How dates place people in time

The horizontal axis of a TreeLine is time. Every person is placed according to their birth date, which determines where their bar begins on the timeline. The bar then extends to their death date, or to the present if they are living.

When a birth date is missing, TreeLine estimates placement based on nearby relatives — parents, siblings, children. The estimate is reasonable but approximate. Adding a birth year, even an uncertain one, almost always improves the result.

Dates with less precision (year only, or decade only) still contribute meaningfully. A bar positioned to the nearest decade is more informative than no bar at all. TreeLine displays uncertain dates with a visual cue so the reader can interpret them appropriately.

What to do: If you see a person whose bar looks misplaced, check their birth date in the people editor. A rough year is enough to anchor them correctly.