Changing time error in spreadsheet view

Q & A
#1

Hi all.

Currently putting together a timeline for an investigation. When I add an event in the spreadsheet view using the “type label to create new event” option (currently working in split screen with the timeline on top and spreadsheet below), I type the event in and the time (using time precision), but both the new event and the event immediately above it change to the same time. I think I’m having the same issue when I adjust time elsewhere (i.e. the desired and immediately preceding event change their time).

For example, if my spreadsheet contained:

Event W at 1/1/23 0800
Event X at 1/1/23 0815
Event Y at 1/1/23 0830
Event Z (newly input)

and I added 1/1/23 0900 then both event Y and Z would change to 1/1/23 0900

They are not dependent or linked events as I haven’t linked any together (unless they are in defaults I’m missing) and if I were to change event X to 1/1/23 0810, then both Event W and Event X would change.

Is this a known bug? Am I missing something? If I hit cmd-z afterwards then the time of the higher item changes back to its original, but it’s not something I always remember to do and is a pain in the **** when I quickly change a date/time and forget until a few minutes/hours later after noticing the whole timeline doesn’t make sense.

Any help gratefully received!

Cheers,

Pete

#2

I can’t duplicate what you’re seeing. In timeline view, is z a child of either w or x?

Children extend their parent’s duration as necessary.

Post screen shots of your spreadsheet and your timeline - there might be some evidence to what’s going on.

#3

I’m having a problem that could be related, or at least this is the closest I can get without launching a new topic. Just like Pete, I’m trying to add dates to items using Spreadsheet on top, with a Split View of Timeline below it. When I type in the start date on the spreadsheet, every time I tab or click into a different box such as the End Date, the item and cursor dive to the end of the list. Once it’s at the bottom, I can add the correct end-date. But then I have to scroll back up the list to find the next item where I need to add a date. Then the same thing happens. It’s a lot of what seems like unnecessary scrolling. Unlike Pete, I’m adding dates by typing them out September 7, 2023. FWIW (and I suspect I’m not alone), I find typing dates into the Spreadsheet column a lot more intuitive than dragging & trying to drop it just right on the Timeline view. I’m on a Mac desktop running 13.4.1. For some reason the “About Aeon Timeline” pane is greyed out on the version I just downloaded from your website. Thanks!

#4

By default the Spreadsheet View is ordered chronologically, so when you add a start date to your event, it could be moving it to the bottom of the list because that is where it belongs in the chronological order once you have added the date. Does this look like it is the case?

If so, you could change it to order by something else while you edit all your dates (eg. ID). This will then leave the events in place while you are editing, and once you are done you can change it back to chronological order.

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