For Windows

For Windows

FTM 2017

Companion
Guide
to

Based on the original Companion Guide by

Tana L. Pedersen
 Copyright © 2007-2018 The Software MacKiev Company.
All rights reserved.

Family Tree Maker, FamilySync and the FamilySync logo are

registered trademarks, and Software MacKiev, the Software MacKiev
logo, Photo Darkroom, and Sync Weather Report are trademarks of
The Software MacKiev Company.

All brand and product names are trademarks or registered

trademarks of their respective companies. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any form without written
permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer, who may quote
brief passages for review.
2103-6-01
 Contents

Introduction.............................................................................. xvii
What’s New?........................................................................... xviii

Part 1: Getting Started.................................................1

Chapter 1 Installing Family Tree Maker................................. 3
Installing Family Tree Maker.......................................... 4
Registering the Software.................................................. 4
Getting Help...................................................................... 5
Help Program............................................................. 5
Technical Support...................................................... 7
Feedback...................................................................... 7

Chapter 2 Family Tree Maker Basics.......................................9

Opening and Closing Family Tree Maker..................... 9
The Family Tree Maker Interface................................... 9
Toolbars..................................................................... 10
Menus and Keyboard Shortcuts............................. 10
Workspaces Overview................................................... 10
The Plan Workspace................................................ 10
The People Workspace............................................. 12
vi Contents

The Places Workspace............................................. 18

The Media Workspace............................................. 19
The Sources Workspace........................................... 20
The Publish Workspace........................................... 21
The Web Search Workspace.................................... 22

Chapter 3 Creating a Tree......................................................23

Before You Begin ........................................................... 23
Creating a Tree................................................................ 23
Entering Your Information from Scratch............. 23
Importing a Tree File............................................... 25
Downloading a Tree from Ancestry...................... 26
Creating a copy of an existing tree on another
computer................................................................... 29
Choosing a Home Person.............................................. 30

Part 2: Building a Tree...............................................33

Chapter 4 Entering Family Information................................35
Entering Basic Information for an Individual............ 35
Adding a Spouse....................................................... 37
Adding a Child to a Family..................................... 39
Adding Parents......................................................... 40
Adding More Details ..................................................... 41
Adding a Fact............................................................ 41
Copying and Pasting Facts...................................... 44
Adding a Note for an Individual............................ 47
Adding Web Links for an Individual..................... 50
Color Coding.................................................................. 51
Applying color coding to a person in your tree... 52
Removing color coding........................................... 53
 Contents vii

Working with Relationships.......................................... 54

Using the Combined Family View......................... 54
Viewing an Individual’s Family Relationships...... 55
Adding Additional Spouses .................................. 56
Choosing a Type of Relationship for a Couple..... 58
Choosing a Status for a Couple’s Relationship..... 59
Choosing a Relationship Between Parents and a
Child ......................................................................... 59
Adding an Unrelated Individual............................ 60
Viewing a Timeline........................................................ 60
Creating Smart Stories™................................................. 62
Creating a Smart Story as a Media Item................ 63
Creating a Smart Story as a Report........................ 64
Including a Short Biography................................... 64
Including Facts......................................................... 65
Including Sources..................................................... 66
Including Notes........................................................ 67
Including Images...................................................... 67
Creating Timelines................................................... 68
Editing Smart Stories Text...................................... 68

Chapter 5 Documenting Your Research............................... 71

Understanding Sources and Source Citations............ 71
Creating Sources............................................................. 73
Adding a Source for a Fact...................................... 73
Using Source Templates.......................................... 74
Creating a Source Using the Basic Format........... 77
Creating Source Citations............................................. 79
Adding a New Source Citation............................... 79
Attaching a Media Item to a Source Citation....... 84
viii Contents

Adding a Note to a Source Citation....................... 85

Using Source Repositories............................................. 85
Managing Repositories............................................ 87

Chapter 6 Including Media Items.......................................... 91

Adding Media Items....................................................... 92
Adding a Media Item for an Individual................ 92
Scanning an Image into Your Tree......................... 93
Changing the Display of an Image......................... 94
Entering Details for a Media Item................................ 95
Entering a Note About a Media Item........................... 96
Adding a Portrait for an Individual............................. 97
Editing Photos with Photo Darkroom......................... 98
Linking a Media Item to Multiple Individuals........... 99
Managing Media Items................................................101
Opening a Media Item from Family Tree Maker .....101
Changing a Media Item’s File Name....................102
Arranging an Individual’s Media Items...............102
Media Categories .........................................................103
Creating a Category...............................................103
Assigning a Category to Multiple Items..............104
Creating a Slide Show..................................................105
Printing a Media Item..................................................108

Chapter 7 Using Maps..........................................................109

Viewing a Map .............................................................109
Moving Around a Map..........................................112
Using Streetside View............................................114
Finding Places of Interest......................................116
Printing a Map........................................................117
Viewing Locations in Groups.....................................118
 Contents ix

Viewing People and Facts Linked to a Location......119

Creating Migration Maps............................................120
Creating a Migration Map for an Individual......120
Creating a Migration Map for a Family..............121
Entering GPS Coordinates..........................................122
Entering a Display Name for a Location...................124

Chapter 8 Researching Your Tree Online........................... 125

Ancestry Hints..............................................................125
FamilySearch Hints......................................................125
Viewing Ancestry and FamilySearch Hints........126
Searching Ancestry......................................................128
Searching FamilySearch...............................................134
Adding Records to a Tree............................................134
Searching Online with Family Tree Maker...............138
Copying Online Facts............................................139
Copying an Online Image ....................................141
Copying Online Text to a Note............................142
Archiving a Web Page............................................144
Managing Research Websites......................................145
Adding a Website to Your Favorites List.............145
Sorting Your Website Favorites List ....................145

Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books....... 147

Chapter 9 Creating Family Tree Charts..............................149
Pedigree Charts.............................................................149
Standard Pedigree Charts......................................150
Vertical Pedigree Charts .......................................151
x Contents

Hourglass Charts..........................................................151
Standard Hourglass Charts ..................................151
Horizontal Hourglass Charts................................153
Descendant Charts.......................................................154
Bow Tie Charts.............................................................155
Family Tree Charts.......................................................155
Fan Charts.....................................................................156
Extended Family Charts..............................................156
Relationship Charts......................................................157
Creating a Chart...........................................................158
Customizing a Chart....................................................158
Choosing Facts to Include in a Chart..................158
Changing a Chart’s Title........................................160
Including Source Information with a Chart.......161
Adding Images and Text to a Chart.....................161
Changing the Header or Footer ........................166
Changing Formatting for a Chart........................167
Using Chart Templates................................................174
Creating Your Own Template...............................174
Using a Custom Template.....................................174
Saving Charts................................................................175
Saving a Specific Chart .........................................175
Saving a Chart as a File..........................................176
Printing a Chart............................................................177
Sharing a Chart.............................................................177
Large Chart Printing....................................................177
Charting Companion Plug-In....................................178

Chapter 10 Running Reports.................................................. 179

Genealogy Reports.......................................................179
 Contents xi

