* Saving Diagram Options

[Terina H]

I have been trying to set some icons on my diagrams e.g. I can see at a glance what cenuses I hold. I have opened the diagram, selected Options from the Diagram menu, added an expression and alloted and Icon on the Boxes tab. I have applied it and everything looks good. I have tried two things, first one I selected OK and all was good until I closed the Diagram and when I reopened the icons and the expression had disappeared. So I tried again and this time after applying I clicked Set as Defaults... link on the bottom left of the Options Dialog. Dialog boxes came up as below.

First dialog after Set as Default

Set Default dialog FH.jpg (155.84 KiB) Viewed 1317 times

Second dialog after Set as Default

Updated dialog FH.jpg (162.8 KiB) Viewed 1317 times

Again everything was great until I closed the Diagram and reopened and then exerything had disappeared. I linked a Flag with an icon too, as soon as I close the diagram and reopen the icon vanishes (the flag is still there). I have checked I am on v7.0.18 (Windows 10)

I am also finding when I change the Text Scheme (Diagram Options) it will not save after closing, despite again using the Set as Default... link.

I have checked the Help and the only difference I can see from my screen to the Help info is the Help info has a tick box not a link.

Clues to what I am doing wrong would be very helpful. Really until I crack this the diagram function is not working for me as a method of managing my research which is a shame as eceryone says how great that is.

[LornaCraig]

There is certainly something odd going on, but the first thing to say is that I think you must be opening a saved Family Historian Chart, rather than a new diagram, and then adjusting the settings in that. If you open a new diagram you should find that on all the tabs in the Diagram Options dialog there is a tick box in the bottom left corner, as you have seen in the Help files, rather than text saying “Set as Defaults…”. I don’t know why that option in the bottom left looks different in the two cases!

Having said that, I have tried changing the settings in a saved Chart and then clicking the “Set as Defaults...” text and the settings were remembered, as they should be.

EDIT:
I realised afterwards that perhaps you don’t want to save the settings as the default for any new diagram. That is what you were doing, and I'm sure you will find that if you open a new diagram of one of the standard types your customised settings will be used. You are trying to save the settings for a particular saved Chart or diagram type. I was about to explain how to do that but I see that Mike has already explained.

[tatewise]

Welcome to the FHUG Terina.

As Lorna says, your screenshots are of a Saved Chart or a Custom Diagram Type not a default Diagram.

The Set as defaults... option sets the defaults for brand new default standard Diagrams.
i.e. If you start a new Diagram from the Charts menu you will see the default icon you set.

To save the new settings for the Saved Chart or the Custom Diagram Type you must use the Diagram > Save Diagram As... options or close the displayed Chart/Diagram and when it prompts to Save changes ... answer Yes.

There are a great many features available in FH Charts & Diagrams so spend some time checking the Help pages.
Tip: Click the F1 keyboard key to reach the Help page for Diagrams in general.

[Terina H]

Thank you Mike and Jane. I am trying to set icons to go over all diagrams (if it is possible). I am not working from any saved diagram just one that I opened fresh. I have listed what actions I am taking in hope you might bear with me and point to where I am going wrong..

When you say new diagram, I thought I was starting a new one. I am selecting Charts, and on this one "All Relatives + indirect Relatives Diagram" - Individual, setting my 2x Great grandmother and selecting OK. Her profile has a flag for "Investigate" and I wanted a visual marker so I clicked on her box to check the flag is there, it is. Then click on Diagrams, Options, Boxes tab (there are no other digrams open) Add Conditions, Select Record Flag, select Investigate as the Record Flag, OK tick icon, choose Select an icon

Add icon to flag.jpg (121.03 KiB) Viewed 1192 times

this is the screen. Then Click OK and select Apply. It marks the person as I was hoping.

Screen shows

Investigate marker.jpg (135.53 KiB) Viewed 1192 times

I still do not have a tick box for Set as default so I clicked on the link

Trying to set default icon.jpg (138.46 KiB) Viewed 1192 times

Select OK the dialog box says "Defaults have been Updated. Clicked OK. Clicked OK on the main dialog box. Closed the chart down. followed the opening procedure (Chart, All Relatives + indirect Relatives Diagram) and the icon has gone! I tried F1 to get help and even got the hubbie to check I had not missed something, it was him who pointed out the Dialog bax was not the same as in the Help. I have screens for each step but I think I have overloaded the submission.

