Timeline fields and settings

    Every field well and every setting in the format pane of version 1.0.0.0, read from the package you download. The internal names in grey are what a PBIR file or a report-authoring agent uses. Which features need a licence is on the Timeline page; every setting works in edit mode with or without one.

    14 fields · 16 cards · 65 settings Markdown for AI assistantscatalog.json

    Fields

    FieldTakesNeededWhat it is for
    EventeventColumnOptionalWhat happened: the label of each event, milestone, range or era.
    StartstartColumnOptionalWhen it happens or begins. A date, a date and time, or a whole number read as a year (negative = BC); text such as c. 1450 marks an approximate date. Bind the field, not its Date Hierarchy.
    End (Optional)endColumnOptionalWhen it ends. Blank or equal to Start makes a point in time; later makes a range; ongoing (or a date in the year 9999) runs to today.
    Lane (Optional)laneColumnOptionalOne swimlane per value: team, workstream, region, product line. Up to 3 lanes are free; more lanes are premium.
    Lane Group (Premium)laneGroupColumnOptionalPuts lanes under a heading the reader can collapse (Group > Lane): plant > workstream, region > team.
    Category (Optional)categoryColumnOptionalColour, shape and legend. A category named Milestone draws milestones; Era, Phase or Period draws background eras (premium).
    Description (Optional)descriptionColumnOptionalDetail text shown in the tooltip, read by screen readers and shown in story mode.
    Icon or Image (Optional)imageColumnOptionalA built-in icon name (flag, star, rocket, check, ...) or an embedded data:image value. Web addresses are not loaded.
    Link (Optional)linkColumnOptionalA web address (https://...) the event opens when its label is clicked; Power BI asks the reader before leaving the report.
    Milestone Dates (Premium)milestoneDatesColumnOptional · up to 12Several date fields, one row per project: each field becomes a named milestone on the row's own line. No unpivoting.
    Planned Date (Premium)plannedColumnOptionalThe planned date of the event: draws the slip between plan and actual. A planned date without a Start is a pending milestone, overdue once the date has passed.
    Planned Milestone Dates (Premium)plannedMilestoneDatesColumnOptional · up to 12The planned date of each Milestone Dates field, matched by name (Launch and Launch Planned) or else by order: slip, pending and overdue for every milestone.
    Importance (Optional)importanceMeasureOptionalHigher values keep their labels when space is short. Also carries cross-highlighting.
    TooltipstooltipsMeasureOptional · up to 10Extra values shown in the tooltip.

    Themetheme

    SettingType and options
    ThemeselectedTheme
    • SmartVisuals smartvisuals
    • Dark dark
    • Clean (White) clean
    • Slate slate
    Background (empty = theme)bgColorColour
    Transparent BackgroundtransparentBgOn / off

    Layoutlayout

    SettingType and options
    Orientationorientation
    • Horizontal horizontal
    • Vertical (Premium) vertical
    Densitydensity
    • Comfortable comfortable
    • Compact compact
    Label Placementplacement
    • Alternate above and below alternate
    • Above above
    • Below below
    Max Label Rows per Side (0 = Auto)maxLevelsNumber
    Lane OrderlaneOrder
    • Data order data
    • Alphabetical alpha
    • First event start
    Lane HeadersshowLaneHeadersOn / off
    Lane Groups Start Collapsed (Premium)groupsCollapsedOn / off
    Range LabelsshowSpanLabelsOn / off
    Dates in LabelsshowDatesInLabelsOn / off
    Descriptions on the CanvasshowDescriptionsOn / off

    Time Axisaxis

    SettingType and options
    Show AxisshowOn / off
    Positionposition
    • Top top
    • Bottom bottom
    Two-Row AxistwoRowsOn / off
    GridlinesgridlinesOn / off
    Font SizefontSizeNumber
    Font Colour (empty = theme)fontColorColour

    Eventsevents

    SettingType and options
    Marker SizemarkerSizeNumber
    Milestone Guide LinesmilestoneLinesOn / off

    ColoursdataColors

    SettingType and options
    ColourfillColour

    Category StylescategoryStyles

    SettingType and options
    Stylestyle
    • Auto (from the name) auto
    • Marker marker
    • Milestone milestone
    • Bar bar
    • Era band era

    Eras (Premium)eras

    SettingType and options
    Show ErasshowOn / off
    Band Opacity %opacityNumber

    Todaytoday

    SettingType and options
    Show Today LineshowOn / off
    Colour (empty = theme)lineColorColour

    Reference LinesreferenceLines

    SettingType and options
    Show Reference LinesshowOn / off
    Line StylelineStyle
    • Dashed dashed
    • Solid solid
    • Dotted dotted
    Line 1 Date (YYYY-MM-DD or year)date1Text
    Line 1 Labellabel1Text
    Line 1 Colour (empty = theme)color1Colour
    Line 2 Date (YYYY-MM-DD or year)date2Text
    Line 2 Labellabel2Text
    Line 2 Colour (empty = theme)color2Colour
    Line 3 Date (YYYY-MM-DD or year)date3Text
    Line 3 Labellabel3Text
    Line 3 Colour (empty = theme)color3Colour

    Legendlegend

    SettingType and options
    Show LegendshowOn / off
    Positionposition
    • Top top
    • Bottom bottom
    Font SizefontSizeNumber
    Font Colour (empty = theme)fontColorColour

    Textlabels

    SettingType and options
    FontfontFamily
    • Inter inter
    • Segoe UI segoe
    • Arial arial
    • Georgia georgia
    Font SizefontSizeNumber
    Font Colour (empty = theme)fontColorColour
    Lane Header SizelaneHeaderSizeNumber

    Zoom & Navigationnavigation

    SettingType and options
    Zoom ButtonszoomButtonsOn / off
    Overview Stripoverview
    • When zoomed in auto
    • Always always
    • Off off
    Initial WindowinitialWindow
    • Fit all fit
    • Around today today
    • Custom range custom
    Months Around TodaymonthsAroundTodayNumber
    From (YYYY-MM-DD or year)windowFromText
    To (YYYY-MM-DD or year)windowToText

    Story Mode (Premium)story

    SettingType and options
    Story Mode ButtonenabledOn / off
    Seconds per Step (Play)secondsNumber

    Roadmap Analysis (Premium)analysis

    SettingType and options
    Planned vs ActualshowSlipOn / off
    On-Time Tolerance (Days)slipToleranceNumber
    Gap Between EventsgapChipsOn / off
    Mark Longest Quiet PeriodlongestGapOn / off
    Collapse Empty StretchesaxisBreaksOn / off
    Collapse Gaps Longer Than % of SpanbreakThresholdNumber

    Status StripstatusStrip

    SettingType and options
    Show Status StripshowOn / off

    Accessibilityaccessibility

    SettingType and options
    Focus Outline ColourfocusColorColour
    Focus Outline WidthfocusWidthNumber
    Minimum Text SizeminTextSizeNumber
    Distinct Shape per CategorydistinctShapesOn / off

    Setting a value in PBIR

    In a visual.json, a setting goes under visual.objects, by card and internal name. Toggles take true or false, choices and text a value in single quotes ('auto'), numbers a D suffix (12D).

    "visual": {
  "visualType": "smartvisualsTimelineA7E4E5921C9F483E91463BA7B778AB45",
  "objects": {
    "theme": [{
      "properties": {
        "transparentBg": { "expr": { "Literal": { "Value": "true" } } }
      }
    }]
  }
}