Contents - Index

Tips and Tricks

Legacy is a very full-featured program that has lots of little features and convenience options that may not be obvious when you first start using it. Some of these may even escape your detection completely although most are documented somewhere in the help file. Although these features are not essential to the successful operation of the program, you will find that they greatly enhance your effectiveness and efficiency and make for a very enjoyable experience while you work.

You might want to reread this section from time to time as you become more familiar with Legacy. Each time you do, you are likely to pick up and remember new capabilities that you never knew were there.

Family View Tips



  Clicking in the space between the Husb and Wife displays the next sibling of the current person (whoever is highlighted).
  Clicking in margin to the left of the Husb switches to his next spouse.
  Clicking in margin to the right of the Wife switches to her next spouse.
  Clicking to the left or right of the Child List box moves the Preferred child (usually direct-line) up to the main Husb/Wife position.
  Clicking here switches to the next set of Parents (when the Husband or Wife have two or more sets linked to them).
  Right-clicking on the relationship text lets you set the text color and background color of the relationship wording. If you are using a textured background for the Family View, you can set the relationship text background to transparent.
  Right-clicking in any of these three areas sets a Quick Bookmark for the current couple (Husb and Wife). Subsequent left-clicking on one of these names jumps to that person no matter where you are in the family file. To clear a Quick Bookmark, hold down the Ctrl key while you right-click the name.
  When you hover over this location a small box appears and a tooltip pops up showing the latest modified date for the husband and wife.  Clicking the box brings up the Last Modified window showing the dates the husband and wife were added and last modified.


More Family View Tips



  Right-clicking on the background between the Parents box displays a shortcut menu where you can change the color scheme of Legacy.
  Right-clicking on any of the tag boxes brings up the Advanced Tagging window where you can tag ancestor and descendant lines and more.
  If the Siblings button has a small red dot in the upper-right corner, it means that there are half-siblings existing for this person.
  This is the Bookmark button. To set a bookmark on a couple, make sure they are highlighted and then right-click this button. Clicking this button displays the Bookmark list where you can then jump to anyone on the list.
  If the Husband or Wife label is colored red, it means that the person is marked as Living.
  Clicking on a picture opens a Zoom window so you can see it enlarged.
  If the To-Do icon has an "O" on it, there are Open research or correspondence items existing for this person.



Descendant View Tips



  Clicking anywhere on the column headers brings up the Customize Descendant View Columns screen where you can select the information you want to display on the Descendant View. You can also rearrange the column order.
  Double-clicking on any person moves them up to the top of the chart and redraws the descendant chart.
  The Options button lets you customize the number of individuals and generations in the chart.
  Clicking on Go To Father or Go To Mother jumps to the father or mother of the highlighted descendant.


Pedigree View Tips



  Right-clicking on the background brings up a shortcut menu 
where you can change the display from 4 generations to 5 generations. You can also change the color scheme of the screen or tile a picture in the background.
  Use the up and down arrows to change between a four and five generation pedigree view.
  Double-clicking a name moves that person over to the main position at the head of the pedigree chart. (Single-clicking a name highlights the name and changes the Spouse/Children and Siblings/Information lists to that person.)
  Clicking on either the Husband's or the Wife's RIN number prompts you for a new number to jump to. (Clicking on the MRIN number prompts for a new marriage record to jump to.)
  Use the right and left arrows to move to the next and previous tagged records.  I = Individual tags, M = Marriage tags.


Chronology View Tips



  You can choose to view the chronology view in either Report Style or List Style.  Report Style is a rich text format that allows you to copy any information from this view and paste it into e-mail messages or other documents. Because this is a Rich Text view, any formatting is retained.
  The Options button displays a menu where you can Print a report of the chronology information, show the Display Options letting you select what to display on the Chronology View and the Chronology Report, generate a Report to the print preview window, and view the Help topic for the Chronology View .

Note:  When you viewing the Chronology View in Report Style, you can copy any text on the list and paste it into emails and other documents.  Just highlight the text you want to copy and press Ctrl-C.


