Simple Timeline (Obsidian Plugin)

Simple Timeline renders timelines from note frontmatter. It can be used in:

• Markdown code blocks (timeline-cal, timeline-h)
• Bases views (optional integration)

It is designed to be theme-friendly and configurable.

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Install / Enable

1. Install the plugin (manual or via BRAT / community store if available).
2. Enable it in Settings → Community plugins.
3. Enable Page Preview (recommended) to use hover popovers.

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Required Frontmatter

A note becomes a timeline entry when it has fc-date.

Minimal

fc-date: 1165-03-01 fc-end: 1165-03-03 timelines: [Travelbook 1] tl-title: Arrival in New York tl-summary: |- We arrived after two days of travel. Weather: rain and wind. tl-image: assets/my-image.png

Image can be:

• an external URL (https://...)
• an internal link/path to a vault file

Image selection priority The plugin tries to find an image in this order:

• tl-image (frontmatter)
• first internal embed image (!...)
• first markdown image link ()
• first image file in the note folder

Markdown Code Blocks

A) Vertical “Cross” layout (default renderer)

```timeline-cal
names: Travelbook 1, Travelbook 2
jumpToToday: true
```

Shows one entry per row (image + callout box).

B) Horizontal timeline

```timeline-h
names: Reisebuch 1, Reisebuch 2
mode: stacked      # stacked | mixed
jumpToToday: false
```

Modes:

• mixed: all entries from all timelines in one horizontal row (chronological)
• stacked: one horizontal row per timeline; aligned by the union of existing dates (gaps appear only when a timeline has no entry for a date that another timeline has)

Settings (Global + Per Timeline)

You can configure:

• image width / height
• box height
• inner left/right padding
• max summary lines (multi-line ellipsis)
• colors (background, border, hover, title, date)
• per-timeline month names (manual) (name, name,...) Per-timeline configuration is stored under a timeline key (the same name you use in timelines:).

Calendarium “Today” (optional)

If the Calendarium plugin is installed, the Timeline UI can jump to “today”:

In Markdown blocks: jumpToToday: true In Bases views: option jumpToToday: "true" If Calendarium is not installed, the button will show a notice.

Bases Integration (optional)

Enable it in plugin settings:

Settings → Simple Timeline → Bases integration After enabling, restart Obsidian or reload the plugin (required for view registration).

A) Bases view: Timeline (Cross) View type: simple-timeline-cross B) Bases view: Timeline (Horizontal) View type: simple-timeline-horizontal

Common options (property mapping):

• timelineConfig (optional, forces one style config for all cards)
• timelineProperty (used when timelineConfig is empty)
• startProperty, endProperty
• titleProperty, summaryProperty, imageProperty
• orderMode: bases | start-asc | start-desc
• jumpToToday: "true" | "false"

Horizontal-only option:

• mode: stacked | mixed

Example YAML for Bases:

```base
views:
  - type: simple-timeline-horizontal # simple-timeline-cross
    name: Timeline (mixed)
    timelineConfig: ""
    startProperty: note.fc-date
    endProperty: note.fc-end
    titleProperty: note.tl-title
    summaryProperty: note.tl-summary
    imageProperty: note.tl-image
    orderMode: start-asc
```