Help - direct line indication in Record view

hockej01 · Post by **hockej01** » 31 May 2012 21:30

I'm a new Family Historian user, having clung on to using Generations Easy Tree for much too long.

Enjoying getting to grips with Family Historian and what it can give me, but I'm really missing being able to tell at a glance by looking at the list of children in a family which one is the direct ancestor of the root record.

In Easy tree it is possible to highlight the direct line child with bold font.

I am regularly asked by different branches of the family for details of their part of the tree and found this really useful for navigating parts of the tree I am less familiar with than my own direct line!

Is this possible in Family Historian? I've explored the knowledge base, How to's and tried playing around with the settings and I'm not getting anywhere......

any help much appreciated

Thanks, Jen[confused]

ID:6281

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 31 May 2012 22:37

Jen,

I too am an old Generations user. I also really loved this feature. I really wish there was a way in the focus window to highlight the direct line. Unfortunately, I don't think there is a way to do this. Others will correct me if I am wrong.

There are so many other great features in Family Historian that I'm sure you will love using it.

Bill

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 01 Jun 2012 07:54

I am regularly asked by different branches of the family for details of their part of the tree and found this really useful for navigating parts of the tree I am less familiar with than my own direct line!

Although you can't do that in the Focus window, if you have V5, why not use the new graphical relationship view to get a highlighted line through a diagram.

Remember in FH diagrams are 'live' so you can use them to navigate trees and access the Property box for people and you can for instance, select a box in a diagram and select a report option to get a report for that person.

Post by **tatewise** » 01 Jun 2012 09:14

Here is another idea.
Display an Ancestor Diagram for your root person.
Now as you work up the tree only direct ancestors are shown.
So only the direct line child ancestor will be in the tree.

Alternatively, in FH V5 display an All Relatives Diagram for your root person.
The Root Individual will already be selected.
Now navigate to and select either parent of the children in question, while holding the Ctrl key so both boxes remain selected.
Use Diagram > Family Connection Mapper and click the Connect Two Boxes button.
This highlights the direct line, including the appropriate child.

Dagwood · Post by **Dagwood** » 01 Jun 2012 14:51

Am I overlooking the point here? Surely one has only to put the direct line of ancestors in Capitals and leave the rest in a mixture of Caps and lower case. I also put non blood related spouses in lower case only to show there is no genetic connection to the root.
Dagwood

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 01 Jun 2012 15:05

Thanks for the suggestions.

Mike and Jane, while these are possible workarounds, they are not really substitutes for having it in the focus window. It would be really helpful to have a way to highlight anyone in your direct lines on the focus window where it is difficult if not impossible to determine who is in your direct lines.

Mike, I must be misunderstanding your second suggestion. When I click on the Connect Two Boxes button, all that happens is a line connects me (the root) to my father. It doesn't highlight all of my direct lines.

Dagwood, while this is also a possible workaround, it is all manual. In Generations it was automatic. It would take me a long time to edit all my direct ancestors names and change them to caps and I'd have to remember to do this for new additions in the future. Also, wouldn't they appear in charts, diagrams, and on web and other output in Caps then? I'd prefer them to be in mixed case.

I think this may be one of those cases where it doesn't seem like a benefit unless you have been used to it in the past. Maybe only old Generations users can see the point. [smile]

Thanks,

Bill

wulliam · Post by **wulliam** » 01 Jun 2012 18:31

I've voted on this wishlist item: http://www.fhug.org.uk/wishlist/wldispl ... lwlref=413 for this very reason. At present my 'Direct Ancestor' flag makes their boxes in trees a different colour and shape. I would like to use the flag in the focus window too.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 01 Jun 2012 18:36

William,

I just voted for the wish list item myself. This would be a reasonable alternative. Unfortunately, it doesn't have many votes. [frown]

How do you identify your direct lines so that you can set an icon? If you are using a query, would you mind sharing it? I have not yet tried using flags or icons.

Thanks,

Bill

wulliam · Post by **wulliam** » 01 Jun 2012 19:50

I've never learned how to use queries yet - something I really should work out.

However, I created a flag called 'Direct' and then put a tick-box for it into a customised tab with various other flags too. I then opened a direct ancestors tree and right clicked on one person, chose properties, and gave the relevant people the flag.

I then chose 'diagram options' on the tree and changed the box style for that flag.

I don't know if that makes any sense, but it's the best explanation I can give. I didn't mind doing it manually as it only needs done once...I just remember to ensure that any direct ancestors I discover are flagged as well.

Hope this helps?

