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Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 12:15
by woodr2011
Is it possible to make burial information visible for the couple who are showing currently in the Focus window under their birth and death events, rather than to dig for it in the Facts tab in the Properties window? TIA!
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 12:44
by tatewise
Welcome to the FHUG.
No, it is not currently possible to include any extra facts in the Focus Window.
If there is no Birth or Death fact then Baptism/Christening or Burial/Cremation facts are shown.
However, only one fact per person is displayed.
Any changes there would need to be requested from the program developer.
The Focus Window usually has the Property Box displayed alongside that shows Birth and Death details on the Main tab.
That Main tab can be customized to show Baptism and Burial details as well. Would that be satisfactory?
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 17:14
by woodr2011
Hi Mike,
Thank you for your reply. That would appear to be the only option available at the moment, yes. Coming from TMG, I am so habituated to having everything visible in one screen, so it will take some time for me to acclimate. I should request the feature from the developers. TY, -Ryan
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 17:40
by tatewise
Maybe you misunderstand.
Following my customization suggestion, the Birth, Baptism, Death & Burial details would all be visible on
one screen.
The Focus Window and Property Box are usually shown together side by side on the same screen.
The screenshot below shows Focus Window and Property Box on one screen with Birth, Baptism, Death & Burial info.
Is that effectively what you are asking for? If not, then what is missing?
Not only does that Property Box appear there but also in conjunction with many other screen displays, so the details are visible in many more scenarios than if only added to the Focus Window.
Your comment about "having
everything visible in one screen" is an impossibility.
One screen can only display a subset of the details from your Project and not
everything.
It is a matter of deciding what details you want on one screen.
As with most software products they have pros and cons and are naturally different.
If they were not different there would be little point in changing from product to product.
- PropertyBoxCustomMainTab.png (218.55 KiB) Viewed 2482 times
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 21:22
by lynnej
I too am evaluating FH Version 7 and I have to agree that the there does seem to be information missing from the Focus window. There really doesn't seem much in there to 'focus' on.
All the documentation states that the Property window is for the purpose of data entry. Yet to see useful information you have to have be in that Property window and open at the Facts tab when some of that key material should perhaps be in the Focus window instead of limiting it to Date of Birth and Date of Death.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 25 Oct 2021 21:51
by tatewise
Welcome to the FHUG Lynne.
The Help for the
Property Box says:
"The
Property Box is the primary window for
data entry and for
viewing details of stored records."
It would simply not be possible to include the often dozen or more facts for every person in the Focus Window.
What extra information would you need to be displayed that is not readily available in the Property Box alongside?
You can customize the Main tab as shown earlier, or select the Facts tab that stays open as each Focus Person is chosen.
Check out the Help for
The Focus Window that explains it is more a family relationships view from various perspectives.
It also is the only dialogue where 'hints' are presented.
However, many users ignore the Focus Window as something of a sales gimmick.
They prefer to work either from the Records Window or from a Diagram Window that shows more family relationships and whatever facts you prefer to include. A Diagram also allows new Individuals to be added directly to existing families.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 12:50
by davidf
I tend to think of the focus window as a sort of "context window" - if I want to focus on an individual (i.e. see detail) I go to that individual's property box.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 13:17
by Jane
It's also worth remembering that you can work on the diagram window. It gives you the power to show as much information as you want in every box and still maintain and work in the property box.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 13:27
by tatewise
Yes, I said that at the end of my last reply.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 13:55
by LornaCraig
In case the OP is not aware of it, it may be worth pointing out that if you leave the Property Box open on the Facts tab then when you click on any individual in the Focus window the Property box remains on that tab for the new individual. So you don't have to "dig for it in the Facts tab in the Properties window" because that tab is already open. No digging is involved. Everything is "visible in one screen" (the facts tab) without the need to customise the Main tab.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 14:06
by tatewise
Yes, I also said that in the middle of my reply to Lynne.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 16:45
by woodr2011
lynnej wrote: ↑25 Oct 2021 21:22
I too am evaluating FH Version 7 and I have to agree that the there does seem to be information missing from the Focus window. There really doesn't seem much in there to 'focus' on.
All the documentation states that the Property window is for the purpose of data entry. Yet to see useful information you have to have be in that Property window and open at the Facts tab when some of that key material should perhaps be in the Focus window instead of limiting it to Date of Birth and Date of Death.
That is the essence of my point. It becomes rather tedious to flip one's attention back and forth between those two windows in order to focus (no pun intended) one's attention upon the genealogical task at hand. The two windows should be consolidated into one cumulative workspace. This screenshot of TMG shows what I consider to be a functional example of what a genealogy program should look like with everything accessible for editing.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 16:54
by ColeValleyGirl
I'm not convinced that's any better than this.... which is how I have my workspace set up.
- Screenshot 2021-10-26 175248.jpg (413.1 KiB) Viewed 2329 times
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:20
by woodr2011
tatewise wrote: ↑25 Oct 2021 17:40
Maybe you misunderstand.
Following my customization suggestion, the Birth, Baptism, Death & Burial details would all be visible on
one screen.
The Focus Window and Property Box are usually shown together side by side on the same screen.
