Getting started with PED

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Saving the pedigree structure from Input pane

(Please do not miss this paragraph. This is really important)

When you start drawing a pedigree, you are in Input mode. In input mode, relations between all members of a family are displayed. Input mode represents a view of the "inner structure" of a family.

This is in contrast to Edit (layout) mode: In the Edit window, each circle or each square is just what you see: a circle or a square. PED does no longer look at those symbols as members of a family - it is a matrix of lines, circles, squares, and some text.

This is the window where you "fine-tune" your pedigree drawing: Add a legend, a title, more text, line(s) to separate the legend from the pedigree chart, and so on. Here you can draw every possible pedigree; especially those situations that cannot be drawn in input mode, like (marriage) loops, or consanguinity.

Drawings in Edit window cannot be re-imported into input mode

Why ? Just take a look at the following drawing:

This portrait of Peddy PED has been made exclusively inside the Edit pane. You would not expect this one to be imported in the input window ...

If you plan to use input mode with the same pedigree later on:
Export the pedigree before you leave input mode.

No problem: Just press the Export button in the button bar below the menu bar. A dialog will open:

Choose PED Input (*.PIP) file, and save the pedigree.
For a test, clear the input window (Menu Input Window -- Clear). Now press the Import button, and choose the PIP file you just exported. Everything should be like before - well, not exactly:

A pedigree exported as a PIP, TXT, or CSV file does not save any layout information. Symbols, any text, IDs and so on are preserved, but not the extra space added between members. Just go back to the previous page to see how members can be moved in Input pane.

Paste pedigree to the Edit (layout) window

Now, since we know the difference between the input and edit mode, we can proceed to the edit window: Paste your pedigree from input to the edit window:

Confirm (press yes), and now you see your pedigree in the edit window:

The Edit window basics

Before we continue, let's take a closer look at the Edit window:

Clear the Edit window: File menu -- New. We see a grid with empty cells. To minimize the grid:

Edit menu -- Remove blank borders.

• In Input mode, you first selected a symbol in a cell in the input pane, and then an action (e.g., press the Son button).
• In Edit mode, you select a symbol / a line in the symbol bar, and then click on the cell in the edit window, where the symbol / the line will be placed.

Now select the white square in the top symbol row, and then click at the top left cell in the edit pane:

Place a female symbol in the top right cell, and an "unknown" symbol in the center bottom row:

Now choose a "T" line, and place it beween the two upper symbols:

Click at the vertical line button, then inside the cell just above the "unknown" symbol:

This is our simple pedigree. Lines are just above the symbols. To tidy up the drawing press [Ctrl] + R, or select the appropriate menu item:

This is the final most simple pedigree:

In edit (layout) mode, you can only draw inside the grid. To add more cells: click just beside the grid where you need more cells. To delete a cell content: Select the empty button and click on the cell where you want to delete the symbol inside the cell:

The edit window is much like a spreadsheet

In the following pedigree drawing the colors have been changed (Menu Edit -- Colors -- Background / Lines)

The symbols and lines have been drawn by

1. a click at the appropriate (human or line) symbol in the two-rows symbol bar at the top of the window
2. a click at a cell in the window where the symbol is to be placed

Longer lines can be drawn by using Free lines (Menu Edit -- Draw Free Line) or pressing [Ctrl]+F). Now we want to insert an additional row just below the top row.

Press [Ctrl]+A to select a row (or at least a complete cell of a row)

A cross hair cursor will be shown. To select the second cell in the second row:

1. Move the cursor inside the first cell of the first row
2. press the left mouse button, and with the mouse button still down
3. move the cross hair cursor to the third cell in the third row

Now the second cell in the second row is selected:

To insert a row just above the selected cell:

Now there is an empty row just below the top row:

We should re-connect parents and children:
Press [Ctrl]+F to select Free lines drawing mode (or choose this menu item from the Edit menu) and place the crosshair cursor between the parents. Press the left mouse button. With the mouse button still down, move the mouse to the female child symbol, and release the mouse.

  

Just like with a spreadsheet you can copy / cut / paste ...

Always select an area first ([Ctrl]+A)

... or insert / delete cells, columns, or rows

(Again, select an area first ([Ctrl]+A))

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URI » http://www.medgen.de/ped/getstarted3.html