Drawing simple family trees

[peter]

I have just purchased the basic charts and had a trial run with the 'post it' stickers. I'm only attempting a decendant chart from my paternal great grandparents and already juggling with space.

I've probably missed something in the thread, but why isn't your family tree program doing this for you?

 

[emjay]

I've probably missed something in the thread, but why isn't your family tree program doing this for you?

It is a free hand option ideally with 'copper plate' writing, but hopefully will look something like the ones used in the TV programme "Coming Home" (Welsh celebs). The idea is to produce a tree showing siblings and cousins. Obviously not a 'full' tree because that would need an enormous sheet of paper. I am still planning mine which will be of my paternal grandparents descendants, possibly fit my maternal also otherwise a separate one. My idea is that it will appeal to my children and grandchildren without their eyes glazing over. However Peter, I would like to find a chart that can be generated in the form of ''boxes" that can cram a lot into a landscape A4.

 

[peter]

The only program I know that gives you complete control over the layout is Genopro, which has already been recommended.

 

[emjay]

The only program I know that gives you complete control over the layout is Genopro, which has already been recommended.

Yes, I've looked at that and examples on the forum, but when I looked at the program it appeared rather busy/confusing (it does not take much these days!)

 

[Bob Spiers]

Yes, I've looked at that and examples on the forum, but when I looked at the program it appeared rather busy/confusing (it does not take much these days!)

I've had Genopro for quite a while but unlike Peter I do not use it as a database. I tried it that way although only to put it through its paces (even though I had a trusty friend database in FTL) but I found it -as you describe emjay - busy and confusing. Of course I could have stayed with it and worked out how to split it up to be less busy/confusing but by that time had resolved it was more useful to me to draw individual charts from scratch. And that is how I have used it ever since and have lost count of how many I have produced, printed off and distributed along the way. All saved of course for future use or reference.

So if, for instance, if I want to provide my paternal cousin with a Tree just dedicated to her I build up a Descendant 'box' chart using our shared great/grandparents and her own maternal line; and the same with an Ancestral Chart. I may also provide a separate one for her children. Genopro is second to none for that purpose and you may find it ideal as I did.

Our discussion about drawing a 'free-hand' chart began when I mentioned my wife's calligraphy virtues and spotting someone we know what had a wall chart done for them by someone skilled in calligraphy. On the way home my wife said she thought she could draw up our family chart in the same way and that is how it all started and I discussed it on the Forum, and which you picked up. I shall produce a template for her in due course using Genopro.