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[Barbara Grempler]

How can I have different box styles on charts?
Applies to: All products

Answer: Some other family tree charting programs offer choices of "box styles" that have rounded corners, etc. The Master Genealogist and Family Tree SuperTools accomplish the same thing (and more) with "frames."

A frame is the outer "box". There is an inner box that is always rectangular and contains the data about each person. Outside and around that box can be a frame. It might be a simple line pattern, a colorful design, or an elaborate artistic drawing that is not necessarily rectangular. (When a frame is in use, the border of the inner box is typically made transparent, so that both are not visible at the same time.)

You can design your own frames, so there's no limit to the number of "box" styles from which you can choose. Several dozen frames are provided by default. To see the available frames choose Ancestor Box Chart, Descendant Box Chart, or Hourglass Box Chart from the Reports menu. Then click on Options, go to the Boxes tab, and choose Frame > Other file. Click on the [...] button on the right to see thumbnails of the "Simple Frames." If you chose them during installation, there is also a tab of "Fancy Frames," which are much more elaborate.

By using frames in a box chart, you can dramatically affect its appearance. No more boring rectangular boxes! For many examples of box charts that use frames, see:

You can use the Accent feature on charts to apply different frames for different people based on their flag values.

Related Keywords:
Visual Chartform (VCF), Accent, Chart Options, Ancestor Chart, Descendant Chart, Hourglass Chart

Where to Learn More:
Showing Data -- Visual Chartform (manual/help)
Report Definition Screen for Charts (manual/help)