Timeline Views

Overview

Thea offers multiple visualization modes to help you analyze your timeline from different perspectives. Each view highlights different aspects of your chronological data.

View Modes

Category Rows View

Best for: Cases with multiple types of events that you want to compare chronologically.

How It Works

Events are grouped by category, with each category displayed in its own horizontal row:

• Financial events in one row
• Legal Action events in another row
• Communication events in a third row
• And so on for all your categories

Benefits

• See patterns within categories: Spot clusters of similar events
• Compare across categories: See what was happening in different areas at the same time
• Reduce visual clutter: Events are separated by type
• Easy scanning: Follow one category row to see all events of that type

Best Use Cases

• Complex litigation with many event types
• Contract disputes tracking multiple obligation streams
• Employment cases with communication, performance, and disciplinary events
• Cases where timing across different event types matters

Activating Category Rows View

1. Open your timeline
2. Click the view switcher in the toolbar
3. Select Category Rows

Unified View

Best for: Simple, chronological narratives where you want to see everything on a single timeline axis.

How It Works

All events appear on one unified timeline, regardless of category:

• Events are positioned chronologically along a single axis
• Color coding shows event categories
• Vertical layout emphasizes chronological flow

Benefits

• Chronological focus: Pure time-based view
• Simple and clear: No category separation
• Better for presentations: Easier for audiences unfamiliar with the case
• Compact: Fits more events in less vertical space

Best Use Cases

• Straightforward narratives with fewer events
• Cases where strict chronological order is most important
• Presentations to juries or clients
• Timelines with 2-3 categories or fewer
• When you want the simplest possible view

Activating Unified View

1. Open your timeline
2. Click the view switcher in the toolbar
3. Select Unified View

List View

Best for: Detailed analysis, sorting, and working with event data in table format.

How It Works

Events are displayed in a sortable, filterable table:

• Each row is one event
• Columns show: Date, Time, Party, Action, Category, Description
• Click column headers to sort
• Scroll through large numbers of events quickly

Benefits

• Detailed information: See all event fields at once
• Sorting: Click any column header to sort (by date, party, category, etc.)
• Scanning: Quick way to review many events
• Editing: Fast access to event details
• Data-focused: Best for analytical work rather than presentation

Best Use Cases

• Reviewing and verifying event details
• Finding specific events quickly
• Exporting to spreadsheet-style reports
• Cases with many events (50+)
• When visual presentation isn't the priority

Activating List View

1. Open your timeline
2. Click the view switcher in the toolbar
3. Select List View

Zoom and Navigation

All visual views (Category Rows and Unified) support zoom controls:

Zoom Controls

• Zoom in: See events in more detail, closer time spacing
• Zoom out: See broader time range, more events at once
• Fit to window: Automatically zoom to show all events
• Zoom slider: Drag for precise zoom level

Location: Toolbar or bottom of timeline visualization

Panning and Scrolling

• Horizontal scroll: Move through time
• Vertical scroll: See more categories (in Category Rows view)
• Drag to pan: Click and drag the timeline to move around
• Scroll wheel: Zoom in/out using mouse wheel

Date Range Focus

Zoom to a specific date range:

1. Use the date range picker in the filter bar
2. Select start and end dates
3. Timeline zooms to show only that period

Useful for focusing on critical time periods.

View-Specific Features

Category Rows Only

• Category lanes: Each category gets its own horizontal swimlane
• Category legend: Shows all categories with colors
• Drag events: Move events between categories by dragging vertically
• Collapse categories: Hide empty or less important categories

Unified View Only

• Single axis: All events on one timeline
• Compact layout: Better for printing and presentations
• Event stacking: Overlapping events stack vertically to avoid collisions

List View Only

• Column sorting: Click headers to sort by any field
• Quick edit: Double-click any event to edit inline
• Bulk selection: Select multiple events for batch operations
• Export to CSV: Copy table data for use in spreadsheets

Switching Between Views

You can switch between views at any time without affecting your data:

• All views show the same events
• Filters apply across all views
• Annotations (markers/ranges) appear in visual views
• Your choice is saved as a preference for each timeline

Tip: Use List View to add/edit events, then switch to Category Rows or Unified View for presentations.

View Preferences

Default View

Set a default view for each timeline:

1. Switch to your preferred view
2. Click timeline settings
3. Select Save as default view

The timeline will open in this view by default.

Export Views

When exporting (PDF, Word):

• Export uses your current view
• Switch to the desired view before exporting
• List View exports as a table
• Visual views export as timeline graphics

Best Practices

Choosing the Right View

Use Category Rows when:

• You have 4+ categories
• You want to compare event types
• You need to see patterns within categories
• The case is complex with many event streams

Use Unified View when:

• You have fewer than 4 categories
• Chronological order is most important
• You're presenting to non-legal audiences
• You want the simplest visualization

Use List View when:

• You're editing or reviewing many events
• You need to sort by different fields
• You want to export data to spreadsheets
• Visual presentation isn't needed

Combining Views in Workflow

1. Build in List View: Add and edit events in table format
2. Analyze in Category Rows: Look for patterns and gaps
3. Present in Unified View: Share with clients or in court

This workflow leverages each view's strengths.

Next Steps

• Markers & Ranges - Annotate your timeline visualizations
• Filtering & Search - Focus on specific events in any view
• Exporting Timelines - Export visualizations for presentations
• Working with Events - Add and organize events