I propose to use this thread to talk about the timeline evolution : to list and discuss future improvements.
The first message of this thread (mine) will be updated if necessary, in order to reflect the progress of the discussion.
Timeline Player
A timeline player : you press a "play" button, and the graph will animate to show changes in your dynamic data.
Potential benefits:
- easier to visualize dynamic data
- added-value compared to similar softwares ? (seems a lot of people want it)
- very useful for show cases / movies
Potential issues:
- how fast should we see data ? which speed choose by default ? how would you like to change it ?
- what should be animated ? the lower interval ? the upper ? both ? how could we change this, while keeping it simple ? three button ? another way ?
- how to keep it easy to learn and use, without cluttering the interface ?
Suggested solutions, mockups or usecases:
- dual mode (basic / advanced) ?
- I was going to implement it like this: You click on one of the three time markers (begin,end,both), which turn red. Then you hit play, and this will move the selected marker.
Current status: planned at first, development halted (some code been produced), discussion opened to the community.
Zoomable Viewframe
To be able to zoom within the timeline viewframe.
Potential benefits:
- ability to navigate through large datasets, yet precisely
Potential issues:
- how to keep it as simple as possible ? simple vs advanced mode?
- how not to "get lost" if you zoom too much? how to keep the "global view" (ie. to be able to know where you are in the global timeframe) ?
- How do it, precisely : two views (one "zoom", one "global" ?) ? one atop the other ? what kind of visual signal, markers, feedbacks should we use ?
Suggested solutions, mockups or usecases:
- inspiration from audio editing programs
- use of the mouse wheel ?
Current status: Planned at first, prototyped. Seems a bit hard to do it correctly (ie. easy and useful), discussion opened
Precise Timeline
To be able to enter a precise begin-end date for the selection
Potential benefits:
- precise selection
Potential issues:
- not really, except to do it nicely
- with or without a calendar picker ?
Suggested solutions, mockups or usecases:
- I suggest the following: Show the begin date, and the End date of the selection.
If you click, or double click on it, you can change the value (or select it from a calendar?)
If you move the mouse on it, you get a "classic" visual feedback to show that you can edit it.
Current status: ?
Since development of Gephi is now mostly community driven, I believe this is essential to let everybody participate, and propose solutions (eg. screenshots from audio software, photo mockups, drawing..). For my concern, I am neither an ergonomist or a designer, and I can only suggest, transform, remix things I saw in other applications
the zoomable timeframe seems particularly tricky to me. Like Snurb, I did use audio editing software, but I might be biased since I already adapted myself to them, to the point they seems normal to me (maybe these old audio editing software could be improved too!), but might not to beginners or non-technicians.
Moreover, they have the advantage that they can show something : notes, partitions, waveform, while the current timeline is blank, thus one get an immediate feeling on the effects of the modification/zoom.
Maybe this could be the topic for another improvement (show some statictical data within the timeline ?)
