* Focus Window and Property Box

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gsward
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Focus Window and Property Box

Post by gsward » 30 Mar 2020 13:14

Sometimes when investigating relationships I find myself endlessly switching between the Focus Window and the Records Window, This would be greatly reduced if two copies of the Focus Window could be viewed at the same time. You can already do this between single copies of the Focus and Records windows by tiling them.

Can you do this or something like it?

As an extension to this idea, can you "float" two views of the Property Box?

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ColeValleyGirl
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Re: Focus Window and Property Box

Post by ColeValleyGirl » 30 Mar 2020 13:33

You can have two copies of Family Historian open for the same project at the same time... although it takes some discipline only to make changes in one of them. (You can make changes in both, but I don't recommend it -- that way lies confusion).

The Quick Family Facts plugin (from the plugin store) might offer an alternative way of working?

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LornaCraig
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Re: Focus Window and Property Box

Post by LornaCraig » 30 Mar 2020 13:50

Another way of working is to use a diagram displaying a small number of generations. You can create a text scheme to display a wide variety of information in each individual's box. I work with the diagram window open and simply switch the Property box from one person to another by clikcing on their box in the diagram. You can also add new individuals by click-and-drag in the diagram, without ever using the Focus window. (Early versions of FH didn't have a Focus window, and some of us still don't use it.)
Lorna

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tatewise
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Re: Focus Window and Property Box

Post by tatewise » 30 Mar 2020 14:04

A variant of Lorna's method is to have two small Diagram Windows open that mimic the Focus Window.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry

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gsward
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Re: Focus Window and Property Box

Post by gsward » 30 Mar 2020 15:38

Thanks for all your suggestions. They all seem viable workarounds. Do you think this should be an enhancement request for a future release? Having multiple undocked windows would make it more in line with other software.

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tatewise
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Re: Focus Window and Property Box

Post by tatewise » 30 Mar 2020 16:37

I guess the reason there is only one Focus Window is more than cosmetic, otherwise Tools > Preferences > Workspaces would have allowed inhibiting its re-use.

Consider how all the magnifying glass icons to Display in Focus Window would operate, and what would the Home icon Go To File Root do? Which of multiple Focus Windows would they apply to?

Or maybe you are talking about having undocked windows for all the other types of Workspace window?
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry

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