0 o'clock. The new time periods now have a length of one hour each.

Zooming by Dragging and Dropping the Time-Period's Boundaries

Move the mouse pointer over the boundary of a time interval. The mouse pointer changes to a double arrow. Keep the left mouse button pressed and drag the time period's boundaries to the right in order to zoom in and to the left to zoom out.

Zooming using drag-and-drop, step 1
 
Zooming using drag-and-drop, step 2

Popup Menu

The following functions are available in context menus that are called for one or several periods (see multiple selection) in the timeline:

Context menu of a time period

Define Time Window:
Allows to define the time window that is shown. Opens a dialog in which you can enter the start and end time of the new time window.

Zoom In:
This command defines the selected time periods as the new time window.

Zoom Out:
Enlarges the time window to the next zoom level. The selected time period is in the display center.

Zoom to Default:
Resets the zoom level to the default setting. In this case, the time periods have a length of two days each.

Arrow Buttons

Two arrow buttons that are displayed at the right and left end of the timeline allow you to navigate through the data.

The left button is used to navigate to the past and the right button allows a chronological navigation to the future. A single click moves the timeline back or forth for one period (depending on the selected zoom factor). For example, if the time periods comprise of one hour, the timeline is moved for one hour.

You can also keep the arrow buttons pressed and scroll down.