* Flag/Icon links in Diagrams

[Sharon]

Hi, I upgraded to version 5 some time ago, but haven't had much time to do any family history since then. I'm just getting back into it now and have a question about whether or not it is possible to automatically re-link record flags to the icons I use on my diagrams?

To explain a little more - I use diagrams quite heavily in my research - they are nearly always my starting point when I start on a new area or when I come back to family history after a gap. And in my diagrams I use quite a lot of custom flags on my diagrams - census, BMD, parish register etc. I also use some to highlight 'unverified' branches or records. It is also a great visual way of identifying where I need to do further research.

However each time I have upgraded, I've had to go into the diagram options and relink each and every flag to its icon, reset the size etc.

Does anyone else use flags in this way and if so, have you found a way to relink without having to do it manually?

Thank you
Sharon

[tatewise]

Upgrading by installing the next version of FH over your existing version can sometimes upset Standard Diagrams and Text Schemes.

The how_to:family_historian_installation_details|> Family Historian Installation Details says:

If you have customised Standard Text Schemes or your default Diagram formats (for example by adding Icons), it is advisable to save the Core Standard Diagrams† as Custom Diagram Types and clone any edited Text Schemes to Custom ones, before doing an upgrade, as the installation process may overwrite the standard items with replacements.

† Core Standard Diagrams are Ancestor, Descendant, Ancestor & Descendant, All Relatives, Everyone, and Blank Diagram, the first four of which are opened by icons on the toolbar.

Regarding, Icons associated with Record Flags there are often more effective ways of adding Icons by using Expressions. The big advantage is that once created, you rarely need to add or remove Record Flags again, because the Expressions automatically control the display of Icons depending on data held in your records. See how_to:using_flags_and_icons_and_expressions|> Using Flags and Icons and Expressions.

[Sharon]

Thanks Tatewise. Yes I knew the icons could be done using expressions, and it seems this is the preferred way of adding an icon to a diagram, but I'm still not clear on what the benefits are of using this method, other than to do away with the use of flags for data related references. Have I misssed something here?

I will probably convert at some point, but it would be good to get these diagrams without a major overhead of work upfront if possible, so I'd still be interested to hear if anyone knows how to re-link flags and icons without going in manually and re-linking them all.

Also does anyone know whether, having converted to expressions, the links to icons will be retained when I upgrade in future, or will I still have the same problem?

I'd appreciate any additional advice, but in the meantime, I'll keep looking at the knowledge base to see if I can find out for myself.

Thank you again,
Sharon

[tatewise]

There is no automatic way to relink Flags to Icons.
The same problem afflicts Expressions linked to Icons.
You must follow the advice in quotes above.

Have you used the Backup & Restore FH Settings Plugin to preserve your customisations or exported your Diagram Text Schemes?
If so we may be able to get your links back.

The advantage of Expressions is when you change your data.
Either add a new Individual who needs BMD/Census data, or add such data to an existing Individual.
Now I suspect you have to add and remove Flags on those Individuals to update their Icons.
With Expressions you never have to do that.

[Sharon]

Thanks tatewise.

Re the quoted text in your first response: I'll need to check whether I have saved any customised diagrams correctly. They'll be on an external HD as I have also upgraded my laptop recently. Fingers crossed! I've certainly saved some in the past, but I don't think I've used any specific plug-ins, just what comes with the software. I'll see what I can find, and I'll look into the Backup & Restore FH Settings plugin for future reference. .

I can see the benefit of the expressions now. I have some queries set up that check the existence of sources etc and use those to check, and set or remove flags regularly. Putting the expression in the Diagrams takes out one of those steps (setting the flag), simplifying it. One last question please: I assume expressions in diagrams are imported on upgrading to future versions of FH (ie like it imported my custom flags and how they were set for each individual) ?

Many thanks again for your help.
Sharon

[tatewise]

It is not that anything is imported when you upgrade FH, but simply that it inherits all the custom settings and files that remain in place from previous versions. It is like when you upgrade from say Word 2003 to say Word 2010. All your Word documents still work with the later version, but you have gained new features with the new version.

When you upgraded to your laptop PC did you migrate any customisations from PC to PC?
If not, then that could explain why the Flag to Icon links are missing.

The other thing you may not be aware of is that Individual Record Flags are saved with the Project Gedcom file, but Diagram, Report, Query, and other customisations are stored in C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian. See glossary:family_historian_program_data_folder|> Family Historian Program Data Folder.

Did you follow the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide?

I know you are not exactly a newcomer but how_to:key_features_for_newcomers|> Key Features for Newcomers may introduce you to things you were unaware of, such as Plugins and Ancestral Sources.

[Sharon]

I did follow the migration guide as best as I could, but I hope I didn't miss anything. I made a number of changes to folders and where files were being stored and their naming conventions (some of this was aimed at getting FH to work better with TNG sofwatre to present my tree online)

The sort of customisations I definitely would have migrated would have been things like queries etc. I don't recall specifically migrating anything to do with diagrams, except the actual icon images themselves, but I know I saved some customised diagrams - ie specific parts of my tree using customised ancestor/descendant charts.

By the time I'd made all these changes to structure etc, - worthwhile to bring a lot more order to everything - I had to leave family history alone for a while and didn't really get chance to test everything was where it should be etc.

Then last Christmas I was given a shiny new laptop, and as part of migrating everything to that I did some further rationalisation and hopefully backed up everything I have ever done /saved onto an external hard drive, 'streamlining' what I kept on my PC to remove duplications and the like.

