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E Wilcock

The Death of the Drop Line Chart?

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I've posted before how hard it is with computer software to reproduce my father's drop line, top to bottom descendants charts. I imagined them having married couples alongside each other as in the TMG UK version chart.

 

But when Lee prompted me to look out an example, I saw that apart from the top couple, my father usually placed the spouse below their partner.

 

This is the default in the UK program Tree Draw for Windows which must be why I remembered that program so fondly.

 

I am sure that vcf can be persuaded to do the same. Virginia demonstrated how to move all spouses alongside and level with their partners on a left to right tree.

 

Can we discuss and devise a similar process to reposition the spouses one above the other in a vcf top to bottom chart?

 

I think the first step (in the Report Options menu) is to double or treble the distance between the generations.

But would one start with the USA or the UK model?

 

I'd love your suggestions Virginia. And any other enthusiasts.

Edited by E Wilcock

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Waterfall.jpg

 

Is it somewhat similar to the Descendant Waterfall chart in the screenshot?

 

That chart option is:

 

Descendant Box Chart

Options / Orientation / Left to Right

Lines / Waterfall

 

In this example, I made the spouse boxes a lighter shade.

 

Virginia

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Not really Virginia.

It is a descendants box chart, top to bottom, but instead of spouses being to one side, they are stacked beneath their partner, more like I showed in my "blended " chart example. I think my father's aim was to reduce the width of the chart.

Evelyn

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UKdrop.png Evelyn3.png Evelyn2.png

How's this?

 

First screenshot - finished chart.

I made the names all caps, and added the marriage data line last for the focus person and for the descendants, so the marriage would appear between the descendant and the spouse. I also used the option to color each generation a different color - so I could keep track of who went where while I was rearranging boxes. I joined the spouse boxes first, then lined up the children and last did the connector lines.

 

Second screenshot - dummy pink box (per Robin's suggestion) used to align ports and connector lines, and then deleted. I made the lines of the dummy box a distinctive color and also made the Fill transparent, so I could see the other boxes under it. I wasn't sure exactly how Robin handles that dummy box - whether he uses those actual box lines or uses them as a guideline as I did. Perhaps he would expand on that.

 

Third screenshot - dummy pink box moved away so you can see how I estimated the dummy box size before moving it into place.

 

Takes a little practice, but not too difficult - for a small chart.

 

Virginia

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That is so good, Virginia. Thank you. So many excellent ideas.

 

Adding the marriage as the third line of data is wonderful. Why didn't I think of that?

 

Your birth and death layout looks very nice.

My hand drawn charts save a line and have birth and date year on the same line under the name:

b.1840 d.1862 .

I cant see a way one can output life span without the hyphen and brackets? I don't think one can.

 

I think it is easier to start with the USA layout and create extra space between generations. I've been moving spouse boxes underneath, as you suggested.

 

I didn't fully understand Robin's post about the dummy boxes. I think I see why you used one. Not just for the ports , but to group the newly arranged family?

When I did my blended chart, I found it hard to line up my married couples because vcf groups and aligns by generation. A dummy box enables you to select a generation plus their spouses and handle them together without putting them all on the same line.

 

I see too that one can use a dummy box for each married couple too, so that the married couple become one unit. May be this is what Robin did?

 

When you drew this little tree, Virginia, did you delete all connecting lines and then draw new ones? I have not entirely mastered this. But I guess I need to ask on the other thread.

Thank you very much for the time you spent on this and the guidance.

Evelyn

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<snip>

I didn't fully understand Robin's post about the dummy boxes. I think I see why you used one. Not just for the ports , but to group the newly arranged family?

Evelyn

 

I was really replying to Michael about creating new elastic connection ports that moved with the original box. I will try to explain it more when I have time.

 

However, the point is that almost any thing is possible at the editing phase of VCF.

 

For example, if you add 3 lines to the descendant's box (right click > add a line 3 times), then hightlight the Name of the spouse, then select the 5th line (first new line)of the the descendant box and paste it there. Then repeat for the birth line of the spouse to the 6th line, death line of the spouse to the 7th line, then you can delete the spouse box as the descendant's box now has all thinfo.. You may want to select the Spouse Name (line 5) and change its font, etc to make it show up.

 

This chart style works well for persons with only one partner, but can get confusing for multiply partnered persons.

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