The time axis, zooming, and panning
Overtrace gives you three ways to read the X-axis, plus fast controls for zooming into the window you care about.
X-axis modes
- Actual time — real clock time. Best when your logs carry real timestamps and you want to line events up to wall-clock time.
- Elapsed time — seconds from each module's own start. Best for run-based comparisons and for elapsed-native formats like Caterpillar.
- Point # — sample index. Useful when sample rates differ or timestamps are unreliable and you just want row-by-row alignment.
Switching modes clears measurement points, annotations, and locked cursors, because those are placed in the current mode's X-units and wouldn't map cleanly to another mode.
Setting a time window
In Actual time mode you get From and To date-time pickers plus an Apply button, and quick-range buttons: 1h, 6h, 1d, 7d, and All. Use All to zoom back out to the full span across every module.
- Drag horizontally across the chart to select a time window — Overtrace zooms to it.
- Use the arrow keys to pan the window left or right (hold Shift for a larger step).
- Double-click the chart, or click “Reset zoom”, to return to the full view.
FAQ
What's the difference between Actual time and Elapsed time?
Actual time uses real clock timestamps; Elapsed time counts seconds from each module's own start. Elapsed is handy for comparing runs and is the default for elapsed-native formats like Caterpillar.
How do I zoom in on the chart?
Drag horizontally across the chart to zoom to that window, and double-click (or press Reset zoom) to zoom back out. Arrow keys pan the window.