Filter data in the timeline

Filtering a timeline provides a way to work with and focus on a subset of features. You can filter on various requirements, including the following:

• Map time
• Selection
• Map range
• Map extent (2D only)
• Using a definition query

For information on how to create a timeline, see Create a timeline.

Filter by map time

Use the time slider to control the time-enabled data visible in the timeline. This is a powerful way to visualize the sequence of time-enabled data in the timeline, along with the spatial location in the map.

The time slider appears whenever a layer or stand-alone table in a map is time enabled. You can time enable a layer on the Layer Properties dialog box or stand-alone table on the Standalone Table Properties dialog box . The time slider allows you to animate the map over time as the time slider progresses. When you animate the map using the time slider, you are applying a temporal filter to your data on the map. Additionally, when you time enable your data, a contextual Time tab appears, on which you can set various parameters pertaining to the time slider.

When time filtering is enabled in the timeline, the time slider controls the extent of the timeline and the features visible in the timeline for the current time interval.

To enable time filtering in the timeline, do the following:

1. Click Filter By Time at the bottom of the timeline view.
2. Use the time slider in the map to change the visible features in the map and the timeline.
3. To disable time filtering in the timeline, click Filter By Time again. The time slider and timeline now operate independently of each other.

Filter by selection

To display only selected features in the timeline, do the following:

1. Click Filter By Selection at the bottom of the timeline view.
2. Optionally, change the selection either by updating the currently selected features in the map or stand-alone tables corresponding to the timeline layers in the open timeline or by changing your selection in the timeline. The timeline dynamically updates to reflect the current selection set.
3. To disable selection filtering in the timeline, click Filter By Selection again.

Filter by map range

If your timeline contains range-aware layers, you can filter data based on the current map range. As you step or play the range slider in the map view, only the data that falls within the current span display in the timeline.

To enable range filtering in the timeline, do the following:

1. Click Filter By Range at the bottom of the timeline view.
2. Use the range slider to change the visible features in the map and the timeline.
3. To disable range filtering in the timeline, click Filter By Range again.

Filter by map extent

Filtering timeline features using the current map extent is only available in 2D views. To filter the timeline view to show only features that correspond to features in the visible geographic extent of the map, do the following:

1. Click Filter By Extent at the bottom of the timeline.
2. As you pan and zoom the map to different extents, the features in the timeline update to match. The extent filter is not affected bylayer visibility. The timeline displays features filtered appropriately by map extent when layer visibility is turned off in the Contents pane or suppressed by a visibility range setting.
3. To disable map extent filtering, click Filter By Extent again.

Filter by using a definition query

Another way to filter features in the timeline is to define a query expression.

To create a definition query, do the following:

1. Double-click a layer or stand-alone table in the Contents pane that will be used in a timeline or is already used in a timeline to open the Layer Properties or Standalone Table Properties dialog box.
2. Alternatively, right-click the feature layer in the Contents pane and click Properties to open the Layer Properties. Additionally, you can right-click a stand-alone table in the Contents pane and click Properties to open the Standalone Table Properties.
3. On the Properties dialog box, click the Definition Query page.
4. Click New definition query.
5. Build an expression to define the subset of features you want to see.
6. Click Apply to add the expression and click OK to close the Properties dialog box.

Note:

Definition queries impact the visibility of your data across all views, not only the timeline view.

See Write a query in the query builder for more information on how to build valid queries.

To remove a definition query, select the appropriate layer in the Contents pane. On the contextual Data tab, in the Definition Query group, change the drop-down list setting to <None>.

Tip:

You can also create a definition query from the ribbon when a layer is selected in the Contents pane. On the contextual Data tab, in the Definition Query group, click the Dialog Box Launcher .