Post by **tatewise** » 01 Jun 2012 20:12

The original posting by Jen asked for a method that works for any Root Individual.

So the Dagwood method does not work, because it only shows the direct line for one Root Individual.

My Family Connection Mapper method is in answer to Jen's request:
by looking at the list of children in a family, which one is the direct ancestor of the root record?
So you select the Root Individual (who may NOT be you), and you select either Parent of this ancestral family, then the Family Connection Mapper will highlight which child of this ancestral family is in the direct line to the Root.

There is another way using the function =IsAncestorOf(%INDI%,FileRoot()) instead of Flags that works for All Relatives and Everyone Diagrams.
Open one of these Diagram Types and choose Diagram > Options > Boxes tab.
Click Expression and enter =IsAncestorOf(%INDI%,FileRoot()) and select an Icon.
Use Diagram > Save Diagram As > Custom Diagram Type, give it a memorable name , and in future use View > Custom Diagram Types to redisplay it.

Now this Icon will appear on every Box of an Ancestor of the File Root Individual regardless of which Diagram Root is chosen.
So use Edit > File Root > Set as File Root to set the Individual whose ancestry you want to investigate.
Returning to Jen's example, select a member of the ancestral family and display the above Custom Diagram Type.
The child with the Icon is the direct line to the File Root Individual whoever that happens to be at the time.

No Flags are needed and it automatically adapts to the current File Root Individual.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 01 Jun 2012 20:16

William,

Thanks for the explanation. I understood exactly what you were saying. [smile].

Unfortunately, I have somewhere between 700 and 800 direct ancestors in my tree, so this would take me forever to do.

Maybe I can come up with a query to do it although I'm not very good with queries.

Thanks,

Bill

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 01 Jun 2012 20:22

Mike,

Thanks for the explanation. I really didn't mean to hijack Jen's post.

I don't really ever use these diagrams while updating my file so they wouldn't help much for this particular issue. Maybe someday we'll be able to have flags or icons in the focus window which is what I normally work from, not from the diagrams. This probably also goes back to my old Generations days.

Thanks,

Bill

Post by **tatewise** » 01 Jun 2012 20:32

Bill, the function =IsAncestorOf(%INDI%,FileRoot()) method will work for thousands of ancestors and indefinitely, with just one Diagram adjustment as described above.
It is effectively the same as Wulliams method, but without the hard work, and works for any adjustment to File Root.

Working from Diagrams is similar but more efficient than the Focus window, because you can add Individuals using cursor drag operations.
See the Help on How to Add Relatives by Click-and-Drag in Diagrams.

johnmorrisoniom · Post by **johnmorrisoniom** » 01 Jun 2012 20:59

I agree with Mike.
I too used to use generations.
I hardly (If ever) use the focus window, and do most of my work using a customised all relatives diagram which uses a combination of expressions and flags to show, with icons, the information that I want at a glance.
I find this so useful, that I wouldn't want to work any other way.
I have used Mikes File root (is ancestor) expression to put a yellow shadow around anyone in my direct line. One expression modification to a diagram, and it is always correct.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 01 Jun 2012 21:07

Mike and John,

Thanks again for the ideas. I am an old dog and it is hard for me to learn new tricks. However, I'll try working with a diagram as the 'main' window for awhile and see how it works for me. I really like working from the focus window. For my eyes the diagrams have boxes that are too small to work with if I set it up so I can view the couple, their parents, and their children in the diagram similar to what the focus window shows (and I am using a 23' monitor). Many of my families have 10 or 12 children.

Thanks,

Bill

hockej01 · Post by **hockej01** » 17 Jun 2012 11:51

Thanks all of you for so many suggestions. I'll definitely be trying the Family Connection Mapper and like Bill I'll try to change my way of working.

I've only had Family Historian for a couple of months and used it very few times so I have the advantage of using your help to start out working in the most effective way from the beginning.

Many thanks again

Jen

[smile]

Paul_Logan · Post by **Paul_Logan** » 27 Apr 2013 15:53

As another 'old' Generations, user just moving to FH, I to would like the facility to embolden the child in the direct line, in the focus window, from the furthest ancestor down to the root person ie. me. Once done with a few clicks it is there until you change it. No messing with flags, diagrams or How Related. Makes it soooo.. much easier to walk down the generations. If it was in Generations I'm sure the wonderful programmers could do it in a day! Overall FH has come a long way since I first looked at it years ago and I am enjoying the move. How about a separate Wish List on this subject? Thank you.

