* Customised tabs on Property Box
- annettelindahutton
- Silver
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 19:06
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
I spent ages setting up a custom tab for Military Events etc on my laptop version of Family Historian. The functionality is very useful, I can enter most things from WW1 Service and Pension records at one go now. I have attached an image if other people are interested.?
I keep a backup copy of my family tree on my husband's desk top computer which I often use when working at home and he's not around as it has two screens (he's a jammy geek!) and I was wondering if there was any way of exporting the customisation I have done on my laptop to the desk top to save me from loads of work recreating it.
Thanks
Linda
ID:3806
I keep a backup copy of my family tree on my husband's desk top computer which I often use when working at home and he's not around as it has two screens (he's a jammy geek!) and I was wondering if there was any way of exporting the customisation I have done on my laptop to the desk top to save me from loads of work recreating it.
Thanks
Linda
ID:3806
- Jane
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8514
- Joined: 01 Nov 2002 15:00
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Somerset, England
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
To copy your property box to the other computer you can simply copy the files in
C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianProperty Box
(see http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id ... e_settings for other versions of windows)
to your other computer.
C:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianProperty Box
(see http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id ... e_settings for other versions of windows)
to your other computer.
- annettelindahutton
- Silver
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 19:06
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hi Jane
Thanks for that, it worked great.
Linda
Thanks for that, it worked great.
Linda
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hi
That's kewl - I knew I should have read the tutorial!
Can you make that file available, it's a really neat idea.[cool]
That's kewl - I knew I should have read the tutorial!
Can you make that file available, it's a really neat idea.[cool]
Customised tabs on Property Box
That's very impressive Linda - must have taken some time to do.
Any chance of posting the file here please?
[grin]
Mark
Any chance of posting the file here please?
[grin]
Mark
- annettelindahutton
- Silver
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 19:06
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
Thanks for your kind comments.
I have zipped up the file that is needed and posted it in Downloads > Fact Sets > Property Box customisation - Military & Census.
Enjoy.
Linda
I have zipped up the file that is needed and posted it in Downloads > Fact Sets > Property Box customisation - Military & Census.
Enjoy.
Linda
- annettelindahutton
- Silver
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 19:06
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
A quick postscript
I had previously uploaded the Military Fact Set posted on this User Group. I guess anyone wanting to use my tab will have to download that too or it just won't work!
Linda
I had previously uploaded the Military Fact Set posted on this User Group. I guess anyone wanting to use my tab will have to download that too or it just won't work!
Linda
Customised tabs on Property Box
IMPORTANT NOTE
One thing to note about using the property box files is that if you have any customisations already implemented, downloading the new files will overwrite any changes already made. You will lose any changes and there are no backups.
How to get round the lack of a Property box customisation import/export feature in FH.
NOTE: Make a backup of your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file before you do any of the following. Making any changes to the file could lead to FH crashing. These instructions are provided in the hope that they are useful, but I take no responsibility for any data loss.
If you want to use Annette's customisations you need to extract just the PB-INDI.fhdata file and save it somewhere (not in the PropertyBox folder). Then open your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file and the new file in Notepad and copy the sections labelled [C-1] and [C-2] from the new file into your current PB-INDI file at the end. If you have any customisations already in place then you will need to amend the C-1 and C-2 to be sequential with the last C-x section in your current file. Then amend the start of the file by adding the CustomPageN= lines from the new file to the the beginning of the current file (changing the numbers if necessary for any existing customisations). Finally update the Custom Page Count= line to match the total number of customisations you now have.
One thing to note about using the property box files is that if you have any customisations already implemented, downloading the new files will overwrite any changes already made. You will lose any changes and there are no backups.
How to get round the lack of a Property box customisation import/export feature in FH.
NOTE: Make a backup of your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file before you do any of the following. Making any changes to the file could lead to FH crashing. These instructions are provided in the hope that they are useful, but I take no responsibility for any data loss.
If you want to use Annette's customisations you need to extract just the PB-INDI.fhdata file and save it somewhere (not in the PropertyBox folder). Then open your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file and the new file in Notepad and copy the sections labelled [C-1] and [C-2] from the new file into your current PB-INDI file at the end. If you have any customisations already in place then you will need to amend the C-1 and C-2 to be sequential with the last C-x section in your current file. Then amend the start of the file by adding the CustomPageN= lines from the new file to the the beginning of the current file (changing the numbers if necessary for any existing customisations). Finally update the Custom Page Count= line to match the total number of customisations you now have.
