Family Historian User Group

Relevant: Upgrading to Windows 10 or not (20217) debating whether this belongs in the existing article about customising FH7 to look like FH7 Customising V7 to use V6 (Simple) Style Sources, and also noting that it's only one way of working (and may not suit all screen sizes and display scaling).

Also relevant: Customize Citation Window Problem (20234) which discusses a bug which may render this unworkable in some circumstances.

I'll put this on hold for now, pending resolution of the above.

This is the process for customising the Source Citation panes in FH V7 as shown in the screenshot below.
It attempts to mimic the FH V6 layout with the Sources For pane docked on the right.

Ensure that the main FH window is NOT maximised to display full screen.
If necessary click the Restore Down button in the top right corner.
Display the Focus Window with the Property Box docked to its right.
Adjust the size and position of the window to occupy the left-hand portion of the screen.
Set the width to about two-thirds of the screen, with half for the Focus Window and half for the Property Box.

Use Tools > Preferences > Property Box > Preferred Position for Citation List Pane and set both the docked and floating options to Open in New Window.

In the Property Box select a Fact with a Source Citation and click the yellow scroll Show Sources icon.
Adjust the size of the floating Citation List (Sources For) pane to occupy the top right corner of the screen.

Click the yellow scroll with pen Edit Source Citation icon in the Citation List toolbar to open the Citation Window.
Adjust the size of the Citation Window to occupy the lower right corner of the screen.
The Citation Window cog Menu > Customize Citation Window... changes what fields are shown on the Citation tab.
( It simultaneously changes the Source record Property Box fields too. )

The resulting display should look similar to the screenshot below.


IMO the various layouts of the Citation List pane and Citation Window together with their customization of fields are so intertwined that it would be difficult to separate them into self-contained articles.
It is clearly an issue with migrants from earlier FH versions to the extent that some revert back and discard FH V7.
The current KB article focuses on Generic Sources and tends to dismiss Templated Sources, whereas most of the adjustments are equally relevant to both.
Maybe it needs a series of accordions to cover the various viewpoints.

I'm not convinced that screen size and layout is much of an issue because my relatively small screen is the same as I used with FH V6 and the FH V7 floating Citation List pane and Citation Window take no more room than the old Sources For pane while displaying more details. If the Citation List pane is not floated then certainly more screen size is needed with FH V7.

Although something of an annoyance that will no doubt confuse new users, the Customize Citation Window Problem (20234) only arises when customising Citation Window fields and not in day-to-day use. Bill has just revealed that it is a problem that has been outstanding for some time in FH V7.

I will leave it to you and Lorna to hammer out a way forward, and provide the contents of an updated article and/or new articles.

The current KB article focuses on Generic Sources and tends to dismiss Templated Sources

That’s because it is an article about using “V6 (Simple) Style sources” ! It's about using V7 like V6.

IMO the various layouts of the Citation List pane and Citation Window together with their customization of fields are so intertwined that it would be difficult to separate them into self-contained articles……

I think it is worth two separate articles, one about using generic only sources, other about making V7 look more like V6 by adjusting the layout of the windows on the screen. Both will include customising the Citation window, as that is relevant to both.

The paragraph in the existing KB article should probably be tweaked so that it talks about customising the Citation Window, to make it clear that the customisation technique can be applied to both the Source panel and the Citation panel of that window. Then say “Following these instructions will also customise the Property Box.”

Then perhaps add a line to say that if you wish to create a generic source this can still be done in the Property Box, as it was in V6, without the need to open the Citation Window. On the Sources tab of the records window, right-click in an empty space at the right hand side (or on a scroll icon at the left hand side) and choose New Source. Clicking on the new Source then displays it in the Property Box.

The second article, about layout of the windows, will describe Mike’s/Bill’s suggested technique. I’m happy with the procedure Mike has outlined in his first post in this topic. It should be made clear that it aims to optimise the use of space by mimicking one of the possible V6 layouts, in which the Property Box is docked and the Source information is displayed to its right.

I'm not convinced that screen size and layout is much of an issue because my relatively small screen is the same as I used with FH V6 and the FH V7 floating Citation List pane and Citation Window take no more room that the old Sources For pane while displaying more details.

Presumably that’s because you used to have the Source for pane displayed at the right of the Property Box? I used to have it at the bottom, where it could be quite short but did not take up any extra width in the screen. Again, it depends how you used to work in V6.