Index View Tips



  Clicking anywhere on the column headers brings up the Customize Index View Columns screen where you can select the information you want to display on the Index View. You can also rearrange the column order. 
  Right-clicking on a person's name displays a shortcut menu where you can choose to edit information about the person or his or her marriage(s), add surrounding relatives, and much more.
  If you search for a RIN (or User ID) by typing the number in the RIN field, the Index List is automatically re-sorted by RIN number. If you search for a Given Name, it is sorted by given name. If you search for a surname by typing in the Surname field, the list is sorted by surname.
  Clicking Options allows you to include Alternate Names in the list, as well as change the sort order and font size of the list.
  Double-clicking a name brings up the Information screen for that person.
  You can drag the splitter bar to the right to create multiple panes. (Only available if there is a horizontal scrollbar.)


Information Screen Tips



  Clicking on a field label, repeats the contents of the field from the last record saved. (This is the same as clicking Repeat or pressing Ctrl-R.)
  If there are notes for a location name, the button changes to .
  This number shows how many years ago the person was born. You can toggle this number off and on by right-clicking the value.
  Clicking lets you add an address, notes, and pictures to the event. When these are present, the Plus Sign turns from gray to blue.  Clicking opens the Geo Location Database for worldwide place lookups.
  These numbers indicate the age that the event happened.
  Right-clicking on any of the tag boxes brings up the Advanced Tagging window where you can tag ancestor and descendant lines and more.
  Check this button when you have confirmed that any unusual information, such as having been born when the parents were very young (or very old), is correct to exclude this record from any further inclusion in a Potential Problems report.
  Right-clicking the Source Clipboard button displays a list of any saved clipboards so you can quick load different configurations.  Left clicking displays the contents of the clipboard and lets you change it.
  Double-clicking the Privacy setting toggles the setting through (Not Private), (Private), and (Invisible).  This is faster than clicking the Privacy Settings button and choosing the desire level.


Name List Tips



  Clicking any of the letter buttons takes you to the first name beginning with that letter in the Name List.
  The Source Clipboard is available when you are entering or editing information on the various tab views.
  Males names are blue, female names are red. To select a name, highlight it and then click Select. (Or double-click the name.)  The gender colors can be changed in the Customize section.
  If you search for a RIN (or User ID) by typing the number in the RIN field, the Index List is automatically re-sorted by RIN number. If you search for a Given Name, it is sorted by given name. If you search for a surname by typing in the Surname field, the list is sorted by surname.
  Clicking Print allows you to print a list report containing the names on the list.
  There are seven tabs that can be selected allowing you to view and edit all the information associated with the current individual. Tips on most of the tabs are included on the following pages.


Detail Tab



  Right-click the detail labels to customize them to any other pieces of information.
  Clicking on any name on the 3-generation pedigree chart jumps to that person in the Name List.
  Clicking the Picture icon displays the Media Gallery.


Edit Tab



  Clicking on the field labels repeats from the last record saved.
  Clicking AKA lets you record alternate names.
  How many years ago the person was born
  The age at the time of the event.


Events Tab



  Double-click any event to edit it.
  This icon indicates that the event is shared with other people.  Hover over the icon to see how many.
  This icon shows that this event has been shared from another person.
  The Options button lets you swap event information with vital events (birth, christening, death, and burial) or to sort the event list by date or name.  You can also delete an event in the list.


Sources Tab



  Double-clicking on a source citation pops up  the Edit Source screen.
  Clicking the button copies the highlighted source citation to the Source Clipboard.
  Unchecking the checkbox changes the list to only those events with a source citation.


LDS tab



  Clicking on the field labels repeats from the last record saved.
  Clicking Parents lets you switch to a different set.
  The down arrow displays a complete list of temples.


Print Preview Tips



  Clicking on the top margin moves back one page. Right-clicking moves all the way back to page 1.
  You can use the Table of Contents list to quickly move to different sections and generations within the report, including the index and source endnotes.
  Clicking the left margin moves back one page. 
  Clicking the bottom margin moves forward one page. Right-clicking moves all the way to the last page of the report.
  The Create PDF button is used to create a PDF file of the entire report that can be easily e-mailed to other people.
  Clicking in this area (below the PDF and Clipboard buttons) moves forward one page. Right-clicking moves back one page.


Address Screen Tips



  Clicking on a field label repeats the field contents from the last address saved. This is the same as clicking the Repeat button.
  The Character Ribbon can be used to enter characters not found on your keyboard. (Click the small blue button to select the characters for the ribbon.)
  Right-clicking on the Repeat button repeats all the fields from the last address saved.
  You can assign an address to one or more mailing lists so you can print reports or address labels for a specific group.
  Select the Private checkbox to exclude this address from various reports.
  Clicking the Calculator icon brings up the Distance and Bearing Calculator where you can convert decimal latitude and longitude values to the required degrees, minutes and seconds. You can also figure the distance and direction between any two points on earth.


