Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

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ChrisGreaves
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Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

I used a windows-based product fifteen years ago, now lost in the receding mists of 32-bit and possibly even 16-bit architecture.
There are many more applications out there, I am sure.

I have family data I would like to key in so that:
(1) The structured data can be distributed amongst my remaining family members; hence the call for a computerised system
(2) The structured data can be “dumped to file” in a standard format, either TXT or HTML or RTF or similar, so that a pathway across to a newer application is possible.
(3) A geometric chart would be good (“The Family Tree” as found in many biographies)
(4) Ability to chain/hyperlink through the data would be good (“So what did grandpa’s parentage tree look like?”)

What other facilities have YOU found useful when you have applied yourself to family tree software?
Your “if I were starting over, I’d look for ...” suggestions will be helpful to me, as a check-list to avoid making some mis-directions in my choice.
Thank you.
Chris
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DaveA
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

Chris,
I do not think you will find a Family Tree program that will meet ALL of your 4 items listed.

BUT, most do have methods of making reports and charts, and even books.
All use the GEDCOM method to go from one program to another, if there is not a built in converter.
Note: the GEDCOM spec is very old and was last updated in the late 1990's, but there is a some what active committee working on updating the spec.
As for item number 4, I know of no program that will do this.

I have several programs but my prime is still the first one I tried.
Family Tree Maker, it is one of the original ones and has been through several OEM's.
The current version is owned by Software MacKiev
https://www.mackiev.com/ftm/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
They have a Windows and a Mac version that are compatible to each other. MacKiev acquired the rights and ownership from Ancestry when they (Ancestry) was going to drop the product. BUT, MacKiev was doing the "porting" from Windows to Mac for Ancestry and they had a good customer based that they (MacKiev) did not want to lose, obtained all rights to both Windows and Mac versions.
The current version FTM 2019 version 24.0.1.252 (32 bit) and 24.0.1252 (64 bit) will search both Ancestry and FamilySearch websites for "Hints" of persons within your family data.
It can be synced to a tree at Ancestry and it can be private of public. But is will be what is consider to "Privatized" for any one under 110 years of age and has NO death entry.
This Ancestry tree if made Private" no one can see any of the data unless you the owner invites them to do so.

In my opinion is the best product out there
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
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stuck
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by stuck »

If you are prepared to spend money then as Dave has already suggested look at Family Tree Maker.

If you want :free: genealogy software look at Gramps:
https://gramps-project.org/blog/

I've got a small bit of my family tree in Gramps. It might do what you want:
1) I have output my Gramps data as a 'website'. I've not uploaded it anywhere but if such pages were uploaded that might tick your point (1)
2) Gramps can output its data in GEDCOM format, that ticks (2)
3) Gramps generate 'family trees' in a variety of styles, that ticks (3). These 'tree' outputs are static (not hyperlinked) but can generate 'what did grandpa’s parentage tree looks like'.
4) The webpage output I mentioned at 1) allows you to hyperlink through the data so that might tick (4).

The little bit of genealogical research I've done has shown me it is a HUGE consumer of time. In particular, keying in the data takes forever. If there is any chance you can resurrect your old software I'd suggest you try as there's a good chance it will be able to output its data in GEDCOM format and whatever you chose to use now will be able to read that, saving you a ton of retyping.

Ken
Last edited by stuck on 20 Nov 2019, 18:25, edited 1 time in total.

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DaveA
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

Chris,
Stuck has provide a good freebee and is top of the line of the freebee's.

As for your earlier attempt, what program was it?
Do you still have a copy of the "Data file"?
If so what is the file extension, this may help in getting it converted to something useful?

Also if you continue this, you are going to be spending more time at that "Coffee Shop" or getting your house connected to the internet!
:hairout: :flee: :cheers:
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by viking33 »

DaveA's suggestion of Family Tree Maker is a good one. I was HEAVILY into genealogy a few years ago but finally "burned out"
I did stay with FTM but I also used another decent freebie in
MY HERITAGE
BOB
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

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Not free but an excellent structure
http://www.tngsitebuilding.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

DaveA wrote:I do not think you will find a Family Tree program that will meet ALL of your 4 items listed.
Dave, thanks for this fact-filled reply!

I am puzzled at your feelings that I won't find all 4 features, since they were in my earlier (15 years ago) version. I assumed that they would be basic requirements.

No mater (hah hah!). I spent a few minutes this morning jotting down a sort-of-syntax for data and shall type it up and post it here.
All use the GEDCOM method to go from one program to another, if there is not a built in converter.
This too I shall explore. I note newer posts suggesting that I might be able to recover my keyed in data. It was this loss of work that caused me to think of an export format, so that if nothing else I could copy-paste the data, even if field by field. Also my ideas today on "syntax" of data.


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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

stuck wrote:If you want :free: genealogy software look at Gramps:
Ken, thanks for this reply.
I have d/l a 64-bit Gramps and will take a look see after my next backup.
The little bit of genealogical research I've done has shown me it is a HUGE consumer of time. In particular, keying in the data takes forever. If there is any chance you can resurrect your old software I'd suggest you try as there's a good chance it will be able to output its data in GEDCOM format and whatever you chose to use now will be able to read that, saving you a ton of retyping.
For this too, thanks.

My original data was keyed in from my mother's handwritten pages back in 1978.
On my sister's death 6? years ago I received her notes.
Then I discovered on my hard drive Ann's notes from ten years ago. My niece Ann died earlier this year.

With family members dropping like flies it behooves me to register data before i pop off this mortal coil!

