Documentation
This is an early draft version of zContext tool documentation.
Introduction
zContext is a versatile and flexible tool to visualize data on timeline
- telling a story
- study and present a certain topic
- deep dive context
Scope and purpose
Data tries to cover wide range of period in human history. This tool aims to help people understand certain topics, discover parallel events, visualize connected information.
Category tree
- Political, Military and Diplomatic History
- Science, Technology and Innovation
- Cultural, Artistic and Religiuos Milestones
- Economic, Demographic and Environmental Events
Terms and abbreviations
- Context is a view that include multiple events and periods that are related to each other according to the intent of the author.
- viewGroup/contextGroup is a subset of entities in a context with a title. Entities in the same viewGroup are arranged together in a verical or horizontal strip.
Not included in filter options.
- Entity is a historical or fictional event or period. Event doesn't have length in the timeframe of the related context, while period does.
Each entity needs to have a link to the source of the data. The more the better.
- Category is assigned to every entities. Category tree, multiple categories can be assigned, but try to keep the numer on minimum. This is a filter option.
This is compulsory propery of the entites.
- Category tree is the hierarchical collection of categories.
- Label can be assigned to entites, important features and properties (like location, etc) This is a filter option.
- Axis is the time dimension of the visualized data. Fixed to the content of the context. Can be real time and fictional, custum units can be used too.
Features and functions
Functions:
- Browse or filter contexts
- Browse or filter entities
- View a certain contex - scroll, zoom and view properties of entities
Viewer:
- Filter and explore data (filter by period, category and labels)
- View context, s
- Merge or combine contexts/viewgroups
Editor (extending the functions of viewer):
- save locally the custom prepared context
- add or import new entites
- create new context (from existing or new entities)
Technical background