Microsoft Office Reference Guide

Creating a Timeline Template in PowerPoint

Last updated Nov 23, 2005.

When I wrote my article on using a Visio Timeline in PowerPoint nearly two years ago, I suggested that creating such a diagram in PowerPoint natively is time-consuming.

But since a recent client protested that they don't have Visio, I figured I'd bite the bullet. I’ll show you how to create a timeline directly in PowerPoint that can be used and reused over and over again. I also show you how to quickly "clone" and reuse elements while you're working in PowerPoint with the Clipboard (Office) Task Pane.

The first thing to do is create a slide using the Title-only layout, so there are no distracting placeholders.

For my basic PowerPoint Timeline, I use the "Can" 3D cylinder; it’s in the Basic Shapes palette of the Drawing tools.

I can use the green rotate tool and the yellow tweak tool to turn the cylinder horizontally and make its end circular.

For the Scale below the Toolbar, I make a table with one row and as many columns as I may need.

Let's work with a one year timeline, broken down by months. I create a table with one row and twelve columns.

I drag the edge of the table down to make it conform to the timeline shape itself. In fact, I may even drag it into the shape eventually. But first, let's enter the names of the months.

These are not exactly award-winning graphics, so far. But, by selecting the Table itself, we can reduce the font size to make it more presentable.

Using the Tables and Borders toolbar, we can change the border color as well, and move the entire table into the timeline object by nudging it with our arrow keys.

Both of these objects are potentially useful in the future, aren't they? I think it's time to create a new slide that will serve as a "palette" for similar objects going forward.

I create another blank slide, and copy and paste each object into it. At the same time, I open the Clipboard Task Pane.

While I'm at it, what if I need a weekly timeline? Let me CTRL+DRAG a copy or clone of the timeline out. Now it's relatively easy to select five cells and use the Tables and Borders toolbar to remove them, leaving me seven cells for days of the week or dates.

Now let's return to the main slide and put in our markers or "milestones."

A Callout that we modify can be an excellent marker. We may need to change its Fill color and adjust the font size to make it presentable.

Next, I give it a Custom Animation Entrance Effect, which we can also copy with the object.

I copy that callout to my second palette slide, so I can reuse it as often as I want.

I make one more type of Milestone, using a symbol similar to what Visio uses. In the Flowchart Decision palette of the AutoShapes, I find a diamond-like shape, and drag it out on the Timeline.

I can recolor it and adjust its font colors, and then position it where I want. Then I give it its Dissolve In Entrance, in case I want to use it later on.

(If I don't want animations I can later select them in the Custom Animation Task Pane and click Remove.)

After I copy this to my second slide, I realize that I have begun to assemble a nice group of reusable shapes.

I can click the More AutoShapes button and look through my Clip Art collection for other dramatic types of symbols. Again, I can add text, give them Custom Animation Entrance Effects, and copy them to my Palette slide.

In another slide, I decide to create a different type of timeline. All I do is add another row to a reformatted table, and stretch it out. Then I click Order > Send to Back - and now I can put timespan block arrows into the grid.

I can save the entire file as a Timeline Template by selecting Save As, Files of Type, POT (Design Template) file. It goes into my templates folder.

I could also just save it as a PPT PowerPoint file, and make revisions and rename it each time I need to reuse it. Either way, I have a nice three-slide presentation which enables me to construct a Timeline any time I need it, directly in PowerPoint.

If I choose to keep the Custom Animation Entrance Effects, I can also introduce all of the Timeline elements sequentially.