Ahnentafel Report..................................................179
Descendant Report ...............................................180
Person Reports..............................................................181
Custom Report.......................................................181
Data Errors Report.................................................181
Individual Report...................................................182
LDS Ordinances Report........................................182
LDS Ordinance Summary Report........................183
List of Individuals Report.....................................183
Notes Report...........................................................184
Surname Report.....................................................184
Task List...................................................................185
Timeline Report.....................................................185
Relationship Reports....................................................186
Family Group Sheet...............................................186
Kinship Report ......................................................187
Marriage Report.....................................................187
Outline Ancestor Report.......................................188
Outline Descendant Report..................................188
Parentage Report....................................................189
Family View Report...............................................189
Place Usage Report.......................................................190
Media Reports...............................................................190
Photo Album..........................................................190
Media Item Report.................................................191
Media Usage Report...............................................192
Source Reports .............................................................192
Source Bibliography...............................................192
Documented Facts Report....................................193
Undocumented Facts Report................................193
xii Contents

Source Usage Report..............................................194

Calendars.......................................................................194
Creating a Report.........................................................195
Customizing a Report..................................................195
Choosing Facts to Include in a Report................195
Choosing Individuals to Include in a Report.....198
Changing a Report’s Title......................................199
Adding a Background Image ...............................199
Changing the Header or Footer ........................200
Changing Fonts......................................................201
Saving Reports..............................................................202
Saving the Settings for a Report...........................202
Saving a Specific Report .......................................203
Saving a Report as a File........................................204
Printing a Report..........................................................205
Sharing a Report...........................................................205

Chapter 11 Creating a Family History Book........................ 207

The Desktop Book-Building Tool...............................207
Starting a Family History Book..................................207
Importing a Book...................................................208
Accessing a Saved Book.........................................209
Setting Up a Book.........................................................209
Adding Content to a Book..........................................210
Adding Text............................................................210
Adding Images .......................................................213
Adding a Chart or Report.....................................215
Adding a Placeholder............................................216
Creating a Table of Contents................................216
Creating an Index of Individuals.........................217
 Contents xiii

Organizing a Book.......................................................219
Changing an Item’s Settings..................................219
Rearranging Book Items.......................................220
Deleting a Book Item.............................................221
Printing a Book at Home.............................................221
Exporting a Book..........................................................221
Family Book Creator Plug-In......................................222

Part 4: Managing Your Trees................................ 223

Chapter 12 Working with Trees.............................................225
Managing Your Trees...................................................225
Opening a Tree.......................................................225
Viewing Information About a Tree......................226
Renaming a Tree.....................................................227
Deleting a Tree........................................................227
Using Privacy Mode...............................................227
Exporting a Tree File....................................................228
Backing Up Tree Files..................................................230
Backing Up a Tree File ..........................................231
Restoring a Tree from a Backup...........................232
Compressing a Tree File..............................................233
Uploading a Tree to Ancestry.....................................234
Uploading and Linking a Tree to Ancestry........234
Differences Between FTM and Ancestry Trees.. 236
Working with Linked Trees.........................................238
Setting Up Syncing.................................................239
Syncing Trees Manually.........................................242
Getting Sync Weather Reports.............................243
Resolving Conflicts Between Linked Trees.........244
Unlinking Trees......................................................245
xiv Contents

Changing Privacy Settings....................................245

Inviting Others to View Your Ancestry Tree......246

Chapter 13 Tools and Preferences....................................... 249

Using Family Tree Maker Tools..................................249
Soundex Calculator................................................249
Relationship Calculator ........................................250
Date Calculator .....................................................251
Name Converter.....................................................252
Find Individual Tool..............................................253
Automatic Reference Numbers............................254
Global Birth Order Tool........................................255
Research To-Do List..............................................255
Setting Up Preferences.................................................259
General Preferences...............................................259
Date Preferences.....................................................263
Name Preferences...................................................264
Place Preferences....................................................265
Warning and Alert Preferences ...........................266
Managing Facts.............................................................268
Creating a Custom Fact.........................................268
Modifying a Predefined Fact................................270
Modifying a Fact Sentence....................................271
Managing Historical Events........................................272
Customizing the Tree Tab Editing Panel...................273
Entering User Information..........................................274

Chapter 14 Family Tree Problem Solver...............................275

Straightening Out Relationships................................275
Merging Duplicate Individuals.............................275
 Contents xv

Removing an Individual from a Tree...................279

Removing a Marriage............................................280
Detaching a Child from the Wrong Parents.......281
Attaching a Child to a Father and Mother..........282
Fixing Text Mistakes....................................................283
Global Spell Checker.............................................283
Find and Replace Tool...........................................284
Merging Duplicate Facts.......................................286
Running the Data Errors Report................................287
Standardizing Locations..............................................289
Identifying a Single Location................................289
Identifying Multiple Locations.............................291
Finding Missing Media Items.....................................292
Finding a Single Missing Media Item..................292
Finding All Missing Media Items.........................293

Troubleshooting................................................. 295

Glossary.............................................................. 309

Index..................................................................... 313
 Introduction
Congratulations on selecting Family Tree Maker to discover and
preserve your family’s heritage. It’s easy to use for those just starting
to research their family history, but it’s also powerful enough for the
most serious genealogist. Use Family Tree Maker to store, display,
and share any kind of family information—from names, marriages,
and deaths to priceless family stories, photos, and videos.
This guide is designed to help you learn Family Tree Maker
quickly, leaving you more time to discover your family history.
Even if you have never used a genealogy program before, you’ll
find that the features in Family Tree Maker make it possible to keep
track of even the most tangled of family trees.
This book is written with the novice computer user in mind.
You’ll read about many of the useful tools that the casual Family
Tree Maker user never discovers, and you’ll be taken on a hands-on
trip through the program. The many illustrations let you check your
progress as you master each new feature or concept. Even if you are
familiar with computers, though, you may have only recently been
introduced to Family Tree Maker or simply want to know what
great features you have not yet discovered in the program. This
book offers you a step-by-step tour of the program and all that you
can accomplish with it.
Before you begin entering your family’s information, be sure to
check out the “Family Tree Maker Basics” chapter. It will give you
the skills you need to navigate through Family Tree Maker and will
familiarize you with the software’s interface.
xviii Introduction

What’s New?
New features and enhancements in Family Tree Maker 2017 make
it easier than ever to discover your family history, build your
family tree, and share your unique heritage. Here are four of the
most notable new features you will find as you explore Family Tree
Maker 2017:

FamilySearch Integration. Family Tree Maker users

can now directly access online records of FamilySearch,
the world’s largest collection of genealogical and
historical records, much like they already do with
Ancestry.com. Users can search more than a billion names in
FamilySearch’s Family Tree database, get match suggestions (hints),
and merge the results into their trees. See pages 125-137.

FamilySync®. An upgrade from Ancestry’s TreeSync®

® technology, FamilySync allows Family Tree Maker
2017 users to synchronize the trees on their computer
with Ancestry trees, as well as to simply upload their
trees to and download their trees from Ancestry. Those using both
a desktop and laptop computer will appreciate the new ability to
sync both to a single Ancestry tree online. See pages 238-246.

Color Coding. Providing the ability to mark up to

eight colors at a time on a single person, color coding
helps users organize their records and gain helpful
insights into their family’s unique history. Together with
sophisticated filter tools, color coding allows users to uncover crossed
family lines and identify relationships that might otherwise have
never been discovered. See pages 51-53.
 Introduction xix

Photo Darkroom™. Photo Darkroom provides

elegantly simple but powerful photo editing tools
designed specifically for genealogists. The first set of
tools, a photo repair suite, makes it possible to take
old black-and-white photographs faded beyond recognition and, in
just a few clicks, restore them to look almost like the day they were
printed. See pages 98-99.

