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Beta Release 0.4.0 (Exporting, Snow Leopard) September 6, 2009

Posted by aeontimeline in bug fix, development, new feature, releases, usability.
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2 comments

Aeon Timeline Version 0.4.0 has just been released. This new version is compatible with Snow Leopard, Leopard, and Tiger.

I would encourage everyone to update to this new release, as the new version is a major advancement.

The big addition to this release is in the improved exporting capabilities. The export mode allows you to filter events based on Tags, Story Arcs, Entities, and manual selection, and then export them to a variety of formats and applications, including:

  • Both Story Arc View and Entity View can be exported to a range of image files (BMP, GIF, JPEG, PDF, PNG, TIFF).
  • To Scrivener, via OPML (a better Scrivener exporter will be coming with Scrivener 2.0).
  • RTF document, HTML table
  • Other presentational timeline applications, including Bee Doc’s Timeline and Simile Timeline.

The export system uses a plugin architecture, which makes it easy for further applications to be added in future (discussions are underway with several other application developers). If there is an application you wish to see included, please let me know via the feedback form.

Other changes include background images, the ability to specify an entity’s age at first event, improvements to the collapsible timelines, and improved calculation speed.

Follow the link for upgrade information.

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Beta Release 0.3.1 – Story Arc View June 14, 2009

Posted by aeontimeline in development, new feature, releases, usability.
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4 comments

Aeon Timeline Version 0.3.1 has just been released for both Leopard and Tiger. The version 0.3 release is the next major milestone in the evolution of Aeon Timeline.

I would encourage everyone to update to this new release, as the new version is a major advancement. 

The big addition to this release is the all new Story Arc View. Although it is not yet feature complete (the links between Story Arcs have not yet been implemented), it is still a big addition to Aeon Timeline. The new Story Arc view provides:

  • A horizontal timeline, using a similar folding timeline algorithm to the Entity View, that compresses time periods with little activity, and expands time periods when there are lots of events.
  • A much better temporal view of the timeline by placing all events at their exact location, and provides a visual display of events’ duration.
  • Events can be split into different story arcs with simple drag and drop operations, making it easy to sort out the events that belong together.
  • Story Arcs can be hidden and shown with a simple drop-down menu option, making it easy to concentrate on smaller sections of your timeline at once.
  • The Story Arc View is fully integrated with the Entity View, sharing the same Hot Tags bar, maintaining selections as you toggle between views, etc.

The next version will provide vast improvements to the somewhat limited exporting and printing options currently available. Please participate in the discussion over on the Scrivener forums regarding exporting the timeline data to Scrivener (and other writing software): http://www.literatureandlatte.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=6085

 

Follow the link for upgrade information. 

 

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Aeon Timeline: Displaying Story-Arcs January 11, 2009

Posted by aeontimeline in design, development, discussion, new feature, usability.
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7 comments

[Don't forget, a new version of Aeon Timeline has just been released. See the post below, and get it from the Latest Version page].

This is a rather long post (there are some pictures, at least). I say this as a warning for people who just want to check out the application, and the general direction it is taking. If you fit this category, the bullet points below list what we are trying to achieve. You probably want to read no further.

Goals of the Story-Arc View

  • Create a view that does not have the Entity lines – this allows a lot more space and freedom.
  • Events will be displayed at their exact location on the timeline, rather than pushed around to create sufficient space between each event. Combined with filtering by Entity, this will make it much easier to check that someone isn’t in two places at once, for instance. 
  • Divide events into separate story-arcs/timelines that split and merge throughout the timeline as groups of people are separated and reunited.
  • Express the temporal and causal links between events.
  • Provide an intuitive and interactive means to manipulate the additional information made available by this new view.

In the remainder of this post, I discuss the difficult task of displaying this additional information. Continue reading (click on the more link), if you want to see my current thoughts and sketches, and provide feedback and further ideas/suggestions. Feedback at this design stage is crucial, as it will become increasingly difficult to make large changes as we move towards implementation.

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