Family Historian User Group

Someone asked me recently if it is possible to do a search within a diagram - i.e. have the relevant person highlighted in the diagram, rather than be switched back to the records window.  The answer is that with a little effort you can - at least provided that you are not already using the 'Mark' feature in that diagram.  And it occurred to me that FHU List members might also be interested in the answer.

You can't simply use the 'Find Record' facility on the Edit menu as that will always find the record in the Records Window.  You need to create a query that asks you to select a person, and then simply returns that person. Having created that query (called 'Select Record' let's say), you do a within-diagram search by clicking on Diagram > Marks > 'Set/Clear Marks  Using Query'.  Select the 'Select Record' query,and click 'Run Query' (you may want to check 'Clear existing marks first' if some boxes are already marked).  You will be prompted to specify the record in question.  After which all instances of that record on the diagram will be 'marked' (highlighted).

Afterwards, you can clear all marks (reset the highlighting) by clicking 'Clear All Marks' on the Marks menu.

To create the 'Select Record' query (you only need to do this bit once), open the Query Window, and click on 'New Custom Query' on the menu that appears when you click on the Query menu button (the last button on the query windowtoolbar).  Call the new query 'Select Record' (or whatever)and select 'Individual' as the Record Type.  Click on the Rows tab.  Leave condition as 'Add If', select 'INDI' for the Expression field (the only item in its dropdown list).   Operator should now be 'is'.  Leave it as that. Click on 'Parameter' and set the label to 'Record'. Now click on the 'Add' button.  That's it.
Heres a ready made query for you
Select Record Query

Simon Orde
List Administrator & Family Historian designer

This is useful , it highlights the person you are looking for, but it is not what is being requested. If I have understood the requests, including my own, we wanted a FIND tool that would reposition the diagram to the selected individual. It is precisely because we DO have such large diagrams that navigation becomes difficult. I have in excess of 4000 individuals on my diagram and following connector lines is very long winded and prone to error especially if you 'loose track'.

Frank

Yes this would be helpful as even with my less than 1000 persons have difficulty if I suddenly realise I need to find another person.

This feature was added in version 3. It has a new command on the Edit menu called 'Find in Diagram'. To use it, leave your diagram window open (you mustn't close it) but switch to another window to find the person you are looking for (e.g. in the Records Window). Select them there and then click on 'Find in Diagram' will switch you back to the Diagram Window and locate the person. If there are 'duplicate boxes' for the same person, pressing F3 will switch you between them.