* [Wish List Request 553] Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

For Wish List Requests that have either (a) been progressed to the Wish List; or (b) been classified as duplicates, or as redundant because the requirement is already satisfied within FH and/or plugins; or (c) closed because it wasn't possible to arrive at a clear specification of the request within 15 months of it being raised.
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LornaCraig
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[Wish List Request 553] Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

It does seem a pity that the Format option for selected boxes only applies to the box style and the display of picture or silhouette. There are occasions when it would be useful to be able to override the text in a box quickly without the need to set a flag and/or edit the text scheme. (Some ways of achieving this are described by Mike in this topic Printing with silhouettes for living or private individuals (14194) but seem unnecessarily cumbersome)

Would an option to Format the text in selected boxes be possible? Is this one for the Wish List?
Lorna
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by tatewise »

It would be better if the Diagram > Options > Boxes tab Box Features dialogue, and the Diagram > Format dialogue were consistently merged and perhaps some Text controls added.
i.e. Icon settings, and Picture settings, and Prevent Linking as Duplicate option should appear in both Box Features and Format dialogues.

Also the Edit Text Scheme setting of Initial Font and <Font change> Items needs better integration with the Box Features & Format dialogue for Text Colour, etc.
Currently, the Initial Font must (allow override) for that Text Colour to take effect, and it only applies down to the first <Font change> Item.
The Box Features & Format dialogues need a new feature to override <Font change> Items too.

However, the redacting of text can be achieved quite flexibly with the current features.

Method 1
This works for any automatic condition &/or manual setting.
Remove any <Font change> Items from the Text Scheme so that all text is governed by the Initial Font with (allow override) and also the Box Features & Format setting for Text Colour.
Use the Boxes tab Conditional Expressions to set Box Features such that Box Fill and Text Colour both choose the same colour so that the text vanishes.
The Format dialogue will similarly allow manual setting in the same way.

Method 2
This only works for Individual Record Flag automatic conditions.
Keep the <Font change> Items in the Text Scheme but add extra <Font change> Items as follows.
The <Font change> colour must be the same as the Box Fill and Text Colour as in Method 1, and the Record Flag Condition must be set. Clone copies for each Record Flag Condition.
Use the Boxes tab Conditional Expressions for those Record Flags similar to Method 1.
Note that the Boxes tab Sex condition can be above those Conditional Expressions to retain the Names in redacted boxes if desired.

If Box Features had Picture settings similar to the Format dialogue then they could be conditionally set to inhibit the Picture or show a Silhouette at the same time as redacting the text.

BTW: The Record Flag Condition associated with <picture marker> Items should be fixed so it works.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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LornaCraig
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

Yes, those techniques are effective for redacting text and have the advantage of working for multiple individuals, whenever the required condition or flag applies.

However sometimes it would be handy to be able to redact or replace part or all of the text for just one or two individuals selected in a diagram, on a one-off basis. For example I might want to hide the name but keep the date of birth and add 'Child given up for adoption'.

Currently the simplest technique for a one-off like this is to insert a text box into the diagram with the same background and font colours as the individual's box, and overlay the text box on the individual's box. However even this is fiddly, because I use custom colours in diagrams and there is a long-standing unresolved issue with saving custom colours. As described in All Custom Colours to use a single savable palette (6183) and in the Wish List item Ref 519 Custom colour palette - saving options etc. there are two separate custom colour palettes, only one of which can be saved for future use. The custom colours for diagram boxes and text cannot be saved beyond the current session so have to be recreated if they are needed again. So getting the box and font colour right in the inserted text box is annoyingly slow. (The same problem affects your technique of setting the text colour to match the box fill colour so that the text disappears.)

Overall it would be much more user friendly if there were a simple option to override (not just redact, but replace) the text in a selected diagram box whilst retaining the existing font and box colour.

I agree that it would be better if the Diagram > Options > Boxes tab Box Features dialogue and the Diagram > Format dialogue were consistently merged. I also agree the Record Flag Condition associated with <picture marker> Items should be fixed.
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tatewise
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by tatewise »

I think I understand completely what you are requesting, and also the issue with colours.

If I understand correctly you want the Diagram > Format dialogue for a Tree Box be merged with that for a Text Box with tabs for Text, Line & Fill, Shape & Shadow, Picture & Icons, Data, etc.

Then for a Tree Box the Text tab would be initialised with the Box Text that could be edited as necessary, and the other tabs would also be initialised to their current settings.

I notice that currently that is a major difference between the Format dialogue for Tree Box and Text Box.
The former does NOT default any of the settings, whereas the latter does reflect the current settings.

However, to fully handle a Tree Box, which allows different Text to have different style (font, size, colour), the Format dialogue would need to support those different styles within one Text tab.

The concept is somewhat similar to Fact Sentence Templates where Tools > Fact Types defines default settings, but any specific Fact Sentence can be overridden independently, but only has to deal with plain text.

I am contemplating how many of the above concepts could be adopted by the Box Features dialogue.
Certainly the Line & Fill, Shape & Shadow, and Picture & Icons tabs could be identical.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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LornaCraig
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

Yes Mike, what you describe would be ideal. Whether it is possible may be another matter....
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by tatewise »

I've created Wish List Ref 553 Better Diagram Box Format Options that I hope you approve.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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LornaCraig
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

Thanks Mike, I have added my vote.

My only slight misgiving is that the request, as presented, makes it look as if its primary purpose is to tidy up some inconsistencies between the Diagram > Options > Boxes tab Box Features dialogue, and the Diagram > Format dialogue. It looks almost incidental that if a Text & Data tab were added this would "allow the text in any Family Tree Box to be selectively overridden".

In fact my main requirement is to allow the text to be selectively overridden.
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by tatewise »

I have highlighted the need to override text (and picture) in Family Tree Boxes.

The WEB LINK refers back to his thread.

You can also add a comment to emphasise your particular interest.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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LornaCraig
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

Thanks.
BTW in the extra sentence you have added it is not quite right to say that the existing options lack "the ability to selectively override any Family Tree Box text &/or picture" because it is currently possible to override the picture display. The Override Box Features dialog allows the picture to be removed, the preferred picture number to be changed, or a silhouette displayed instead. What is missing is an Override Text option.
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by tatewise »

Sorry, I meant to say "Text &/or Icons" which has been amended, and I've added a cross-ref to Wish List Ref 519 to integrate and save the colour palette.
Mike Tate ~ researching the Tate and Scott family history ~ tatewise ancestry
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LornaCraig
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Re: Better Diagram Text & Picture Options

Post by LornaCraig »

Many thanks.
Lorna
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