Incident Timeline
Replay how an incident unfolded — manage timeline records and fine-tune how locations and points appear on the map over time.
The Incident Timeline lets you review and configure how the incident played out over time. It opens from the Timeline button in the command tools menu. One side manages timeline records — files organized by person — while the options panel controls exactly how timeline points, accuracy rings, and overlays are drawn on the map as you move through time.
Overview
There are two halves to the timeline: the records list, where the source files live, and the options panel, which controls how the map draws them.
Timeline Records
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Person sections | Records grouped by person, each shown as the person's name followed by their file count (for example J. Alvarez - 6). |
| Expand arrow | Points right when collapsed, down when expanded. A person with no files cannot be expanded. |
| File columns | Files are split into three columns by type: PDF, CSV / XLS, and TXT. Within each column files are listed alphabetically by name. |
| Upload | Adds files for that person. |
| Close | Closes the records popup. |
Timeline Options
| Setting | Options | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Base Map | Any map style your agency offers | Your agency's default style, or None if none is set |
| Layer | Any map layers your agency offers, several at once | Your agency's default layers, or None |
| Location type | On or off | Off |
| Time Range | 1 Minute through 60 Minutes | 1 Minute |
| Show Gap In Time | None, All, Custom | None |
| Gap hours (Custom only) | 0–23 | 0 |
| Gap minutes (Custom only) | 0–59 | 0 |
| Point display | Show at Current Point, Until Next, Show All Previous Points, Show All Future Points | Show at Current Point |
| Point style | Show as Pin, Show as Dot | Show as Pin |
| Show Sequence | On or off | Off |
| Show Seconds As Radius | On or off | Off |
| Show Point In Range | On or off, with a start and end date-time | Off |
| Show Accuracy Ring | On or off | Off |
| Show Accuracy Ring Filled | On or off — only available while the ring is on | Off |
| Accuracy | Show All, then 0 to 1000 in steps of 50 | Show All |
| Records Over Confidence | 0 to 95 in steps of 5 | Not set |
| Propagation opacity | Slider, shown as 0–10 | As last saved |
| Radius opacity | Slider, shown as 0–10 | As last saved |
| Accuracy opacity | Slider, shown as 0–10 | As last saved |
| Show All Selected Points | Action button | — |
| Show Map Objects | Action button | — |
| Done / Close | Both save your settings and dismiss the panel | — |
Getting Here
- Open an incident and open its Command View.
- In the command tools menu, tap Timeline.
- The timeline opens. Use the records list and the options panel to work it.
Managing Timeline Records
- Tap a person's section to expand their files. Sections only expand when the person actually has files — tapping an empty one does nothing.
- Tap any file in the PDF, CSV / XLS, or TXT column to open it in the built-in viewer.
- Tap Upload for a person to add files.
- Pick one or more documents. They are uploaded one after another, and the file list refreshes as each one lands.
| Accepted file types | Column it lands in |
|---|---|
.pdf | |
.csv, .xls, .xlsx | CSV / XLS |
.txt | TXT |
.doc | Accepted for upload |
| Behavior | Detail |
|---|---|
| Multiple files | You can select several at once; they upload sequentially, not all at the same time. |
| A file that fails | The upload moves on to the next file rather than stopping the whole batch. Check the list afterwards and re-upload anything missing. |
| Opening a file | The first time you open a file it is downloaded; after that it opens from the device instantly. |
| Progress | A loading indicator shows while a file uploads or downloads. |
caution
Uploading and first-time opening both need a connection. A file you have already opened once will still open offline; one you have never opened will not.
Configuring the Timeline View
- Tap Base Map and choose the style you want behind the timeline.
- Tap Layer and pick the overlays you want. You can choose more than one; the panel lists them, comma-separated.
- Set the Time Range — anywhere from 1 Minute up to 60 Minutes — to set how wide the playback window is.
- Set Show Gap In Time if you want gaps in the data marked:
| Choice | Effect |
|---|---|
| None | Gaps are not marked. |
| All | Every gap is marked. |
| Custom | Hour and minute pickers appear. Only gaps longer than the interval you set are marked. |
- Choose how points are drawn over time:
| Point display mode | Shows |
|---|---|
| Show at Current Point | Only the point at the current moment. |
| Until Next | The current point, held until the next one. |
| Show All Previous Points | Everything up to the current moment. |
| Show All Future Points | Everything from the current moment forwards. |
- Choose a point style — Show as Pin for a labelled marker or Show as Dot for a small, uncluttered mark.
- Adjust the opacity sliders for propagation, radius, and accuracy. Each shows a value from 0 to 10, and you can type the number into the box next to the slider instead of dragging.
tip
Set the Time Range and a point display mode first, then layer on accuracy rings and confidence filters. It is much easier to read the timeline once the basic playback window is set.
Filtering Points
- Turn on Show Point In Range and tap the start and end buttons to pick exact date-times. The range fields only appear once the option is on.
