Author Topic: Printing a very large family tree  (Read 32651 times)

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Offline J_LeG

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Printing a very large family tree
« on: May 09, 2026, 20:53:34 »
How do you printout a full family tree with everybody that is shown in your GEDCOM file?  I've tried to do this in other programs without success.  I even see that Ancestris has a yEd export that I have tried via Google Sheets method before, but had to do some compilation in Excel before pasting the data into Google Sheets due to the large size of my late father's GEDCOM file (contains 88,528 individuals).  When I export via Ancestris, I receive the same error as before when using the Google sheets method when opening the file in yEd.  I believe it's due to a memory issue.  The yEd.graphml file is 670,817 kb in size.  I even increased the memory using -J-Xmx4g and it still locked up the program.  Using other methods within Ancestris, the best I can do is 10 generations out of a total of 236 (?) generations.  Is there any other method I can try before I embark on creating this with CAD software?  Do you have a way to export it to a DXF file?

I'm familiar with CAD software and have devised a way I can automatically import block containing each persons information.  The blocks will contain a rounded rectangle and attributes for each persons data.  I then insert a blank filled block into the drawing and array the block until I have 88,528 empty blocks in the drawing.  I then use an autolisp program to export all the information out into a text file.  I then open it in Excel and copy and paste to fill out the missing data.  One column is filled in with a unique Handle that represents each separate block.  I then save that out as a text file and import it back into the drawing where it populates each block.  Then it just a matter of placing each block in its proper place.  Once you are finished with the initial data, you can update the tree either by adding additional blocks and double-clicking on them to fill in the data or do as before and export and import since any additional blocks will have a unique Handle.  You can also add extra features like rectangles around generations and polygons around family groups that can be turned on or off by layer.

I've attached some low-res examples, plus the overview that Ancestris makes.

Offline Zurga

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Re: Printing a very large family tree
« Reply #1 on: May 09, 2026, 21:18:58 »
As far as I understand your message, Ancestris successfully export the data in yEd (graphml) format.
Then, you are not able to open yEd with such amount of data.
You probably can put more than 4Go to yEd.

I note that you spoke about 236 generations.
No one can establish a genealogical link between the early Middle Ages and antiquity.
So everything above 40 or 50 generation is pure invention.

In Ancestris, you can display more than 10 generations.
The reports are able to display unlimited number of generation but the result depends of the amount of memory you can allow to the software.
You can also display everything with the graph module.

We don't have any export to DXF files.

Zurga

Offline J_LeG

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Re: Printing a very large family tree
« Reply #2 on: May 09, 2026, 23:09:32 »
Thanks for your reply Zurga.

1. I tried 6Gb for yEd and it still gave an error.  Since I have and older PC, I can't go beyond that.

2. That's what I figured on the generations.  Since this is my late dad's file, I'm trying to see how accurate it is.

3. When I try unlimited, the program locks up.  I'll take a look at the graph module.  I'm assuming you are talking about View / Graph?

4. Oh darn.  If I'm remembering correctly (may be another program I looked at), there was a SVG export and thought it may not be that hard to convert to DXF.

Thanks again.

Offline Zurga

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Re: Printing a very large family tree
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2026, 00:58:15 »
3 - See Graphic ascending and descending multi-generation tree for reports and View=> Graph menu.

4 - Some of the graphical reports can be saved as SVG. You can find online tools to convert to DXF. I don't know the quality of the conversion.

Zurga