How the Guide Is Organized

As you read this book, you’ll notice several features that provide
you with useful information:
• Tips give you advice on the best ways to perform tasks.
• Notes offer you timely hints and explanations about how
features work.
• Sidebars give you additional information on a variety of family
history topics, such as using maps, that will enhance your ability
to create a richer and more complete family tree.
• A glossary explains words you might not be familiar with, such
as Family Tree Maker terms (family group view, Fastfields), and
genealogy terms (GEDCOM, Ahnentafel).
If you still need help, a quick perusal of the Table of Contents
should lead you right to the task you are trying to perform; if not,
check the index in the back of the book.
 Part One
Getting Started

Chapter 1: Installing Family Tree Maker.............................. 3

Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics.................................. 9

Chapter 3: Creating a Tree.................................................. 23

 Chapter One
Installing Family Tree Maker

This chapter lists the system requirements for Family Tree Maker,
shows you how to install the software, and gives a quick introduc-
tion to available help resources.

Recommended System Requirements

To use Family Tree Maker, you’ll need a computer that meets the
specifications below. Keep in mind that the more information in
your tree, the greater the amount of free hard drive space and avail-
able RAM you will need. If you have lots of images or videos, you’ll
need a substantial amount of hard drive space.
• Operating system: Microsoft Windows® 7 or later, including
Windows® 10
• Hard disk space: 900 MB for installation
• Memory: 2 GB RAM minimum (4 GB recommended)
• Display: 1024x768 resolution monitor
• DVD drive (only if installing from a DVD)
All online features require Internet access. The user is responsible
for their Internet Service Provider (ISP) account, all Internet access
fees, and phone charges.
4 Part 1: Getting Started

Installing Family Tree Maker

To use Family Tree Maker the software must be installed on your
computer’s hard drive; you cannot run it directly from the DVD or
the USB drive. If you have an earlier version of Family Tree Maker
installed on your computer, this new version will not copy over it.
While the installation process will not harm your existing Family
Tree Maker files, it’s always a good idea to back up your tree files on
an external storage device or using a cloud storage service.

1. Insert the Family Tree Maker DVD, or double-click the .exe

file that you have downloaded or that is located on your Family
Tree Maker USB Drive.
2. Run the Family Tree Maker installer.
3. On the Welcome screen, click Next to continue, and then fol-
low the onscreen instructions.
Note: If you experience any difficulties, please see the “Installation
Problems“ section of the “Troubleshooting” chapter on page 302.

Registering the Software

Before you create your first tree, take a minute to register the soft-
ware. Registered users get discounts on new editions of Family Tree
Maker and notifications of software updates.
When you open the application for the first time, the
registration dialog opens automatically. If you choose not to
register on the first run, but decide to do so some time later, select
Register Family Tree Maker from the Help menu, and then follow
the onscreen instructions. Make sure your computer is connected
to the Internet before you start.
 Chapter 1: Installing Family Tree Maker 5

License Agreement
Please read the license agreement. You can view it during the software
installation or at a later time. The License text file is located in the same
folder on your hard drive where you installed Family Tree Maker.

Getting Help
Family Tree Maker has a built-in Help system, this companion
guide, and online technical support. If you have questions about a
feature or simply want to learn more about the program, check out
one of these resources.

Help Program
To access Help, go to the Help menu and select Help for Family
Tree Maker; or press the F1 key. Use these tabs on the Help win-
dow (fig. 1-1) to find the topic you’re interested in:
• Contents tab. Click to view topics arranged in chapters, like a
book’s table of contents.
• Index tab. Click to view topics by words and phrases.
• Search tab. Click to look for specific words or phrases within
Help topics. Many useful topic pages can be found by entering
keywords such as “adding,” “creating,” and “merging.”

Navigating in the Help Program

The Help program uses blue, underlined links to take you to related
topics. Simply click any link to go to a new topic. Use these
options to move around within the Help program:
6 Part 1: Getting Started

Figure 1-1. The Welcome window in the Help program.

• Hide/Show. Click to show and hide the tab view of the Help
window.
• Back. Click to return to Help pages you’ve viewed already.
• Home. Click to return to the Welcome window.
• Print. Click to print the currently selected Help page.
• Options button. Click to display a sub-menu of additional
options, such as “Search Highlight On,” which you can use to
highlight search terms on a Help page.

Tooltips
If you want to know the name of a button or find out what it’s used for,
hold the pointer over it for a second or two and a tooltip will appear.
 Chapter 1: Installing Family Tree Maker 7

Technical Support
Family Tree Maker has an online support center where you can
get assistance with technical problems and answers to customer
service questions. You’ll start by searching our knowledge base
of easy-to-understand articles with tips and step-by-step instruc-
tions. If that doesn’t provide what you need, you can fill out an
online support request and have an option to get an answer by
email or be connected right away to our Live Chat service which
is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Choose Family Tree
Maker Tech Support from the Help menu to get started.

Feedback
We’d love to hear from you with comments, questions or sugges-
tions. Please visit the Family Tree Maker product page online.
Choose Provide Family Tree Maker Feedback from the Help
menu, or go to www.familytreemaker.com, and then use one of the
feedback options available there.
 Chapter Two
Family Tree Maker Basics

Family Tree Maker makes it easy—and enjoyable—for anyone to

discover their family history and gather it into one convenient
location. And whether you’re interested in printing family charts to
share at a reunion or looking for an easy way to store your family
facts, photos, and records, Family Tree Maker is the program to
help you do it all.
This chapter gives you the basic skills and knowledge you need
to launch the program and navigate around the software. Let’s get
started.

Opening and Closing Family Tree Maker

To open the program, double-click the Family Tree Maker 2017
icon on your computer desktop or click the Windows Start button
and select Family Tree Maker 2017.
To close the program, click File > Exit or click the Close button
(X) in the upper-right corner. There’s no need to save your tree—
Family Tree Maker automatically saves changes as you make them.

The Family Tree Maker Interface

To use any computer program effectively, the first step is to under-
stand its unique interface and tools. You’ll immediately recognize
many common features in Family Tree Maker. However, there are
some toolbars, menus, and windows you’ll want to learn how to use.
10 Part 1: Getting Started

Toolbars
The main toolbar in Family Tree Maker (fig. 2-1) is located at the
top of the window above the menu bar. It provides quick navigation
to various workspaces—groupings of the most important features
in the software. On the far left of the toolbar, you’ll find the Select
Tree drop-down list that lets you switch between trees.

Figure 2-1. The main toolbar.

Menus and Keyboard Shortcuts

Family Tree Maker menus work like in any other computer pro-
gram. Simply click a menu name to display its options; then, click
the option you want. Some menu options have keyboard shortcuts
that allow you to access features without using a mouse or trackpad.

Workspaces Overview
Family Tree Maker groups important features together in work-
spaces. Each workspace has a slightly different appearance and
purpose, but generally, they all contain the same elements, such as
toolbars and tabs.

The Plan Workspace

The Plan workspace is the “control center” where you manage your
family trees. On the New Tree tab you can start a new tree, import
an existing tree file, or download a tree from Ancestry.
 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 11

Figure 2-2. The Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

The Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace (fig. 2-2) lets you
view details about your tree, manage your research to-do list,
and, if you’ve linked your desktop tree to an online tree, you can
also manage how the trees are synced. The Current Tree tab also
contains the Ancestry Web Dashboard where you can see the status
of your Ancestry subscription if you have one (double-click it to
access your Ancestry account), open your Ancestry trees, and view
your Member Connect activity.

What Is Member Connect on Ancestry?

