Customizing the Date & Time Display

Timeline Maker Pro provides a wide range of flexibility in choosing how dates are presented in your timeline charts. You can choose include or exclude dates on your events, select the display format and time increments, including years, quarters, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and even seconds. Dates can be shown in traditional calendar format, or you can choose to display them as relative to the time span of the date of the first event on the timeline. Time can be displayed in 12 hour or 24 hour time.

Tip: For information on customizing how Timeline Maker Pro interprets dates entered, see: Setting User Preferences, Date Tab.

In this article

• Showing date & time on events
• Customizing calendar date display
• Using Relative Dates
• Setting time increments
  

Showing date & time on events

To show the date and time on events:

1. While viewing the timeline chart, select the event(s) for which you want to show dates/times.
2. In the Event > Format tab, in the Content group, click the Show button.
3. Select Start and/or End. A checkmark indicates the data will be included on events.
   

Dates/Times will now be displayed on all selected events.

Customizing date & time display

To customize how calendar dates are displayed in the timeline chart:

1. While viewing the timeline chart, select the event(s) you wish to modify.
2. In the Event > Format tab, in the Date/Time group, click the Display Format button.
3. Select the desired display style. A checkmark indicates the style in use.
   

To customize how time is displayed in the timeline chart:

1. While viewing the timeline chart, select the Home tab.
2. In the Timescale group, click the 24 Hour Time checkbox. A checkmark indicates hours and seconds will be displayed in 24 hour time format.
   

Tip: If you have dates and times listed for your events but only wish to show times or vice versa, in the Display Format list select either No Date to show only the time, or No Time to show only the date, according to your preference.

Using Relative Dates

To use relative dates on your events & timescale:

1. While viewing the timeline chart, select the Home tab.
2. In the Date Display group, select Relative under Events and/or Timescale. A checkmark in the checkbox indicates the display format chosen.
   

Your dates will now be relative to the time span of the date/time of the first event on the timeline. The timescale increment in use (e.g. quarters, days, hours, minutes) will be displayed above the first tick on the timescale, or if in the Project Timeline, the first column of the timescale.

Tip: To return to dates to the standard calendar display, select Calendar under Events and/or Timescale.

Setting time increments

To choose the time increments of the timescale and relative dates:

1. While viewing the timeline chart, select the Home tab.
2. In the Timescale group, click the down arrow under Change Timescale to and select the desired option (Years, Quarters, Months, Weeks, Days, Hours, Minutes or Seconds).
   

Note: When an option other than Auto Date is selected, the timeline will expand to include all time increments within the date range. If an option will make the timeline unworkable, an error message will be displayed, and another option with larger time increments will need to be chosen.

Tip: Select Auto Date to have Timeline Maker Pro select the best option for the data entered.
Tip: Select Auto Date to have Timeline Maker Pro select the best option for the data entered. For more information on customizing the timescale, see also: Adjusting the Timescale.