Yes, screen organisation is not easy with a genealogy program, I had the same issues with TMG and any other genealogy software I tried out.

I suppose FHv7 has given us more things to play with, (although I use few of them), in a different way, and in consequence cluttered our screens even more.

I have said it before, that with the new features "up front" it "hides" the "simpler" methods of recording (in particular Source organisation) and can be off putting and confusing as was shown on this forum after FHv7 release. I feel Calico should concentrate the default workspace on making data entry simple for users, the other features can be brought in if desired.

Perhaps FH should offer different "default" screen layouts.

However, the very good:
For my part, I usually only do any serious work when I have more than 1 screen, for that FH is well suited with it's floating windows, including the new separate Source Citation Pane. These days 1 extra screen is usually very easy to attach if there is an HDMI out socket. For a laptop more than 1 extra screens will probably just need a simple USBC dock (my setup), without USBC you can get USB3 "dongles" but from my experience they can be awkward to set up, but fine once done.

Lorna, I've pondered overnight and with hindsight have the following thoughts regarding the existing KB page and this posting:

1. All the customisations are relevant to any new user of FH V7 and not just FH V6 migrants.
   Some may have been stimulated by FH V6 workflows but are all valid FH V7 workflows.
2. Almost all the customisations are relevant to both Generic Sources and Templated Sources.
   The only exception is hiding the Source Templates tab in the Records Window.
3. Some customisations may be more relevant to certain workflows than others.
   e.g. Customize Property Box for Source records applies to creating Source records directly from the Records Window rather than using the main toolbar Source button Start Point and Citation Window.
   However, that customization is not essential as the Text From Source and Notes tabs allow access to those fields.

Techniques to be highlighted that new users can easily overlook:

1. Layout of the Citation List (Sources For) pane and the Citation Window involve the
   Tools > Preferences > Property Box > Preferred Position for Citation List Pane settings.
   BillH's layout, as in this posting, is one typical worked example.
   Similar layouts work with a floating Property Box &/or a docked Citation List (Sources For) pane.
   I believe these layouts are just as relevant to new FH V7 users as mimicking FH V6.
2. Customize Property Box for Source records.
   This mainly needs to cater for the one Text From Source field and a local Note field.
   This and the command below both simultaneously adjust both the Source record Property Box and the Citation Window.
3. Customize Citation Window.
   This caters for both Source record and Citation-specific Text From Source and Note fields, etc.
   The key point is that Method 1 workflow predominantly only needs the Source record Text From Source,
   whereas Method 2 workflow predominantly only needs the Citation-specific Text From Source.
   Placing them on the Citation tab avoids the extra clicks to open them via the Text From Source tab.
   Both Methods may benefit from adding Assessment or other fields not included by default.
   Bug Alert:
   The Customize Citation Window feature upsets the floating Citation List pane and has other odd side effects.

I am more concerned about including the above advice in the KB than whether it is one page or multiple pages.

Mike, like you I had been mulling this over and had just finished drafting a new post when I saw your latest. Having written it I will submit it here anyway, but this should not be read as a response to specific points in your post, because it’s not. I don’t have any strong disagreements with anything you said in your post, except to emphasise (again) that your recommended layout for the Citation list and Citation window won’t suit everyone, and there is an alternative approach (see my point 3b).

Here is what I had already written:

Many users have, particularly those migrating from V6, have difficulty getting to grips with the Citation Window. There are three aspects which cause difficulty:

1. Understanding the difference between the two parts of the citation window. The distinction between the Source details and the Citation details is (for some users) less clear than it was in V6, when the Source was displayed only in the Property Box and the Citation details only in the (slightly unhelpfully named) V6 ‘Sources for’ pane. They are now all displayed in the same window (although the Source can still be viewed on its own in the Property Box.)

2. Making it easier to enter data without switching tabs in the Citation Window and/or Property box. This can be done by customising the main tab to include items which are on other tabs. For V6 users who have opted to stick with generic sources this has the added advantage that it makes the main tab look more like the old V6 main tab. So this is particularly (but not exclusively) relevant for users who want to “make V7 look more like V6”.

