Diagram to follow entry of new individuals

JonAxtell · Post by **JonAxtell** » 18 Jul 2007 10:39

When entering new individuals through the indvidiual property window it would be nice if the diagram repositioned itself so that the newly entered person is always visible. Especially useful when entering large families and the children disappear off the side of the screen. This feature would be nice to have via a option button.

Currently when entering people the diagram updates even when the person is off-screen. All the diagram does is try and keep the root individual in the centre of the screen at all times.

Another method of implementing it would be to allow the diagram's root individual to updated to be the newly entered person.

ID:2410

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 18 Jul 2007 12:15

I agree. I spend a lot of time scrolling the diagrams about when I'm working on the tree (inevitably in a small-ish window, as I'm working from a contact email or census search or something on the other half of the screen). It would also be nice if the selection on the diagram could follow the selection in the properties window, and (while we're on the subject) if I click an expansion button, it's irritating that it sometimes moves. And another thing (I could get carried away here) if I switch from one-box-per-marriage to spouses-in-own-box (which I do a lot to follow an in-law line) or back (because you can see more on the screen), it would be nice if the selected individual stayed in the same place.

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 18 Jul 2007 12:34

I am not sure of this will help, if you are on the records window you can select Edit/Find in Diagram (or hit CTRL-H) to jump to the currently selected person in an existing diagram.

So from the properties dialogue, hitting to goto button followed by CTRL-H will jump the diagram to the person currently in the 'top' of the property dialogue.

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 18 Jul 2007 12:45

I've only ever got the message 'Find in diagram does nothing...' so never use it. Now you've explained that I have to find the individual in the report window and then do find in diagram I understand what it's for, but that's much too clumsy. What we were both (I think) asking for is for the diagram you're looking at to try to keep the person you're working on in view as you go along.

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 18 Jul 2007 13:07

I presume this is because you add people in the dialogue rather than via the diagram?

It's not a problem to add to the wish list, but I suspect I haven't noticed it as I always 'drag add' to the diagram so stay centred that way.

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 18 Jul 2007 13:46

I often drag-add, but not always, but I guess you're right that's what Jon meant in the first place... I was just rudely chipping in with my two-penneth to extend the topic to when changing the selection from the properties (whether a new record or not).

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 18 Jul 2007 15:46

I wonder if the 'best' solution might be a new option on 'pinning' at the moment when you navigate in the dialogue pinning is turned off, if instead it moved to the correct place on the diagram how would that work?

ChrisBowyer · Post by **ChrisBowyer** » 18 Jul 2007 15:56

Yeah... I'd love that... but re-reading Jon's original request, it was primarily about the diagram position rather than selection... but I do notice the diagram seems to move to show a selected individual, so if that's always the case it should cover it.

JonAxtell · Post by **JonAxtell** » 18 Jul 2007 22:57

Firstly, yes I add with the property dialog window. I find adding by dragging off the selected person extremely awkward as it requires me to move my hand from the keyboard to the mouse and back again. I'm already doing that too much through FH's lack of good keyboard support. One thing that many UI design guidelines say is 'do not insist that a user switch their hand between mouse and keyboard unless absolutly necessary'.

Secondly, the Ctrl-H method to find in the diagram is awkward, cluddgy and clumsy. A really bad implementation of a find. Why can't it be intelligent and display the select individual dialog and if the person is on the diagram move to them. Additionally the prompt that appears when you do select Ctrl-H in the diagram is one of the best example of how NOT to tell a user to do something. A classic UI design blooper. Rant over.

Finally, yes a pinning mode of the current selection is something along the lines that I'm thinking. Though to be consistent with many other Windows programs, chained or linked would be a better term as pinning is usually used to indicate a window is 'pinned' to the display. Link is better because the two windows, diagram and property, are linked together rather than pinned which also implies lack of movement.

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 02 Aug 2007 12:34

http://www.fhug.org.uk/wishlist/wldispl ... lwlref=328

Family Historian User Group