Family Historian User Group

Looking for some help with the display of Charts (in this case Descendants) but it happens with all 4 main Chart types.

My Root person is getting displayed with a grey fill (although it does not 100% fill the box). It is in the same colour as the drop shadow, and it makes the text almost unreadable - particularly at small sizes.


Restore Diagram Defaults makes no difference.

Changing the Box Format for that box to "No Fill" makes no difference, although changing the Box Format to White (or Green) fill does - and I get 100% fill.


But of course that does not change the default, so the next time I open a Chart I get the same problem.

I assume that at some stage I've managed to change some setting, but I've no idea what! Can someone help please? Thanks

The shadow is created by having a dark grey box behind, and slightly offset from, the main box. That's why when the box condition is set to No Fill you see the entire shadow showing through. As you have found, the box needs to be set to be filled with your chosen colour. When you changed that option did you have Remember Options ticked at the bottom left of the Boxes tab? The setting should then be preserved when you next open a new diagram.

If you have the problem in a saved Chart , remember to save the change to the chart before you close it.

As ever, really fast and even better, accurate support. Many thanks.

I imagine by changing box format you right-clicked the box and chose the Format option.

However, the root (sic) problem is that the Box Features for the Root box type have been upset.
Using Restore Defaults does not affect the Boxes tab condition settings and anyway only works tab by tab.
The nearest to a default for the Boxes tab is the Presets > Classic (Box Types) option.

So use Diagram > Options > Boxes tab, where there should be a Box Type condition.
If not, then use << Add Condition > Box Type.
Below there will be a tab for each Box Type such as Root, Ancestor, Descendant, etc...
Click on each tab in turn and use Edit Features... to adjust what you prefer.
Usually, the Root box has Box Fill white, Ancestor boxes, Box Fill green and so on.
Your screenshot suggests you have added Box Shadow to each type.

See Create Custom Diagram Box Presets (20001) that is discussing a related topic.

Thanks,

I've printed that note out and will check tonight.

Much appreciated

Colin

Mike, I'm fairly sure Colin already knows all that.

In my reply I said he needed to tick Remember Options at the bottom left of the Boxes tab. His response suggests that this solved the problem. If he had only right-clicked and chosen the Format option he would not have been looking at the Boxes tab.

Why prolong the discussion when the problem has been solved?

It is not entirely clear that he ever investigated the Boxes tab as he does not mention it anywhere.
The Remember Options tick box is on every tab so no need to visit the Boxes tab.

Also if it really was a Saved Chart then it would save the single box Format anyway.

Something appears to have upset the Boxes Condition settings initially and his response didn't suggest they were changed.

Maybe Colin does know all that, but the thread may be read by others and I thought mentioning the Boxes tab Box Type settings would be useful to complete the picture.

Many thanks to both Mike & Lorna for the replies

Lorna's response certainly solved the initial problem. Mike's reply then enabled me to educate myself and to go further and investigate the presets properly. I'm not sure I had ever seriously noticed or investigated them.

By printing Mike's reply (an important step I believe - to make sure I followed the detailed instructions exactly) I have just given myself a tutorial on these boxes and the Box Type presets.

So both replies in this case were beneficial, and I feel more confident that I have a (very basic) understanding of that section of diagrams/charts now. It Probably will not stop me coming up with another beginners question soon however!

Thanks again, help is much appreciated.

Colin