Member Connect helps you stay in touch with others who are research-
ing your ancestors. Ancestry scans public Ancestry trees and notifies
you when there’s activity around records you’ve saved or commented on.
12 Part 1: Getting Started

The People Workspace

The People workspace is where you enter information about indi-
viduals and families in your tree—and where you will spend most
of your time in Family Tree Maker.
The Tree tab (fig. 2-3) provides a comprehensive view of your
family. You can see several generations of your family at once and
easily navigate to each person in your tree. Because you will use this
tab often, its various sections are explained in detail.

Figure 2-3. The Tree tab on the People workspace.

The Index
The Index (fig. 2-4) lists all the individuals in your tree and is one of
the easiest ways to locate the person you want to focus on. To view
information for a specific individual, simply click his or her name in
the Index. If you can’t see the person you want, use the scroll bar to
move up and down the list, or type a name in the Find field to jump to
a particular person.
 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 13

The house icon indicates the

individual who is the current
home person in the tree. (You’ll
learn more about the home
person in chapter 3.)
To make it easier to locate
individuals, you can change how
the Index sorts names using
the Sort drop-down list. Also,
you can add birth, marriage, or
death dates by clicking the Show
additional data in index button.
You can also limit the Index
so it displays only certain indi-
viduals; click the Filter button
and choose a specific family line,
an individual’s descendants, or
a group of your choice. Click
the Bookmarks button to see a
list of individuals you have spe-
cifically bookmarked, or click
the History button to see the
individuals you have added or
edited recently.

Figure 2-4. The Index.

14 Part 1: Getting Started

Saving and Opening Filtered Lists of People

When you have applied a filter, you may want to retain the list of
people that it produced so that you can return to it whenever you
need. You can save the list by clicking the Save button at the bottom
of the Index. In the dialog that appears, give the list a name and
click Save. You can also choose a color. This color will be assigned
to all the people in the list and displayed next to their names in the
Index and on their thumbnails in the tree viewer, exactly as colors
assigned with color coding are. For more information about color
coding, see the “Color Coding” section on page 51.

Figure 2-5. The Save List dialog.

When you save your list, it appears in the Saved Lists drop-
down list below the Save button. To open a saved list, click the
drop-down list and choose the list you want.

Managing Saved Lists

• To manage lists, choose Manage Lists from the Saved Lists
drop-down list.
• To add a new list, either save an existing one (see “Saving and
Opening Filtered Lists of People” above) or click the “plus”
button in the Manage Lists dialog. The Filter Individuals dialog
appears. Set up a filter to produce the list you need, and then
click Apply. In the dialog that appears, give the list a name and,
optionally, choose a color, and then click OK.
 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 15

• To delete an existing list, select its name in the Manage Lists

dialog, and then click the “minus” button.
• To change a list’s name or color, select the list in the Manage
Lists dialog, and then edit the name in the Name field or click a
different color.

The Tree Viewer

The tree viewer (fig. 2-6) helps you navigate your family tree as well
as enter new individuals.

Figure 2-6. The pedigree view in the tree viewer.

These buttons will help you use the tree viewer:

Go to home person. Makes the home person the primary
individual or focus of the tree.
Pedigree view. Shows a pedigree view of your tree. The
primary individual or focus of the tree is on the left, with
ancestors branching out to the right.
Family view. Shows a family view of your tree. The primary
individual is at the base of the tree, with ancestors branching
above—paternal on the left and maternal on the right.
16 Part 1: Getting Started

Include pictures. Displays portraits and lifespans for each

individual in the pedigree view.
Re-center on selected person. Adjusts the tree to focus on
the currently selected person in the family view.
Background color. Lets you choose the tree viewer’s
background color.

The Editing Panel

The editing panel (fig. 2-7) is where
you’ll enter basic information about
an individual, such as birth, marriage,
and death dates and places. At the top
you’ll find a portrait of an individual
(if you’ve added one) and how he or
she is related to the home person.
Toolbar buttons under the portrait let
you display media items, notes, Web
links, and tasks associated with the Figure 2-7. The editing panel.
individual.

The Family Group View

The family group view (fig. 2-8) lets you view an individual’s spouse
and children.

Figure 2-8. The family group view on the People workspace.

 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 17

Click the “parents” button above the individual to display his or her
parents and siblings. The toolbar buttons let you edit the couple’s
marriage fact, change the display order of their children, and view
blended families.

The Person Tab

The Person tab on the People workspace (fig. 2-9) lets you add facts,
media items, Web links, and notes for an individual. You can also
view a timeline for an individual and their relationships to other
family members.

Figure 2-9. The Person tab on the People workspace.

18 Part 1: Getting Started

The Places Workspace

The Places workspace (fig. 2-10) helps you view the locations you’ve
entered for events—and gives you the opportunity to view online
maps of them. The Places panel on the left shows every location
you’ve entered in your tree. When you click on a place, it will be
displayed in the map at the center of the workspace. The details
panel on the right side shows the individuals who have life events
associated with the location.

Figure 2-10. The Places workspace.

 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 19

The Media Workspace

The Media workspace acts as a storage space for your photos, audio
recordings, movies, family documents, and historical records. On
the Collection tab (fig. 2-11) you can view thumbnails of your media
items and enter information about them. On the Detail tab you can
add notes for an item and link it to individuals and source citations.

Figure 2-11. The Collection tab on the Media workspace.

20 Part 1: Getting Started

The Sources Workspace

The Sources workspace (fig. 2-12) organizes your sources and source
citations. The Source Groups panel on the left lets you sort sources
by person, title, and repository; the sources display area shows which
citations have been entered for a specific source. Tabs at the bottom of
the window show the individuals linked to a source citation, related
notes, and media items. In the editing panel, you can enter or update
specific source citations.

Figure 2-12. The Sources workspace.

 Chapter 2: Family Tree Maker Basics 21

The Publish Workspace

The Publish workspace offers a variety of charts and reports that
you can view, print, and share. You can also create family history
books. The Collection tab (fig. 2-13) shows the types of charts and
reports that are available and gives an explanation of each.
On the Detail tab you can customize a chart or report using the
editing panel and preview your changes.

Figure 2-13. The Collection tab on the Publish workspace.

22 Part 1: Getting Started

The Web Search Workspace

The Web Search workspace (fig. 2-14) lets you search billions of
records on Ancestry and FamilySearch to find more information
about your relatives—all without leaving Family Tree Maker. You
can also search other websites and easily download discoveries into
your tree.

Figure 2-14. The Web Search workspace.

 Chapter Three
Creating a Tree

Before You Begin

This chapter assumes that you have installed Family Tree Maker and
read chapters 1 and 2. Once you’ve learned a few of the basic
Family Tree Maker features, you’re ready to create your first tree.
Make sure you have family information handy or have a file, such
as a GEDCOM, or Ancestry tree to use.

Creating a Tree
A tree is where you gather and enter your family facts and details. If
you’ve received a family history file from another family member or
researcher, you can import the file, creating a new tree. Then you can
begin adding your own information. You can also create a tree by
entering a few quick facts about yourself or by downloading a tree
you’ve created on Ancestry. Yet another way is to create a backup
of an existing tree you have in Family Tree Maker 2017 on another
computer and move it to the current computer. This allows you to
keep two FTM trees (or more if you wish) and a linked Ancestry tree
in sync. See “Working with Linked Trees” on page 238.

