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New: better faces, more hairstyles, and hats for everyone

The people in your family tree have had a makeover. Faces have softer, more natural shapes, there are more hairstyles and they look better, and everyone can now wear one of 11 hats, a hijab, a kippah or a turban, glasses in seven frame colours, earrings, necklaces and even a nose ring. Here's what's new, and how to open the look panel to try it on your own family.

A family tree in the Gallery design, with each portrait in a gilt oval frame. Nan Rose has white hair in a bun, pale skin, reading glasses and pearls, Grandad Bill a flat cap, Mum Sarah fair skin, a sun hat and long wavy hair, Dad Tom brown skin, spiky hair, a beard and square glasses, Auntie Kate brown skin, braids and hoop earrings, Uncle Leo dark brown skin, dreadlocks and a beret, Max a red beanie and Ellie curly red hair
One family in the Gallery design, written in plain sentences. Every skin tone, hat, hairstyle and pair of glasses came from the story.

Better shaped faces

You can give anyone a round, long, thin, square or heart-shaped face. Before, the shapes were strong enough to look a little cartoonish. Now each one is a gentle hint of the shape, so faces look more natural and still look different from each other. The neck is lit the same way as the face too, so it never looks paler, whatever the skin colour.

Noses and eyes have more steps as well. A nose can be small, smallish, biggish or big, and eyes can be close together, a little close, a little wide or wide apart, so you can get Grandad's nose just right.

More hairstyles, and better ones

There are 15 hairstyles: plain, wavy, curly, frizzy, spiky, messy, a fringe, an afro, a bun, a ponytail, pigtails, plaits, braids, dreadlocks and a mohawk. Each comes in five lengths, from long to buzz cut or bald, and 14 colours.

  • Short hair has its own styles. Short wavy hair has soft ripples, short braids become cornrows, short dreadlocks become twists, and a mohawk has shaved sides.
  • Women keep their hair to the shoulder unless you say otherwise, so "Mum has brown hair" no longer gives her a short back and sides. A bun, a ponytail or "short hair" still does what it says.
Kate's look panel in the Space Crew design, on the Hair tab, with hair colours, the lengths Short, Shoulder, Long, Buzz cut and Bald, and styles from Plain to Messy, each shown on Kate's own face
Auntie Kate in the Space Crew design. The Hair tab shows every choice on her own face, so you can see it before you pick it.

Hats, glasses and jewellery

The Extras tab is where most of the new things are.

  • 11 hats: a bobble hat, beanie, cap, trilby, bandana, flat cap, beret, sun hat, top hat, wedding hat and a bridal veil, plus a hijab, a kippah and a turban. Most come in any of 15 colours. The trilby and top hat stick to smarter colours.
  • Glasses: round, square, cat-eye, reading glasses or sunglasses, with black, tortoiseshell, gold, silver, red, blue or clear frames.
  • Earrings: studs, hoops, drops, pearls or chandeliers.
  • Necklaces: a fine chain, pearls, a heart locket, a choker or beads. They're bigger now and hang over the clothes, so you can see them on a small portrait.
  • A nose stud or ring, and jewellery in gold, silver or rose gold.
Sarah's look panel in the Superheroes design, on the Extras tab: everything she can wear on her head, from a bobble hat to a bridal veil, hijab, kippah and turban, with the sun hat chosen and the hat colours below
The Extras tab in the Superheroes design. Sarah's sun hat came from her story, "She wears a sun hat".

Ages and expressions you can see

Each age looks more like itself, from Baby and Toddler through Teenager and Young adult to Old and Very old. Young adults have rosier cheeks, grown-ups get a line or two on the forehead and smile lines, and the very old have hollower cheeks, heavier eyelids and lines on the neck.

Faces also follow personality. Describe someone as cheerful and funny and they smile. Call them grumpy and they keep a straight face. Shy or sad people look down a little.

How to open the look panel

  1. Open your tree in the editor and click anyone on the tree. Their details open on the right.
  2. Click ✎ Edit look across the bottom of their portrait.
  3. Pick from the tabs: Hair, Face, Skin, Extras, Clothes, Age and Personality. The big portrait changes as you click, or press 🎲 Surprise me for a random look.
  4. Click Save to story. The look is written into your story as an ordinary sentence, shown at the bottom of the panel before you save.
Sarah selected on the tree in the Royal design, with her details open on the right and an Edit look strip across the bottom of her portrait
In the Royal design: click someone, then Edit look on their portrait.

You don't have to use the panel at all. Everything in it can be written in the story, just as you'd say it:

Grandad Bill is old. He has rosy skin. He is bald and wears a flat cap.
Auntie Kate has black braids, brown skin, hoop earrings and a nose ring.
Nan Rose has white hair in a bun, pale skin, reading glasses and a pearl necklace.

The look panel is in the story tree editor for everyone, free or premium. People you share your tree with see the finished portraits, in whichever design you choose. For the first look at the panel, see our post on the character creator.

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