I haven’t found a similar one for this request. But if there is redundancy that I am unaware, please let me know.
Timeline view/mode would be a nice addition for Anytype. I am a long-time user of Quire, so I kinda miss the versatility to manage and adjust tasks Quire style.
@lynxlove Yes, I already found that post before, and I think my definition of ‘timeline’ is especially for the Gantt timeline, unlike the one in that post you mentioned.
The flexibility to manage the object to be in a certain layout on a canvas is really powerful in Anytype. And relation can act as metadata that exists as an object itself. I see a lot of potential in this data classification model.
Adding the multiple layout modes as I mentioned in the third point, will make Anytpe a functional Project Management Tool. Add that in a set, and you got a powerful Project Dashboard.
For now, I can make a Task listview with Sets in Anytype with customized task info which is great. There is a Kanbanview that is requested as I reckon, and I eagerly wait for that to be realized as well. Lastly, I also want the Gantt Timelineview to be normalized in this platform as well.
I use notion as a kanban primarily, which I can switch to timeline/gantt view. That’s my entire use case. I use it as a work planner, not a wiki.
Hopefully Anytype will get notion’s database functionality or similar at some point, but for now I’ll be sticking with notion until the import will bring in the database with relations and functionailty.
AnyType’s current infrastructure for knowledge capture, linking and actioning is amazing and besides a calendar view (which will be very useful) I think I will actually get more use out of a Gantt chart for detailed project and team management.
Not sure if the below makes sense, or maybe something like this already exists and I’m overcomplicating things. So I thought I’d just post here and perhaps start a discussion.
WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND
A new View in Sets called “Timeline” (not sure about the name since, as explained below, this could have broader applications).
HOW COULD IT BE DONE
User can pick a numeric Relation that will be used as the “time” axis.
All entries would then show in a timeline based on that value.
Dragging/dropping/resizing should update the Relation values.
That mechanic would be similar to this (the below example is not exactly what I’m requesting - it’s just a helpful GIF I found that shows the general look/mechanics):
Note that for this to work Anytype must allow for multi-value Relations (for example, a numeric Relation called Duration, with Start and End times/dates). Ideally we could even have multiple durations within a single Relation, for events that start and stop more than once (ie. a Relation that contains multiple Durations).
For this to work, perhaps something like this would also need to be in place:
PS: possibly Timeline view could be based on a single-value numeric Relation - it could be shown as a fixed width block, for example. Resizing the block would turn the Relation into a “Duration” (or Span/Scope)
REAL WORLD USE CASES
Basic use would be a timeline view to easily view/manage Objects that have a time/duration, such as calendar appointments or historical timelines with events and so on.
But the same system could also be used to visualize/compare Objects based on any non-discreet uni-dimensional numeric Relation, such as price, height etc.
Pipe dream: allow for a 2nd dimension (and maybe 3rd)?
ADDITIONAL CONTEXT
Note this is different than the below request (the title of which seems a bit misleading):
I think that FR is more focused on calendar/tasks, which would be one application for timeline view, but not the only one.
Edit: added the word “numeric” (as a Timeline view can only be based on numeric Relations)
I think the kind of view you share in your example video is often referred to as “Gantt” Gantt chart - Wikipedia, so that might be helpful to add to make this topic easier to find. As Anytype seems to like their own terminology, I think “Timeline” communicates well what the View can be used for .
Notion has timeline views in their databases and they’re extremely useful, especially for longer term project roadmaps and when working in teams. When AnyType does expand to support team collaboration, something like that will be very important to gain traction in the professional workplace.
One more thing to add: overlapping durations within a same row should be stacked.
For example, let’s say we have a Set for organizing tasks among team members.
Each row is a team member.
If a team member happens to have two or more tasks with overlapping durations, these should show one on top of the other (vertically), within that team member’s row.
This is how it shows in the example GIF in my original post. However I wanted to reiterate this, and explain how I see it happening within Anytype’s system.
That sounds like a fundamental difference to how Notion handles timeline view.
Over there, each row is a database entry and so they never get overlaps.
Is your proposal that you’d define a grouping like we do for Kanban in sets?
How would it handle multiple members? Or you could limit it to only work on Status relations so it’s specifically one per group.
Would the objects all just be auto fitted into the “timeline” or do you still have sorts?
I’m not sure if what I’m suggesting merits it’s own FR, but I think if this timeline view FR is “general” my additions can be posted here.
I’d add that the axis relation need not be numerical, continuous or even have an implied ordering or “duration”. My proposal for extension to these cases is as follows:
If the relation is discrete, then simply place the relation’s values along the axis in the implied order (eg in increasing order). If there is no implied order, then group objects by relation in any order, and allow the user to define the ordering in some way, such as by clicking and dragging the object groups.
In the case where duration or numeric range is not applicable, the objects should be presented along the axis as shown in this office template:
I don’t think so! My suggestion is simpler, I think.
Lets say Bob has 2 tasks assigned to him, Task A and Task B.
Task A starts on Day 1 and ends on Day 5.
Task B starts on Day 3 and ends on Day 7.
The way they are assigned to Bob is through a Relation called Tasks (which takes one or more Duration Objects - in this case, Tasks), within the Object Bob.
Lets say for the Timeline Set, I want to be able to see the Tasks Relation for all People tagged as co-workers (Bob and others).
Bob’s row in the Timeline Set will need more than one “level”, since his tasks intersect.
Indeed it makes sense to allow for non numerical values as well.
Alternative Timeline views (like the one in the image you added) is a good idea too, for cases where you definitely don’t need (and don’t plan) to specify a Duration .
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