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You can save a group of colors as a scheme and use it to hand-color a chart. The first screenshot below is of an ancestor chart with siblings, with each generation a different color. The scheme-palette used to color this chart is shown in the second screenshot and can be downloaded as a VCF chart - Scheme100.vc2 - here (save to disk, open VCF and navigate to chart). Included on the chart is a blank format for creating schemes. Copy it to a New chart and save for reuse. If you modify a color to make it darker or lighter, save it in a new box (copy an existing box) to the right of the original. No need to enter new RGB values.

 

To hand-color a generation in one process:

-- Create a chart with white-fill boxes. Copy palette color(s) to chart to be colored.

** Press and hold Shift button during entire process:

1 - select palette color

2 - select a box in generation 1

3 - Menu - Edit > Select generation

4 - rightclick and select Properties > Fill

5 - Foreground color > down arrow and click on small color box

6 - click OK

7 - that generation is colored; repeat with other generations

 

Color schemes are easy to make and use. If you have a color scheme you particularly like, please consider sharing a screenshot or the RGB values.

 

Virginia

 

SchemeExample100.jpg Scheme100.png

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Some warnings about unexpected effects that you may run into:

 

1) If you select a generation that has some boxes with shadows and instead of changing the colour of the fill you choose to change the colour of the box outline, then that colour change will also be seen in the outline of the shadow!!

 

2) If you create a custom chart by cut and paste of two or more charts onto a single canvas, then when you select a generation, the original generation number of each separate chart comes into the selection. That is - if the starting box is 2nd generation of one chart, then select generation will also include the 2nd generation of every other chart on the canvas. These persons may not be at the same "real" generation as it depends on how each chart was created. In this case the colour by generation may mis represent the true situation - user beware - VCF can not know the real generation number. The user cannot edit the internal generation mumber for a box on a chart.

 

Otherwise, this encouragement to make more use of colour is very commendable. Keep at it, Virginia.

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Robin -

 

Thanks for pointing out those unexpected effects with more complex charts and editing. In general, hand-coloring is best suited to the fast and simple one- or two-page charts which are so easy to make in VCF. Aside from hand-coloring, color-scheme palettes can be used to set chart Accent colors from within TMG for use in larger detailed charts.

 

Virginia

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