Clarifying some Gramps Data model detail

Development
1

I was just looking at the Sep. 2024 Gramps Data Model diagram and had a few questions:

  1. for Media objects, where is the pointer to the thumbnail? Or does that just use the handle as a file naming convention in the various thumbnail size folders?
  2. for MediaRef marquee Rectangles, can this list be re-ordered?

There are some enhancements that should be discussed:

For Media Objects:

  1. linking to Events (not as a Gallery item. But that Event being the foundation of the Media object.)
  2. linking to Places
  3. IDs for marquee Rectangles (so a labeled key could be generated for print. Or displayed in the Gramplets. Preferably supporting a hierarchically parsable scheme. e.g., Bottom row:1, 3rd Row:2, 3rd Row:5; alternatively D:1, C:2, C:5)
  4. Author (link to an “Owner” Person)

For metadata:

  1. Make more generic and integrate as a Person object. So supports Owner as well as Researcher. (Promote having a Family category view mode to include both of these in the same part of the GUI. Where these hold the Partner1 and Partner2 position. And editing opens the Database Owner editor form instead of a Person Editor. Eventually, allow Colleagues {less baggage than “Collaborators”} to be in the Children position.)
  2. by changing to a cross reference to a Person object, it gains all the flexibilty of the Person model. (Where the Name is taken from the primary Name of the Person, using the Name format for that person. Likewise, the location data is taken from the address_list and urls records.)

For Associations:

Some “area of research interest” types could be added. Such as a Progenitor, Proband, or Place Study.

For Sources:

  1. link Author to a Person. (But use the Database Owner editor for Add or Edit buttons.)

If authors could be taken from Persons, then some way to break circular references need to be considered. For instance, the author of a genealogical book will likely have their own book as a Source about themself.