Position and Print a one-page chart

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Attached and available for download is a video showing the steps in VCF for positioning and printing the one-page chart in the screenshot.

Also attached is a zipped file of the report configuration for the chart in the video. Unzip the Ancestor_GenColor.rpt file and for v7 put it in your Configuration_Files folder (for the location, see Preferences / Current Project Options / Advanced). For v6 the .rpt file goes in C:Program FilesThe Master GenealogistReports. In both cases, the report configuration will appear on the dropdown list in the Ancestor Box Chart report.

This chart uses Boxes / Color by Generation and is set for 6 generations. There are 2 bugs in v7 with Boxes / Color by Generation: If you decide to add another generation after you have already set your colors, your previous selections will revert to the defaults, losing your colors. If you use Add to save the report with a new name you may also lose your generation color settings. The workaround for the second bug is to copy the report definition with a new name in Windows Explorer. These bugs should be fixed in the next release.

The process in the video uses the following Menu items and keyboard actions in this order:

1 - VIEW - Toolbars / All Off (no toolbars are required for this simple operation)
2 - VIEW - Page Bounds
3 - VIEW - Rulers
4 - FILE - Page Setup / Paper Size and Orientation
5 - TOOLS - Diagram / Diagram Measurements
6 - VIEW - Zoom Percent > 50%
7 - EDIT - Select All (Ctrl-A)
8 - Arrow keys (right, left, up, down) are used to move chart on page
9 - FILE - Print Preview (shows the position of the chart on the printed page; helps with tweaking) (Note also on the FILE Menu is Export, to save the chart as an image)
10 - FILE - Print (this opens the standard print dialog for your printer)

Comments are welcome. Let me know if you run into a problem with the configuration file (report definition).

Virginia

Attachment:AncestorGenColor.zip
PrintChartVideo.zip

[janice 0]

QUOTE (Virginia Blakelock @ 20 Aug 2010, 06:31 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Attached and available for download is a video showing the steps in VCF for positioning and printing the one-page chart in the screenshot.

Attached is a zipped file of the report configuration for the chart in the video. Unzip the Ancestor_GenColor.rpt file and for v7 put it in your Configuration_Files folder (for the location, see Preferences / Current Project Options / Advanced). For v6 the .rpt file goes in C:Program FilesThe Master GenealogistReports. In both cases, the report configuration will appear on the dropdown list in the Ancestor Box Chart report.

This chart uses Boxes / Color by Generation and is set for 6 generations. There are 2 bugs in v7 with Boxes / Color by Generation: If you decide to add another generation after you have already set your colors, your previous selections will revert to the defaults, losing your colors. If you use Add to save the report with a new name you may also lose your generation color settings. The workaround for the second bug is to copy the report definition with a new name in Windows Explorer. These bugs should be fixed in the next release.

The process in the video uses the following Menu items and keyboard actions in this order:

1 - VIEW - Toolbars / All Off (no toolbars are required for this simple operation)
2 - VIEW - Page Bounds
3 - VIEW - Rulers
4 - FILE - Page Setup / Paper Size and Orientation
5 - TOOLS - Diagram / Diagram Measurements
6 - VIEW - Zoom Percent > 50%
7 - EDIT - Select All (Ctrl-A)
8 - Arrow keys (right, left, up, down) are used to move chart on page
9 - FILE - Print Preview (shows the position of the chart on the printed page; helps with tweaking) (Note also on the FILE Menu is Export, to save the chart as an image)
10 - FILE - Print (this opens the standard print dialog for your printer)

Comments are welcome. Let me know if you run into a problem with the configuration file (report definition).

Virginia

Attachment:AncestorGenColor.zip

Virginia,
You are a genius. Seriously I am glad to see they are being 'locked" to find them easier'. I found it easy to understand but then I have watched the other videos that you have put up. One problem I could not see a way to download this video. I have not downloaded the configuration report yet.

Janice
Melbourne
Down Under

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

 

Janice -

 

Thank you for letting me know you could not download the video! I had forgotten to tick the box to let people do that. It should work now. The screenshot shows where to find the download.

 

Thanks again -

 

Virginia

[janice 0]

I still cannot see the download links. I have been having trouble with Firefox over the last few days. Don't know whether it is that. I did refresh the page.

 

Janice

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Janice -

 

I zipped the video and added it as an attachment to the first message above. I'd like to hear from anyone else who has a problem with the online video download in case it is something on the Screencast end.

 

Feedback would also be welcome from those who downloaded the configuration file - whether you were able to create the chart without a problem and if you would like other one-chart report definitions, and if so what kind (descendant, hourglass) and what data.

 

Virginia

[jimward 0]

Janice -

 

I zipped the video and added it as an attachment to the first message above. I'd like to hear from anyone else who has a problem with the online video download in case it is something on the Screencast end.

 

Feedback would also be welcome from those who downloaded the configuration file - whether you were able to create the chart without a problem and if you would like other one-chart report definitions, and if so what kind (descendant, hourglass) and what data.

 

Virginia

 

Hello Virginia,

Just wanted to thank you for your posts and the screencast posts as they are very helpfull. I know it does not fall into your one-page category but it would be very helpfull if you could show how to create a PDF of a very large chart, so it could be printed all as one page on a large format printer.

 

Jim...

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Jim -

 

You may want to browse through some of the earlier threads on this subject for a more complete discussion. In general - assuming you are using Vista or Win7 - the PDF printer must be selected as the default printer and the paper size must be set BEFORE you open VCF to print the chart. Here's how you do it:

 

1. Create your chart in VCF. In View / Zoom to Fit, make a note of the one-page chart measurements - say 24"x36".

 

2. Save the chart as a .vc2 chart (the standard VCF extension).

 

3. In Computer Printers/Devices, set the PDF printer as the default printer (I use the free PDF995). In the PDF Printer Properties / Advanced set the paper size to 24"x36".

 

4. Open VCF directly (I have a shortcut to vcf.exe on my taskbar to save time) and open the saved .vc2 chart. In Page Setup, set the paper size to 24"x36" Landscape. Check Print Preview to verify that the size and orientation are correct.

 

5. Print the chart.

 

Let us know if you run into any problems or have suggestions to improve the instructions -

 

Virginia