- annettelindahutton
- Silver
- Posts: 9
- Joined: 27 Oct 2008 19:06
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Barnsley, South Yorkshire
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hi Jon
Thanks for the explanation of how the customisation works. I have had a look at the PB-INDI file myself now and your instructions are easy to follow. You can also see where I have made amendments to the default front tab.
My husband was very interested in the way this discussion is going as he has always 'written off' my hobby as a bit low tech.
Thanks for increasing my geek status!
Linda
Thanks for the explanation of how the customisation works. I have had a look at the PB-INDI file myself now and your instructions are easy to follow. You can also see where I have made amendments to the default front tab.
My husband was very interested in the way this discussion is going as he has always 'written off' my hobby as a bit low tech.
Thanks for increasing my geek status!
Linda
Customised tabs on Property Box
Thanks Linda, downloaded and edited into my existing custom property box file.
There's one or two things I'll add/change (attestation for instance) but it will save a lot of work, because getting those boxes aligned etc. can be tricky.
Well done again.
Mark
There's one or two things I'll add/change (attestation for instance) but it will save a lot of work, because getting those boxes aligned etc. can be tricky.
Well done again.
Mark
-
- Diamond
- Posts: 66
- Joined: 01 Sep 2006 21:27
- Family Historian: V6.1
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hi Linda,
I have tried to find your Military Fact Set upload but have failed.
Can you point me in the right direction?
Mike
I have tried to find your Military Fact Set upload but have failed.
Can you point me in the right direction?
Mike
Customised tabs on Property Box
If you go to the download page, http://www.fhug.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.cg ... =downloads, there is a table at the bottom that lists the most recent uploads, and the very first one is Property Box customisation - Military & Census, http://www.fhug.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.cg ... tsets&id=8
Customised tabs on Property Box
I believe Mike is asking about the Fact Sets download mentioned rather than the Property Dialogue Customisation which was mentioned by Linda in the post just before Jon's in this thread.
- Jane
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8514
- Joined: 01 Nov 2002 15:00
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Somerset, England
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
The fact set is
http://www.fhug.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.cg ... tsets&id=3
If you need to see all the options, simply click on Downloads and use the search option to search for 'Military'
http://www.fhug.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.cg ... tsets&id=3
If you need to see all the options, simply click on Downloads and use the search option to search for 'Military'
-
- Diamond
- Posts: 66
- Joined: 01 Sep 2006 21:27
- Family Historian: V6.1
Customised tabs on Property Box
Thanks guys I now have it.
Mike
Mike
Customised tabs on Property Box
Thanks
Now have both downloads
Rod
Now have both downloads
Rod
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hi
I have tried to follow your instructions about copying the data into the property box file but then it ask me to save it will not save what am I doing wrong
Susan [frown]
I have tried to follow your instructions about copying the data into the property box file but then it ask me to save it will not save what am I doing wrong
Susan [frown]
- Jane
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8514
- Joined: 01 Nov 2002 15:00
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Somerset, England
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
Make sure you are running the editing program as an administrator.susanmay said:
copying the data into the property box file but then it ask me to save it will not save what am I doing wrong
Customised tabs on Property Box
I am running as administrator but it keeps saying that it is unable to save the file.
Susan
Susan
Jane said:
susanmay said:
copying the data into the property box file but then it ask me to save it will not save what am I doing wrong
Make sure you are running the editing program as an administrator.
Customised tabs on Property Box
Close down FH when you update the property box files. This is because FH is 'locking' the file for its exclusive use and so changes to the file aren't allowed by Windows when the file is open by an application.
Customised tabs on Property Box
hello, am new to FH and still getting used to program, but at present I like it more than others I've used.
However my query is I liked the look of the property box add on Military / census and I downloaded the zip file and uploaded it to the All Users App data file as suggested, but when I run the program I can't find the data window as shown in the forum? Any ideas a sto where I'm going wrong?
thanks John
However my query is I liked the look of the property box add on Military / census and I downloaded the zip file and uploaded it to the All Users App data file as suggested, but when I run the program I can't find the data window as shown in the forum? Any ideas a sto where I'm going wrong?
thanks John
- Jane
- Site Admin
- Posts: 8514
- Joined: 01 Nov 2002 15:00
- Family Historian: V7
- Location: Somerset, England
- Contact:
Customised tabs on Property Box
Did you make sure you had FH closed when you copied over the file? Make sure you make a safe copy of the original file before you copy in the new one.
