Alternatives to Timeline View Group By

As your timeline grows in size and complexity, it is likely you will want to compare different aspects of your data.

Starting with version 3, Aeon Timeline introduces a new way to perform these comparisons using split views and filters in addition to the "group by" functionality that already existed in version 2.

This article explains the steps and benefits of the new approach, as well as how to access the older method if you prefer.

How to use Split Views and Filters to replace Group By

1. Divide window into one or more split views arranged vertically (one on top of the other) 

   

2. Change each view to a Timeline View. Click on the top view to make it the active view 

   

3. Open the appropriate entity panel in the sidebar 

   

4. Click on the filter icon next to an entity name 

   

5. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining views, selecting other items you want to compare

Why is this approach preferred?

• Independent vertical scrolling makes it easier to compare data on a single screen (with group by, you often have to scroll one set of content off the screen to bring the other into view)
• Use the filters to quickly toggle between entities to make different comparisons
• More advanced filtering can be used to compare large or complex data sets
• For entities with start or end dates (e.g. people with birth/death dates),  a mini timeline will show at the top of the view showing the time since the entity's start date (e.g. a person's age).

How can I access the old Group by function

(Note that this is only available in the Desktop version)

1. Ensure the active split contains a timeline view
2. Click on the Group by icon in the toolbar 

   

3. In the popover, choose which entities should become groups 

   

4. The timeline view will be divided into multiple groups in a single view (i.e. it will scroll as a single unit)