3. How to cope with the space taken up by this new floating window which has entered our lives. There are two contrasting approaches to this:

a. Use the method recommended by Mike, positioning the Citation Window at the right of the screen next to the Property box, below the ‘Sources for’ pane. This has the advantage that the Citation Window can be left open all the time and it will suit users who, in V6, always had the ‘Sources for’ pane at the right of the Property Box. But it may not suit users who always preferred to have it at the bottom of the Property Box where it didn’t take up any extra width on the screen.

b. Accept that the floating window will obscure some of the rest of the screen, but keep to an absolute minimum the length of time it is open. A new Generic source can be created in the Property box using the method I have previously described without opening the Citation window at all. (Unfortunately I don’t think it’s possible to create a new templated source without the Citation Window opening, but users who want V7 to look more like V6 will probably have decided to stick with generic sources). Obviously the first time a new source is cited the Citation Window has to open, but it can be closed again as soon as any required citation details have been entered. If the same source/citation combination is needed for additional facts this can be done using copy and paste (or enabling Automatic Source Citations) without opening the Citation Window. And of course if you use Ancestral Sources to enter standard data you don’t need to think about the Citation Window. The Citation Window is open on my screen for only a tiny fraction of the time I am using FH.

Feedback:

1. IMO new users have an issue with the methods of opening the Citation Window.
   They often seem completely unaware of its existence and thus reject FH v7 as unusable.
2. Agreed.
3. It is possible to create a Templated Source without using the Citation Window.
   The 'trick' is to use the Source record All tab to add the Template link.
   To get even closer to mimicking FH V6, the Citation Window can be customised to remove all the Source Record fields, but unfortunately, the Source Record pane does not get completely removed.
   [Does not work because Source record Property Box suffers the same fate.]

My 2 cents: viewtopic.php?p=121245#p121245

Mike, feedback on your feedback:

1. In that case perhaps the existing article Sources and Citations in Version 7 (for Upgraders) should say in its introduction "Family Historian version 7 introduces a new way of working with Sources and Citations and a new window called the Citation Window". Where Citation Window links to the FH Help pages. And the article Sources and Citations in Version 7 (for New Users) should also refer to the Citation Window somewhere near the top of the page.

3. That’s a handy trick for templated sources. So whichever type of Source you use, a new Source can be created in the Property Box. This both reduces the length of time the Citation Window has to be open and helps to Mimic V6

OK, your suggested extra wording is fine. I know New Citation Window is a topic in What's New in Family Historian 7? but how many new users read that

In Customising V7 to use V6 (Simple) Style Sources under Source Property Box and Citation Window would it be clearer to say near the bottom:
"Following these instructions will simultaneously customise the Citation Window in the same way."

So in answer to Helen’s request for us to “hammer out a way forward” I would suggest the following approach:

1. Create a new article about the Citation Window. This would address:

a. Mike’s point that “IMO new users have an issue with the methods of opening the Citation Window. They often seem completely unaware of its existence and thus reject FH v7 as unusable.”
Perhaps this could simply be address by linking to the FH Help about the Citation Window?

b. Customising content of the main tab of the CW (and simultaneously the Source PB). Explain the advantages, i.e.
It enables data entry without switching tabs.
For user who want to use V7 more like V6, the content of the PB and the Source pane of the CW can be made to resemble the V6 PB. (Add link here to Customising V7 to use V6 (Simple) Style Sources)

c. Customising position/layout of Citation List (Sources For) pane and the Citation Window. Explain the advantages:
This makes it easier to leave the CW open all the time without it obscuring part of the screen.
It may also be helpful to users who wish to use V7 more like V6. (Refer here again to the same article)


2. Make some amendments and additions to the existing article Customising V7 to use V6 (Simple) Style Sources

a. Possibly replace “(Simple)” in the title with “(Generic only)”

b. As suggested by Mike, it might be clearer to say "Following these instructions will simultaneously customise the Citation Window in the same way."

c. Add a section explaining how to create new Source Records in the Property Box (similar to V6) instead of the Citation Window.
Explain that one advantage of this is to minimise the amount of time the floating Citation Window needs to be open. Obviously the first time a new source is cited the Citation Window has to open, but it can be closed again as soon as any required citation details have been entered. If the same source/citation combination is needed for additional facts this can be done using copy and paste (or enabling Automatic Source Citations) without opening the Citation Window.

d. Add section saying that an alternative way of dealing with the V7 Citation Window is to leave it open but arrange it beside the Property Box, below the Source for pane, to resemble the V6 arrangement in which the Sources for pane was right of the PB. (Add a link here to the article on the Citation Window).

