Visualization Options

• Maps

• Timelines

​​Collections with time or place-based data may benefit from the ability to see records represented on an interactive map or timeline. Visualization options allow a user to plot, search and browse results in a variety of ways based on contextual metadata (i.e. dates, or coordinates). Settings are handled in a configuration file called visualization.conf. Currently there are two visualization plugins supported: Maps and Timelines.

Maps

Multiple map visualizations can be created if the system has multiple geolocation fields. The name setting allows you to uniquely reference each one in the Visualization drop-down menu.

basic_map = {
             name = _("Map"),

Set data to the metadata element code where your location information is stored.

plugin = Map,
            sources = {
                    georef = {
                            data = ca_objects.georeference,

Set the formatting for the metadata that will display on each mapped coordinate. Enter as table_name.elementCode.

display = {
                                     title_template = <l>^ca_objects.preferred_labels.name</l>  (^ca_objects.idno),
                                     description_template = <div style='float:right; margin-left: 8px;'>^ca_object_representations.media.preview</div>^ca_objects.description

Set screen size options.

}
                }
        },

        options = {
                width = 100%,
                height = 100%

Timelines

Just like with Maps, multiple timeline visualizations can be created if your system has multiple date fields. The name set here will appear in the visualization drop-down menu.

basic_timeline = {

             name = _("Timeline")

Set data to the metadata element code where your dates are stored. Must be a DateRange datatype field.

plugin = Timeline,
             sources = {
                     lifespan = {
                             data = ca_entities.lifespan,

Set the formatting for the metadata that will display on each entry of the timeline. Enter as table_name.elementCode. For containers, enter as table_name.containerElementCode.subElementCode.

display = {
                                     title_template = ca_entities.preferred_labels.name,
                                     description_template = ca_entities.biography

Set screen size options.

options = {

width = 100%, height = 100%

}

The appearance of the timeline can be customized. For example, to color code a certain time period to see which objects fall into a certain era:

     options = {
     width = 100 % ,
     height = 100 % ,
     highlightSpans = {
             confederation = {
                     label = Confederation,
                     range = 9 / 13 / 1759 to 7 / 1 / 1867,
                     startLabel = 1759,
                     endLabel = Confederation,
                     color = #FFC080
             }
     }
}