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hello, not certain what you mean. i unzipped the file to the c drive as stated in the earlier replies, however my FH program is not on the c drive, I've installed it on another drive in the PC, so presumably I have to move the unzipped files to a folder on there? Also do I just copy all the unzipped files or do I have to do what was mentioned re the PB-INDI file, because if so I don't understand that part?
Hope I've made sense
John
Hope I've made sense
John
Customised tabs on Property Box
First off, print this message as it is long and you will need to refer to it as you go through the task.
Now continue.
If you've installed FH in a different drive then just change the drive letter, the rest of the folder names will stay the same. So if you installed to drive D, the folder where the files exist will be D:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianProperty Box when running Vista. See the knowledge base item 'how to move settings' for details in XP (http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id ... e_settings).
Re-iterating the instructions to amend the PB-INDI file but in more detail.
NOTE: Make a backup of your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file before you do any of the following. Making any changes to the file could lead to FH crashing. These instructions are provided in the hope that they are useful, but I take no responsibility for any data loss.
Make a copy of the file by selecting the file PB-INDI.fhdata file in Explorer and then selecting Edit->Copy, and then Edit->Paste. The form x->y means select menu x and then select menu item y on the menu that appears. If you can't see the Documents and SettingAll Users folders (or the equivalent in Vista) then change the setting in Explorer that allows you to view hidden folders either by clicking on the folder and accepting the warning or selecting Tools->Folder Options... and selecting the View tab and enabling the option 'Show hidden files and folders'.
Download the .zip file containing the customisations into a temporary location. Either make a new folder such as C:TMP or download it on to the desktop.
Open the .zip file by double clicking on it and select the PB-INDI.fhdata file and copy it to the temporary folder so that it is no longer inside the .zip file.
Now run Notepad (under All-Programs->Accessories in the start menu or use Run in the start menu and type in 'notepad' less the quotes and select OK) and select File->Open and open the PB-INDI.fhdata file in the temporary location you just copied it to.
Now run Notepad again for a 2nd time and select File->Open and browse to the folder where your original PB-INDI.fhdata exists and open the file.
You'll now have two instances of Notepad running.
In the new file copy the sections labelled [C-1] and [C-2] into your original PB-INDI file at the end of it.
To do this position the cursor at the start of the line [C-1] and then whilst holding down the shift key re-position the cursor at the end of the [C-2] section. In other words, at the end of the line prior to [S-1]. Now select Edit->Copy.
Now switch to the other instance of Notepad containing your original file and position the cursor at the end of the file and select Edit->Paste.
If you have any customisations already in place then you will need to amend the C-1 and C-2 in the text you just pasted into your original file to be sequential with the last C-x section in your original file. If you have not done any customisations you won't have any [C-?] sections. If you've done one customisation then you'll have a [C-1] section and you'll need to change the C-1 and C-2 in the new text to be C-2 and C-3 respectively after pasting.
Now amend the start of the file by copying the CustomPageN= lines from the new file to the the beginning of the original file changing the numbers if necessary so that they match the C-? bits in the text you've just pasted. You'll then have a list of CustomPageN= lines for each C-? section.
Finally update the Custom Page Count= line to match the total number of customisations you now have. If you've not done any customisations, the line would read Custom Page Count=2
You can now save the original file into which you pasted the text by selecting File->Save and then close Notepad with File->Exit. If you get any errors at this stage, make sure you don't have FH running. With the file you downloaded just close Notepad, you should not get any prompt to save unsaved work when closing this file.
In the long term I hope that because customisations are something that are going to be shared (or transferred between a person's computers) regularly that FH v4.0.3 gets a feature to allow the import and export of customisations (as well as all other settings) so that this complicated list of instructions is no longer needed. Even for an experienced computer user, this is not something they will want to do every time they wish to use a customisation.
FH is seemingly designed for the inexperienced computer user and talk of hidden folders, registry settings, updating settings manually, etc. is not something that such users appreciate. FH should do all this work for them.
Hope This Helps (HTH)
Jon
Now continue.
If you've installed FH in a different drive then just change the drive letter, the rest of the folder names will stay the same. So if you installed to drive D, the folder where the files exist will be D:ProgramDataCalico PieFamily HistorianProperty Box when running Vista. See the knowledge base item 'how to move settings' for details in XP (http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id ... e_settings).
