[Earnest]

Originally Posted by Hermy

It's a screen grab of the chart from Excel.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by starting point but below is what it looks like before I apply a bit of formatting to improve the appearance.

Thanks, that's exactly what I meant by starting point. Tried this method on Numbers, which is Apple's equivalent to Excel, and I expect it could be done with difficulty, but Hermy's suggestion of familyecho seems easier.

[jayzee]

I would still advocate usign SmartArt in Excel or Word.
The attached image took about 2 minutes to create.

[Hermy]

Originally Posted by Earnest

Thanks, that's exactly what I meant by starting point. Tried this method on Numbers, which is Apple's equivalent to Excel, and I expect it could be done with difficulty, but Hermy's suggestion of familyecho seems easier.

When I first began mucking about with Excel a long while back I didn't know I could merge cells allowing me to centre names above or below the vertical lines.
It all came together after that.

[Mick Tator]

I've no wish to start a row.
Excel is a most useful programme despite its growing complexity. I use it on a daily basis but would never use it for genealogy when better tools are available free. (Why take soup with a fork?) Here are a few.

[Hermy]

Maybe I like eating soup with a fork!

Seriously though, when I started using Excel to make charts about ten years ago it was because I couldn't find anything else that did what I wanted to do. It may seem tedious but I really like manually creating each tree and I now have a series of templates figured out which I can apply to any new family tree project at the drop of a hat.

Though I should add I also have duplicate online trees at Ancestry.

[mindhorn]

You could look in to Gramps (free software) as you're able to generate numerous trees and reports. Takes a little bit to get used to but worth it imo.

[Jellybaby_1]

I've always used Excel. As the tree grows you have to be pretty good at manipulating the cells, rows and columns. I learned a lot about that when once upon a time I had a job, but I taught myself a lot as I went along. So far it has worked well for me. I have several private trees on Ancestry. I also have a free download of Legacy which I've begun but haven't really kept up with.

[brownangel]

Like KildareFan I use PowerPoint as my default family tree chart-maker. I like to include spouses' parents if I have the information, and being freeform, complications like cousins marrying cousins are quite manageable. You can also add notes with ad hoc bits of information. I have not seen any package that can print as much information on A4 pages. I put a numbered heading on each page (usually consisting of surnames near the top of the chart) and I use the numbers to cross reference the pages. There is a great sense of achievement in being able to disseminate this - either the whole file or selected sheets as appropriate.
There are cons. It is quite time consuming. When you discover a new line of descendants or a missing sibling, or adding a new generation, there can be quite a bit of re-organisation to do.

If you are happy with descendants charts, RootsMagic does quite a good job - in RM it is called a Descendants list with box style, with option to include spouses. Again it packs a lot of information into a few pages. RM has a learning curve but when you get to know it, it is very friendly.