Entering Your Information from Scratch

If this is your first time creating a family tree, you’ll want to use
this option. Enter a few facts about yourself and your parents, and
you’re on your way.
24 Part 1: Getting Started

1. Click the Plan button on the main toolbar to open the Plan
workspace.
2. On the New Tree tab, click Enter What You Know.
3. Type your name and choose your gender. You can also enter
your birth date and place and your parents’ names.

4. Enter a name for the tree in the New tree name field.
5. By default, your tree file will be saved to a Family Tree Maker
folder located in your documents folder. If you want to save
the tree file to another folder, click File Location.
6. Click Continue. The tree opens on the People workspace,
where you can start entering your family information.
 Chapter 3: Creating a Tree 25

How Many Trees Should You Create?

When most beginners create a family tree, their first question is, “Should
I create one large, all-inclusive tree or several small trees, one for each
family?” The truth is, there is no right answer.
The advantages to having one large tree are pretty clear. One com-
puter file is easier to keep track of—one file to enter your information in,
one file to back up, one file to share. Also, you won’t have to duplicate
your efforts by entering some data, sources, and media items in several
trees.
Multiple trees can be useful too. The more trees you have, the
smaller the tree files will typically be. If you have concerns about your
computer’s performance or have storage issues, smaller files might work
best. Smaller tree files also make it easier to collaborate with other family
members; you can send them only the family lines they’re interested in.
Regardless of which way you organize your trees initially, don’t feel
like you’re stuck with a permanent decision. The flexible nature of Family
Tree Maker means you can merge files any time; you can even export
parts of your tree to create a brand new tree.

Importing a Tree File

If you’ve already created a tree file or received one from another
family member, you can import it. Tree files from previous versions
of Family Tree Maker, GEDCOMs (GEnealogical Data COMmuni-
cations format), FamilySearch Personal Ancestral Files (PAFs), and
Legacy Family Tree files are all compatible.

1. If you haven’t already, copy the tree file you want to import to
your computer’s hard drive.
2. Click the Plan button on the main toolbar to open the Plan
workspace.
26 Part 1: Getting Started

3. On the New Tree tab, click Import an Existing Tree.

4. Click Browse to locate the tree file you want to import.

5. By default, your tree file will be saved to a Family Tree Maker
folder located in your documents folder. If you want to save the
tree file to another folder, click File Location.
6. If necessary, change the file’s name in the New tree name field.
7. Click Continue. You’ll see the Import Complete window,
which shows statistics for the new tree, including the number
of individuals, families, and sources that were imported.
8. Click Close. The tree opens on the People workspace, where
you can start entering your family information.

Downloading a Tree from Ancestry

If you’ve created a tree on Ancestry, you don’t need to start over in
Family Tree Maker; you can download the tree to your computer. It
will include all the facts, sources, and images you have attached to
individuals.
Note: To download an Ancestry tree, you must be the tree’s owner;
you can’t download trees you’ve been invited to view or edit.
 Chapter 3: Creating a Tree 27

Downloading and Linking a Tree in Family Tree Maker

When you download a tree from Ancestry, you create a link be-
tween your online Ancestry tree and its corresponding tree on your
computer. This means that additions, deletions, or edits you make
in your Family Tree Maker tree will be duplicated in your Ancestry
tree (and vice versa) when you sync. (For more information see
“Differences Between FTM and Ancestry Trees” on page 236 and
“Working with Linked Trees” on page 238.)
Note: When you download your Ancestry tree, a new FTM tree will
be created and linked to your Ancestry tree. You can merge the new
FTM tree with another FTM tree later if you wish, but not during the
download.

1. Make sure you are logged in to your Ancestry account (if nec-
essary click the Log In button in the upper-right corner of the
Plan workspace).
2. Go to the New Tree tab on the Plan workspace and click
Download a Tree from Ancestry. A list of your trees on An-
cestry appears.
3. Select the tree that you want to download. A summary of the
tree status appears to the right of the list of the trees.
28 Part 1: Getting Started

4. Click the Download Tree button. The Download an Ancestry

Tree dialog appears.

5. If you want to change the name of the tree, enter the new name
in the New FTM Tree field.
6. Choose whether your Ancestry and FTM trees will be synced
manually or automatically. (For help see “Setting Up Syncing”
on page 239.)
7. Click the Download Ancestry Citation Media checkbox to
also download all the Ancestry record images attached to your
tree.
Note: Ancestry Citation Media will not be downloaded unless
you have a current paid Ancestry subscription. You can check
your subscription status in the Web Dashboard. See page 11.

8. Click Download. When the tree has been downloaded suc-

cessfully, click Close.
 Chapter 3: Creating a Tree 29

Creating a copy of an existing tree on another computer

If you already have a tree on Ancestry and on one of your comput-
ers, you can move a copy of it to a different computer on which
Family Tree Maker 2017 is installed and keep all of the trees in
sync. To do so, create a full backup of your existing FTM tree, copy
it to your other computer using a flash drive, and then restore the
tree there.

On the computer with the tree that you want to copy, do this:

1. In Family Tree Maker, open the tree that you want to copy.
2. Sync your tree with the Ancestry tree.
3. Choose File > Backup.

4. Select the checkboxes to include media files, historical events,

and Web favorites in the backup.
5. Make sure that the Allow restored file to resume syncing
checkbox is selected.
30 Part 1: Getting Started

6. Choose a location on your computer to save the backup file.

Note: If backing up directly to a flash drive fails with an error,
try to backup to your computer and then copy the backup file to
your flash drive.

7. Click OK.

Now copy the backup file onto your flash drive and then copy it
from the flash drive onto the other computer.

On the computer to which you have moved the backup file, do this:

1. Choose File > Restore.

2. Select the backup file and click Open.
3. Choose the location where you want Family Tree Maker to
store your copied tree.
4. Click Save.
5. In the dialog that appears, make sure that the Allow restored
file to resume syncing checkbox is selected, and then click OK.

Choosing a Home Person

Each tree has a home person. By default, this is the first person you
enter in a tree. If you’re creating a tree based on your family, the
home person will most likely be you. However, the home person
can be anyone in your tree.
Occasionally, you may want to switch the home person. For
example, if you’re working on a specific family line, you may want
to make someone in that ancestral line the home person.
 Chapter 3: Creating a Tree 31

Changing the Home Person on the Plan Workspace

1. Click the Plan button on the main toolbar and then click the
Current Tree tab. At the top of the window, you’ll see the
name of the current home person.
2. Hover over “Home person” and click the button that appears.
3. In the Index of Individuals window, click the new home person
and click OK.

Changing the Home Person on the People Workspace

1. Click the People button on the main toolbar; then click the
Tree tab.
2. Find the appropriate person in the tree viewer or Index; then
right-click the individual and click Set As Home Person.
 Part Two
Building a Tree

Chapter 4: Entering Family Information............................ 35

Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research............................ 71

Chapter 6: Including Media Items......................................91

Chapter 7: Using Maps...................................................... 109

Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online........................125

 Chapter Four
Entering Family Information

Much of your time using Family Tree Maker will be spent entering
the names, dates, and events that you’ve uncovered about your fam-
ily. The simplest way to build your tree is to begin with what you
already know—basic details about yourself, your spouse, your chil-
dren, and your parents. As your tree grows, your focus can turn to
ancestral lines, such as your grandparents and great-grandparents.
When you’ve entered basic birth, marriage, and death
information for your family, you can expand your tree by adding
marriage details, immigration stories, medical histories, and more.

Entering Basic Information for an Individual

You can enter facts about an individual (such as birth and death
dates) on the Tree tab in the People workspace.

