Dependent Events

Preceden's Dependent feature lets you specify that one event should start when another event ends.

For example, in this timeline Event B starts when Event A ends:

A timeline where Event A runs June 1 to June 7, 2022 and Event B picks up the next day, June 8 to June 14

There are two ways to go about this:

Manually Set the Start Date for Event B

With this approach, you set Event B's start date by hand to June 8, 2022, matching when Event A ends.

The Update Event dialog for Event B with the Dependent box unchecked and a start date of June 8, 2022 typed in by hand, against an end date of 1 week

Mark Event B as a Dependent of Event A

To do this, click Event B on your timeline (or its name in the list below the timeline) to open the Update Event dialog, check the Dependent box, then select Event A from the dropdown:

The same dialog with the Dependent box checked, so the start date field has become a menu set to Event A

The advantage of this approach is that if you change Event A's dates, Event B's dates will automatically update to start when Event A ends:

An animation where dragging Event A's end date from June 7 to June 12, 2022 moves its dependent Event B from June 8 through 14 to June 13 through 19

FAQs

When you specify that Event B is a dependent on Event A, Preceden will automatically add a visual connection between the two events by default:

The Update Event dialog for Event B scrolled to More Options, where Event A appears as a removable tag in the Connected Events field with Solid Line selected

However, you can go into Event B's More Options and remove Event A from the Connected Events field if you would prefer the events not to be visually connected on the timeline.

Does connecting two events make one of them a dependent?

No. A connection is a line drawn between two events and nothing more: it has no bearing on either event's dates. The Dependent box is the only setting that makes one event's start date follow another event's end date, so connecting events in Connected Events leaves both of their dates exactly where you set them.

If you aren't sure which one an event has, open it and look at its Start Date field. On a dependent, that field is a menu naming the event this one starts after. On an event that is merely connected, Start Date still holds the date you typed, and the other event appears as a tag in Connected Events under More Options.

What happens if I delete Event A?

Preceden gives Event B a fixed start date matching Event A's end date, or Event A's start date if it had no end date.