Hi @CheriLasota,
Thanks for providing more information about how you’d like to structure the calendars for your two planets. The Zodiac calendar example was also a useful visual reference.
I’ve put together a small demo file based on the information you’ve provided, using a single Julian calendar with separate eras for Earth and Planet B. This allows both planetary histories to be displayed consecutively within one Aeon Timeline project, with two Timeline Views demonstrating different ways to display and organise the events.
Setting up the Eras
To recreate the calendar used in the demo file, you can configure the eras as follows:
To access the calendar settings:
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Select View → Show Settings.
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Open the Dates tab.
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Click Edit Calendar.
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Select the Eras tab.
To configure the eras:
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Select BC. Change:
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Name: Earth - BCE
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Abbreviated Name: BCE
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Click + New.
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Select the new era. Change:
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Name: Earth - CE
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Abbreviated Name: CE
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Duration: 2092
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Click + New.
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Select the new era. Change:
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Click + New.
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Select the new era. Change:
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Name: After Arrival
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Abbreviated Name: AA
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Duration: 3000
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Select AD. Change:
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Name: Infinite
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Abbreviated Name: IN
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Click OK.
As Aeon Timeline uses one continuous calendar, Before Arrival cannot extend infinitely backwards alongside Earth’s BCE era. I’ve therefore used 3000 BA as its starting point, based on the alternative you suggested.
The additional Infinite era allows the four main eras to display their names correctly on the Timeline’s Timescale, similar to the Zodiac calendar example.
Calendar settings must be configured before adding any data to the timeline. Once data has been added, only the era Names and Abbreviated Names can be changed. All other calendar settings are locked while the timeline contains data.
Organising events by planet
I’ve added eight example events for each planet and created a Planets Item Type containing Earth and Planet B. Each event is associated with its planet through the Planet field.
To create the Planets Item Type:
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Select View → Show Settings.
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Open the Item Types tab.
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Click + New and create a new Item Type.
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Change the following:
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Name = Planet
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Plural = Planets
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Icon
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Color
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Once created, open the sidebar by clicking on the Planets icon.
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Click New Planet to add Earth.
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Repeat to add Planet B.
Our Customize Item Types guide provides further information about creating and managing Item Types.
To assign an event to a planet:
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Select the event and locate the Planet field in the Inspector.
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If the field isn’t visible, click Add or Edit Fields.
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Locate Planet and click Add.
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Once the field is available in the Inspector, click Add Planet.
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Select Earth or Planet B from the list.
I’ve grouped the Events sidebar by selecting the three sliders icon → Group → All Planets.
When entering event dates, include the appropriate era abbreviation (BCE, CE, BA, or AA) so the event will show in the correct era. For example: Departure for Planet B - 17 Nov 2029 CE.
Timeline View
The first View displays all dated events from both planets in one continuous chronological sequence.
To configure this View, select Content in the View header, then tick Events.
Timeline by Planet
The second View displays the same events, grouped by planet.
To configure this, select Group in the Timeline View header, scroll down to Planet, and select Earth, Planet B, and No Planet Assigned.
You can expand or collapse each planet to focus on its events. The No Planet Assigned group also helps identify events that haven’t been associated with a planet.
This is just one possible approach to organising your planetary histories. If you’d like to explore incorporating any of these ideas into your existing project, we’d be happy to help you work through the available options.
Demo File:
CheriLasota Demo.aeon (115.5 KB)
Kind regards,
Riaan
Aeon Timeline Support
