Working with Events

What are Timeline Events?

Events are the building blocks of your timeline. Each event represents a specific occurrence with:

• Date & Time: When the event occurred (with optional time precision)
• Parties: Who was involved (linked to players)
• Action: What happened (brief summary)
• Description: Additional details about the event
• Category: Type of event (for organization and color coding)
• Exhibits: Documents or evidence linked to the event
• Source: Which documents the event was extracted from (if applicable)

Adding Events

Manual Entry

The most direct way to add events:

1. Open your timeline
2. Click Add Event or the + button
3. Fill in the event details:
   • Date: Select the date using the date picker
   • Time (optional): Add specific time if known (e.g., "2:30 PM")
   • Parties: Select from existing players or create new ones
   • Action: Brief description of what happened
   • Description: Additional context or details
   • Category: Choose or create a category
4. Click Save to add the event to your timeline

Extracting from Documents

When you have uploaded documents, Thea can identify and extract chronological events:

1. Click Extract Events in your timeline toolbar
2. Thea will analyze your documents for:
   • Dates and timestamps
   • Actions and occurrences
   • Mentioned parties
   • Relevant context
3. Review the suggested events in the extraction panel
4. Click Add to Timeline for events you want to include
5. Edit details as needed before saving

Each extracted event includes a reference to its source document, so you can always verify the information.

Batch Import

For larger cases, you can create multiple events at once through conversational input. See Refining Timelines for details.

Event Details

Date and Time Precision

Events support different levels of date/time precision:

• Full date with time: "March 15, 2024 at 2:30 PM"
• Date only: "March 15, 2024"
• Approximate dates: Add uncertainty notes for fuzzy dates

To add or edit time:

1. Click on the date field when adding/editing an event
2. Use the time picker to set hours and minutes
3. Time appears beneath the event in the timeline

Linking Players

Players are the people, companies, and organizations involved in events:

1. In the event form, click the Parties field
2. Start typing to search existing players
3. Select from the dropdown, or click Create New Player
4. Multiple players can be linked to a single event

Player mentions create connections you can explore later. See Players for more.

Adding Exhibits

Exhibits are documents or evidence that support an event:

1. While editing an event, scroll to the Exhibits section
2. Click Add Exhibit
3. Choose an existing exhibit or create a new one:
   • Exhibit number: e.g., "Ex. 12" or "Plaintiff's Exhibit A"
   • Title: Brief description
   • Document reference: Link to the source document
4. You can link multiple exhibits to a single event

Learn more in Exhibits.

Editing Events

To edit an event:

1. Click on the event in your timeline (or from the list view)
2. The event drawer opens on the right side
3. Modify any field:
   • Change date or time
   • Update parties involved
   • Revise action or description
   • Change category
   • Add/remove exhibits
4. Click Save to update

Quick Actions

For faster edits:

• Double-click an event to open the edit drawer
• Drag events vertically to change their category (in Category Rows view)
• Right-click for a context menu with delete/duplicate options

Deleting Events

To remove an event:

1. Open the event drawer
2. Click the Delete button at the bottom
3. Confirm the deletion

Note: Deleting events is permanent and cannot be undone (unless you revert to a previous timeline version).

Event Categories

Categories provide structure and visual organization. Each event can belong to one category:

• Financial Transaction: Payments, transfers, contracts
• Communication: Emails, calls, meetings
• Legal Action: Filings, hearings, rulings
• Custom categories: Create your own as needed

Color-coded categories make it easy to spot patterns. Learn more in Categories.

Event Organization Features

Display Order

Events are automatically sorted chronologically, but you can adjust the display order for events on the same date:

1. In list view, drag events to reorder them
2. The display_order field preserves your preference

Event Sources

When events are extracted from documents, Thea tracks the source:

• View the source by clicking Show Source in the event drawer
• Sources include document name, page, and excerpt
• Useful for citation and verification

Filtering and Searching

Filter events to focus on specific subsets:

• By category: Click category chips in the filter bar
• By player: Select players to show only their events
• By date range: Use the date range picker
• By keyword: Search event descriptions

See Filtering & Search for details.

Timeline Visualization

Events appear differently depending on your selected view mode:

• Category Rows: Events grouped into category lanes
• Unified View: All events on a single timeline axis
• List View: Table format with sortable columns

Switch views using the toolbar. Learn more in Timeline Views.

Best Practices

For Accuracy

• Use exact dates when available; add uncertainty notes for approximate dates
• Include time for events where timing matters (e.g., phone calls, meetings)
• Link exhibits to provide evidence for each claim
• Cite sources by reviewing extracted event sources

For Organization

• Be consistent with naming conventions for actions
• Use categories early to establish structure
• Link all relevant players to make connections visible
• Add descriptions that provide context someone unfamiliar with the case would need

For Efficiency

• Extract first if you have documents—manual review is often faster than manual entry
• Use batch operations through the feedback panel for multiple similar edits
• Set up categories before adding many events
• Create player profiles upfront for frequently mentioned parties

Next Steps

• Categories - Organize events by type with color coding
• Players - Manage parties and key figures in your case
• Exhibits - Link evidence and documents to events
• Timeline Views - Explore different ways to visualize events
• Refining Timelines - Make batch edits and improvements