Family Historian User Group

What I am looking for may be a feature of FH 7.0.8 but if it is, I have been unable to find it. I would like to apply some updated diagram box configurations to older charts. I know I can create and save Custom Diagram Types, but when applying the custom type to older charts the entire chart is recreated and the overall chart configuration is lost. This can be especially problematic when multiple trees are part of the chart. I also know I can add Conditions to the older charts' Boxes through Diagram Options, but this can be time consuming. And I am aware that I can set the more elaborate Box configurations as defaults but, again, this would require changes to charts when the conditions weren't desired.

I was hoping to find something similar to Text Schemes but for diagrams. The nearest feature is Presets in the Box tab, but it appears to be limited to the nine presets. If it were possible to create and save custom presets (something like the DNA Flag preset), I think that would solve my problem, but I cannot find a way to do so. Any guidance will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,
Joel

Joel, your analysis is correct. There is no mechanism for customising Saved Charts with the Options from a Diagram Type.
The only feature that comes close is, as you say, choosing a different Text Scheme.
The best you can do is copy & paste the Boxes tab Condition Expressions one by one.

Thank you, Mike. Having the ability to create custom diagram presets would certainly be helpful to everyone. Is there a way to request this feature be added to later versions?

Overnight, I thought I'd discovered a solution to your dilemma.

My idea was to use the Diagram > Save/Restore Options > Save Current Diagram Options command for which the Help says: "Saves the current diagram options for use with future diagrams", i.e. It sets the Diagram Defaults.
The Diagram > Options... tabs have a Set as defaults... link that performs the same function.

Then I hoped that the Restore Defaults button on each Diagram > Options... tab would apply those saved defaults.
Unfortunately, I was mistaken, and those Restore Defaults buttons apply the original Installation Defaults similar to the Diagram > Save/Restore Options > Restore Installation Defaults... command.

So it seems that the Save Current Diagram Options defaults are only applied to new diagrams!

To solve your posted dilemma needs a Diagram > Save/Restore Options > Load Current Diagram Options command and/or a Load Saved Options button on each Diagram > Options... tab. That would set the displayed diagram's options to the currently saved diagram options.

You can suggest such a change to CP via their http://www.calico-pie.com/osticket/open.php support ticket system.
You could also mention that the Boxes tab strangely does not even have a Restore Defaults button!
(There is the Presets button but it is not explained which preset is the Installation Default.)

Thanks, again, Mike. You have gone through the same exercise that I did and came to the same conclusion. I don't understand coding, but it would seem that a "simple" solution would be to have the ability to create custom Diagram Box Presets. After, all if the DNA Flag Preset can change a existing chart without having to rebuild it, then other, similarly complex, Box Presets should be possible too -- again, somewhat similar to creating custom Diagram Text Schemes. To me, having the workflow of Diagram Text Schemes and Diagram Box Presets be the same would make sense. I'll follow up with FH Support Center and will report back with any significant response.

I partly agree, but there are many more settings on the other Diagram > Options tabs that a user might want to migrate from a Diagram Type or Saved Chart to another Diagram Type or Saved Chart, so a button to do that on each tab is necessary.

That's a good point. Interestingly, I sent a request to SC and received a response pretty quickly:
"It is not possible to do this currently, you could request the User group to add this to the wish list for future consideration." When I mentioned that it appeared they were suggesting that feature requests for futurre FH updates be made through FHUG rather than directly to FH Support, they responded:
"When deciding what functions to build in, our developers like to see if a particular suggestion is widely requested. Your request has not been made previously by anyone, as this is a feature enhancement and not a bug, the wish list is a good way for you to promote this as a feature for consideration for a future version."
I was a little mystified by this approach but I guess it's a feature that is more complicated to add than a few lines of code. In the meantime I'll hope that others would find a benefit to this feature and make a similar request.
Thanks again for all your help and all your efforts through FHUG.

jsnyder wrote: ↑

16 Nov 2021 16:56

In the meantime I'll hope that others would find a benefit to this feature and make a similar request.

Why not raise it as a Wish List item (via New Wish List Requests , which is the way to get it onto the Wish List so that people can vote on it), rather than just hoping somebody makes a similar request? A well thought though feature request makes it easier for people to indicate their support by voting than having to draft a feature request themself. CP do take the Wish List into account, although see Calico Pie  - Wish List Policy (6175) for more on this.

Check existing Wish List requests for Diagrams first, to be sure that a similar reequest hasn't already been raised.

As an aside, the Wish List has been in place since at least 2006, and worked well as mechanism for showing CP how popular or otherwise new features would be.

I suggested asking CP first as it could be considered a significant deficiency that prevents users from working efficiently, and CP might have decided to implement the feature, especially as we don't know if other users have asked for a similar feature.

Given the CP response, then the FHUG Wish List is the next step as Helen advises.

Thank you, Helen and Mike. I will pursue the Wish List suggestion. I really appreciate your feedback.

Sounds like this is also why I have now got to recreate my diagram boxes/icons/flags for each chart type and save as new chart.
Never had to do this on v6?
The new default diagram options, despite being saved, never appear to be used as defaults - so what is their point?

The original question in this topic was about applying new diagram options to an existing saved chart. But it sounds as if your problem is different.

The new default diagram options, despite being saved, never appear to be used as defaults - so what is their point?

Installing V7 might have reset the standard diagram types but I am not sure why you are finding that when you start again your custom settings are not used as the default. Provided that you have ticked the Remember Options box on each of the diagram options tabs before clicking OK your new set of options will be used as the default when creating new diagrams of the same type (e.g. All Relatives, Ancestors, Descendants). However it is also recommended, as an added precaution, that for each type of diagram you should use Diagram>Save Diagram As> Custom Diagram Type. This ensures that you still have your custom types if for any reason the standard diagrams are reset to their installation settings.