I'll see what I can find on the HDD this evening and keep my fingers crossed I have saved a recent version of my customised diagrams that will help me retrieve the links, otherwise I have to resign myself to re-doing my links manually. Hopefully what I have learned from our conversation will mean I get it right from now on to save me having to re-do it all again at future upgrades.

I'll let you know how I get on.
Thank you for all your help.
Sharon

[tatewise]

I cannot reconcile your latest statement that you followed the how_to:family_historian_migration_guide|> Family Historian V5 & V6 Migration Guide, and your earlier statement that you had not used the Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin, because the Plugin plays a critical role in the guide, ensuring Diagram, Report, Query, etc, settings are transferred from PC to PC. If you did not use the Plugin, then it is not surprising that some settings are missing.

To export your Project to TNG there is a Plugin specifically designed for the task. Earlier it would have been Export Gedcom to TNG but that has been superceded by Export Gedcom File with improved TNG options.

[Sharon]

Hi tatewise.

Sorry if I am confusing you. I am probably somewhat out of my depth here and not explaining myself very well, and possibly not fully understanding your meaning.

It was some time ago so I can't remember the specifics of what I did, but I do know that I followed the guide as best I could. I haven't had chance yet to refer back to it to refresh my memory. All I can say is that any backups I have done - as far as I can remember - have always been done using the inbuilt facility. I don't recall having downloaded any specific plugins for the migration, but I could be wrong.

I don't know of settings that are missing, other than the links between flags and icons, and I understood from your earlier response that FH does not migrate the links between flags and icons on upgrade.

I don't have any other problems with FHv5. I just wanted to find out of those links could be replaced other than manually, and as I understand, the answer is no.

Thank you for all your help. I think I need to go away now and look back at the guide, at what I did (as far as I can remember) and see what I have backed up to my external hard drive. I also need to digest the information in the links you sent me and make sure my practices are correct for the future.

Then I think I probably have to do some work to incorporate expressions and icons into my diagrams and start to take the proper backups to avoid this confusion and difficulty in the future.

Thank you again for all your help. It has been very much appreciated.
Sharon

[tatewise]

I have just had a thought.
Maybe the links to Icons are not broken when you upgrade FH, but only when you move from PC to PC?

Where do you keep your Icons?
If you do not keep them in the FH Icons folder, then moving from PC to PC will inevitably break the links.
The FH Icons folder is C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\Icons but I suspect you keep your Icons elsewhere.

[tatewise]

If what I suspect is indeed the case, and you use the Standard Diagrams via the icons in the FH toolbar, then I may be able to write a Plugin that automatically fixes the Diagram Icon links.

Please confirm the following.
When you open the Diagram > Options > Boxes tab does the Record Flag Condition still list a tab below for each Flag?
Are the Icon features still selected, but just say <file not found> or Edit Features says File Not Found?

If you can answer yes to those questions, then my Plugin can almost certainly fix that, and may also be useful to others with a similar problem when migrating icon files from PC to PC.

[Sharon]

Hi Tatewise,

I owe you a huge apology for not getting back to you since March. Real life got in the way, and all things Family History went completely out of my mind. Please accept my apologies.

I still don't have the time to get back into things properly, but I know I'll have done something wrong somewhere along the line. I just have to go back and work through all the steps and backups I took when I upgraded. When I get the chance I will go through all the help you have given me again, and hopefully sort myself out.

Once again, many thanks for your help, and sincere apologies for leaving this in the air. I will let you know how I get on, and hope my tardy response won't stop you helping me in the future.

Thank you,
Sharon

[Sharon]

Hi again tatewise,

Well! To cut a long story short, I found most (but not all) of the icons and a saved custom diagram amongst the data I archived last year. The diagram had the conditions (tabs) for all my flags but no feature details, and it also had a couple of expressions, so I'd obviously been looking into replacing flags at some point.

Then it occurred to me to check my old PC (an old desktop I haven't used for ages) as I recalled using this to test an installation of FH5 before upgrading it on my (old) laptop - and there everything was, including the custom diagram, with flags and expressions - and this time it had all the features and all the icons! The icons had been saved in a 'My Icons' sub folder of the Calico pie Icons folder.

I had completely forgotten that I had done a test installaton first, but somewhere between doing that, installing the upgrade onto my old laptop, then upgrading to my new laptop and customising folders to bring FH5 and TNG more in line with each other, some steps in the upgrade to FH5 had obviously been forgotten or lost.

So I am now in a position where all my flags are displayed on my diagrams, albeit using flags. At least though I can see where I have gaps in my evidence (and take advantage of the Findmypast offer to access all their rec ords for free this weekend ). And now I can look again at the links you provided to start replacing the flags with expressions as recommended.

Thank you so much for your help, and I apologise once again for the delay in replying, though I think coming back to it after a gap let me think through what I did last year with a fresh mind.
Kind regards,
Sharon

[tatewise]

That is a really great 'find' Sharon.

When migrating from PC to PC, it is important to copy everything in that \Calico Pie\Family Historian\ folder & sub-folders, including the Icons folder, etc, because that is where many customisation settings are saved. (Mostly, they are NOT saved in your Project folder.)

The Backup and Restore Family Historian Settings Plugin includes that folder, amongst other things, which is why it is important to use the Plugin in the PC to PC migration process. The Plugin ensures that everything that needs to migrate does so, and that the correct folders are used for the version of Windows in use.