Master Location List Tips



  You can highlight blocks of lines by first clicking the top line and then pressing and holding down the Shift key on your keyboard while you click the bottom line in the block.
  You can add non-contiguous lines by holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard and clicking the desired additional lines. (After using the Ctrl key you cannot use the Shift key again in the same selection.)
  The Short Location Name is displayed here whenever you highlight the Long Location Name in the list. Short names can be used on reports with tight space restrictions.
  Clicking Edit lets you add a short location name, notes and latitude / longitude information to the currently highlighted place.
  You can quickly combine variations of the same place into one location.
  Clicking Options lets you delete, tag, combine duplicates, purge unused locations, import location lists from other family files, print the list, and more. 
  You can add pictures, sounds, videos, and documents to any location.
  You can edit the individuals who are using a location.
  You can highlight two different locations in the list, click the Globe button and then choose Distance and Bearing Calculator to figure the distance and direction between the two places.
  The Sort button lets you view the list in various sorted orders, often making it easier to see variations of a location that are really the same place.

Marriage Information Tips



  Right-clicking the Source Clipboard button displays a list of any saved clipboards so you can quick load different configurations.  Left-clicking lets you see the current contents of the clipboard, if any.
  Clicking on a field label repeats the field contents from the last marriage record saved. This is the same as clicking Repeat.
  The Character Ribbon can be used to enter characters not found on your keyboard. (Click the small blue button to select the characters for the ribbon.)
  Shows the ages at which the couple got married.
  On the Wording Options tab you can change the labels used on the screen displays and on reports. Titles such as Father and Mother might be more appropriate in certain cases.
  Right-clicking on any of the tag boxes brings up the Advanced Tagging window where you can tag ancestor and descendant lines.
  You can change the order of the marriage events by highlighting the event you want to move and then moving it by using the up and down Set Order arrows.


Media Gallery Tips



  The asterisk (*) indicates the Preferred picture that is displayed on the screen and printed on reports. (You can also print scrapbook reports including all the pictures from an individual.)  You can change the preferred picture by right-clicking on it and choosing Set as Preferred from the menu.
  Right-clicking on a picture displays a shortcut menu where you can cut, copy, paste, set preferred, and edit.
  You can change the order of the pictures using drag and drop.
  You can tag one or more pictures to indicate which ones you want to include in slide shows and on scrapbook reports.
  The Add Media button lets you add a Picture, Sound, Video, Document, or Internet Website.  You can also Scan a Picture.
  Click the Edit button to open the Display Picture window where you can edit the picture and add or change captions and dates.
  You can choose which event pictures to show in the Media Gallery.
  You can select the number of pictures to show at one time on this form by using the slider. (1, 4, 6, or 9.)
  From the Options menu you can Zoom or Remove a media file, Set any picture as Preferred, start a Slider or Slide Show, print a Photo Album, use the Media Relinker, Tag or Untag all pictures.


Other Tips

  GEDCOM File Import: When you are importing a large file that takes a long time to get through the Analyze phase, you can click in the checkbox while the file is being analyzed to have Legacy automatically start the actual import after the analysis is complete. If there are any problems found during the analysis phase, the AutoStart command is canceled so you can view the report of problems found.
  Memorizing Fields: If you find that you are using the same name, date, or location often while adding information to your family file, you can memorize these entries and play them back when you need them. To memorize a field, make sure the cursor is anywhere within the field and press Ctrl-F9. To play back the value, place the cursor in the desired field and press F9. Ctrl-F10 and F10, Ctrl-F11 and F11 work the same way, as do Ctrl-F12 and F12. This lets you memorize four different fields.
  LDS Ordinance screen: You can quickly repeat a date / temple name combination from the previously saved ordinance record by clicking on any of the fields labels.
  Master Location List: If you want to blank out a certain location everywhere it is used in your family file, you can do so by highlighting the location in the Master Location List, clicking the Combine the Highlighted Location with Another Location in the List button at the bottom, then scrolling all the way to the top of the list, highlighting the blank record line in the top position and clicking the button again which now reads: Highlight Destination Location Then Click This Button. Legacy asks for confirmation that you actually intend to blank out the location name, after which it does so with your permission. (This technique can also be used with Marriage and Child Status'.)

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