Family Historian User Group

Sorry so deft; I'm a brand-newby.  I'm trying to create an “Everyone” diagram/chart/tree but it shows multiple separate trees all one the one display, each one duplicating most people but featuring certain ancestors, i.e. 2 of them feature different branches of my father’s ancestors and 2 of them feature different branches of my mother’s ancestors, etc.  What do I have set wrong?  How do I make it show all on one tree?  Thanks.

ID:4491

The everyone tree simply uses Descendant diagrams to ensure everyone in your tree is covered. It's only really useful if you have a very small tree.

You are much better to use the All relations tree as a start point and add extra diagrams to your chart for 'unrelated' people such as spouses siblings spouses etc, if you really want to show them on a single chart.

If you want an all relations for a couple simply generate the chart for one of them then CTRL click on each of the couples boxes and select the All Relations chart icon again to redraw the chart.

Thanks, Jane. Since I DO want everyone in my GEDCOM to appear on the diagram, and so that I don't have to consider each and every person on the diagram for spouses and children (which I'd have to do to add them to an All Relatives diagram, ugh!) could I somehow piece together the separate trees of the Everyone diagram (first turning off the redundant parts) so that it already includes everyone? If so, any drawbacks?

It's up to you, but unless you have a very dispersed tree, an All relations diagram will pick up all your core people and their siblings and spouses. It's only Spouses of siblings who are not picked up.

You can simply re-arrange the Everyone diagram if you want.

Personally I never work that way, but with several thousand people in my tree I would never get them all on a manageable chart, so I tend to produce charts for purposes, so for my Fathers cousins event I use a All relatives based on his Grandfather, which picks up everyone I need for that event.

Thanks, Jane. I do want to have the spouses siblings, everybody, without having to be sure I add all the additional diagrams. (I have less than 200 records.) If I do re-arrange the Everyone diagram, is there a way to make the separate diagrams 'recognise' each other, that is, to actually connect or will they be only placed by each other so that they appear to be connected? Is there a way to make them connect?

I actually like the Everyone diagram and think it is very underrated. The biggest problem is the time it takes to get it sorted in the first place. This involves a lot of tree moves to get the different trees where you want them. Once you have done this it is very good for moving around your whole family.

The answer to your question about are they connected is yes and no. They are connected by the various ribbons, but all the individual trees are independent so if you add to one which makes it slightly wider, it leaves the next tree where you put it at the side and you get overlap. What I would like is some tools such as grid lock, alignment and group/ungroup as you find in graphics programs. These tools would allow the different diagrams to be aware of each other and allow for much improved layout and make the initial rearrangement much easier. I have put two of these as wish list items (http://www.fhug.org.uk/wishlist/wldispl ... lwlref=258 and http://www.fhug.org.uk/wishlist/wldispl ... lwlref=256), but it seems there are not many others who want these features.

If I understand your question, I think you are looking for a single diagram with everyone on it and no repeated boxes. This is not possible with a two dimensional diagram unless you allow crossing lines which will soon get very messy with only a small number of people. The ribbons are a good compromise solution.

Thanks for that.

On crossing lines: crossing lines are unnecessary if a tree is spread out enough unless maybe if someone is a relative multiple ways. (With careful manipulation, crossing lines can even be avoided then probably in all circumstances w/o 3D. Even FH's 'All Relatives' diagram uses crossing lines where it's obvious that it could be drawn w/o crossing. It would be fine with me however it wanted to draw it as long as it would show everyone on one tree, no duplicate boxes, no ribbons unless multiple relative, and I could move boxes. Family Tree Builder does this all but will redraw and blow away your changes at the drop of a hat. Ugh!

BTW, it IS possible to draw a 2D everyone tree; Family Tree Builder does it with no crossings or ribbons. I've only come to FH because of FTB's annoying insistence to redraw the tree with any little change, discarding the user's customizations. FH thankfully doesn't do that. Too bad FH's everyone diagram doesn't show everyone on one tree like FTB.

What I meant about 'are they connected' is: I have turned ribbons off. I have suppressed the duplicates from the multiple trees shown in the Everyone Diagram and then moved the trees together but they aren't actually connected in the program; they're just moved together. I was trying to figure out if there is a way to MAKE that connection real. Any ideas? Thanks.

Sorry still deft but I now that I've read the manual, just to make sure I'm not missing something crucial, when you said in response to my asking about showing everyone on a single chart 'You are much better to use the All relations tree as a start point and add extra diagrams to your chart for 'unrelated' people such as spouses siblings spouses etc, if you really want to show them on a single chart.' when I add these extra diagrams, can I make them become part of a tree in the current diagram or do I just place them up against a tree so that it appears to be part of it? Thanks again for your help and patience!

do I just place them up against a tree so that it appears to be part of it

Yes, but with a bit of care you can move them in an if you don't like the curved link lines, just turn them off and add some straight ones.