Re-iterating the instructions to amend the PB-INDI file but in more detail.
NOTE: Make a backup of your existing PB-INDI.fhdata file before you do any of the following. Making any changes to the file could lead to FH crashing. These instructions are provided in the hope that they are useful, but I take no responsibility for any data loss.
Make a copy of the file by selecting the file PB-INDI.fhdata file in Explorer and then selecting Edit->Copy, and then Edit->Paste. The form x->y means select menu x and then select menu item y on the menu that appears. If you can't see the Documents and SettingAll Users folders (or the equivalent in Vista) then change the setting in Explorer that allows you to view hidden folders either by clicking on the folder and accepting the warning or selecting Tools->Folder Options... and selecting the View tab and enabling the option 'Show hidden files and folders'.
Download the .zip file containing the customisations into a temporary location. Either make a new folder such as C:TMP or download it on to the desktop.
Open the .zip file by double clicking on it and select the PB-INDI.fhdata file and copy it to the temporary folder so that it is no longer inside the .zip file.
Now run Notepad (under All-Programs->Accessories in the start menu or use Run in the start menu and type in 'notepad' less the quotes and select OK) and select File->Open and open the PB-INDI.fhdata file in the temporary location you just copied it to.
Now run Notepad again for a 2nd time and select File->Open and browse to the folder where your original PB-INDI.fhdata exists and open the file.
You'll now have two instances of Notepad running.
In the new file copy the sections labelled [C-1] and [C-2] into your original PB-INDI file at the end of it.
To do this position the cursor at the start of the line [C-1] and then whilst holding down the shift key re-position the cursor at the end of the [C-2] section. In other words, at the end of the line prior to [S-1]. Now select Edit->Copy.
Now switch to the other instance of Notepad containing your original file and position the cursor at the end of the file and select Edit->Paste.
If you have any customisations already in place then you will need to amend the C-1 and C-2 in the text you just pasted into your original file to be sequential with the last C-x section in your original file. If you have not done any customisations you won't have any [C-?] sections. If you've done one customisation then you'll have a [C-1] section and you'll need to change the C-1 and C-2 in the new text to be C-2 and C-3 respectively after pasting.
Now amend the start of the file by copying the CustomPageN= lines from the new file to the the beginning of the original file changing the numbers if necessary so that they match the C-? bits in the text you've just pasted. You'll then have a list of CustomPageN= lines for each C-? section.
Finally update the Custom Page Count= line to match the total number of customisations you now have. If you've not done any customisations, the line would read Custom Page Count=2
You can now save the original file into which you pasted the text by selecting File->Save and then close Notepad with File->Exit. If you get any errors at this stage, make sure you don't have FH running. With the file you downloaded just close Notepad, you should not get any prompt to save unsaved work when closing this file.
In the long term I hope that because customisations are something that are going to be shared (or transferred between a person's computers) regularly that FH v4.0.3 gets a feature to allow the import and export of customisations (as well as all other settings) so that this complicated list of instructions is no longer needed. Even for an experienced computer user, this is not something they will want to do every time they wish to use a customisation.
FH is seemingly designed for the inexperienced computer user and talk of hidden folders, registry settings, updating settings manually, etc. is not something that such users appreciate. FH should do all this work for them.
Hope This Helps (HTH)
Jon
Customised tabs on Property Box
Hello to you,
Thanks for info and I think I managed to complete the tasks, no error messages anyway. I also moved the zip files to my e drive where my program is and that said they were unzipped okay.
Now when I run FH how do I get the new 'tab' up as per the photo as I can't seem to find it. I've looked in the customize view and nothing seems to be there?
Apologise for being a pain, but I agree with you re FH doing something re this to help. My view would either they like and allow people customising or they don't, and if they do then it should be made a lot easier for this to be done with novices like me. Perhaps the customisation could be sent to them and then they send it out in an update etc.
Anyway thanks for your help so far.
John
Thanks for info and I think I managed to complete the tasks, no error messages anyway. I also moved the zip files to my e drive where my program is and that said they were unzipped okay.
Now when I run FH how do I get the new 'tab' up as per the photo as I can't seem to find it. I've looked in the customize view and nothing seems to be there?
Apologise for being a pain, but I agree with you re FH doing something re this to help. My view would either they like and allow people customising or they don't, and if they do then it should be made a lot easier for this to be done with novices like me. Perhaps the customisation could be sent to them and then they send it out in an update etc.
Anyway thanks for your help so far.
John