Ancestor Chart; direct line with siblings

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

This is In response to a question from PolyGeo on stackexchange.com/Genealogy and Family History for a source for "a multi-page PDF chart, probably in Landscape orientation, that lists myself at bottom and a chosen direct ancestor at top, separated by a "row" for each intervening ancestor that also includes his/her siblings "

 

This letter-size VCF chart uses the more compact left-to-right orientation instead of bottom-to-top.

 

Instructions:

1. Create a DirectLine dataset of the selected people: List of People / Options / Secondary output / Create new dataset. Filter the List of People for 'Is a Descendant of _ ' (chosen direct ancestor) and 'Is an Ancestor of _ (yourself). At the bottom of the Filter window, tick the boxes for Spouses and Descendants.

2. In TMG, go to File / DataSet Manager and disable the main dataset and enable the DirectLine dataset.

3. On the Top menu, go to Reports / Ancestor box chart.

 

VCF options:

Select the focus person ('yourself')

Chart Destination: View in Visual Chartform

 

Report Options tabs:

CHART STYLE

Chart title: enter your text (in finished chart select title box and move to desired location)

Orientation: Left to right

Chart size: Max # of generations: 10

Title location 10, 10

Diagram location: 17, 17

Gap between boxes: 10,15

 

BOXES

Box size width: 84 pixels, Minimal height 0 pixels

Box fill: optional; leave white to color later if desired

Frame (outside box) - None

Box border:

Style - solid line

Color: black

Width: 1 or 2 pixels - depends on printer; check printed page and adjust if necessary. I use 1 pixel.

 

LINES

Connector lines - solid

Width: 1 pixel

Color: Black

 

Sibling lines - solid

Width - 1 pixel

Color - gray

 

TEXT

Select from Font and Color buttons or accept defaults

This chart is Tahoma 8 R for Names, Lucida Handwriting 11 for title - relocated in chart and edited to add a space between each word in title)

 

BACKGROUND

Default - Solid white

 

IMAGES

Off

 

DATA TYPE

none

 

OTHER

Identifiers - None

Surety: No threshold and Include blank surety

Text Alignment - Center

Names - Surname caps

Places none

Miscellaneous:

Include siblings

Remove blank lines

 

To selectively hand-color chart boxes:

Rightclick on a box; select Properties / Fill / Foreground Color / dropdown arrow / Other. Select basic color or create custom color (these boxes are custom color RGB 216,237,237). Add to custom colors to use again in this chart (note the colors are not saved with the chart; see Palette thread in pinned message on One-page charts for custom coloring tips).

 

Note: Use the View option and Ctrl-A to select the entire chart and position it on the page.

 

To Print to PDF:

For paper selection: File / Page setup

To save as PDF: File/ Print / select PDF writer/printer from drop down list / click Print. There are many free PDF writers/pseudo printers. I use CutePDF. Note that VCF has options for A- and other paper sizes.

 

To save as a .jpg: File / Export / Save as .jpg

 

Let me know if I've left something out or you run into a problem with the chart.

 

If you are new to TMG, you will want to customize your layout and create a custom toolbar. In working on a chart like this or other report - trying different options for instance - it is very handy to have a button 'Run last report' to quickly return to those report/chart options without going back to the Report menu. For tips on customizing the v8 layout, see the thread here.

 

Virginia

[PolyGeo 0]

Thanks Virginia

 

At the moment I think I am stuck on getting the DirectLine dataset created. You said:

 

"Create a DirectLine dataset of the selected people: List of People / Options / Secondary output / Create new dataset. Filter the List of People for 'Is an Ancestor of _ ' (myself) and 'Is a Descendant of _' (chosen direct ancestor)."

 

If I choose 'Is an Ancestor of _ ' (myself) AND 'Is a Descendant of _' (chosen direct ancestor), using my 6th great grandfather the dataset I end up with does seems to only have 7 people from my mother to his son - wouldn't I expect to also have their siblings in the dataset?

 

Also, what is the simplest way to confirm how many people are in the currently enabled dataset?

Is there a way to increase the font size on tool dialogs?

 

- Graeme

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Graeme -

 

Reverse the selection: 'Is a Descendant' first - and 'Is an Ancestor' second. Sorry, my error.

 

Number of people in dataset: File / Project Summary / Filter - dropdown list - select the new dataset. The top number for People is the count.

 

Font size adjustments are in Preferences. See the list here of where in Preferences to change font sizes . To open Preferences, rightclick in the Detail view and select Preferences. Or File / Preferences.

 

Nice to see you - welcome to the forum!

 

Virginia

[PolyGeo 0]

Thanks Virginia

 

However, the DirectLine dataset I create still only has 7 people using the revised filter i.e. those on the direct line, but not me or the ancestor at the other end, and no siblings! Is there perhaps another step that I am missing?

 

Also, did you mean to say Descendant Box Cart? I think it is only Ancestor Box Chart that has Include Siblings on its Other tab.

 

- Graeme

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Thanks, I corrected the place where it said Descendant instead of Ancestor.

 

Virginia

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

Re the numbers of people. At the bottom of the Filter window, tick the boxes for Spouses and Descendants. I added that to the instructions.

 

Virginia