Charting Box formats

[elevator 0]

I have been making charts in TMG for some time now, but there is one thing I just can't figure out to do. Married couples appear in different boxes and if they have children together it may sometimes look at the first glance like the spouse is a child of the primary person. Several of my family members have commented on this. Several years back I used Sierra Generations (may it rest in peace), and there married couples appeared in the same box in the following way: (of course you could customize the look)

 

Name PrimaryPerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

Married 00/00/00 to

Name SpousePerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

 

All that information was in one box and the children would appear beneath it (in a top to bottom chart). It was really easy to read and follow. Is it possible to do something similar through TMG's charting module?

 

If the setup is hard to understand I'll reinstall Sierra Generations and take a screenshot.

 

Thanks for your help,

Ken.

[RobinL 0]

This combined descendant+spouse box layout is not possible in TMG at this time.

 

I know that it has been requested sometime in the past. If you feel stronly about it then put up an item on the forum with wishlist as part of its subject.

 

There a number of variants of charts (particularly those associated with genetics) where such a layout would be more efficient.

 

However, some users still want the partners to be in separate boxes. Separate boxes will allow for more information for each person. Have you tried the UK style descendant charts where there is a distinctive double line between the partners?

[elevator 0]

Thanks for your reply Robin. That is bad news, I hoped maybe it would be possible and that I just missed the config option. The UK chart at least makes it clear at first glance who is the spouse and who is the children, so for me that's the better choice between the two formats I guess.

 

I guess I'll just have to try and put in on the forum wishlist and hope that it may be included in some future version.

 

Thanks again,

Ken.

 

This combined descendant+spouse box layout is not possible in TMG at this time.

 

I know that it has been requested sometime in the past.  If you feel stronly about it then put up an item on the forum with wishlist as part of its subject.

 

There a number of variants of charts (particularly those associated with genetics) where such a layout would be more efficient.

 

However, some users still want the partners to be in separate boxes. Separate boxes will allow for more information for each person. Have you tried the UK style descendant charts where there is a distinctive double line between the partners?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Mike Talbot 0]

I have been making charts in TMG for some time now, but there is one thing I just can't figure out to do. Married couples appear in different boxes and if they have children together it may sometimes look at the first glance like the spouse is a child of the primary person. Several of my family members have commented on this. Several years back I used Sierra Generations (may it rest in peace), and there married couples appeared in the same box in the following way: (of course you could customize the look)

 

Name PrimaryPerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

Married 00/00/00 to

Name SpousePerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

 

All that information was in one box and the children would appear beneath it (in a top to bottom chart). It was really easy to read and follow. Is it possible to do something similar through TMG's charting module?

 

If the setup is hard to understand I'll reinstall Sierra Generations and take a screenshot.

 

Thanks for your help,

Ken.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Please clarify.

 

Are you writing about the Descendant Box Chart, only?

 

The descendant box format is now compatible with the Ancestor Box Chart box. I guess the Hourglass Box Chart would then be a hybrid of the appropriate two box format types?

 

The TMG Relationship Chart uses the box format that you propose. However, it does not output to VCF, so the results are not pretty nor useful for other purposes. (Now there's a wish list item. Convert the Relationship Chart to use VCF, with images.)

 

What should be the Descendant Box format for a person with multiple spouses with children from more than one of those spouses?

 

Must one think outside of the box<g>?

 

Best wishes,

Mike Talbot

[Virginia Blakelock 0]

I have been making charts in TMG for some time now, but there is one thing I just can't figure out to do. Married couples appear in different boxes and if they have children together it may sometimes look at the first glance like the spouse is a child of the primary person. Several of my family members have commented on this. Several years back I used Sierra Generations (may it rest in peace), and there married couples appeared in the same box in the following way: (of course you could customize the look)

 

Name PrimaryPerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

Married 00/00/00 to

Name SpousePerson

Born 00/00/00

Died 00/00/00

 

All that information was in one box and the children would appear beneath it (in a top to bottom chart). It was really easy to read and follow. Is it possible to do something similar through TMG's charting module?

 

If the setup is hard to understand I'll reinstall Sierra Generations and take a screenshot.

 

Thanks for your help,

Ken.

 

Making the generations a different color may help the relationship to appear more clearly. See screenshot below.

 

Virginia

 

[elevator 0]

Colors definitely helps, but I have a lot of family members that report they have trouble reading my charts (especially since I don't always have the resources to print charts in color for family gatherings and the like).

 

I have included a screenshot from Generations (I reinstalled it). I guess if it comes down to it, I can always export a GEDCOM file and import into generations just for the descendant chart, but Visual Chartform is endlessly more powerful than generations, it's just missing this one feature that in my opinion makes the charts a lot easier to read for the unitiated.

 

The attached image shows a top to bottom chart in two generations. See how two names appear in each box. If there are multiple spouses a new box is added with that couple. The children appear boxes below with one line attaching so there is no confusion. When I drew my family trees on paper way back this is how I did it. Each person (although in the same box) is individually customizable in the chart so if you want the chart the WhollyGenes way that is apparently possible too.

 

Thanks again for all your help,

Ken.

 

Making the generations a different color may help the relationship to appear more clearly.  See screenshot below.

 

Virginia

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[elevator 0]

Thanks for your reply Mike. Yes, I should have mentioned it, but it is of course for the descendant chart only.

 

I have attached another screenshot to show how multiple spouses are handled. I was writing this post because I hoped TMG already had this functionality. I would love to see the possibility of making charts like this. Not only does it make the descendant charts smaller but also easier to read. I don't know what the "standard" format in genealogy charting is, but I print a lot of descendant charts to family members that only really care about wether or not the chart is easy to read.

 

In any event, just a dream for a future version. With out without this charting capability; TMG is still the best program out there, no doubt.

 

Ken.

Are you writing about the Descendant Box Chart, only? 

 

What should be the Descendant Box format for a person with multiple spouses with children from more than one of those spouses?

 

Must one think outside of the box<g>?

 

Best wishes,

Mike Talbot

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Mike Talbot 0]

Thanks for your reply Mike. Yes, I should have mentioned it, but it is of course for the descendant chart only.

 

I have attached another screenshot to show how multiple spouses are handled. I was writing this post because I hoped TMG already had this functionality. I would love to see the possibility of making charts like this. Not only does it make the descendant charts smaller but also easier to read. I don't know what the "standard" format in genealogy charting is, but I print a lot of descendant charts to family members that only really care about wether or not the chart is easy to read.

 

In any event, just a dream for a future version. With out without this charting capability; TMG is still the best program out there, no doubt.

 

Ken.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I like your way very much for those with one spouse. It would also be an ideal format for a VCF based Relationship Chart. One spouse per person is all that's needed there, except for the common ancestor at the top.

 

The multi-spouse case with children still requires a lot more thought.

 

Best wishes,

Mike Talbot