Surname cloud graphic

RootsMagic
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This is both a tip and a feature request, in that …

  • the tip is how to generate a neat surname cloud graphic using exported RM report results combined with external word art image generators.
  • the feature request is to have the capability all contained within RM

I’ve been considering having such a cloud engraved or embroidered on something, as an hommage to the people that I owe my existence to.

Externally-generated

Below is the surname word cloud I generated by first exporting the results of a custom Surname report and using that data on a free image generator site.

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How it was done
  • First, I created a Person group containing only my direct ancestors. (In truth I’ve had the group for a long time.)
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  • Next, I used the Custom Report Designer tool to create a single-column report that lists Surnames.
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  • After that, I generated the custom report, using the Surname report and Person group as the controls, and saved the results as a CSV.
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There are a few online services and I used WordClouds.com, in part because it was free to download high resolution results. (Another similar service is WordArt.com )

  • I edited the report CSV file, removing out the duplicate surnames and structuring it to the format specified by the online service template. I also assigned word “weight” values so that surnames closer in my history are larger.

  • Then I uploaded the CSV file, selected a shape and set some other parameters. (I left the color choices as default, but they can be tweeked per-word if you like.)

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  • The resulting generation is what I then downloaded in both JPG and SVG formats.

Internally-generated

I think it would be spiffy if a graphic report like this could be generated completely within RootsMagic. It wasn’t too difficult with the external service, but it did take a few extra steps that some might find taxing.

Bonus points if one of the shapes offered was a tree. A couple of style possibilities:

  • The base would be the user’s own surname, the trunk would be their parent’s surnames, main branches for their grandparents, and so forth.
  • The trunk would be user & parent surnames, remaining names would be in a general green cloud of leaves.

Here’s something along the conceptual lines, as generated using the WordArt.com site:

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Confirming request has been reported to development.

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Neat thanks for the inspiration!

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Perhaps an easier process would be to use the Surname Statistics report which reports each surname once and is exportable to either xlsx or csv formats.

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Sure, if you want all the surnames in your tree that’s a great suggestion.

But the stat report doesn’t appear to let you use a group to filter with. Since I wanted a list of only my direct ancestral surnames, I needed to use a specific group, which led me down the path of a custom report too.

¯\(ツ)/¯

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In that respect, a drag’n’drop of the ancestral Group to a new database would be a way for reports that cannot filter on a group serve your needs.

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Eh, I’d personally rather not create a whole new database file just to use a canned report, since the report CSV had to be tweaked regardless to meet the image service’s template. But if that particular workflow is more effective for you, then that’s great.

Of course, this all goes back to why I made the feature suggestion… so that all these permutations of workflow wouldn’t be necessary & we could get the surname cloud directly from within RM. :wink:

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Sure. It was just an alternative workaround for someone who can’t wait for the feature request to be fulfilled, which may be a very long time…

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Yeah, I think you’re probably right about that. This feature is likely (and rightly) down on the list, since there are higher priority fixes and features being requested. Still, how nice would it be to have an internally-generated surname cloud graphic as the cover of your book?

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