Again apologies if I have missed the obvious.

[LornaCraig]

Ah! We assumed that you were using one of the four basic diagram types (Ancestors, Descendants, Both, All Relatives). It turns out that the "All Relatives and Indirect Relatives" and the "Everyone" diagram don't have the tick box but have the Save as Defaults option instead. But clicking that option does save the defaults to the other main diagram types.

If you treat them as if they are saved charts or diagram types and follow Mike's instructions for saving those, you should find that you can save your settings that way.

I think this inconsistency should be reported to Calico Pie.

[Terina H]

Lorna, thank you. I think I will give that a try tomorrow,my brian is overloaded tonight. I'll feedback just to clarify for users who read this posting in future.

[tatewise]

Yes, as Lorna says, that particular type of diagram behaves differently from what we would expect. Very odd.
Nobody has noticed that before.

As you are a very new user and probably unfamiliar with the CP reporting process, would you prefer that I report the unusual behaviour on your behalf?

[Terina H]

Mike, please that would be really helpful. I admit to using FH for a while but only in Focus mode and I know I can do more, so have tried to start to improve my research and use the system in a better way. I'll get the hang of it (I used to deal with improving charging software, just not switched the brain to anything else yet). You and Lorna have been very helpful.

Thank you again

[tatewise]

Before reporting to CP, I've reviewed the Help pages, which are summarised below.
They throw some light on the issue and perhaps adjust how we should word the report. Your feedback is welcome.

The FH Help page Diagram Options Dialog says in 5th paragraph:

Only the 4 default diagram types use default settings. Other standard diagrams do not. Nor do custom diagrams or saved charts (all accessible from the View menu). They all have their own settings. Consequently they are not affected if you change the default settings.

The 4 default (or core) diagram types are Ancestors, Descendants, Ancestors & Descendants, and All Relatives.
They are listed in the first block of the Charts menu and the View > Charts menu.
However, many default settings also affect Fan Charts, How Related, DNA Diagrams, and the Blank Diagram.

Other standard diagrams include the All Relatives + Indirect Relatives Diagram and the Everyone Diagram.
They have their own settings, but unlike custom diagrams and saved charts, their default settings cannot be changed & saved other than as a custom diagram or saved chart.

The FH Help page Diagram Menu for the Save/Restore Options at the bottom says:

Save Current Diagram Options Saves the current diagram options for use with future diagrams.

That is misleading as it only applies to the particular diagram types listed above.

Do the issues underlined above form the basis of what needs to be reported to CP?

[LornaCraig]

Yes, I think the issues you have underlined need to be the basis of the report to CP.

It is particularly inconsistent that some, but not all default settings affect the other types of chart you have listed. (I haven’t had time to test every scenario, but I can see some inconsistencies and I’ll take your word that there are others.) It would be easier to cope with if those charts followed either all or none of the defaults. I’m inclined to think that none would be better, so that there is no uncertainty that only the four core diagram types follow the defaults.

When the “Set as defaults…” option is clicked (for saved charts, diagram types, All Relatives + Indirect Relatives and Everyone charts) the current warning is inadequate. It simply says “Set the current options to be the new diagram defaults?” It ought to say something like:

“This action will set the current options to be the defaults for the core diagram types (Ancestors, Descendants, Ancestors and Descendants, All Relatives). Do you wish to proceed?
Note that if you wish to save the settings for this particular diagram (if you have changed them since opening the diagram) you should use Diagram > Save Diagram As... and save it as a custom Diagram Type or a Family Historian chart.”

The Help file text for the Save/Restore options certainly need clarifying.

[Terina H]

Mike, just come back on line, from what I can see you have the problem identified. The two charts on the pick list of charts "All Relatives + Indirect Relatives Diagram" and the "Everyone Diagram" are not picking up the default settings. The dialog boxes from Diagram - Options on these charts are not consistant with those in the other standard charts. This is confusing.

I think it needs to either be consistent or there should not be access to the option to set defaults there - it should be clear that once the report is closed any setting will be returned to the factory set defaults for these diagrams.

If the latter is chosen it should be made clear in the manual that these two diagrams will only use factory default setting. My guess is these were missed rather than that they were specifically set to factory default.

