Hi Greg and G F, Re: optional explicit (manual) track choice for an event: yes, this is agreed. I think there is an rfe (Request for Enhancement) filed for it. I'll be in that section of the code relatively soon and will add it.
Re: changing the automatic layout to have (in general) earlier events at the top (Timeline v1 layout heuristic). As has been discussed in prior emails, the automatic layout is a tricky (difficult) problem. David H has re-worked it several times. For example, one goal is to NOT have to scan all of the events on the fly when determing the layout of event n. It may be best for you to experiment with different layout strategies yourself. For example, your Timelines may have relatively few events. The feeling that I got from David H's post on the subject was a performance issue for Timelines with larger number of events. Given the choices, I'd rather have the stock Timeline be focused on performance. (You can see David's messages on the subject in the group's archive.) Another issue for the Timeline source base is that it does not have a server component--every time a Timeline is displayed, it has to re-calculate everything. For example, you could write a nifty layout function that requires multiple passes through the event collection and is relatively slow. The "nifty layout function" would not be a good choice to run on the browser since it would need to be run every time the Timeline page is loaded. But it would be fine to run it on the server once per event collection. You'd then store the carefully computed track number with the events. That way, loading the event collection would be speedy and you'd get the benefits of the nifty layout too. You could also design a hybrid solution where your layout function would run on the browser, but would automatically update the server's event data to cache the computed track numbers. A key method is Timeline.OriginalEventPainter.prototype._findFreeTrack Currently it does not take the current event as an arg, only the event's rightEdge. When I add optional explicit layout, I will add the current event as an additional arg. That way, you'll be able to experiment with different layout strategies by over-writing the method and returning which-ever track number you think is best for each event being painted. I notice that events are currently painted in order from latest event to first event. Obviously, iterating in reverse order was an explicit decision by David H. My guess is that it worked better with left-to-right languages. (Due to label layout issues.) If you want to experment, see line 90 of original-painter.js Something related that I have found: currently the painter does not provide any margin for an event when painting it. That is, the exact right edge of an event is used, rather than right edge + margin. This can lead to two events' labels being very close together depending on the timing of the events, length of the labels and resolution of the band. ==> Has anyone else seen this on their Timelines? I think it can be fixed through css by adding right-margin to the label and tape divs. I think this issue would be specific to different event collections. -- I would not change the defaults. Thoughts, comments? Regards, Larry ----- Original Message ---- From: greg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: SIMILE Widgets <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, October 24, 2008 10:23:34 AM Subject: Re: Old style layout of events. Hey g f: Sorry no fix here just a show of support because I too would like to place the events in some order vertically. Maybe a sequence number as an event parameter. The horizontal ordering,however , should be strictly by time as it is now. On Oct 24, 8:52 am, "g f" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Hello all, > I wanted to have my events layout the way they used to layout, left to > right, top to bottom. > Is this something I can address by modifying the current code or do will I > have to use version 1 code? > Thanks! --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "SIMILE Widgets" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/simile-widgets?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
