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README.md

🌳 Bystram Family Tree

Version 1.0.2, by Andrew Plowright

Summary

Creation of a printable family tree for Alex Bystram (my uncle) using the data gathered by Krzysztof Bystram.

Updates

  • v1.0.2, 2024-08-08: Corrections for Carl, Lynne, and Liz
  • v1.0.1, 2022-05-11: Changed formatting to make nodes bigger
  • v1.0.0, 2022-04-17: Added new tree logo. Corrected name for Maria Krajcsits
  • v0.9.2, 2022-04-03: Added middle names for Mathieu Tremblay, Michael Tremblay, Justine Bystram, and Anya Bystram
  • v0.9.1, 2022-02-23: Added suggestions from Catherine Plowright. Added family tree for Ágota Pethö (I286).
  • v0.9.0, 2022-02-20: First draft completed. Sent to Catherine Plowright for first review.
  • v0.9.0, 2021-12-28: Began project. Downloaded data from Bystram family website

Processing

1) Downloading data

I followed the following process to for downloading data:

  1. For every person along the patrilineal line between Eugeniusz Bystram (I285, generation 16) and Gotthard IV (I187, generation 7), I downloaded 3 generations of ancestors and 3 generations of descendants
  2. I also downloaded 8 generations of descendants from Wladyslaw Bystram (I109, generation 14) in order to capture distant present-day cousins
  3. I also downloaded 8 generations of ancestors from Gotthard IV (I187, generation 7), which retraces all ancestors to Maciej Bystram (I213, generation 1)

2) Cleaning data

Some general modifications are made to the data, which are performed in cleanup.R. These include:

  • Nullifying name fields that contain "N1", "N." or "No Name"
  • Deleting "linea..." from names
  • Removing parentheses
  • Removing trailing commas

Some specific modifications are made to the data during the clean-up process, as specified in the bystram_data_corrections.R file. These include:

  • Deleting duplicate individuals
  • Deleting duplicate families
  • Replacing typos in locations
  • Replacing specific fields for individuals, such as names or places of birth

Additionally, dates are "scraped" to get years in numeric format and indicators of approximate dates (i.e.: "circa").

3. Relative generations

The raw GEDCOM files do not specify generations. An "initial" set of generations are calculated from a specified individual.

4. Initial positions

Here, "positions" refers to the lateral placement of individuals on the family tree. I ended up doing a lot of this manually, but the positions.R script defines an initial set of positions that can be adjusted afterwards.

This is the last part done in R. The data is saved to the bystram_data_cleaned.json file, and I moved into ExtendScript and Illustrator.

5. Graph skeleton

Using the initial positions computed in step 4, the 1_graph_skeleton.jsx script will graph initial positions.

6. Get repositions

At this stage, I manually repositioned nodes and "trimmed" branches I didn't want. These new positions are saved using the 2_get_reposition.jsx script and saved into the bystram_repositions.json file.

7. Populate tree

Finally, the 3_populate_tree.jsx script will fill in the actual tree.

NOTE: There's an extra manual step that I added wherein I identified trimmed branches in the bystram_discontinued_branches.json file. These have a unique appearance in the tree. Given that this was a manual process, a better way to approach this would be to download an extra level of descendants for each generation and turn this into an automated process

Miscellaneous notes

People of interest

  • I285 : Eugeniusz Bystram (grandfather)
  • I286 : Agatha (grandmother)
  • I109 : Wladyslaw Bystram (great-great-grandfather)
  • I213 : Maciej Bystram (initial progenitor from 1360)
  • I4 : Krzysztof Bystram (who gathered all this great data!)

Families of interest

  • F99 : Eugeniusz Bystram's family

Fun facts

  • I179 and I377 are married cousins
  • I179 was married four times