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Learn how to use StructureGram

Getting Started with StructureGram

Welcome to StructureGram! This guide will walk you through everything you need to know to create your first structure diagrams and start managing entities and relationships.

StructureGram is designed to help you create professional family trees and ownership diagrams by managing data that automatically generates visual structures. You can either draw diagrams (which creates the underlying data) or enter data through forms (which creates the diagrams) - whichever approach feels more natural to you.

Quick Start Overview

Here's what you'll do to get started:

  1. Create your account and sign in
  2. Set up or join an organisation (your workspace)
  3. Create your first Group to organize your work
  4. Make the Group Active to filter your data
  5. Create a diagram by drawing on the canvas OR entering data through forms
  6. Explore your data across different pages

Let's walk through each step in detail.

Step 1: Create Your Account

If you haven't already created an account:

  1. Go to the Sign Up page
  2. Enter your email address and create a password
  3. Verify your email (check your inbox for the verification link)
  4. Sign in to StructureGram

Once signed in, you'll be taken to the main application.

Step 2: Set Up or Join an Organisation

What is an Organisation? An organisation is your workspace in StructureGram. It's where you store all your entities, relationships, and diagrams. You can create your own organisation or be invited to join someone else's.

Creating Your Own Organisation

If you're setting up for the first time:

  1. You'll be prompted to create your first organisation
  2. Enter a name for your organisation (e.g., "Smith Family Office" or "ABC Accounting")
  3. Click Create Organisation
  4. You're now the Admin of your new organisation!

Joining an Existing Organisation

If someone invited you:

  1. Click the invitation link in your email
  2. Review the invitation details
  3. Click Accept Invitation
  4. The organisation will be added to your workspace

Tip: You can belong to multiple organisations and switch between them using the organisation switcher in the top navigation bar.

Learn more: Understanding Organisations

Step 3: Create Your First Group

You will need at least one Group to get started organising your data.

What is a Group? Groups help you organize your work within an organisation. Think of them as 'Clients' or 'Departments' or particularly 'Families'. You will organise your entities and relationships into separate groups so that you can focus on the structures of a particular group without having to filter through irrelevant data.

Creating a Group

  1. Click Groups in the sidebar navigation
  2. Click the New Group button
  3. Enter a name for your group (e.g., "Smith Family", "ABC Corp", or "Acme Group")
  4. Optionally add a description
  5. Click Create Group

Your new Group is created and ready to use!

Step 4: Make the Group Active

This is important! Making a group "Active" filters all data throughout the application to show only entities and relationships belonging to that group. It allows you to zero-in on a particular client or department. You will find things confusing if you don't have an Active group.

How to Make a Group Active

  1. From the Groups page, find your newly created group
  2. Click the three-dot menu (⋮) next to the group
  3. Select Set as Active Group
  4. You'll see a confirmation that the group is now active

You can also make a group Active using the drop-down selector in the top menu bar. You will find this the eaiest way to swtich between groups when you have been using StructureGram for a while.

What happens when a group is active?

  • The Entities page shows only entities in the Active group
  • The Relationships page shows only relationships for entities in this Active group
  • Diagrams are scoped to this group's data
  • The active group name appears in the page header - so you always know where you are

To clear the active group:

  • Click the X next to the active group name in the header, or
  • Go to Groups and select Clear Active Group

Tip: Using active groups keeps your workspace organized, especially when managing multiple clients or projects.

Step 5: Create Your First Diagram

Now for the exciting part - creating your first structure diagram! You have two approaches:

Approach A: Drawing on the Canvas (Recommended for Most Users)

Most users are familiar with drawing diagrams in tools like PowerPoint, Visio or LucidChart. StructureGram lets you start the same way, but the diagram automatically creates 'structured data' behind the scenes - this is the key difference.

