Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

[Matthew Wyneken]

I find myself having to add several spouses in a tree that I'm working on. The first step is to right click on "Add Box" and add some text. The new box shows up as a child of the first box. I then move it to the side of the box where the spouses go. To fix the connecting line I go to the tool panel on the left, change the "Line" color and then the "Line" connection type to, in my case, "Spouse Lines -> Left Edge"

That all works just fine. The problem I'm having, though, is that the width of the new box is based on the width of the boxes in the child generation, which in my case is very different from what I want it to be.

If the new box is not wide enough I can increase the width by typing "alt space" enough times. I can't figure out how to make the box thinner, though. Does anybody know how to do this?

[ttl]

Re: Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

You can make one box in that generation wider, and the rest will follow. I assume, but can’t check right now, that if you make the widest box in the child generation narrower by breaking a long line of text into two, the rest of that generation, including the added box, should shrink.

It’s been a wish list item for me to be able to choose the kind of box to be added—spouse, child, or parent.

[ttl]

Re: Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

You can also sidestep the issue completely by choosing trim by each in the Tree>orientation window, but the price is a chart that looks a bit more ragged.

[AE Palmer]

Re: Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

If the new box is not wide enough I can increase the width by typing "alt space" enough times. I can't figure out how to make the box thinner, though. Does anybody know how to do this?

The thinness of a box on a chart is wholly dependent on the number of lines of text and the font size(s) used. The only way to make a box thinner is to decrease the font size or to remove text.

[Matthew Wyneken]

Re: Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

I decided to go ahead and "side step" the matter as you suggested by trimming the whole tree. I'm quite happy with the result. Thanks, Tim!

In the course of my work today I believe I discovered what I was looking for in the first place. The pop up menu for a person box in the chart has the possibility to select Trim - Each. I think that would have done the trick, but it's too late now. That's fine because I think I prefer the "ragged" look better.

[Barnbarroch]

Re: Box width when adding new spouse in existing chart

I don't really understand why one can't have a chart made in one operation of all A's descendants, with all his wives, B, C, D and E.

My way round that is to make the chart starting with A's father, then hide the father's box my making ecerything in it white. But that's quite tedious.

Jamie.