- Use Records Over Confidence to hide low-confidence records — pick a value from 0 to 95, in steps of 5.
- Use Accuracy to limit how inaccurate a point can be and still be drawn. Choose Show All, or a value from 0 to 1000 in steps of 50.
- Turn on Show Accuracy Ring to draw a ring showing how accurate each point is. Show Accuracy Ring Filled then becomes available to shade the ring in.
- Turn on Show Sequence to number the points in order, and Show Seconds As Radius to size points by how long they lasted.
- Tap Show All Selected Points to draw everything you have selected, or Show Map Objects to bring the incident's map objects onto the timeline map.
- Tap Done to apply and save, or Close — which also saves.
| Behavior | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ring filled follows the ring | Turning Show Accuracy Ring off also turns Show Accuracy Ring Filled off, and hides it. |
| Range fields are conditional | The start and end date-time buttons only show while Show Point In Range is on. |
| Gap pickers are conditional | The hour and minute pickers only show while Show Gap In Time is set to Custom. |
| Accuracy and confidence apply immediately | Choosing a value in either dropdown closes the panel and redraws the map with that filter. |
| Both exits save | Done and Close both write your settings — there is no "cancel without saving". |
note
Your timeline settings are saved automatically, so the next time you open the timeline it returns to the same configuration. Base map and layer choices are saved to your account, which is why they also change the backdrop on the Maps Tab.
Loading and Empty States
| State | What you see |
|---|---|
| No people with records | The records list is empty. Nobody has been set up with timeline records on this incident. |
| A person with no files | Their row shows - 0 and will not expand. Use Upload to add files. |
| One file type missing | That column is simply empty while the others list their files. |
| Uploading | A loading indicator shows until the last file in the batch is done. |
| Base Map / Layer set to None | Your agency has not configured a default. Pick one yourself. |
| Confidence not set | The Records Over Confidence readout is hidden until you choose a value. |
caution
Changing the Layer needs a connection. If you are offline you will see a message that the internet is not available and the layer will not change.
How This Connects
The timeline is the after-the-fact view of where people and units were, built from the records uploaded against the incident.
- Where the records come from. Files are uploaded per person and stored against the incident, so anyone with access to the incident can open them. Once opened, a copy stays on the device for quick re-opening.
- Where the map settings come from. The base map and layers are the same ones your agency configures for the Maps Tab. Changing them here saves them to your account and syncs to the server, so the map elsewhere in the app changes too. If you are offline when you change them, the change is queued and sent when you reconnect.
- What the timeline draws on. The timeline map uses the same base map, layers, and incident map objects as the Maps Tab — Show Map Objects is what brings the incident's shapes and markers onto the timeline backdrop, so a location point can be read against a division line or a structure.
- Where the display settings live. Every option on the panel — time range, point mode, point style, rings, filters, opacities — is saved on your device. They are yours, not the incident's: your colleagues can be looking at the same records with completely different display settings.
- Where to reach it. Timeline is both a tool popup and one of the board views on the Incident Side Menu, so you can open it over the board or make it the board's main view.
- Offline. The options panel works and your settings save. Files you have already opened still open. Uploading, first-time file opening, and layer changes do not work.
- On reconnect. Layer changes you made offline are sent. Re-upload anything that failed, and check the file counts next to each person's name to confirm what actually landed.
Troubleshooting
| If this happens | What to do |
|---|---|
| A person's section will not expand | They have no files. The count next to their name reads 0. Use Upload to add some. |
| A file you uploaded is not in the list | The upload may have failed and been skipped. Check the count next to the person's name and upload it again. |
| Nothing happens when you tap Upload | You are offline, or the document you picked is not one of the accepted types. |
| A file will not open | It has not been downloaded yet and you have no connection. Open it once while connected and it will open offline afterwards. |
| No points appear on the map | A filter is hiding them. Set Accuracy back to Show All, clear Records Over Confidence, turn Show Point In Range off, and widen the Time Range. |
| Only one point shows at a time | The point display mode is Show at Current Point. Switch to Show All Previous Points to see the trail. |
| Show Accuracy Ring Filled has disappeared | It only appears while Show Accuracy Ring is on. Turn the ring on first. |
| The gap hour and minute pickers are missing | They only appear when Show Gap In Time is set to Custom. |
| The start and end date fields are missing | They only appear while Show Point In Range is on. |
| A layer will not turn on and you see an internet message | Layer changes need a connection. Reconnect and try again. |
| Base Map or Layer reads None | Your agency has not set a default. Choose one — your choice is saved to your account. |
| The map is unreadable with too many rings and points | Switch the point style to Show as Dot, turn off Show Accuracy Ring, and lower the opacity sliders. |
| Your settings came back different | They are saved on your device. If you switched devices, set them again there. |
| Changing the timeline base map changed the map on the Maps tab | That is expected — both read your account's map settings. |
Related Pages
⬅️ Previous: Audio Hub | Next: Command Timers ➡️