Let's create a diagram:

  1. Click Diagrams in the sidebar navigation

  2. Click the Create Diagram button

  3. You'll see two options:

    Option 1: Family Tree Diagram

    • Shows family relationships and lineage
    • Uses individuals only
    • Displays spouse pairs, parent-child relationships
    • Great for estate planning, family office work, succession planning

    Option 2: Ownership Diagram

    • Shows business ownership and control structures
    • Uses all entity types (individuals, companies, trusts, assets)
    • Displays ownership percentages, roles (director, trustee, etc.)
    • Great for corporate structures, trust arrangements, asset ownership

  4. Choose the diagram type that matches your needs

Learn more: Diagram Types - Detailed comparison of Family Tree vs Ownership diagrams

Creating a Family Tree

If you chose Family Tree:

  1. Enter a name for your diagram (e.g., "Smith Family Tree")
  2. Select your active group (should be pre-selected)
  3. Choose a core individual:
    • If your group already has individuals, select one from the dropdown
    • If your group is empty, you'll be prompted to create the first person

Creating the Core Individual (if needed):

If you don't have any individuals yet:

  1. A form will appear to create the core person
  2. Enter the full name (e.g., "John Smith")
  3. Enter the date of birth (optional but recommended)
  4. Select the gender (Male/Female/Other)
  5. Click Create & Continue

The core individual is the person at the center of your family tree. You can always change this later. The tree will be 'cropped' if an individual does not have a traceable relationship with the core individual.

Creating an Ownership Diagram

If you chose Ownership Diagram:

  1. Enter a name for your diagram (e.g., "ABC Corp Structure")
  2. Select your active group
  3. Optionally select a entity filter (for more focused views)
  4. Click Create Diagram

Your ownership diagram canvas opens, ready for you to start adding entities.

Drawing on the Canvas

Once your diagram opens:

Family Tree Canvas:

  • Add individuals by clicking Add Person in the toolbar
  • Create spouse pairs by selecting two individuals and clicking Add Marriage
  • Add children by selecting parents and clicking Add Child
  • The diagram automatically creates the underlying data
  • The layout for the Family Tree diagram is fixed - you can't drag the individuials around manually. This is because the algorithm to layout a family tree is complex, especially if you want to keep the 'generations' on the same level and not have crossed joining lines everywhere

Ownership Diagram Canvas:

  • Add entities by dragging entities from the stencil on the left to the canvas (either New Entities or Existing Entities)
  • Save entities by entering relevant details in the inspector pane on the right, and then clicking SAVE. This is critical. Entities are only on the canvas in draft until you save via the inspector
  • Create relationships by clicking and dragging between entities. Once again, these relationships are only in draft until you complete any additional information required in the inspector and by clicking SAVE
  • Set ownership percentages by clicking on relationship lines
  • Drag to reposition entities for better layout
  • The diagram automatically creates the underlying data

Canvas Tips:

  • Pan: Click and drag on empty space
  • Zoom: Use mouse wheel or pinch gesture
  • Save: Click the Save button to preserve your layout
  • Export: Click the Export PNG button to download an image

Approach B: Entering Data Through Forms

If you prefer to enter structured data first:

  1. Select the relevant entity page from the menu on the left, i.e. Individuals, Companies, Trusts, Partnerships and SMSFs
  2. Fill in the Create Entity form on the list page to create a new entity (name, demographics, identifiers) and CLICK SAVE!
  3. Repeat for other entities
  4. Click on a listed entity (e.g. a particular Individual) and open up that Individual's detail page. This is where you can then create valid relationships between that entity and other entities
  5. Navigate to Diagrams to see your structure visualized

This approach gives you more control over data entry but requires more upfront work before you see the visual structure.

Learn more: Creating Entities | Creating Relationships

Step 6: Explore Your Data

Now that you've created some entities and relationships, let's explore the different pages:

Entities Page

Purpose: View, search, and manage all your entities (individuals, companies, trusts, partnerships, SMSFs)

What you can do:

  • View all entities in your active group
  • Search by name or type
  • Filter by entity type
  • Edit entity details
  • Delete entities
  • See relationships for each entity

Navigation: Click the relevant entity type in the left-hand sidebar

Key Features:

  • Entity cards show key information at a glance
  • Quick actions (edit, delete) available on each card
  • Entity details view shows full information and relationships
  • Search bar helps you find entities quickly

