Timeline Navigation

NovyWave provides powerful navigation tools for exploring waveform data across any time scale, from nanoseconds to seconds.

The Timeline Interface

The waveform timeline consists of:

1. Signal Rows — one row per selected variable showing value transitions
2. Value Blocks — colored blocks showing signal values over time
3. Timeline Footer — time scale with tick marks
4. Yellow Cursor — current time position for value inspection
5. Blue Zoom Center — reference point for zoom operations

Zooming

Key	Action
W	Zoom in
S	Zoom out
Shift+W	Zoom in faster (3-5x)
Shift+S	Zoom out faster (3-5x)
Z	Reset zoom center to position 0
R	Reset to default view (full timeline visible)

Zoom Center (Blue Line)

The blue vertical line marks the zoom center:

• Zoom operations expand/contract around this point
• Follows your mouse cursor when hovering over the canvas
• Default position is time 0 (left edge)
• Press Z to reset zoom center to 0

When analyzing multiple files with different time ranges, zoom center at 0 ensures files align properly during zoom operations.

Zoom Level Display

The current zoom level is shown in the Name Column footer:

15ns/px   — Very zoomed in (high detail)
1.5us/px  — Moderately zoomed
250ms/px  — Zoomed out (overview)

Panning

Key	Action
A	Pan left (earlier in time)
D	Pan right (later in time)
Shift+A	Pan left faster
Shift+D	Pan right faster

Panning shifts the visible time window without changing zoom level.

Panning vs cursor movement:

• Panning (A/D) moves the viewport; cursor position in time stays the same
• Cursor movement (Q/E) moves the cursor; viewport may follow

Cursor Controls (Yellow Line)

The yellow vertical line is the timeline cursor — your primary tool for inspecting signal values at specific times.

Moving the Cursor

Key	Action
Q	Move cursor left continuously
E	Move cursor right continuously
Shift+Q	Jump to previous signal transition
Shift+E	Jump to next signal transition
Click	Jump cursor to clicked position

Hold Q or E for smooth cursor scanning. Values update in real-time as the cursor moves.

Transition Jumping

Use Shift+Q/Shift+E to jump directly to signal transitions — essential for finding specific events without scrolling through constant values.

Cursor vs Zoom Center

Line	Color	Purpose
Cursor	Yellow	Time position for value inspection
Zoom Center	Blue	Reference point for zoom operations

These are independent systems — cursor movement doesn’t affect zoom center, and zoom operations don’t move the cursor.

Value Inspection

When the cursor is positioned, the Value column shows each signal’s value:

clk:     1         [Bin]
data:    0xAB      [Hex]
counter: 42        [UInt]

Special States

Display	Meaning
Z	High-impedance (floating)
X	Unknown/undefined
U	Uninitialized
N/A	No data at this time

Time Scale

NovyWave automatically formats time values based on zoom level:

Zoom Level	Display Format	Example
Wide	Seconds	125s
Medium	Milliseconds	125.0ms
Close	Microseconds	125.0us
Very Close	Nanoseconds	125ns

Full Reset

Press R to reset everything:

• Zoom level returns to showing full timeline
• Zoom center moves to 0
• Cursor moves to center of timeline

Recommended Workflows

Inspecting a Specific Event

1. Press R to see the full timeline
2. Click near the region of interest
3. Press W repeatedly to zoom in
4. Use Q/E to position cursor precisely
5. Use Shift+Q/Shift+E to snap to transitions

Scanning for Patterns

1. Position cursor at start point
2. Hold E to scan forward continuously
3. Watch values update in the Value column
4. Release when pattern is found

Multi-File Navigation

1. Press R to see the full combined timeline
2. Zoom center at 0 aligns most files
3. Use cursor to inspect values at specific times across all files