---
title: "Timeline Analysis"
slug: "timeline-analysis"
updated: 2025-12-22T16:17:17Z
published: 2025-12-22T16:17:17Z
canonical: "docs.sightmachine.com/timeline-analysis"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sightmachine.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Timeline Analysis

## Overview

**Timeline Analysis** is a multivariate exploratory tool used to plot the behavior of multiple continuous parameters over a selected time range, often alongside downtime and defect events. It is most helpful **early in the exploratory process** for investigating patterns, anomalies, and parameter behavior leading up to or during specific events. It serves as a strong preliminary step that can guide subsequent, more detailed analyses like Descriptive Statistics or Time-Series Correlation.

## Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

- **Access to the Application tab** (or Analysis tab, as per your original document).
- **Permission to view selected assets or part types.**
- **Up to five numeric (continuous) parameters available** for plotting on the Y-axis.
- **A defined time range** with available data.

## Create a Timeline Analysis

### 1. Open Timeline Analysis

- Navigate to the Application tab (or Analysis tab).
- Select **Timeline Analysis**.
- The configuration panel will open.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765195532669.png)

### 2. Select a Data Model

Select how you want the tool to group data:

- **Cycles** – Cycle-level parameters from the same asset or asset type.
- **Parts** – Part-level data across different machines producing the same part type (limited by the part identifier).

> 💡 **Tip:** Use **Cycles** for high-granularity analysis within a machine and **Parts** for cross-machine comparison of final product characteristics.

## ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765195784195.png)

### 3. Select Assets

- Choose an **Asset** (Cycles) or **Part Type** (Parts).
- Select one or more assets of the same type or the relevant part type.
- Confirm selections in the left panel.

> 📝 **Note:** If you select **multiple similar assets**, each will be plotted with a different color, allowing for direct comparison of their parameter trends over time.

## ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765196329514.png)

### 4. Set the Time Range

Choose:

- **Relative ranges** (e.g., Last 7/30/90 days).
- **Absolute ranges** (manual start and end dates).

> 📝 **Note:** This establishes the boundaries for the data that will be part of your analysis.

## ![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765196740613.png)

### 5. Select Y-Axis Parameters

- Choose **up to five continuous parameters** to analyze.
- Each parameter will be plotted as a separate time series chart, sharing the same time (X) axis.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765198317701.png)

### 6. Add Overlays (Optional)

To investigate the relationship between parameter behavior and events:

- Select whether to add **Downtimes**, **Defects**, or **Both**, as overlays on your chart.
- **Defects** are typically shown as ticks at the top of the plot.
- **Downtime** events are typically shown as overlaid bands on the plot.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765198661158.png)

### 7. Configure & Generate Time Series Results

To complete the process in one step: Configure your desired Carry-Forwards setting (choosing from Keep All, First, or Last) and then select Update to Generate Results and load the time series charts for review.

**![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/image-1765199334829.png)**

## Timeline Analysis Options

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/3b3481dc-7290-430b-a2b6-bd69314ab49c.png)

The Timeline Analysis options include:

1. **Model:** You can select:
  - **Cycles:** Examine the correlation between two parameters in the same asset or asset type.
  - **Parts:** Examine the correlation between two parameters across different machines producing the same part type.
2. **Assets:** You can select assets to monitor. For example, to perform a Cycles analysis, you need to select an asset to analyze. For example, 3 specific machines. If you are using the Parts model, you need to select a part type.
3. **Relative Range:** You can define a date range of data points to analyze for the assets you have selected. For example, select the last 7 days. This option establishes the boundaries for the near real-time data that will be part of your analysis. Select from relative or absolute timeframes.
4. **Y Axis:** You can select up to 5 parameters to analyze.
5. **Overlays:** You can select whether to add Downtimes, Defects, or both, as overlays on your Timeline Analysis.
6. **Carry-forwards:** You can undo the forward-fill effect on any fields. Select from Keep All, First, or Last.
7. **Update:** Click this button to generate your chart.

![](https://cdn.us.document360.io/c65001f1-30e3-4f1d-b335-57abf64ebd31/Images/Documentation/82f6cf08-1d91-4ccb-bb01-5317bc6ac121.png)

## Feature Benefits

- **Pattern and Behavior Investigation:** Helps in quickly identifying trends, shifts, or anomalous behavior in continuous parameters over time.
- **Multi-Parameter Visualization:** Plots up to five parameters simultaneously across a shared time axis, enabling easy visual correlation between them.
- **Event Correlation:** Allows for direct visual investigation of how parameter values change leading up to, during, or after **downtime** or **defect** events using chart overlays.
- **Comparative Machine Analysis:** Supports plotting data from multiple machines, using different colors to show if machine-specific factors influence the parameter trends.
- **Model Flexibility (Cycle & Part):** Supports multivariate analysis on **Cycle** (high-granularity) and **Part** (cross-machine) data models.
- **Interactive Zooming:** Allows users to **drag and zoom** on the X-axis (time) to focus in on specific time periods for detailed inspection.

## Summary

The Timeline Analysis tool outputs **up to five time series charts** sharing a common time axis, with optional overlays for downtime and defect events. This provides a clear, visual understanding of the behavior of multiple parameters over time and their relationship to discrete manufacturing events.

For example, if you select multiple machines, you can **toggle the display** of each machine’s values using the legend to isolate and compare their trends. This visual exploration is most useful early in the process to guide subsequent quantitative analysis.