Contents - Index - Previous - Next

Setting a Color Scheme

   The Set Color Scheme screen is reached by choosing from the Options tab on the Ribbon bar.  (It can also be reached by right-clicking on the background area of any of the main Legacy views (Legacy Home, Family, Pedigree, Descendant, Chronology, or Index) and choosing Change Color Scheme from the dropdown menu.)  Whenever you are in color-change mode, the Set Color Scheme box appears on the screen.  This window will always be on top of the Legacy screen.  If it is in the way of something you want to change the color of, you can move out of the way to a new position.  It will only disappear when you exit color-change mode by clicking the Close button.


Legacy comes with several professionally-designed color schemes that you can use to customize the look of the program.  You can also create your own color schemes and save them for future use.  Legacy allows you to change just about any color on the screen.  When you enter into Set Color Scheme mode, you can interactively click on various parts of the screen and select the colors you want them to be.  Many objects can be filled with a gradient of one color flowing into another.

Pre-defined Color Schemes 
Legacy comes with several color schemes.  You can load these schemes whenever you want to change how Legacy looks on the screen.  

To load a color scheme:
1. Click the Options button and choose Load a color scheme.
2. From the Load Color Scheme window, choose the scheme you want to use and click Open.

Creating Color Schemes 
When you are in color-change mode, you can click on the various areas of the screen to set their colors.  You can click on the various View tabs to display any of the seven views so you can see the available items on them.
  • General Items -  You can click on the Quick Bookmarks at the bottom to set the colors they use.

    Legacy Home View
  • The screen background will give you a choice of setting a color, selecting a graphic pattern, or selecting a gradient.  

    Family View
  • The screen background can be changed.  You will have a choice of selecting a color, graphic tiled pattern, or gradient fill.  
  • The color of parent's names and the husband/wife names can be changed.  You will be prompted for background gradient colors and the text color that appears over the background.  
  • The color of text items, such as the Husband, Wife, Parents, Marriage, and Children labels can be changed.  You will be prompted for just the text and background colors.
  • If you click on any of the tag boxes, the Set Tag Colors window will appear where you can set the foreground and background colors for each tag.  (There are also several pre-defined tag color sets available.)
  • Clicking on the relationship term on the Family View, lets you choose the color of the text and the background color, which can also be transparent.
  • Clicking on a child name cell on the Family View prompts you for colors for males, females, and unknown genders.  (You can also choose from pre-defined background gradient colors by clicking the button.)
  • The shadow color can be changed.
  • The color of the shortcut bars that let you quickly change to other spouses, siblings, and parents can be changed.  (These bar only appear when you hover over the area to the left and right of the Parents, Husband, Wife, and Children's boxes.)

    Pedigree View
  • The screen background can be changed.  You will have a choice of selecting a color, graphic tiled pattern, or gradient fill.  
  • Clicking on any of the name boxes will open the Color Samples window where you can choose one of the available gradient or solid color backgrounds.
  • If you click on any of the tag boxes, the Set Tag Colors window will appear where you can set the foreground and background colors for each tag.  (There are also several pre-defined tag color sets available.)
  • To change the color of the lines drawn between the pedigree box generations, click the Connecting Lines link.

    Descendant View
  • The screen background can be changed.  You will have a choice of selecting a color, graphic tiled pattern, or gradient fill.  

    Chronology View
  • The screen background can be changed.  You will have a choice of selecting a color, graphic tiled pattern, or gradient fill.  
  • The chronology display window background color can be changed.

    Index View
  • The screen background can be changed.  You will have a choice of selecting a color, graphic tiled pattern, or gradient fill.  

    Setting Other User-Interface Colors and Styles
    There are many other colors and styles you can set in Legacy.  To display the Set Colors for User Interface screen, click the Click here to change other user-interface colors... link. 

    When you are finished making color changes, click the Options button and choose Save to save your color scheme in case you want to load it again in the future.  (See Saving a Color Scheme below for more information.)

    To get out of color-change mode, click Close.

    Saving a Color Scheme
    You can save the current color scheme so that you can load it again in the future.  You might want to set up several different color schemes so that you can have some variety.  Perhaps a scheme for each season of the year. 
  • To Save a Color Scheme for Future Use -  Click the Options button on the Set Color Scheme window and then choose Save the current color scheme > for future use... from the popup menu.

    From the Save Color Scheme dialog box, enter a name for the scheme into the File name box and click Save.
  • To Save a Color Scheme as the User-Default -  Click the Options button on the Set Color Scheme window and then choose Save the current color scheme > as future defaults... from the popup menu.  This saves all the settings in the User-Default area of Legacy so that you can later reset your color scheme as described below in the Resetting the Default Color Scheme section.

    Loading a Color Scheme
    You can reload any color scheme you have previously saved or any of the color schemes that Legacy comes with.

    To Load a Color Scheme:
    Click the Options button on the Set Color Scheme window and then choose Load a color scheme... from the popup menu.
    From the Load Color Scheme dialog box, select the name of the scheme you want to load and click Open.  The color scheme is loaded and the screen display is updated to the new colors and you are taken out of color-change mode.

    Resetting the Default Color Scheme
    You can reset the color scheme from either the Legacy-defaults or the User-defaults (if you have previously save any).

    To Reset a Color Scheme from the User-Defaults:
    Click the Options button on the Set Color Scheme window and then choose Reset the current color scheme > to User-Default colors from the popup menu.
    Confirm your intension by clicking Yes on the confirmation box.  The color scheme is loaded and the screen display is updated to the new colors and you are taken out of color-change mode.

    To Reset a Color Scheme from the Legacy-Defaults:
    Click the Options button on the Set Color Scheme window and then choose Reset the current color scheme > to Legacy-Default colors from the popup menu.
    Confirm your intension by clicking Yes on the confirmation box.  The color scheme is loaded and the screen display is updated to the new colors and you are taken out of color-change mode.

    For information on the context sensitive windows see:     
    Set Colors
    Set Gradient Colors
    Set Gradient Gender Colors
    Set Gradient Male/Female Colors
    Set Gradient Title Colors
    Select a Color
    Set Tag Color


    10-0146 : 20217 RK