3. Minor amendment to the existing Sources and Citations in Version 7 (for Upgraders) article, in the introduction "Family Historian version 7 introduces a new way of working with Sources and Citations and a new window called the Citation Window". Where Citation Window links to the FH Help pages.
Also, in both Sources and Citations in Version 7 (for Upgraders) and Sources and Citations in Version 7 (for New Users) add a link to the new Citation Window article.


I’m happy to leave it to Mike to prepare the nitty gritty of the exact text because (a) he is better at ‘nitty gritty’ stuff than I am and (b) he probably enjoys it more than I do!

Can I just throw in a point about my experience of the Citation window?

I find that there's sometimes a degree of disorientation on my part. I start with a fact, choose one of the citations for it, and double click that to bring up the Citation window. If I then do something and then return to the Citation window, it can become less than obvious which "fact" this citation refers to - the Source-record is there in the top half of the Citation window but where is the other half of the relationship? (because a Citation is just a relationship entity, the relationship between "fact" and "source"). I'm guessing it's highlighted (in grey) back in the "Sources for" pane.

The only reason I bring this up is because it seems to me personally to be an issue that it might be useful to warn about. Err, somehow...

(I guess the situation that I describe may change depending on whether you have the push-pin set at the top of the Citation window.)

I can't follow the suggested v6 mimic for the simple reason that I prefer to set things up so that I can have FH in one half of the screen and the source image in the other - the mimic requires too much width to see the source - unless I'm missing something.

AdrianBruce wrote: ↑

24 Jan 2022 23:56

I can't follow the suggested v6 mimic for the simple reason that I prefer to set things up so that I can have FH in one half of the screen and the source image in the other - the mimic requires too much width to see the source - unless I'm missing something.

Likewise, it's the width problem which stops me using that layout, even when FH is using all of the screen. I know Mike recommends that method and it suits some people, but I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't like it! That's why I've developed an alternative approach, minimising the amount of time the Citation Window has to be open at all.

I close the window as soon as I've finished with it, and that also means I avoid confusion about which fact the citation refers to. I can see that if you 'park' the window somewhere and return to it later there is scope for the confusion you describe, but only if the citation window is 'unpinned'.

Adrian, how do you have the Citation List pane and Citation Window organised so both FH and the Source are visible?
How does that differ from FH V6? The KB could describe your layout as an alternative.
I have focussed on the FH V6 mimic described originally by BillH because I have not seen any others described and whenever the BillH mimic was offered the user seemed happy.

I understand your point about losing the association between Citation Window and Fact (but only when unpinned).
Try using its cog Menu > Show Citation in Property Box (All tab) which identifies the associated Fact, etc.
Another option is the large white Go Back arrow in the Property Box that should return to the original Fact (eventually).

I will hold off writing the KB advice page while these discussions continue...

LornaCraig wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 01:05

... I close the window as soon as I've finished with it, and that also means I avoid confusion about which fact the citation refers to. ...

Stepping through what I do, I think that I must actually make minimal use of the Citation Window when entering data. I'll set up a Source Record first, just using a Property Box for that Source Record. Then I move over to the Automatic Source Citations pane (for purely historic reasons, I don't use AS) and set the citation details up there - I tend to enter very little in the Date / Where / Assessment / Text From Source and Note boxes unless it's a Method2 source such as FreeBMD. If I need more space to see things, then the View button there brings up the Citation Window except it refers to Prepared Citation (and is unpinned but that doesn't carry over to the next use of the Citation Window).

Lorna, maybe my mild disorientation arises therefore, simply from not using the Citation Window that much, combined with the fact that I've got the upper part of the Citation Window set basically identical to the Source Record property box... I'm sure that at least once, I've brought the Source Record property box up and wondered where the citation details are!

tatewise wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 11:08

Adrian, how do you have the Citation List pane and Citation Window organised so both FH and the Source are visible?
How does that differ from FH V6? ...

I think the key word there is "organised". Or, lack thereof... TBH I don't think I have a specific method simply because I end up moving the Citation Pane around and where it ends up depends partly on the size and shape of the image of the source.

It's different from v6 because the Citation List pane only went halfway down the Property Box and the lower half was just the non-source citation data (i.e. the Citation Specific Details) - that was cramped but fitted. However, in v6 this was at the expense of not having easy access to the Source Record.

tatewise wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 11:08

... Try using its cog Menu ...