Post by **dconroyd** » 11 Sep 2014 18:09

Please add this feature to Family Historian. Please.

In Reunion/Generations, all one has to do is go to a chosen record (generally the root), do a CTL+D (first asking if previously existing bold "buttons" should be made plain or left alone), and all direct lines are then indicated in all ancestor's family records with the direct child's name showing in bold type.

This allows navigation after a glance, without having to try to conjure up from memory which child the direct line follows, very helpful in large trees.

(Also, it is nice that all children with further descendants can be shown in a different (choose-able) color.)

-signed, another Reunion/Generations user finally begrudgingly trying to leave it and its proprietary file corruptions behind.

P.S. I'm generally liking what I see here with Family Historian 5. Thank you.

Example (red triangle indicates more than one spouse):

YouTube · Post by **Jane** » 11 Sep 2014 19:54

I am not quite sure which view in Family Historian you are talking about here, but on diagrams you can add as many "Family Connection" map lines as you want.

This will highlight the path from any person to any other person.

You can also set Icons based on an =isAncestor(fileroot()) type expression to add an icon to each box who is an ancestor of the current file root).

In the record window you could add a column now to show the result of the above and of course you already have the How related option.

The only place this is not currently easy to see is on the Focus Window.

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 11 Sep 2014 21:14

Jane,

I was one of the original members to post on this message. It is on the focus window that us old Generations users would really like to have this feature. I do 95% of my data entry from the focus window and still find it very difficult to determine which child is in my direct line.

As a work around I have added [=Relationship(FileRoot(),,TEXT,1)] to the property box caption so that when I click on a child's name in the focus window their relationship to me shows up in the property box caption. This helps, but it would really be nice to be able to look at a couples children in the focus window and know which one (if any) is in the direct line. Ideally, like in Generations, the name would be bolded. Another option would be to have it in a different color. Another option would be to allow an icon to indicate the direct line.

Bill

DavidNewton · Post by **DavidNewton** » 11 Sep 2014 23:42

One possibility here would be to use a plugin toggle to modify the name of members of the direct line (e.g. add * to the surname so David NEWTON* when set but David NEWTON when unset).

In fact going back to a much earlier post it would probably be better to have a Direct flag and use the plugin to 'copy' the flag as an asterisk to the surname or to remove all the asterisks and reset the flags when you wish to change the root person for the direct ancestors line - the same function would update the direct line as you add people.

David

BillH · Post by **BillH** » 12 Sep 2014 00:03

David,

The only thing about this is that I really don't want to have an * print next to the name on diagrams and reports that are printed out and I wouldn't want it in the GEDCOM file. Having to remember to turn this on and off like that would not be ideal. It would be better if it was just a visual thing on the focus window that would be automatic, but wouldn't actually be printed or appear in the GEDCOM.

Thanks,
Bill

DavidNewton · Post by **DavidNewton** » 12 Sep 2014 07:02

Bill

You are correct. You have to turn the display on and off otherwise it prints on reports. But until such time as this a feature of FH we have to manage with the facilities we have one of which is Lua plugins. On my focus screen I actually have a full Dollarhide id number showing and turning it on/off is a simple toggle in the tools menu. I am attaching a screen capture (with details blacked out). I prefer to be able to see this when I work on the focus screen - basically all the time - but I do look forward to the time when text formatting is available and (in this respect) FH catches up with the competition.

David

Post by **tatewise** » 12 Sep 2014 10:47

Another side-effect of using a Plugin in that way, is that it changes the record Updated date-time stamp.
So it appears as if the record has been updated when really it has not.
A workaround is to either Edit > Undo the Plugin update or NOT Save the Project, but those are probably unworkable in this scenario.

Some users like to sort the records according to their Updated date-time stamp in order to quickly return to recently changed records.
This Plugin technique detracts from that capability.

Post by **tatewise** » 12 Sep 2014 11:14

If it is of any interest, I use the Child Relationship field to indicate direct line of ancestry.
It only works for one chosen descendant, but is better than nothing, and does not upset Reports and Diagrams, etc.

I set the Child Relationship (Rel.) field to b=birth for my direct ancestors.
Then in the Focus Pane, the Main tab of the Property Box, or even a Column of the Records Window, the b in the child's Rel. column indicates a direct ancestor.

Since direct ancestor families are 'always' a b=birth relationship, then that value is pretty much redundant, so I use it as a kind of flag.

If you really wanted to, then a Plugin could probably be used to alter those b=birth relationships for different root individuals.

Alternatively, you could use d=de facto which has the minor benefit of displaying d for direct line!

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