Thank you yet again for your and Lorna's help. My job tonight is to set up the icons I need in one of the standard charts and then, for the moment, work via those where possible. Using the "All Relative + Indirect Relatives" only to search sideways before opening another chart (one of the 4 standard ones) to cover that part of the tree, bit messy when you have a relative that does not want to be found, but workable now I know.

[davidf]

It would help if the language was clearer.

I always find diagrams help, but and not sure that my understanding would necessarily support the creation of one.

"Templates" seem to be a new word in the FH lexicon (at least for V7) and I am assuming that they are much like Word Templates (and similar). In Word once you have created a document from a template, it stays like that (for most uses) irrespective of any subsequent changes to the template. The template is like the plans for a house; once you have built a house to those plans, changing the plans only affect future builds of that house type, not the already built houses.

However, I would find it very useful to be able to think of creating a diagram and selecting:

1. Type (Ancestor, Descendant, etc., including the "non standard ones) - "structure template"?
2. Root person or Couple
3. Diagram Data Template (e.g. Text Scheme - restricted if necessary by (1) above)
4. Style Template (similar to CSS - Cascading Style Sheets - in web development)

And then to be able to change any of these at will - possibly via a toolbar which has these four choices selectable by pull-down lists. In effect this will be a tearing down of the house and rebuilding to the new set of template or root choices.

Some of this you can I think do - I would just like it to be more explicit.

[tatewise]

FH has been using the term Templates in various contexts for many versions, not just FH V7.

What we are discussing in this thread are effectively the Default Templates for your items 3. and 4.
In other words, what are those default settings in a brand-new installation, if those defaults are changed what do they affect, and how can they be restored later to the installation defaults?
Also whether the Help accurately describes the current FH V7 behaviour, especially where some new Standard Diagrams have been added.

[tatewise]

I reported the issues discussed here to CP under ticket #393523 Default Diagram Options.

One issue was that in FH V6 the Everyone Diagram honours the saved default settings for the 4 core diagrams, whereas in FH V7 it does not. So that is inconsistent. (There was no All Relatives + Indirect Relatives Diagram in FH V6 for comparison.)

The Set as defaults... link popup message was highlighted as being particularly confusing.

The ticket suggested the following improvements:

1. The two Help pages mentioned should be reworded to correctly describe the current FH V7 features and behaviour.
2. The standard Everyone Diagram and All Relatives + Indirect Relatives Diagram should use all the default settings to be consistent with FH V6 and the core All Relatives diagram and therefore need the Remember Options tick box in the Diagram Options dialogues.
3. All the other standard diagrams should be more consistent. Either they all use the default settings where appropriate or none of them use any of the default settings.
4. The Diagram Options dialogue Set as defaults... link should be omitted for diagram types that do not use the default settings or use very few of them.

Martin has responded with:
"Thank you for raising this issue. We agree that there is scope for greater clarity and consistency in this area. We have logged the issue and it will be passed to the developers for evaluation."

[davidf]

Further to discussions elsewhere on this forum

Martin has responded with:
"Thank you for raising this issue. We agree that there is scope for greater clarity and consistency in this area. We have logged the issue and it will be passed to the developers for evaluation."

This would seem to be a near ideal response as far as immediate support is concerned:

1. Thanks
2. Agreeing the substance of the issue
3. Indication of what happens next

(2) May be easier for them because of the clarity of the Ticket raised by Mike?
Presumably the ticket is closed?

[Gowermick]

Mike,
Am I right in thinking this problem exists in Ancestors Left-Right ?
Despite clicking set as defaults... none of the settings has been applied to a new diagram.

[tatewise]

Yes, none of the Charts > More Diagrams set of diagrams is affected by the default settings.
You will need to save a new Custom Diagram Type to save your Ancestors - Left-to-Right settings.

The default settings only affect the 4 core diagrams Ancestors, Descendants, Ancestors & Descendants, and All Relatives, plus a few others such as Fan Charts, How Related, DNA Diagrams, and the Blank Diagram.

[Gowermick]

Thanks Mike,
I didn't see that option , I wonder why they didn't put that option at the top of the list alongside Family Historian Chart ...?

Not the most obvious place to look, i.e after PDF, JPG, EMF etc etc, which to my mind are Export type options, rather than Save As options within FH