Relationships Page

Purpose: View and manage all relationships between your entities (within the active group)

What you can do:

  • See all relationships in your active group
  • Filter by relationship type (spouse, shareholder, trustee, etc.)
  • Create new relationships manually
  • Edit relationship details (ownership percentages, status)
  • Delete relationships
  • See both sides of bidirectional relationships

Navigation: Click Relationships in the sidebar

Key Features:

  • Relationship list shows source → target with type
  • Ownership percentages displayed for relevant relationships
  • Metadata like marriage status, appointment dates
  • Quick edit to update relationship details

Asset Allocation Page

Purpose: Track and visualize how assets are owned and distributed among your entities

What you can do:

  • View all assets in your active group
  • See ownership allocations per asset
  • Track ownership percentages
  • Identify ownership conflicts or gaps (percentages not totaling 100%)
  • Understand complex ownership structures at a glance

Navigation: Click Asset Allocation in the sidebar

Key Features:

  • Asset cards with ownership breakdowns
  • Percentage validation highlights issues
  • Owner links to navigate to entity details
  • Allocation charts for visual understanding

When to use it:

  • Estate planning to understand asset distribution
  • Corporate restructuring to analyze ownership
  • Due diligence to verify control percentages
  • Trust administration to track beneficiary interests

What to Explore Next

Congratulations! You've created your first structure diagram and learned the basics of StructureGram.

Here are some recommended next steps:

1. Master Diagram Creation

2. Understand Entity Types

3. Master Relationships

4. Organize with Groups

  • Create multiple groups for different clients or projects
  • Use Entity Filters to create focused diagram views
  • Organize entities hierarchically

5. Collaborate with Your Team

  • Invite team members to your organisation
  • Assign Admin or User roles
  • Collaborate on shared structures

6. Advanced Features

  • Save custom diagram layouts for recurring structures
  • Export diagrams with your organisation logo
  • Use entity filters for complex, multi-entity structures
  • Create multiple diagram views of the same data

Common Questions

Can I undo changes?

Currently, there's no undo function. We recommend:

  • Save frequently when working on diagrams
  • Create backups by exporting PNGs before major changes
  • Test in a separate group if unsure about changes

What happens if I delete an entity?

Deleting an entity:

  • Removes it from all diagrams
  • Deletes all its relationships (both as source and target)
  • Removes it from groups and entity filters
  • Cannot be undone - the entity is permanently deleted

Always double-check before deleting!

Can I move entities between groups?

Yes! Edit the entity and change its group assignment. The entity will:

  • Move to the new group
  • Appear in that group's filtered views
  • Be available in that group's diagrams

How do I switch between organisations?

Click the organisation name in the top navigation bar to see all organisations you belong to. Select the one you want to work in.

Learn more: Working with Multiple Organisations

Can multiple people work on the same structure?

Yes! Invite team members to your organisation. Everyone with access can:

  • View and edit entities
  • Create and modify relationships
  • Generate diagrams
  • Save custom layouts

Changes are saved immediately and visible to all team members.

Learn more: Team Management

Tips for Success

1. Start Small

  • Create a simple structure first (3-5 entities)
  • Get comfortable with the interface
  • Expand as you gain confidence

2. Use Descriptive Names

  • Name entities clearly (e.g., "John Smith" not "JS")
  • Name groups by client or project (e.g., "Estate Planning - Smith Family")
  • Name diagrams descriptively (e.g., "Smith Family Tree - 3 Generations")

3. Keep Groups Focused

  • One group per client or major project
  • Use entity filters for sub-views
  • Clear active group when switching contexts

4. Check Your Data

  • Review the Entities page regularly
  • Verify relationships are correct
  • Check ownership percentages total 100%

5. Export and Share

  • Export diagrams as PNGs for reports and presentations
  • Share exported images with clients
  • Keep exported versions as snapshots of structures at specific points in time

Need More Help?

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you know the basics, it's time to create your first structure!

  1. Create a Group
  2. Make it Active
  3. Create a Diagram
  4. Start building!

Welcome to StructureGram - we're excited to see what you create!