1. Click the People button on the main toolbar to open the

People workspace.
2. Click an individual’s name in the Index or tree viewer. The per-
son’s name and gender will be displayed in the editing panel.
3. In the editing panel, enter a date in the Birth field.
36 Part 2: Building a Tree

4. Click the Birth Place field below and type the location where
the individual was born.

Tip: As you enter a location, you’ll notice that a list of possible

matches appears. To use a suggested location, click it; to ignore
the suggestions, continue typing.

5. If you know an individual’s death date and place, enter this too.
You can now continue by adding marriage facts, entering addi-
tional family members, entering more facts for the individual,
or adding photographs.

Entering Names
To keep names in your tree consistent, you’ll want to follow these
guidelines.
• Be sure to use a woman’s maiden name (her last name before she
was married). This helps you trace her family and keeps you from
confusing her with other people in your tree.
• You may have last names (surnames) that are not a single word.
You will need to identify these names with backslashes (\); other-
wise, Family Tree Maker will read only the last word as the surname.
Here are some examples:

George \de la Vergne\ Teresa \Garcia Ramirez\

 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 37

Entering Locations
Recording locations accurately and completely is an important part of
your family history. Generally, you’ll enter a location from the smallest
to largest division. For example, in the United States, you would enter
city or town, county, state, country (Haddam, Washington, Kansas,
United States). For foreign locations, you would enter city or town, parish
or district, province or county, country (Witton, Aston, Warwickshire,
England).
• To help you enter locations quickly and consistently, Family Tree
Maker has a locations database that includes more than 3 million
place names. When you type a location, Family Tree Maker checks
the name against the database and suggests possible matches. You
can select a location from the list or add your own place names.
• Click the Go to Place icon next to a place field to open the
Places workspace and center the map on the corresponding
location.

Adding a Spouse
1. Click Add Spouse in the family group view. In the field that
appears, enter the spouse’s name (first, middle, and last) and
click OK. Don’t forget to use maiden names for women.
38 Part 2: Building a Tree

Entering Dates
Family Tree Maker automatically converts dates to the standard format
used by genealogists: date, month, year. For example, 26 May 1961. If
the program can’t interpret the date you entered, a message asks for
clarification. Simply retype the date in the standard format.
If you don’t know the date for an event, you can leave the Date field
blank or type “Unknown”. If you have an approximate date, you can
indicate this by typing “About 1920” or “Abt. 1920”.

2. Choose a gender from the drop-down list and click OK. The
spouse is now the focus of the tree viewer and editing panel.
3. Enter any basic facts (such as birth and death) you have for the
new spouse.

Entering Details About a Relationship

After you’ve entered a spouse for an individual, you’ll want to
include any additional information you have about the couple. You
can enter shared facts (such as marriage or divorce), notes, and
media items (such as wedding photos).

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. To add a marriage date and place, simply enter the information
in the appropriate fields.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 39

3. To enter more information for the couple, click the Marriage

to button; then click a tab to enter facts, notes, or media items.

Adding a Child to a Family

1. In the family group view, click Add Child. Then, enter the
child’s name (first, middle, and last) and click OK.
Tip: Family Tree Maker assumes that a child has the same last
name as the father and automatically fills it in for you. You can
ignore the suggested name by typing over it.

2. In the editing panel, choose a gender and enter any birth and
death information you have for the child.
40 Part 2: Building a Tree

Changing the Sort Order of Children

You can change the order in which children appear in the family
group view. For example, your direct ancestor can be displayed at
the top of the list regardless of his or her birth order, or you can
display all children by birth order. You can change the sort order of
children only when the Show blended families option is turned off
(see page 54 for more information).

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate family.
2. Click a child in the family group view.
3. Do one of the following:
• Click the Move child up and Move child down
buttons to move a child to a specific place in the order.
• Click the Sort children by birth order button to
display the children in their birth order. Choose whether
you want to sort this family only or all children in your
tree. Then click OK.

Adding Parents
When you’ve added your spouse and children to your tree, you’ll
want to continue with your parents, grandparents, great-grandpar-
ents, and so on.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace. In the Index or

tree viewer, click the individual you want to add a father or
mother to.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 41

2. Click Add Father or Add Mother in the tree viewer.

3. Enter the parent’s name (first, middle, and last). Don’t forget to
use maiden names for women.
4. In the editing panel, choose a gender and enter any birth and
death information you have for the individual.

Adding More Details

So far, you’ve only entered basic facts for a person. Now you can
add more details and notes.

Adding a Fact
In addition to birth and death events, you can add facts such as
christenings, immigration, and occupations.
Note: You’ll want to record the source of each fact. A source is where
you learned the information such as a book or historical record. For
more information, see Chapter 5 (page 71).

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
42 Part 2: Building a Tree

2. Click the Facts button. The facts you’ve already entered for the
person appear in the Individual & Shared Facts section.
3. Right-click the workspace and select Add Fact, or click the Add
fact (+) button in the toolbar. The Add Fact window opens.

4. Choose a fact from the list and click OK.

Tip: You can add your own fact types (for example, college gradua-
tion) by clicking the New button in the Add Fact window.

Notice that the editing panel on the right-hand side of the

window displays the appropriate fields for the fact.
5. Complete the Date, Place, and Description fields as necessary.

Note: Don’t forget to add a source for the fact. For instructions see
“Creating Sources” on page 73.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 43

Common Facts
In addition to birth, marriage, and death events, here are some facts you
will probably encounter as you record your family history:
• Address. Addresses can be useful for keeping contact information
for living relatives or for recording where an ancestor lived.
• Also Known As. Use this fact if an individual was known by a
nickname rather than his or her given name.
• Baptism and Christening. Birth records are not always available, so
christening records become useful because they may be the earliest
available information you can find for an ancestor.
• Burial. If you can’t find a death record for an individual, but you have
a burial record, you can use this information to estimate a person’s
death date.
• Cause of Death/Medical Condition. Knowing your family’s health
history may help you prevent and treat illnesses that run in families.
You can record an individual’s cause of death or enter details you
know about an individual’s medical history, from long-term illness to
simple things such as “suffers from allergies.”
• Emigration/Immigration. Emigration and immigration records are
the first step in finding your ancestors in their homeland. Use these
facts to record dates, ports of departure and arrival, and even ship
names.
• Physical Description. Although not necessarily beneficial to your
research, a physical description of an ancestor can be a fascinating
addition to any family history.
• Title. If an individual has a title, such as Captain, you can use it to
tell the difference between this individual and others with the same
or similar names.
44 Part 2: Building a Tree

Copying and Pasting Facts

You can copy a fact from one person and paste it into the facts for
another person. This is useful if several family members share the
same fact (such as residence), and you don’t want to create a new
fact for each person.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
2. Click the Facts button.
3. Right-click the fact you want to copy and select Copy.
4. Use the mini pedigree tree above the workspace to go to the
person you want to add the fact to.
5. Right-click the Individual & Shared Facts section and select
Paste. A list of immediate family members appears.

6. Click the checkboxes next to each person you want to add the
fact to; then click OK.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 45

Adding Alternate Facts

As you add facts, you may discover conflicting information about
the same life event, such as two birth dates. When you have
multiple facts for the same event, one fact will be “preferred,”
and the others will be “alternates.” In figure 4-1 the birth has one
preferred fact and two alternate facts.

Figure 4-1. Alternate facts on the Person tab.

Note: An alternate fact doesn’t have to include conflicting information.

For example, you may have three Address facts for an individual, all of
which are correct.

