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User GuideGetting Started

Getting Started Guide

This guide covers the basics of using TimeTiles to create and explore interactive chronicles of historical events.

💻 Developers: If you need to install TimeTiles locally, see the Quick Start Guide instead.

1. Prepare Your Data

TimeTiles works with CSV or Excel files containing events. Your data needs:

Required fields:

  • Date - When the event happened (YYYY-MM-DD format)
  • Location - Either coordinates (latitude, longitude) or addresses
  • Title - A brief description of the event

Optional fields:

  • Description - Detailed information
  • Category - For grouping events
  • Tags - For filtering
  • Any custom fields

Example CSV:

Create a file called sample-events.csv:

title,date,location,category,description
"Tech Conference 2024","2024-03-15","San Francisco, CA","Technology","Annual developer conference"
"Climate Summit","2024-04-22","New York, NY","Environment","Earth Day climate action summit"
"Music Festival","2024-06-21","Austin, TX","Culture","Summer music festival"
"Science Fair","2024-09-10","Boston, MA","Education","Regional science competition"
"Art Exhibition","2024-11-05","Los Angeles, CA","Culture","Modern art showcase"

2. Import Your Data

  1. Access the Import Page

    • Navigate to the import page (usually /import or via “New Chronicle” button)

  2. Create a Catalog

    • Click “Create New Catalog” and give it a name (e.g., “My First Chronicle”)
    • Catalogs help organize related datasets

  3. Upload Your File

    • Drag and drop your CSV or Excel file
    • TimeTiles will automatically detect your data structure

  4. Review Schema Detection

    • TimeTiles automatically identifies date, location, and title fields
    • Verify the detected schema matches your data
    • Adjust field mappings if needed

  5. Start Processing

    • Confirm the import
    • Watch as TimeTiles:
      • Validates your data
      • Geocodes addresses to coordinates
      • Creates interactive visualizations

3. Explore Your Chronicle

Once processing completes, you’ll see your events visualized:

  • Map View: Events plotted on an interactive map with clustering
  • Timeline: Time slider to filter events by date range
  • Filters: Filter by category, tags, or custom fields
  • Event Details: Click on any event to see full information
  • Search: Find specific events by text search

Pro Tips:

  • Use the time slider to see how events unfold chronologically
  • Click map clusters to zoom into specific areas
  • Combine multiple filters for precise exploration
  • The URL updates with your filters - bookmark or share specific views!

4. Share Your Work

Once your chronicle is created, you can:

  • Share publicly - Get a shareable link
  • Embed in websites - Copy the embed code
  • Export data - Download in various formats

Tips

  • Start with a small dataset (100-500 events) to test
  • Use consistent date formats
  • Include as much metadata as possible for better filtering
  • Check the preview before confirming import

Next Steps

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