Graphics, Figures & Tables ⇒ Create a timeline

[dirkst19]

Hello everybody!

I need to create a couple of timelines that I've made ​​only with Visio . I would now like to implement in latex , but I have simply no idea about this .

I'll send a pic with added , as the timeline should look like .
The individual events should be displayed before the time.

example.png (6.61 KiB) Viewed 27486 times

Maybe someone already done something similar or have an idea?
I would be very happy about it

Thank you ! = )

[Johannes_B]

This question has also been asked at goLaTeX, our german partner site, and on TeXwelt.de.

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Welcome to the forum!

Here is a different idea of a time line, based on the TikZ timeline library. I created it as an example for my next book. Maybe it's also interesting for you.

Code: Select all

\documentclass[a3paper]{article} 
\usepackage[landscape]{geometry}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{timeline}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}
  \timeline{5}
  \begin{phases}
    \initialphase{involvement degree=3cm,phase color=blue}
    \phase{between week=1 and 2 in 0.4,
      involvement degree=5cm,phase color=green!50!black}
    \phase{between week=2 and 3 in 0.2,
      involvement degree=6cm,phase color=red!40!black}
    \phase{between week=3 and 4 in 0.5,
      involvement degree=3cm,phase color=red!90!black}
    \phase{between week=4 and 5 in 0.3,
      involvement degree=2.5cm,phase color=red!40!yellow}
  \end{phases}
  \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=1cm,anchor=east,
         font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Auhor};
  \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=-1cm,anchor=east,
         font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Publisher};
  \begin{scope}{text options={above}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-0.120,direction=120:1cm,
      text={Concept}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-0.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
      text={Outline}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-1.110,direction=110:1.5cm,
      text={Research}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-2.100,direction=100:1cm,
      text={Writing}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-2.60,direction=90:1.5cm,
      text={First draft}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-3.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
      text={Second draft}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-4.90,direction=90:0.8cm,
      text={Approval of print draft}}
  \end{scope}
  \begin{scope}{text options={below}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-0.270,direction=270:1cm,
      text={Concept Review}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-2.270,direction=270:1cm,
      text={First Review}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-3.250,direction=250:0.8cm,
      text={Second Review}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-3.300,direction=270:1.5cm,
      text={Approval required}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-4.260,direction=270:2.2cm,
      text={Draft for printing}}
    \addmilestone{at=phase-4.300,direction=300:1cm,
      text={Publication}}
  \end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

timeline.png (31.13 KiB) Viewed 27506 times

Also your image could easily created with TikZ. Johannes already mentioned goLaTeX.de, and I know there are TikZ drawing experts on TeXwelt.de (also a friend of us). Btw. I don't see problems with cross posts, as long as there's a link to the other site where it's posted. So kindly post a link to the parallel discussion each time, for example if you would post the same question to TeXwelt.de. But feel free to post further questions to TeXwelt or LaTeX-Community.org, we love good questions and like drawing things too. It's just that we more support in improving drawings and helping with questions, not really a drawing service.

Stefan

[ossenna]

Hi

Im a rather new user of LaTeX and I would love to make a similar timeline as yours.
Could you please indicate me what I need to install ? I ask because I get Package Tikz Error: I did not find the tikz 'timeline'.,while trying to compile in pdfLaTeX.

Thanks!

[Stefan Kottwitz]

Hi Ossenna,

welcome to the forum!

You need to install the timeline library. You can download the file tikzlibrarytimeline.code.tex and copy it to your document folder (or to your TeX installation).

Stefan

[ossenna]

Thanks for your answer, Stefan!

I'm working on it and I have two detail problems with the milestones
1 they are too close to the line.
2 i'd like to be able to add more text - maybe change fonts or break line

Can you give me a hint on how to fix that ?<


Thanks !

[Stefan Kottwitz]

1. Can be fixed by directly setting the above or below key:
   

   Code: Select all

   \addmilestone{at=phase-0.120,direction=120:1cm,
     text={Text},text options={above}}

   The setting for text options is remembered until you change it, so no need to repeat it.
2. You can set the width as option too, such as
   

   Code: Select all

   \addmilestone{at=phase-0.120,direction=120:1cm,
     text={Very long long long text},text options={above,text width=5em}}

Stefan

[siriliverpool]

Hi,

I really like your timeline, can you tell me please how you can change the timeline by months but use, Months 1-3, months 4-6, and months 7-9 and month 10-12 ?

thanks

[Stefan Kottwitz]

You can use custom intervals. Here is an example:

Code: Select all

\documentclass[a3paper]{article} 
\usepackage[landscape]{geometry}
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{timeline}
\pagestyle{empty}
\begin{document}
\begin{tikzpicture}[timespan={}, font=\sffamily]
   \timeline[custom interval=true]{Months 1-3, Months 4-6, Months 7-9, Months 10-12}
   \begin{phases}
     \initialphase{involvement degree=3cm,phase color=blue}
     \phase{between week=1 and 2 in 0.4,
       involvement degree=5cm,phase color=green!50!black}
     \phase{between week=2 and 3 in 0.2,
       involvement degree=6cm,phase color=red!40!black}
     \phase{between week=3 and 4 in 0.5,
       involvement degree=3cm,phase color=red!90!black}
   \end{phases}
   \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=1cm,anchor=east,
          font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Auhor};
   \node [xshift=-0.6cm,yshift=-1cm,anchor=east,
          font=\Large\bfseries] at (phase-0.180) {Publisher};
   \begin{scope}{text options={above}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-0.120,direction=120:1cm,
       text={Concept},text options={above}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-0.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
       text={Outline}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-1.110,direction=110:1.5cm,
       text={Research}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-2.100,direction=100:1cm,
       text={Writing}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-2.60,direction=90:1.5cm,
       text={First draft}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-3.90,direction=90:1.2cm,
       text={Second draft}}
   \end{scope}
   \begin{scope}{text options={below}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-0.270,direction=270:1cm,
       text={Concept Review},text options={below}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-2.270,direction=270:1cm,
       text={First Review}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-3.250,direction=250:0.8cm,
       text={Second Review}}
     \addmilestone{at=phase-3.300,direction=270:1.5cm,
       text={Approval required}}
   \end{scope}
\end{tikzpicture}
\end{document}

timeline.png (28.38 KiB) Viewed 19457 times

Stefan

[siriliverpool]

Thanks a lot ! it's gorgeous