Chart Examples and Descriptions
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A chart is a document with graphic elements — boxes, lines, bars, etc. — that depict people and relationships. Different charts show different relationships; however, they typically begin with a person or couple and move backward, forward, and/or laterally in time.
Charts should not be confused with reports. A report is a document containing mainly text. Reports are explained here.
Charts are also different from Reunion's "tree view." The tree view is explained here.
To create a chart...
Chart Examples and Descriptions
Ancestor charts begin with one person and move backward in time — showing the parents of each person in the tree. Here is a small example of an ancestor chart:
Descendant charts begin with one couple and move forward in time — down the roots, as it were, from the starting couple. Here is a small example of a descendant chart:
Fan charts are similar to ancestor charts because both start with a source person and move backward in time. However, the appearance of a fan chart resembles a wedge-shaped fan, or the feathers of a peacock — rather than a tree chart.
Relative charts move backward and forward in time — up and down the tree — showing the blood relatives and spouses of a source person. The relative chart combines elements of both descendant and pedigree charts.
Timeline charts depict the lifespans of people as horizontal bars.
Cascading pedigree charts are a series of four- or five-generation, single-page charts that begin with one person and move backward in time — showing direct ancestors only. Each chart in a cascading pedigree is cross-referenced so it's easy to see where one chart "continues" on another.
Bowtie charts begin with a couple in the center and then go backward in time, moving to the left from the source husband, and to the right from the source wife (spreading outward horizontally, so to speak). A bowtie chart resembles two ancestor charts sewn together, or mirroring each other (one left-to-right, and one right-to-left).
Hourglass charts begin with a couple in the center and goes backward in time moving up from the source couple and forward in time moving down from the source couple. An hourglass chart resembles a bottom-to-top ancestor chart and a top-to-bottom descendant chart sewn together.
Everybody charts show every person that you’ve selected to be included in the chart. This could be your entire family file or a smaller subset of your family file.
An everybody chart is actually composed of many smaller subcharts. Each subchart includes graphic elements - boxes and connecting lines - to depict relationships within the subchart. Relationships between subcharts are depicted using node lines, node numbers, and/or grid locations.
Here is a small part of an everybody chart: