Friday, September 20, 2013

First Look at Family Tree Maker 2014 - Post 5: New Family View Report

Family Tree Maker announced their release of Family Tree Maker 2014 genealogy software four weeks ago - I covered it in Family Tree Maker 2014 Software Announced - 30% Discount (or more) (posted 26 August 2013).  

I ordered it and downloaded it, and imported a recent GEDCOM file created in RootsMagic 6.  


One of the new or improved items on the list was:

*  "New and improved charts and reports — more options and views let you display an individual’s ancestors, spouses, and children together. Also, the Index of Individuals Report has been expanded with options for anniversary, birthday, and contact lists and more."

The one new report that caught my eye (there may have been others, but they didn't catch my eye!) was the Family View Report.  

1)  In Family Tree Maker2014, with my grandfather highlighted in the "People" Workspace, I clicked on the "Publish" Workspace (the top menu) and selected the Relationship Reports" and then the "Family View Report:"



The brief information for this report says:

"The Family View Report is a hybrid family and ancestor report.  It displays three generations of ancestors for a person along with that person's spouse and children.  The report is similar to the Family view in the People workspace."

2)  Here is the Family View Report for my grandparents family (two screens below):




3)  I can "Share" this report ( "Share" icon next to the "Print" icon) and "Send" it as a PDF, CSV, RTF or as an image, or "Export" it as a PDF, CSV, RTF or HTML file.  I can "Print" this report also using the "Print" icon.

I decided to "Send" the file as an image, and saved it as a PNG file to my computer files.  Here is the one-page Family View Report for my grandfather:



It is 80 kb in file size.

This report does not have all of the information in a Family Group Sheet; for instance, spouses of the children and their marriage dates are not listed.  

5)  I like the idea and layout of this Family View Report report, but it bothers me that, although it was created for one person (my grandfather), it shows the information for him and his wife, my grandmother.  For completeness, a similar report would have to be created for my grandmother also.  However, only the title and the pedigree chart would be different.  Perhaps a pedigree chart that shows both the husband and wife and two more generations (that would be the same size pedigree chart, I think.  I would also like to see the lifespan years in the earliest generation on the pedigree chart.

The URL for this post is:  http://www.geneamusings.com/2013/09/first-look-at-family-tree-maker-2014_20.html

Copyright (c) 2013, Randall J. Seaver

3 comments:

Cousin Russ said...

Randy,

This topic comes up often, that is, how to generate a Pedigree Chart for a "couple". As I understand a Pedigree Chart, it is meant to be for one person.

The only way you can get a Pedigree Chart for that couple, would be to pick a child.

In this specific report, then you loose the Family of the focus person.

I agree with what you are saying, by the way. But, I have, maybe, a different question / point of view. Where are you going to use that report? and who is the audience?

I might use this report in a Book, where I have the whole book or a Chapter in the book for that focus person. I am telling "his" story, but I want to show his family and his ancestors. That report would work, I think.

The next chapter, might be for his wife and her ancestors, again that chart, with the different focus person, would work.

It would be very interesting to see what Roots Magic and Legacy have for this type of report.

Thank you,

Russ

Geolover said...

Too bad this chart shows even less data (such as vital dates/places) in 4 generations than shown in a standard 5-generation chart. There appears to be plenty of space to show the vital dates/places.

Cousin Russ said...

Geolover,

This report was asked for my Users. It serves a specific purpose. It's purpose, from what I see, is NOT to replace a "standard" generation chart.

Russ