Choosing a Preferred Fact

When you enter multiple facts for the same life event, you’ll have to
choose which fact is preferred. Typically, this is the fact that is the
most accurate or complete. Preferred facts are shown by default in
the editing panel, charts, and reports.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
2. Click the Facts button; then click the fact you want to make
preferred.
46 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. In the editing panel, click the Options button and choose

Preferred from the drop-down list.

The Preferred column in the Individual & Shared Facts sec-

tion now shows the fact as preferred.
Tip: You can also set a preferred fact by right-clicking the fact and
choosing Set As Preferred from the drop-down list.

Making a Fact Private

You may enter facts that you don’t want to share with other family
members or researchers. If you make a fact private, you can choose
whether or not to include it in reports and when you export a tree.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
2. Click the Facts button; then click the fact you want to be
private.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 47

3. In the editing panel, click the Options button and choose

Mark as Private from the drop-down list.

A lock icon will appear next to the private fact in the Indi-
vidual & Shared Facts section (fig. 4-2).

Figure 4-2. A lock icon indicates that a fact is private.

Adding a Note for an Individual

You may have family stories, legends, or research resources that you
want to refer to occasionally. Family Tree Maker lets you enter this
type of information in notes—up to 1MB of space, or about 200
printed pages, per note.
Tip: If you are entering notes from another document on your computer,
you can “copy and paste” so you don’t have to retype existing text.
48 Part 2: Building a Tree

Entering a Personal Note

Personal notes may be as simple as a physical description or as
lengthy as a transcript of an interview with your grandmother.
Note: You should not record source information on the Notes tab; if
you do, the information won’t be included in source reports.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
2. Click the Notes tab at the bottom of the Person tab. Then click
the Person note button in the Notes toolbar.

3. Place the cursor in the notes area and enter your text. You can
press Enter to start a new paragraph.

Entering a Research Note

Sometimes a record or family story will give you clues that can help
you learn more about your family. You can create research notes to
remind you of the next steps you want to take.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 49

2. Click the Notes tab at the bottom of the Person tab; then click
the Research note button in the Notes toolbar.

3. Place the cursor in the notes area and enter your text.

Changing a Note’s Display Size

You can resize your notes to make the text larger and easier to read
or make the text smaller to fit more words on the tab. Simply drag
the slider on the right side of the Notes toolbar (fig. 4-3). This only
changes how the note is displayed it does not affect how it prints.
Default Larger

Figure 4-3. A slider on the Notes tab lets you resize the text.

Printing a Note
To print a note, click the printer button on the Notes toolbar. Select
your printing options and click OK.
Tip: You can also create a report of any notes you’ve entered in your
tree. Go to the Publish workspace and choose Person Reports. Then
double-click Notes Report.
50 Part 2: Building a Tree

Making a Note Private

You may have information about a relative that you don’t want to
share with other researchers. If you make a note private, you can
choose whether or not to include it in reports and when you export
a tree.
After entering a note, click the Mark as Private button. You
can tell the note has been marked as private because the lock icon
will have a black box around it with an orange background.
Not Private Private

Figure 4-4. The Mark as Private button in its two states.

Adding Web Links for an Individual

If you want to keep track of a website you found about an ancestor
or an interesting collection of online maps, you can create a Web
link so you can easily access it again.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the ap-
propriate individual. Then click the Person tab.
2. Click the Web Links tab at the bottom of the Person tab; then
click the New button in the toolbar.
3. Enter the address for the website.
Note: Family Tree Maker Web links cannot be synced with Web
links in your Ancestry tree at this time. See “Differences between
FTM and Ancestry trees” on page 236.
4. Enter a name for the link and click OK.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 51

Color Coding
When you are working on a large tree, it can sometimes be
difficult to trace family lines through the generations without
creating a relationship report. To help you see lineages at a glance,
Family Tree Maker allows you to use color coding to mark all
the direct-line ancestors and descendants of any given person.
The coloring scheme is based on the classic four-color system
created by Mary E. V. Hill, but has been further extended to give
you more coloring options.
You can highlight a selected person’s descendants with one color
and his or her ancestors with another. Or, for ancestors, you can
use a four-color system to apply different colors to four different
lineages: the paternal father’s line, the paternal mother’s line, the
maternal father’s line, and the maternal mother’s line.
You can apply one of the four-color choices to one parent, and
another four-color palette to another parent, producing the full
eight colors in the tree viewer.

Figure 4-5. Pedigree view with applied color coding.

52 Part 2: Building a Tree

Applying color coding to a person in your tree

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.
2. Select the person you want to highlight or whose ancestors and
descendants you want to highlight.
3. Click the Color Coding button above the editing panel.

4. Click a color or a color group for the type of individuals to whom

you want to apply color coding: Current Person, All Ancestors
(1 color), All Ancestors (4 colors), or All Descendants.

Colored bars now appear on all the relevant person thumbnails

in the tree viewer. Colored dots are also shown next to the
corresponding names in the Index and in the lists of people on the
Places, Media, and Sources workspaces.
If you have applied color coding for several selected individuals
in your tree, there may be some people who belong to more than
one family line—in this case all the corresponding colors will be
displayed on those individuals’ thumbnails. To find out why a
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 53

person is marked with a particular color, hold the pointer over the
colored bar on his or her thumbnail. A help tag will appear with the
explanation.
Another great way to use color coding is as an attribute of a certain
criterion—in other words, an additional, at-a-glance filter. For example,
you can create a filter of all persons who served in the military, or
lived in a certain location, then assign a color to that attribute and save
your filter. That allows you to easily see the individuals that satisfy that
criterion both in the Index panel and in the tree viewer. To learn more
about creating filters, see “The Index” on page 12.

Removing color coding for an individual or individual’s lineage

1. On the Tree tab of the People workspace, select a person to
whom color coding has been applied.
2. Click the Color Coding button above the editing panel.
3. Click the No Color button for the color coding that you
want to remove.
To remove all color coding from your tree, click the Color Coding
button above the editing panel, and then click Clear All Colors.
54 Part 2: Building a Tree

Working with Relationships

As you dig deeper into your family history you will discover indi-
viduals who marry multiple times, divorces, adoptions, and other
special situations. Family Tree Maker can handle all different types of
relationships.

Using the Combined Family View

The family group view on the People workspace displays a couple
and their mutual children. You can change this view so it displays
all children associated with the couple, including children from
previous marriages and relationships.
Note: When you display a “blended family” in the family group view,
you cannot change the sort order of the children; they will be listed
chronologically by birth date.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate family.
2. Click the Show blended families button in the family
group view.

The combined family group view now displays all the children of both
individuals. An icon to the left of the child’s name indicates whether
he or she is the child of the father, the mother, or both parents.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 55

3. To return to the traditional family group view, simply click the

Show blended families button again.

Viewing an Individual’s Family Relationships

You can see all the members of an individual’s family at a glance—
spouses, children, parents, and siblings.

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. Click the Relationships button. You can now see parents,
siblings, spouses, and children entered for the individual.
56 Part 2: Building a Tree

Adding Additional Spouses

If an individual in your family has been married more than once,
you’ll want to enter all additional spouses.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.

2. Select the appropriate individual.
3. In the family group view, click the Choose spouse icon
next to the individual. From the drop-down list, you can view
the existing spouse or create a new spouse.

