How to add an entity to the available activity types in a timeline control?

[notj]

I realize I posted this in the wrong forum, so I've made the topic over here.

In case there's a better way than I'm attempting below; my end goal is that I can select a building entity record, and then add multiple records of another entity to it in quick succession. Similar to how you can add multiple notes to a record using the timeline control. If there's another way to do this, I would be fine trying it out.

I feel like this is probably very easy to do but I must be missing something. I've got two custom entities. One is for each of our buildings. Another is going to be for capturing information when we visit that building in person. 

On the record for the building, I would like the timeline control, without the notes, but instead have our custom entity for visits. Can someone tell me how to do that? 

I  tried making an activity entity but I couldn't figure out how to add it as an option to the timeline. I also do not know how to take the Notes activity off of the timeline.

I've tried editing the Timeline control on my "Building" custom entity in the classic view, but I can neither remove the Notes nor add other activity entities.

[Anonymous]

Have you enabled the activities for the building entity? Check the properties of the entity. 

After the activities are enabled you should be able to filter only activities to be displayed on the timeline control on the building form.

[HSheild · Accepted solution]

Hi @notj 

I will touch on 2 different approaches

Activities in the timeline

• To get the custom activity to appear in the Timeline have you followed all of the steps here?  There are a number of things you need to do like add to your model-driven app and enable Display in Activity Menu
• I don't think you are able to remove the Notes from the Timeline for a Model-driven app.  The Dynamics 365 model-driven apps have an extra entity which shows in the Timeline called Posts which normal Model-Driven apps don't.  In Dynamics 365 you can toggle the Default Module for Create Experience to either Notes or Posts.

Alternative approach

• Build your Building Visit entity as a normal entity (not activity)
• Enable your Building Visit entity for Quick Create and create a Quick Create form for it
• Also create a Card form for your Building Visit entity https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/model-driven-apps/create-card-forms
• Create a 1:N relationship between the Building entity and the Building Visit entity
• Make the Building field on the Building Visit entity Business Required
• On your Building form place a subgrid which points to Building Visits
• You can then experiment with the Controls property on the subgrid to display it in different formats
• 

A  lot of steps but it is quite straight forward once you get the hang of it.  I ended up getting carried away and building an example - it's very quick. You will then end up with something like the screenshots below without the complicated Timeline control.  You can quickly add new Visit records from a subgrid on the Building form and then display in a timeline type view using Card forms and the Read-Only Grid Control in the subgrid.

Let me know if you need any further help.

[notj]

The alternative approach you documented works perfectly. Thanks so much @HSheild !