Back to App
User Guide

Markers & Ranges

Annotate timelines with key dates and phases

Overview

Markers and ranges are visual annotations that highlight important dates and periods on your timeline. They provide context and help viewers understand significance without cluttering the timeline with additional events.

What are Markers?

Markers are vertical lines that highlight a specific date on the timeline.

Use Cases for Markers

  • Key milestones: "Contract Signed", "Lawsuit Filed"
  • Deadlines: "Statute of Limitations", "Discovery Cutoff"
  • Reference dates: "Employee Start Date", "Policy Effective Date"
  • Significant moments: "Injury Occurred", "Notice Received"

Markers draw attention to important dates without needing to create full events.

What are Ranges?

Ranges are shaded background sections that span a period of time.

Use Cases for Ranges

  • Trial phases: "Discovery Period", "Motions Phase", "Trial"
  • Employment periods: "Probation Period", "Performance Review Cycle"
  • Contract terms: "Initial Term", "Renewal Period"
  • Project phases: "Planning", "Execution", "Closeout"
  • Relevant timeframes: "Statute of Limitations Window"

Ranges provide visual context for when certain phases or conditions were active.

Adding Markers

Create a Marker

  1. Open your timeline (visual view)
  2. Click Add Marker/Range in the toolbar (or press M)
  3. Select Single date marker
  4. Configure the marker:
    • Date: Select the specific date
    • Label: Short description (e.g., "Contract Signed")
    • Color: Choose from the palette
    • Line Style: Solid or dashed
  5. Click Add marker

The marker appears as a vertical line on your timeline.

Marker Styling

Solid lines: Use for definitive, important dates

  • Filings, deadlines, decisions

Dashed lines: Use for reference or supporting dates

  • Background information, contextual dates

Colors: Match to related categories or use distinct colors for different types of markers

Adding Ranges

Create a Range

  1. Open your timeline (visual view)
  2. Click Add Marker/Range in the toolbar (or press M)
  3. Select Date range
  4. Configure the range:
    • Start Date: When the period begins
    • End Date: When the period ends
    • Label: Description of the phase (e.g., "Discovery Period")
    • Color: Choose from the palette
    • Opacity: Adjust transparency (10-80%)
  5. Click Add range

The range appears as a shaded background spanning the specified dates.

Range Styling

Opacity: Control how prominent the range appears

  • Low opacity (10-30%): Subtle background context
  • Medium opacity (30-50%): Standard visibility
  • High opacity (50-80%): Prominent emphasis

Colors: Use colors that don't conflict with your event categories

  • Muted tones work well for ranges
  • Match colors to related content (e.g., blue for discovery, red for trial)

Managing Annotations

Viewing Existing Markers and Ranges

  1. Click Add Marker/Range in the toolbar
  2. Scroll down in the dialog to see:
    • Existing markers section: All current markers with dates
    • Existing ranges section: All current ranges with date spans

Editing an Annotation

  1. Open the marker/range dialog
  2. Find the annotation in the existing list
  3. Click Edit next to it
  4. Modify any property (date, label, color, style)
  5. Click Save

Changes apply immediately to the timeline.

Deleting an Annotation

  1. Open the marker/range dialog
  2. Find the annotation in the existing list
  3. Click Remove
  4. Confirm deletion

The annotation is permanently removed from the timeline.

Visual Display

In Timeline Views

Category Rows view:

  • Markers span across all category rows
  • Ranges highlight the background behind all rows
  • Labels appear at the top

Unified view:

  • Markers appear as vertical lines through all events
  • Ranges shade the background behind events
  • Labels display prominently

List view:

  • Markers and ranges don't appear (list view is data-focused)
  • Switch to a visual view to see annotations

Labels

Labels can be:

  • Short and clear: "Trial" works better than "The trial phase of this litigation"
  • Optional: Leave blank for unlabeled visual markers
  • Positioned automatically: Thea places labels to avoid overlap

Combining Markers and Ranges

You can use both markers and ranges together for rich context:

Example - Litigation Timeline:

  • Range: "Discovery Period" (Jan-Jun 2024) - light blue background
  • Marker: "Discovery Cutoff" (June 30, 2024) - solid blue line
  • Range: "Motion Practice" (Jul-Aug 2024) - light green background
  • Marker: "Trial Date" (September 15, 2024) - solid red line

This combination shows both phases and key milestones.

Exporting Annotations

When exporting timelines:

  • PDF: Markers and ranges appear in visual exports
  • Word: Annotations are included if timeline graphic is exported
  • List View exports: Annotations are not included (data only)

Make sure you're in a visual view mode before exporting to include annotations.

Best Practices

When to Use Markers vs. Events

Use a Marker when:

  • The date is contextual rather than an action
  • You want to highlight without adding event clutter
  • The date is a reference point (like a statute of limitations)
  • You need a visual divider or flag

Use an Event when:

  • Something actually happened on that date
  • You need to include description, parties, or exhibits
  • The occurrence should be part of the factual record
  • You want it to appear in List View and data exports

Styling Tips

  • Limit colors: Use 2-3 marker/range colors max to avoid confusion
  • Consistent scheme: Blue for procedural, red for deadlines, green for contract periods
  • Test opacity: Preview ranges at different opacities to find the right balance
  • Label thoughtfully: Short labels are easier to read on crowded timelines

Organization

  • Group related annotations: Use same color for related markers/ranges
  • Don't overuse: Too many annotations defeat the purpose
  • Use strategically: Highlight only what's truly important
  • Consider your audience: Court presentations might need fewer annotations than internal analysis

Common Use Cases

Litigation Timelines

  • Markers: Filing dates, deadlines, rulings
  • Ranges: Discovery period, motion practice, trial

Employment Cases

  • Markers: Hire date, termination date, complaint filed
  • Ranges: Probation period, performance review cycles, leave periods

Contract Disputes

  • Markers: Contract execution, notice dates, breach dates
  • Ranges: Contract term, cure periods, warranty periods

Personal Injury

  • Markers: Injury date, notice to defendant, statute expires
  • Ranges: Treatment period, recovery phase, litigation period

Next Steps

Timeline Views

Explore different ways to visualize your timeline

Filtering & Search

Find and focus on specific events in your timeline

On this page

OverviewWhat are Markers?Use Cases for MarkersWhat are Ranges?Use Cases for RangesAdding MarkersCreate a MarkerMarker StylingAdding RangesCreate a RangeRange StylingManaging AnnotationsViewing Existing Markers and RangesEditing an AnnotationDeleting an AnnotationVisual DisplayIn Timeline ViewsLabelsCombining Markers and RangesExporting AnnotationsBest PracticesWhen to Use Markers vs. EventsStyling TipsOrganizationCommon Use CasesLitigation TimelinesEmployment CasesContract DisputesPersonal InjuryNext Steps