Timer and Activity Chain

Timers break activity chaining by definition.  The second node (once the timer's condition is satisfied) would start and be assigned to whoever is defined in the node's assignment configuration.

What exactly are you trying to accomplish?

Thanks Mike, I'm trying to create a delay before the second node, because it needs to display a query result that a MS SQL calculation takes a while to render after the first node.

Where is that calculation taking place?  If you put it in a Script Task node between the two tasks, the chaining will wait for it (up to a reasonable extent) - keep in mind though that as far as what the user sees during this time, they'll just be stuck with a "loading page".  For things that take even longer than that, I've sometimes resorted to making an intermediary task which the user sees during the "loading" process, where their only input is a "refresh" button, which (while the process flow is still waiting) just loops them back to the same form, but then eventually takes them on to the second task.

For any more detailed advice though we'd need to know more about what the calculation is, where it's happening and why, and how long it'll be expected to take in an average use case.  Sometimes it's better, for instance, to simply allow the user to see their subsequent task separately when it's ready, i.e. it pops up on their task list once the background process has accomplished what it needs to.

OK, I think I'll use one of the tricks you mentioned, the problem is at the database level (due to a trigger and a sequence that do not allow a quick synchronization of the cdt that the process uses). Maybe a refresh button in the second node..

OK, I think I'll use one of the tricks you mentioned, the problem is at the database level (due to a trigger and a sequence that do not allow a quick synchronization of the cdt that the process uses). Maybe a refresh button in the second node..