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Chris
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

DaveA wrote:As for your earlier attempt, what program was it?
Hello again Dave!
I just went looking on this hard drive and found more notes from "Shiela", now married to my second ex-brother-in-law, Shiela was an English friend of my sister.

I could not find the package, but will serach my long-term backup this weekend.
Also if you continue this, you are going to be spending more time at that "Coffee Shop" or getting your house connected to the internet!
Hah!
Neither.
But I might well set aside a half hour twice a week to key in data.
Right now my focus is on accumulating all existing data in a meaningful format so that I can get all data into a common format - even CSV - so that once I start using a package I have the data to hand.

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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

viking33 wrote:... I also used another decent freebie in MY HERITAGE
Thanks Bob.
I clicked on your link and it took me to a link that was NOT Mozilla and asked for my email to check if it had been compromised.

I am antsy about web sites that ask for my email address, unless they are the original URL with wish I wish to deal.
I will think about this ....

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DaveA
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

When you get to My Heritage, you will find that is now states "Start your Free trial"
It My heritage is no longer FREE
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

DaveA wrote:As for your earlier attempt, what program was it? Do you still have a copy of the "Data file"? If so what is the file extension, this may help in getting it converted to something useful?
Brothers Keeper - hence files of the form BK*.*, extents of DAT, DTA and DT6
BKEVENT.DT6; BKLOCATE.DT6; BKMAIL.DT6; BKMARR.DT6; BKMESSG.DT6; BKOTHER.DT6; BKPERSON.DT6; BKSOURCE.DT6; BKSOURPT.DT6


Thank you, Dave, :clapping: for prompting me to go back to my second-level backup drive.

I have d/l Download program BKSETUP7E.EXE (English only, 17 megs) and will try it out later today.

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Chris
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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

Brother’s Keeper
I am happy to report that
(1) I found a copy of Brothers Keeper “bksetup7E.EXE” 17MB
(2) Downloaded and installed same
(3) Managed to convert my two databases from 2004 (BK v6) to v7 format
(4) I can see the data, family trees etc.

For now I am happy and will set aside time to go back into BK soon and collect what is left of my wits.
BK7 will not notice BK6 files and offer to convert them to BK7.
It is necessary to enter one of the Edit menus and choose to find an old database and then convert it. Which seems to work fine, just took me a while to locate it.
I see too the GEDCOM that you kind people have been talking about.

I am VASTLY relieved that the 196+100 names I had keyed in fifteen years ago (two BK6 databases) is not lost.
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Chris
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by stuck »

ChrisGreaves wrote:I am VASTLY relieved...
:fanfare: :joy: :thumbup:

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DaveA
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

have family data I would like to key in so that:
(1) The structured data can be distributed amongst my remaining family members; hence the call for a computerised system
This can be shared as is but each user must have BK installed on their machine. But there are many reports and charts that can be saved a "pdf" and can be shared.
(2) The structured data can be “dumped to file” in a standard format, either TXT or HTML or RTF or similar, so that a pathway across to a newer application is possible.
Yes, you can make html files from BK
(3) A geometric chart would be good (“The Family Tree” as found in many biographies)
See reply for number 1
(4) Ability to chain/hyperlink through the data would be good (“So what did grandpa’s parentage tree look like?”)
Not sure what you are thinking of doing with this
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

As you get going with this project and start add images and external files, these item will not be included in the GEDCOM when made. The GEDCOM should contain a link to these external file(s).
At this time the GEDCOM spec's are old (last updated in late 1990's), so many of the advance enchantments made to the different programs are not covered or addressed. There is a Committee that is working on a new set of GENCOM spec's.
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by BobH »

Well done, Christopher Reynolds(?) Paul Greaves.
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

stuck wrote: :fanfare: :joy: :thumbup:
Hi, Stuck.
These emoticons are, of course, addressed to ALL members of Eileens Lounge, right? (grin)

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ChrisGreaves
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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by ChrisGreaves »

DaveA wrote:have family data I would like to key in so that:
(1) The structured data can be distributed amongst my remaining family members; hence the call for a computerised system
This can be shared as is but each user must have BK installed on their machine. But there are many reports and charts that can be saved a "pdf" and can be shared.
Hi Dave, by "structured data" I meant the data in an exportable format. I have previously shared the zipped BK files and various PDFs. Here I am thinking more of the ability to export the data (rather than the charts) from BK so that someone using a different package can absorb the data.
GedCom seems to address this concern.
(4) Ability to chain/hyperlink through the data would be good (“So what did grandpa’s parentage tree look like?”)Not sure what you are thinking of doing with this
I started writing a geneological application in MSWord.
I had an idea that one ought to be able to click on any item (person, event, date etc) and be taken to that item.
I have seen library circulation control systems written like that - chains all over the place - and have I have an application that builds chains for every Interesting Word in a document so that a single document turns into a mini-worldwideweb.

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Re: Family Tree software. What criteria are important?

Post by DaveA »

Many of todays version of family tree programs can read other programs and convert to the different one.
I know of no list that shows which will and will not read, so it is going to be trial method to see if it can be done.

If you were to send me a copy of your BK file I can try it with Family Tree Maker 2019 (Version 24.0.1.1252)
I also have some earlier version of FTM I can test with.

Send me a PM and I will give you a email address?

Also note the using the GEDCOM one MAY lose some of the "Modern day enhancements" done by todays version of software, as the GEDCOM spec was last updated in the late 1990's.
I am so far behind, I think I am First :evilgrin:
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living