* Keep saved chart on merge files

[michele]

I'm working on two Projects (2 different gedcom files).
I want to merge them with Merge/Compare File...
Second Project has some Saved Chart I want to keep.
I tried to copy .fhc files between Charts folder and opened after merging, but Family Historian warn me that

This Family Historian chart was not created using the current project/file. ...

Actually the Saved Chart points to individual Record Ids, and these are reassigned during merging to follow the existing ones. Because of this the Saved chart can't find the same IDs.
A possible solution could be to renumber individual records in second gedcom, starting NOT from 1, but from the next ID will be generated during merging.
How can I automatically renumber records starting from an arbitrary number?
Thank you so much!

[Jane]

There is not an option directly available, but you could use a plugin to set the Automated Record ID (or the Custom ID if you are not using it) with the needed start number and then use the Work With Record Identifiers to copy it over.

I am not sure if the Family Record IDs are also stored in the Chart so that might mean they also need renumbering.

I have attached a simple plugin to set the Automatic IDs.

[michele]

Thank you Jane, this plugin is very useful.

I am not sure if the Family Record IDs are also stored in the Chart so that might mean they also need renumbering.

A Chart handles individuals through IDs, I guess.
If I modify individual IDs then reopen a Saved Chart, its appearance is changed because links to IDs are lost.

I tried that:
In first project I see which is last individual ID, say 100.
In second project I open all Saved Charts I want to keep. Then I use this "Set Automatic Record ID" plugin and Work with Record Identifiers to make individual IDs start from 101. For every open Diagram > Save Diagram. Close project.
From first project I merge second gedcom with Merge/Compare file. Then I copy my Saved Charts from Charts folder of second project to the first one.
Opening them FH warns me that "This chart was not created using the current project". Click OK.
One Chart (the simplest one) is perfectly preserved.
But unfortunately opening another Chart (most complex) makes FH crash.

These are crash reports (in italian):

Firma problema:
Nome evento problema: APPCRASH
Nome applicazione: Fh.exe
Versione applicazione: 5.0.0.8
Timestamp applicazione: 4f54db84
Nome modulo con errori: Fh.exe
Versione modulo con errori: 5.0.0.8
Timestamp modulo con errori: 4f54db84
Codice eccezione: c0000005
Offset eccezione: 0020d8d9
Versione SO: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: 0a9e
Ulteriori informazioni 2: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789
Ulteriori informazioni 3: 0a9e
Ulteriori informazioni 4: 0a9e372d3b4ad19135b953a78882e789

Firma problema:
Nome evento problema: APPCRASH
Nome applicazione: Fh.exe
Versione applicazione: 5.0.0.8
Timestamp applicazione: 4f54db84
Nome modulo con errori: ntdll.dll
Versione modulo con errori: 6.1.7601.18247
Timestamp modulo con errori: 521ea91c
Codice eccezione: c0150010
Offset eccezione: 00083fd3
Versione SO: 6.1.7601.2.1.0.768.3
ID impostazioni locali: 1040
Informazioni aggiuntive 1: 4ed9
Ulteriori informazioni 2: 4ed9708fce808d3b2caebda33990c3b1
Ulteriori informazioni 3: 3535
Ulteriori informazioni 4: 3535f00e27e5f4a81ea2ca2e1aba0b63

Any help is appreciated.

[tatewise]

Unfortunately, the crash reports will only make any sense to program developers.

I suspect the problem is that after merging some of the 2nd Project Record Ids have been changed.

Try performing a Merge BUT reject all Individual tab merges.
Then I suspect the imported Charts will all be OK.

Now perform Edit > Merge Record for the Individual Records, etc, that need merging.
Hopefully the Charts will track those Record Id changes.

[Jane]

I checked with Calico Pie and I am afraid I don't think it's possible to retain saved charts etc, after renumber or merging files.

It's possible we might be able to use a plugin to help, but they would need to make the internal formatting of the Chart file available, which it is not at the moment, so I am afraid you may need to redo those charts. Don't forget you can have two instances of FH open so you could view the chart on the original data to re-do it on the merged data.

Calico would be interested in the Crash, I tried making some more complex charts and then renumbering but could not get a crash, so I suspect they would need a Project backup from you to be able to reproduce it.

[tatewise]

Jane, I am dismayed if it is true that renumbering Individuals would invalidate all Charts.
That would be a major oversight, and there are no warnings to that effect!
( I guess one would have to revert to Backups to recover the situation.)

I tried some simple renumbering of Individuals with simple Charts and all worked fine, even though the Charts were closed at the time of renumbering.
So there must be some mechanism in FH that is dealing with the renumbering.
(Perhaps it not only updates the GEDCOM file, but also updates the Chart files simultaneously.)

As I said before I suspect it is MERGING that is the real problem, where Individuals will get renumbered before the Chart has been copied into the Project with matching Record Id.

[michele]

Three topics here:

1. Saved charts are damaged by ids renumbering
2. How to retain saved charts on gedcom merge
3. FH crashes opening one particular chart (copied from the project merged just before)

Try performing a Merge BUT reject all Individual tab merges.
Then I suspect the imported Charts will all be OK.

I did that during my tests, choosing "Do not match any records" exactly to keep ids unaltered. And indeed saved charts are preserved. The only problem now is this crash.

I tried some simple renumbering of Individuals with simple Charts and all worked fine, even though the Charts were closed at the time of renumbering.

I had opposite results.
Using "Generate new record ids by renumbering records" or "Generate new record ids by copying Custom Id", then opening previously saved chars, they appear completely altered.

I checked with Calico Pie and I am afraid I don't think it's possible to retain saved charts etc, after renumber or merging files.

It's possible to retain saved charts, just keeping ids unaltered during merge: practically before merge you have to renumber Individual records ids of merged gedcom to follow last id of receiving project.
I did it and it works, as described above.

Calico would be interested in the Crash, I tried making some more complex charts and then renumbering but could not get a crash, so I suspect they would need a Project backup from you to be able to reproduce it.

The crash doesn't happen to me during renumbering, but on viewing a chart copied from the project just merged.
Clearly this copy of saved charts is not a standard procedure, but the only I found to retain them.

merge_charts.zip

(46.63 KiB) Downloaded 197 times

Zipped the 2 projects I'm trying to merge, renamed for simplicity First and Second.
In Second project there are 2 charts named one and two, which at the moment correctly display into Second project.

To reproduce FH crash:

• Unzip somewhere and open First project
• Merge Second gedcom
  choose "Do not match any records"
  uncheck both options "Copy linked multimedia" and "Create a new Source"
• Copy one.fhc and two.fhc from Second to First Charts folder
• From First project (+ Second merged) View > Saved Charts...
  open "one" then "two"
  Click OK on warning that "chart was not created using current project"
  chart one (the simplest) should appear ok
  instead chart two (more complex) makes FH crash