* Custom Diagram settings

[KMTV]

Hi all,

Whilst trying to figure out an issue to do with backing up and transferring files from one computer to another, ELM and I uncovered a different issue, so I will start a new thread to cover it since it is not entirely related.

This comes in two questions.

1. What relation does these buttons;

   

   Screen Shot 2021-03-27 at 16.57.31.png (10.26 KiB) Viewed 2773 times

   ... have with these options?

   

   Screen Shot 2021-03-27 at 16.56.55.png (28.72 KiB) Viewed 2773 times

2. How can a diagram that has custom settings applied to it be made to keep it's aforementioned settings when reopening it? That is to say, if direct line ancestors or descendants are set to cyan, then how can they stay cyan and not change to another colour, say, yellow?

Of late, when reopening a custom diagram, settings have become inexplicably changed. Has anyone else encountered such a difficulty and how did you overcome it.

[LornaCraig]

1. the Ancs, Decs, Both and Rels buttons are shortcuts to the four basic diagram types: Ancestors, Descendants, Ancestors & Descendants and All Relatives. The Charts button, as you have discovered, takes you to a menu of further specialised diagram types as well as your own Custom Diagrams and Saved Charts. When you first created one of your custom diagrams you would have started with one of those standard diagrams, adjusted various settings, and saved it as a custom diagram (see 2).

2. When you have chosen your custom settings for a diagram, use Diagram > Save Diagram As > Custom Diagram Type. This type can then be used to generate new diagrams (with different diagram roots, but with the same settings , e.g. text scheme, number of generations, custom colours). However if you want to preserve a particular diagram with a particular root, particular box positions, one-off colour settings etc use Diagram>Save Diagram As > Family Historian Chart.

For further guidance see Help > Search Help > and enter “Diagram Menu”

[tatewise]

The standard Diagrams from the Icons and all the menu options except Custom Diagrams and Saved Charts should have no effect on those other two options.
The box colours you mention are presumably set by the Boxes tab Conditions setting Box Features.
Is it possible that the Condition expressions are not behaving quite as you expected?
e.g. Determining direct line ancestors relative to the File Root instead of the Diagram Root?
Another explanation is that FH V7 is not preserving the options correctly but that is more tricky to determine.

[LornaCraig]

If the box colours were set by simply selecting the boxes in the diagram and then using Diagram>Selections & Marks>Mark Boxes there would be no Box Conditions involved. In that situation it would be necessary to use the option to save as a Family Historian chart.

[ELM]

I am still trying to get my head around these diagrams. I think I am missing something obvious.
Lorna says
"the Ancs, Decs, Both and Rels buttons are shortcuts to the four basic diagram types: Ancestors, Descendants, Ancestors & Descendants and All Relatives" are these shortcuts fixed or do they change to different diagrams?
If I customise a diagram with different diagram options should they stay in that diagram or do I have to save them to a custom diagram?

I'm sorry if I'm not using the correct terminology - may be that is part of my problem,

[tatewise]

Those toolbar shortcuts always open the same type of standard diagram, i.e. a diagram of only Ancestors, or a diagram of only Descendants, etc. The characteristics of box colours, shapes, shadow, text, etc, depend on the Options chosen.
Whenever those Options are changed there is the ability to set them as the program defaults.
Thereafter, ALL standard diagrams opened by those toolbar shortcuts or the Charts menu will use those default Options.
Our general advice is to keep those Options at the installation defaults rather than customize them.

To preserve a set of custom Options needs them to be saved in a Custom Diagram Type using the Diagram > Save Diagram As > Custom Diagram Type... command. Then whenever you want a diagram with those characteristics choose it from the Charts > Custom Diagram menu and select the Diagram Root Person/Couple required.

Alternatively, Diagram > Saved Diagram or Save Diagram As > Family Historian Chart... will create a Saved Chart that not only preserves the Options but also the Root Person/Couple and many other alterations that you can make to a Diagram. It is like a super Custom Diagram Type.

Changing and saving the Options in a Custom Diagram Type or a Saved Chart does not alter the program default Options mentioned initially and vice versa.

[KMTV]

To preserve a set of custom Options needs them to be saved in a Custom Diagram Type using the Diagram > Save Diagram As > Custom Diagram Type... command.

That is what has been done, but when re-opening the chart, the settings appear to be different from when they were saved in the first place.

[LornaCraig]

What settings have you customised, and what settings appear to be different when you re-open the custom diagram?

Any changes you have made to the text scheme, the number of generations displayed, or the colour scheme will be preserved (assuming the colours have been set using the Diagram options>Boxes tab, rather than just one-off 'marking' of boxes). But a diagram type is just that - an overall 'style' of diagram. It will not preserve a particular diagram root. If you want to preserve a particular diagram with a particular root and layout you should save it as a Family Historian Chart. (Although the charts are still dynamic and will change if you add any new data to the branches in the chart).

It is worth spending some time reading the Help files. Use Help>Family Historian Help and on the Contents tab go to the section on Workspace 3: The Diagram Window. The page there introduces the basic terminology and has various links (in blue) which you can follow to understand more.

[tatewise]

How are you "re-opening the chart"?
Please, when reporting problems give precise details of what commands or buttons you are using.
Using the toolbar icons will open Diagrams with the program defaults that are probably different from the custom settings.
To retrieve the custom settings you must use Charts > Custom Diagrams and choose one that you saved, but as Lorna says only Report > Option tab settings are preserved unless you use a Saved Chart that are opened by the Charts > Saved Charts... command.

[ELM]

I was thinking I was getting to grips with the problem I created a custom diagram type called 'Usual' and saved from Save as > Custom Diagram Type I go to view that diagram type again. Click on Charts > Custom Diagrams > Usual I am then presented with a query box asking for Root Person with the heading 'Select Root for Ancester & descendant Diagram. Selecting an individual brings up the standard diagram not my "usual" diagram?
Where am I going wrong?

[tatewise]

My Reply on Mon 29th Mar 2021 12:53 tried to identify what the different forms of saved options are possible.

What settings in your 'Usual' Custom Diagram Type did you expect to be saved?
How did they appear in the re-displayed diagram?
If they were not saved then you may have discovered a fault in FH V7.

Custom Diagram Types do not save the Diagram Root. Only a Saved Chart saves the Diagram Root.