Free Text Objects allow you to make individual changes to the automatically-created graphic. You can create as many Free Text Objects as you want. Each object is inserted into an individual layer in the resulting graphic (see The FamilyTreeFactory Layer Model).

To create a new Text Object, select New... and give the object a unique name in the additional dialog (or accept the suggested name). The object will appear in the list at the top left with this name. The list shows all objects in the order of the layers. The top object in the list will also be the top layer in the output. In case of overlapping it will cover other objects. The objects can be located below or above the person box layer, in which the actual tree is contained. To change the layer order, use the four buttons with arrows.

The text field is just a preview. For entering and formatting text, you can use the special editor, which is opened by clicking on the Open Editor... button or by double- or right-clicking the text field. The editor is described in the subsection Editor for Free Text Objects.

If the checkbox Max. size in edges is selected, the text size will automatically be set so that the space between the edges is filled optimally. Line breaks remain as entered in the editor. If this checkbox is not selected, the text is output in the size specified in the editor. If the text no longer fits within the edges, the font will be reduced just as if the Max. size in edges checkbox were selected. This ensures that the complete text is always output.

For the output, the free text object appears as specified in the Frame and Background areas. The frame line width, curve radii and any shadow settings correspond to the settings for person boxes, which are set in the Treeview Options on the Box Format tab. If the curve radii of male and female person boxes are different, an average is used here.

The vertical alignment within the borders can be set using the three buttons to top, centered or bottom.

The elements labeled with '...edge' are for defining the edges of the object. This refers to the area in which a Text Object is to be output. To ensure that the position of the objects in relation to the column/row grid of the graphic remain the same if the box format (column width and/or row height) is changed, the column/row grid of the graphic is used as the scale. This ensures that the Text Objects maintain their positions and sizes in relation to the person boxes, even if box widths or heights are changed, such as if the content of the boxes is changed. No manual adjustments are necessary. To allow for exact positioning, the units 'mbox-columns' (speak milli-box) and 'mbox-rows' are used for the scale. This allows you to make extremely fine adjustments at an interval of a thousandth of the row and column measurements. This is based on the metric system, where one thousandth of a meter ('m") is defined as a millimeter ('mm').

In general, you will not need to use the mbox-columns and mbox-rows very often. The position and size of objects can be most easily adjusted with your mouse in the treeview (see Functions in Treeviews). However, if you need to make high-precision adjustments (which is not possible with the mouse), click the How to define the edges button for a detailed explanation.

Schematic depiction of the mbox-column and mbox-row grid using an example:

If unequal box heights were adjusted in different generations, there is no more uniform scale between the actual position in the graphic and the row grid. Expressed mathematically: The function is still continuous, but not continuous linear, but only in sections linear. However, the anchorage of the objects at the columns and row grid is ensured independently of this.

Schematic depiction of the mbox-column and mbox-row grid at unequal box heights:

At unequal box heights, the calculation of mbox-rows in large top or bottom graphic margins  (mbox-rows < 0 und mbox-rows > max. row no. * 1000) is based on the maximum box height existing in the graphic.

Click the button Rename... to rename the selected Text Object in the list. The Delete... button deletes the selected object after confirming deletion. You can also hide an object by deactivating the checkbox Output object to prevent the object from being output. This is the preferred method if you only want to hide an object temporarily. You can also delete a Free Text Object directly in the treeview by selecting it and pressing the Delete key. A confirmation dialog appears to avoid accidents.

If you click the OK button to leave the dialog, the settings will be saved and used as default settings for new Text Objects.

We recommend setting the zoom and position of the treeview in such a way that the current Text Object can be seen next to the dialog, which can be dragged to the side of the screen. You can then preview the effects of any changes you make in the open dialog by clicking the Apply button.

Sample output for the above dialog example:

 

 

 

 

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