The screenshot below shows Focus Window and Property Box on one screen with Birth, Baptism, Death & Burial info.
Is that effectively what you are asking for? If not, then what is missing?
Not only does that Property Box appear there but also in conjunction with many other screen displays, so the details are visible in many more scenarios than if only added to the Focus Window.
Your comment about "having
everything visible in one screen" is an impossibility.
One screen can only display a subset of the details from your Project and not
everything.
It is a matter of deciding what details you want on one screen.
As with most software products they have pros and cons and are naturally different.
If they were not different there would be little point in changing from product to product.
PropertyBoxCustomMainTab.png
I should have written "having everything accessible from a single screen," rather than "visible." To my mind, it seems rather redundant to have certain information about an individual visible and editable on Focus while having all of it visible but not fully accessible on Properties. I can see children of a couple on Properties for example, but I have to go back over to Focus to view to select and edit them effectively back in Properties. I am learning that there are ways to navigate the Properties screen as the primary editing and viewing screen, although it is a bit cumbersome.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:32
by tatewise
From the Property Box Main tab click the blue triangle button to the right of a child or spouse to open their Property Box.
The blue up arrow at the top navigates to the parents. There is no need to return to the Focus Window.
You can also add children by using the Add Child link, and add spouses via the blank tab Add Spouse/Partner link.
BTW: The large white left/right arrows at the top navigate through recently visited Property Boxes.
As I said earlier, the Property Box is the data entry and viewing dialogue from most windows not just the Focus Window.
In early FH versions, the Focus Window did not exist and the Property Box provided all the navigation as it still does.
As two of us have said, you can also use a Diagram to provide the navigation in conjunction with the Property Box.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:36
by ColeValleyGirl
Quick query: do you have your property box docked when you're in the focus window (as shown in my screenshot), so that it's effectively part of the Focus window? I use the Focus window for navigation around the family, and to add new relatives; and the Property box to edit everything about the individual that has the focus.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:48
by woodr2011
tatewise wrote: ↑26 Oct 2021 17:32
From the Property Box
Main tab click the blue triangle button to the right of a child or spouse to open their Property Box.
The blue up arrow at the top navigates to the parents. There is no need to return to the Focus Window.
You can also add children by using the Add Child link, and add spouses via the blank tab Add Spouse/Partner link.
BTW: The large white left/right arrows at the top navigate through recently visited Property Boxes.
As I said earlier, the Property Box is the data entry and viewing dialogue from most windows not just the Focus Window.
In early FH versions, the Focus Window did not exist and the Property Box provided all the navigation as it still does.
As two of us have said, you can also use a Diagram to provide the navigation in conjunction with the Property Box.
That is what I am doing currently, yes. The Diagram function is entirely new to me, so I will need some basic pointers on that from a procedural standpoint.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:49
by woodr2011
ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑26 Oct 2021 17:36
Quick query: do you have your property box docked when you're in the focus window (as shown in my screenshot), so that it's effectively part of the Focus window? I use the Focus window for navigation around the family, and to add new relatives; and the Property box to edit everything about the individual that has the focus.
Hi Helen - Yes, that is one method with which I am experimenting. TY!
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 26 Oct 2021 17:59
by tatewise
Use the Charts button in the main toolbar and select All Relatives...
The Root Person will automatically be the person in Focus, but any Individual or Couple can be chosen.
Click OK to open the Diagram Chart that shows the family relationships with some facts for each person.
The Diagram Chart can be customised to display more or fewer facts per person.
Double-click any box and their Property Box is opened, which can float or be docked against the Diagram.
Drag the cursor from any box: down to add a child, left/right to add a spouse, up to add a parent.
This dynamic Diagram method of working is a significant selling point for FH.
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 27 Oct 2021 10:38
by tatewise
A feature we have not yet mentioned is
Timeline Facts, which have similarities with the TMG screenshot posted yesterday.
Timeline Facts allow a subset of facts for a subset of close relatives to be included among the facts on the Facts tab as highlighted in the screenshot below. The Show Timeline Facts button, underlined in orange, enables their display.
The full details of each such fact are shown in the pane below the Fact list and can be edited just like any other fact.
Notice that the parents, siblings, spouses, children & grandchildren and various facts can be included via the Tools > Preferences > General > Select Timeline Facts dialogue that is shown below.
- FactsTabTimelineFacts.png (108.2 KiB) Viewed 2226 times
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- SelectTimelineFacts.png (48.34 KiB) Viewed 2226 times
Re: Contents of Focus Window
Posted: 27 Oct 2021 10:58
by davidf
tatewise wrote: ↑27 Oct 2021 10:38
Timeline Facts allow a subset of facts for a subset of close relatives to be included among the facts on the Facts tab as highlighted in the screenshot below. The Show Timeline Facts button, underlined in orange, enables their display.
An added benefit of Timeline Facts is that if you double click on a timeline fact the property box will change to reflect the properties of that person.
So in the above screen shot, double clicking on the "Birth of granddaughter Elizabeth" timeline fact will take you to Elizabeth's property box. Clicking on the white back arrow will then take you back.
I find I have very little use for the Focus Window. I tend to use Diagram window(s) for the line(s) that I am researching with the property box giving me any edit access required.