There's a lot of possibilities there, some of which I'm only just coming to recognise.

OK, understood.
I now see the purpose of illustrating an arrangement of the Citation List pane and Citation Window as at the start of this thread is to make users aware of the Tools > Preferences > Property Box > Preferred Position for Citation List Pane options and the Citation Window cog Menu > Customize Citation Window... options with the ability to mimic FH V6 if space allows.

BTW: Adrian, like me, you seemed to be unaware that customizing the Citation Window and customizing the Source record Property Box are inextricably linked. If they were not then the Citation Window could be customized to eliminate many of the fields from its main Citation tab thus minimizing its size and on-screen impact, while the Source Property Box could retain all the popular fields. Unfortunately, that is not currently possible.

AdrianBruce wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 16:29

Stepping through what I do, I think that I must actually make minimal use of the Citation Window when entering data. I'll set up a Source Record first, just using a Property Box for that Source Record. Then I move over to the Automatic Source Citations pane (for purely historic reasons, I don't use AS) and set the citation details up there - I tend to enter very little in the Date / Where / Assessment / Text From Source and Note boxes unless it's a Method2 source such as FreeBMD. If I need more space to see things, then the View button there brings up the Citation Window except it refers to Prepared Citation (and is unpinned but that doesn't carry over to the next use of the Citation Window).

I do use AS for census data but not for other data, for historical reasons. I don't use Automatic Source Citations (I tried once long ago but kept forgetting to cancel it!) so I copy and paste citations. That means that if I do happen to leave the Citation Window open, which is rare, it is still 'pinned', so keeps in sync with the currently selected fact. So there is no risk of the confusion you mention.

Like you, I make minimal use of the Citation Window when entering data. (I'm glad I'm not the only one who still creates a new Source in the Property Box! ) So it is not open much of the time.

Having said that, I guess that if my first encounter with FH had been with V7 it would never have occurred to me to create a Source in the Property Box. And I would probably be using templated sources from the Essentials collection, instead of generic sources. So much of this discussion is really only relevant to old dinosaurs like us!

LornaCraig wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 17:46

much of this discussion is really only relevant to old dinosaurs like us!

And no less valuable for that!

I suspect new users find things easier that people upgrading.

ColeValleyGirl wrote: ↑

25 Jan 2022 18:03

... I suspect new users find things easier that people upgrading.

A point in our defence (hoping this isn't the end of the Cretaceous! ) - it's not how easy individual things are - it's the conversion process and the situation halfway through that conversion / perversion.... You, I and Lorna presumably know this but others may not..

This is my first draft of the layout configurations that have been discussed. In various places, it describes toolbar icons and the actual icon images can be used instead.

Citation List and Citation Window Configurations

Skill Level: New User FH versions: V7 In Topics: FAQS, Sources and Citations

Introduction
Whether a new user or an upgrader, configuring the Family Historian (ƒh) dialogues to suit your Source Citation workflow may be a challenge. This article explains the options available and illustrates some layout configurations. They are equally relevant to Generic Sources and Templated Sources.

The three dialogues typically involved are:

• Property Box for Individual records
• Citation List Pane (Sources For pane)
• Citation Window

Individual Property Box
The Property Box dialogue may be Docked or Floating as defined by the Tools > Preferences > Workspaces options.

Its position and size should be remembered by ƒh from one session to the next.

Citation List Pane
This pane is opened and closed by the Show Sources yellow scroll icon in the Property Box toolbar.
Its Sources For droplist identifies the item whose Citations and Sources are listed in the pane below.
Alternatively, a Fact or other item may be chosen in the Property Box.

The Citation column may show the Source Record Title, Bibliography Entry, Short Footnote, or Footnote text depending on the cog Menu > Display Citation As... setting.

The Citation List Pane can be displayed in three positions relative to the Property Box.
Use the Property Box cog Menu > Options... to select the Preferred Position for Citation List Pane as Right of Property Box, Bottom of Property Box, or Open in New Window depending on whether the Property Box is docked or floating. Note that the Tools > Preferences > Property Box command opens the same options.
When Open in New Window mode is chosen, the floating pane size and position should be remembered by ƒh from one session to the next.

