Hey Larry:
I use an XML event generator that reads event data from a database on
the server and transmits it to the client for Timeline to digest. It
seems to me that it would be simple to just render(paint) events as
they are presented from the server. On the server I can write my DB
queries to return the event data in any order I wish. In fact, I most
often return the event data chronologically from earliest to latest
(crude example to follow:)
------------event1
------------------event2
--------------------------------event3
where event3 occurs after event2 which occurs after event1. What
displays on the screen is more like:
-------------event1 --------------------------------event3
-----------------event2
I agree with the notion that the temporal relationships are the same,
my guess is that people tend to read from left to right and top to
bottom which would be mush easier in the first example.
Thanks for your consideration in this matter.
greg
On Oct 24, 12:42 pm, Larry Kluger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 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!
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