Appearance Settings - Layers

The Layers settings control how your layers are laid out and where each layer's name appears.

To reach these settings, click the Appearance button above your timeline and open the Layers section.

Layout

Use Gantt chart layout

This option displays your timeline as a traditional Gantt chart, with event names listed to the left of the timeline instead of on the bars themselves. Learn more in our Creating Gantt Charts with Preceden guide.

While this option is checked, the Automatically compress layers and Layer Name Position settings are hidden. A Gantt chart always gives each event its own row and always shows layer names on the left, so neither setting applies. Uncheck the option to bring them back.

Automatically compress layers

By default, Preceden places one event per row. Checking this option compresses each layer to fit as many events per row as possible. Learn more in our Reposition Events with Drag and Drop guide.

Layer Name Position

Choose whether the layer name should be displayed at the Top of the layer or to the Left of the layer.

Top of the layer

If your timeline has a single layer that still has the default name Events, Preceden leaves the name off, since there are no other layers to tell it apart from.

Left of the layer

When layers use a transparent color (the default), Preceden darkens the theme color and uses that shade behind the layer names:

If you give a layer a color (the Color field when you add or edit the layer), Preceden uses that exact color behind the layer's name instead, and switches the name's text between light and dark so it stays readable. This happens whether or not Apply the layer color to the layer's background is checked under Appearance > Colors:

A popular combination is to pair this position with medium or dark layer colors and check both Apply the layer color to the layer's background and Override event color with the layer color.