Citation Window
This floating window is opened by double-clicking a Citation in the Citation List Pane, or by using its toolbar Edit Source Citation yellow scroll with pen icon. It can also be opened using one of the toolbar Add Citation options, or the ƒh main toolbar Source options, where if a Prepared Citation is opened the Citation Window has extra buttons across the bottom.

Use the Show Side Panel document icon to display Footnote, Short Footnote, and Bibliography text on the right.
The cog Menu > Options... command provides a shortcut to their customization templates.

If the Sync with Citation List pin icon is ‘pinned’ the information displayed will keep step with the current selection in the Citation List Pane.

A significant feature of this window is that it shows both Source record and Citation specific fields. So the entire Source Citation can be managed from this one dialogue.
The cog Menu > Customize Citation Window... allows any combination of Source record and Citation specific fields to be shown on the main Citation tab. It simultaneously changes the Source record Property Box fields too.

The Method 1 'splitter' workflow predominantly only uses the Source record Text From Source,
whereas Method 2 'lumper' workflow predominantly only uses the Citation specific Text From Source.
Placing one of them on the Citation tab avoids the extra clicks to open them via the Text From Source tab.
Both methods may benefit from adding or removing other fields as required by the chosen workflow.

The floating Citation Window size and position should be remembered by ƒh from one session to the next.

Depending on workflow and screen size, the Citation Window can be closed when not in use so it does not take up space. It can also be left open at all times. You may find the following two possible layout configurations helpful. However, if you use the Diagram window more than any other workspaces these layouts may not be suitable because they both leave only about a third of the screen for display of other windows (Focus, Records, Queries, Maps, Media).

Layout Configuration A
This works particularly well on wide or multiple monitor screens and mimics the old ƒh Sources For pane docked to the Right of Property Box.

Ensure that the main ƒh window is NOT maximised, i.e. displayed full screen. If necessary click the Restore Down button in the top right corner.
Display the Focus Window with the Property Box docked to its right. Adjust the size and position of the window to occupy the left-hand portion of the screen.
Set the width to about two-thirds of the screen, with half for the Focus Window and half for the Property Box.

Use the Property Box cog Menu > Options... to set the Preferred Position for Citation List Pane for the docked mode to Open in New Window.

Open the Citation List (Sources For) pane and adjust its size and position to occupy the upper right corner of the screen.

Open the Citation Window and adjust its size and position to occupy the lower right corner of the screen.

The resulting configuration should appear as illustrated below.


Layout Configuration B
This works better on smaller screens as it leaves some room for displaying a source document.

Ensure that the main ƒh window is NOT maximised, i.e. displayed full screen. If necessary click the Restore Down button in the top right corner.
Display the Focus Window with the Property Box floating to its right. Adjust the size and position of the main window to occupy the left-hand third of the screen.
Adjust the Property Box to occupy the central third of the screen.

Use the Property Box cog Menu > Options... to set the Preferred Position for Citation List Pane for the floating mode to be Bottom of Property Box.

Open the Citation List Pane (Sources For) and readjust the Property Box size and position as necessary.

Open the Citation Window and adjust its size and position to occupy the lower right corner of the screen.
That leaves room for a source document displayed in the upper right corner.

The resulting configuration should appear as illustrated below.

Mike, may I make a suggestion for an addition? By describing possible layout configurations the text may give the impression that the Citation window has to be left open. So I suggest after “The floating Citation Window size and position should be remembered by ƒh from one session to the next.” add:

“Depending on your workflow and the size of your screen you may wish to close the window when it is not in use so that it does not take up space. However it can also be left open at all times. If it is left open and the pin icon at its top right is in the ‘pinned’ position the information displayed in the window will keep step with the current selection in the Sources for pane.
If you wish to keep the window open you may find the following two possible layout configurations helpful. However, note that if you use the Diagram window more than any of the other main windows these layouts may not be suitable because they both involve leaving only about one third of the screen for display of other windows (Focus, Diagrams, Records, Queries, Maps)."

Then continue with Layout Configuration A etc.

I have updated my draft article with paraphrased versions of your text. Is it OK?
I've inserted the Sync pin icon feature just after the Side Panel option, as they are next to each other in the toolbar.
I've added the rest of the text where you suggested but pruned the words down without affecting the meaning.
The layout configurations don't require the Citation Window to be kept open, the Citation List Pane and Citation Window should reopen in the configured size and position whenever they are invoked.
The same applies to whatever layout works for you with Diagram windows, but with the items wherever you prefer.