> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.craftsmanplus.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.craftsmanplus.com/play/general/panels/timeline-panel.md).

# Timeline Panel

***

The Timeline Panel runs along the bottom of the editor and controls *when* things happen in the current scene: when each layer appears and disappears, how long the scene runs, and where time-based events fire. This page is a quick orientation; the full reference for working with tracks lives in [Timeline > Tracks](/play/general/panels/timeline-panel.md).

The panel starts collapsed, with its playback controls still available so you can play the scene without opening it. Click the timeline icon in the bottom bar to expand it, and click the **Timeline** label to collapse it again. You can also drag the empty area of its toolbar up or down to resize the panel's height.

***

#### What's Inside

* **Playback controls**: jump to start, replay animations, play/pause, and mute buttons, plus a readout of the current time against the scene's total duration. Every button shows a tooltip on hover, and the controls stay usable while the panel is collapsed.
* **Layer list**: every layer of the active scene on the left, in the same list and stacking order as the [Layers Panel](/play/general/panels/layers-panel.md). Clicking a row selects the layer, expanding a group in either place expands it in the other, and dragging a row reorders the layers exactly as in the Layers Panel — see [Tracks](/play/timeline/tracks.md).
* **Scene track**: the top track carries the timeline's timestamps in whole seconds and ends at the scene's duration. Drag the handle at its end to change how long the scene runs, from **0.1** to **600** seconds, or set it in the scene's [Properties Panel](/play/general/panels/properties-panel.md).
* **Tracks**: a colored bar per layer on the right showing its start and end time. Drag the bar or its edges to retime the layer.
* **Scrubber**: the playhead, running the full height of the tracks. Drag its handle to preview any moment of the scene; the viewport follows in real time.
* **Event markers**: pins above the tracks for each [Scene Event](/play/layers/scenes/scene-events.md).

***

#### Timeline Zoom

The slider in the panel's toolbar zooms the time axis, from a close-up of a few seconds out to the whole scene, with its value shown in whole seconds. You can also hold `CMD` (Mac) or `CTRL` (Windows) and scroll, or pinch on a trackpad, while your cursor is over the timeline; zoom anchors to the front of the timeline and the slider stays in sync. The timeline re-zooms automatically to fit whenever the scene's duration is changed from the Properties Panel.

{% hint style="info" %}
*The Timeline always shows the currently active scene. Switch scenes in the* [*Layers Panel*](/play/general/panels/layers-panel.md) *to edit another scene's timing.*
{% endhint %}


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