Chart editing

[carrrb]

To create a large boxchart, I’ve been following Mark’s recommendation (Subject: Chart that includes all people, 13 March 2019) of creating a relative chart and pasting into it smaller relative charts from other parts of the family tree. I’ve been surprised by how easy that has been but would be grateful for help with the following:

1. when I paste the smaller chart into the large one, the objects in the pasted chart are grouped and can’t be treated individually. I haven’t found the way (if there is one) of unselecting individual objects within the group so that they can be separately moved, edited and so on.

2. I understand the difference between connecting and other lines but can’t find an explanation of how either should be added or modified. Perhaps that’s obvious to people familiar with graphics apps/programs but I need a little more than the Manual supplies.

3. what are terminators? The Manual refers to them but I can’t find a description of the way they should be used.

Richard Carr
London

[ttl]

1. when I paste the smaller chart into the large one, the objects in the pasted chart are grouped and can’t be treated individually. I haven’t found the way (if there is one) of unselecting individual objects within the group so that they can be separately moved, edited and so on.

You have to edit the tree in the window you created it in. Once it's copied, as far as Reunion is concerned, it's a monolithic object. If you have both trees open at once and at the same viewing scale, a little bit of fussing usually gets the tree to be copied and pasted into the proper form.

2. I understand the difference between connecting and other lines but can’t find an explanation of how either should be added or modified. Perhaps that’s obvious to people familiar with graphics apps/programs but I need a little more than the Manual supplies.

The direct way to add lines between objects is to use the Edit>Add Shape>Line command from the main menu at the top of the screen. This can get a little fiddly, and in some circumstances it's easier to select the box you want to connect to in the editable tree, choose Object>Add Box from the main menu, and then move the new box so it's under the other box you want to connect to. The line will follow. You might need to select Object>Layer>Back while the new box with the line is selected so you can hide it.

3. what are terminators? The Manual refers to them but I can’t find a description of the way they should be used.

This term doesn't jump to mind and I can't seem to find it in the manual.

Hope some of this helps.

[Gregg]

3. what are terminators? The Manual refers to them but I can’t find a description of the way they should be used.

When a line object is selected in the chart editor, the terminator tool on the left allows you to selected different ends for the line. For example an arrow to make the line into a pointer.

If you're just adding a special connecting line to the chart you probably won't want to select a terminator.

Note that terminators can only be applied to lines added using the Edit > Add Shape > Line menu item. Terminators can not be applied to chart box connecting lines added by Reunion.

[carrrb]

Thanks for responding to this, Tim. With regard to each point:
1. I see what I was missing and it's helpful to know that, in theory at least, I can manipulate objects in both the pasted and the target chart to achieve what I want. But that'll require detailed 'pre-visualisation' of the final result: I'll think on about it!
2. Thanks for the advice about adding lines. I'll practice.
3.Under 'Editing Graphic Objects (Shapes)' in the Manual is a section about 'The Terminator Button' and just above that is a brief reference to changing 'terminators'.

Richard

[carrrb]

Gregg, thanks for the explanation. Your response arrived just after I replied to to Tim.