4. Choose Add Spouse from the drop-down list.

5. Enter the name of the new spouse and click OK.
6. Family Tree Maker displays a new family group view—this
time with the new spouse.
7. To view the first spouse again, click the Choose spouse icon
and choose his or her name from the drop-down list.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 57

Choosing a Preferred Spouse

If you enter more than one spouse for an individual, you need to
indicate who is the preferred spouse. (Usually this is the spouse
whose children are in your direct family line.) The preferred spouse
will become the default spouse displayed in the family group view,
tree viewer, and charts and reports.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. Click the Person tab; then click the Relationships button. You
should see two or more names under the Spouses heading.

3. Click the individual you want to be the preferred spouse. Then,

in the editing panel, click the Preferred spouse checkbox.
58 Part 2: Building a Tree

Switching Between Spouses

Family Tree Maker displays a person’s preferred spouse by default,
but you can switch to other spouses when necessary.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. In the family group view, click the Choose spouse icon
next to the individual. From the drop-down list, choose the
spouse you want to view.

Choosing a Type of Relationship for a Couple

You can choose what type of relationship a couple has (e.g., partner,
friend, spouse).

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate couple.
2. Click the Person tab; then click the Relationships button.
3. Click the spouse’s name. Then, in the editing panel, choose a
relationship type from the Relationship drop-down list.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 59

Choosing a Status for a Couple’s Relationship

The status of a couple’s relationship will be “Ongoing” by default. If
necessary, you can change this status. For example, if a couple gets a
divorce, you can indicate this with their relationship status.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate couple.
2. Click the Person tab; then click the Relationships button.
3. Click the spouse’s name. Then, in the editing panel, choose a
status from the Status drop-down list.

Choosing a Relationship Between Parents and a Child

You can indicate a child’s relationship to each of his or her parents
(e.g., biological, adopted, foster).

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. Click the Person tab; then click the Relationships button.
60 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. Click the father’s or mother’s name. Then, in the editing panel,

choose a relationship from the Relationship drop-down list.

Adding an Unrelated Individual

As you search for family members, you might find a person you
suspect is related to you, but you have no proof. You can add this
person to your tree without linking them to a specific family. Later
on, if you find out that they are related, you can easily link them to
the correct family.

1. Click the People button on the main toolbar.

2. Click Person>Add Person>Add Unrelated Person.
3. Enter the person’s name (first, middle, and last). Then choose a
gender from the drop-down list and click OK.

Viewing a Timeline
Timelines can be a great tool to put the life of your ancestor in
context—historical and otherwise. Family Tree Maker has three
timeline variations: events in an individual’s life; events in the lives
of their immediate family (such as birth, marriage, and death); and
historical events.

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate person. Then click the Timeline button.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 61

A chronological list of events is displayed—along with the

person’s age at the time of each event.
2. To display events for immediate family members, click the
down arrow next to the Timeline button and select Show
Family Events.
Events for the individual are indicated by green markers, and
events in his or her family are indicated by pink markers.
3. To display historical events, click the down arrow next to the
Timeline button and select Show Historical Events.
Historical events are indicated by yellow markers.

4. To learn more about a historical event, click the event. A de-

scription appears on the right side of the window.
Note: Family Tree Maker comes with default historical events that
you can edit, delete, and add to. To learn more see “Managing His-
torical Events” on page 272.
62 Part 2: Building a Tree

Creating Smart Stories™

Smart Stories is a tool that helps you quickly create stories about
individuals and families using the facts, notes, and photos in your
tree. And because Smart Stories are linked to the tree, you can
edit a fact and the text in your story will be updated automati-
cally. For example, if you find out that grandfather’s birth date is
different than you thought, change it in your tree and the story
will be updated at the same time.
Family Tree Maker can automatically generate a Smart Story for
an individual (fig. 4-4). It will have an image of the person (if you’ve
added a portrait), the individual’s immediate family (children,

Figure 4-6. A Smart Story created by Family Tree Maker.

 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 63

spouses, parents, and siblings), and their life events. You can also
create your own Smart Stories, starting with a blank page and
adding your own images and text.
You can create Smart Stories on an individual’s Media tab, the
Media workspace, or the Publish workspace. All stories can be
printed, exported, and included in family history books; however,
if you upload your tree to Ancestry, Smart Stories created on the
Publish workspace are considered reports and won’t be uploaded.

Creating a Smart Story as a Media Item

1. Select the individual you want to create a Smart Story for.
2. Do one of the following:
• Go to the Person tab for an individual and click the Media
tab at the bottom of the window. Click the New button and
choose Create New Smart Story from the drop-down menu.

• Go to the Media workspace. Then select Media>Create a

New Smart Story.
3. If you want Family Tree Maker to generate the story for you,
click Auto-populate Smart Story. To create your own story,
click Start with blank page.
4. Click OK.
64 Part 2: Building a Tree

Creating a Smart Story as a Report

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publica-
tion Types, click Other.

2. Double-click the Smart Story icon. The editor opens.

Tip: To access this Smart Story later, go to the Publish workspace and
select Saved Reports.

Including a Short Biography

1. Place the cursor where you want to add a biography.
2. Click the Facts button on the Smart Stories toolbar. Then
choose “Personal Biography” from the drop-down list.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 65

3. By default a title, photo, and the individual’s immediate fam-

ily (children, spouses, parents, and siblings) will be included.
Deselect the checkboxes for items you don’t want.
4. Click the Insert button.

Including Facts
1. Place the cursor on the page where you want to add a fact.
2. Click the Facts button on the Smart Stories toolbar. Then
choose “Facts” from the drop-down list.

3. Select the fact you want to add to your story. Below the fact,
you’ll see options of how the fact will be entered. You can
create a sentence or add specific details.

4. Drag the text to your document or click the Insert button.

Tip: To include the facts, media items, or notes from another
person in your tree, click the file folder icon in the top corner and
choose a different person.
66 Part 2: Building a Tree

Including Sources
1. Place the cursor on the page where you want to add a
source.
2. Click the Facts button on the Smart Stories toolbar. Then
choose “Fact
Sources”
from the
drop-down
list.

3. Click the fact that has the source you want to add to
your story. Below you’ll see any associated source citations. If
more than one source citation exists for a fact, you can choose
it from a drop-down list.
4. Drag the text to your document or click the Insert button.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 67

Including Notes
1. Place the cursor on the page where you want to add a note.
2. Click the Facts button on the Smart Stories toolbar. Then
choose “Notes” from the drop-down list.

3. Drag the text to your document or click the Insert button.

Including Images
1. Place the cursor on the page where you want to add a media
item.
2. Click the Media button on the Smart Stories toolbar.

3. Select the media item you want to use.

4. Drag the image to your document or click the Insert button.
68 Part 2: Building a Tree

Creating Timelines
You can use facts in a person’s life and historical events to create a
timeline.

1. Place the cursor on the page where you want to add an event.
2. Click the Timeline button on the Smart Stories toolbar. Then
choose an event type from the drop-down list.
3. Click the event you want to add to your story. Below the event,
you’ll see options of how the event will be entered. You can
create a sentence or add specific details.

4. Drag the text to your document or click the Insert button.

Editing Smart Stories Text

Smart Stories pulls text directly from your tree. That means
you don’t have to worry about continually redoing your story;
if information in your tree changes, your story will be updated
automatically.
You can also edit text in Smart Stories. But, be aware that the
text will no longer be linked to your tree and will not be updated
automatically.
 Chapter 4: Entering Family Information 69

1. Move the cursor over the text you want to add, edit, or delete.
You can identify which text is linked to your tree because it will
be highlighted.

2. Double-click the text block. A message asks whether you want to

edit the text.
3. Click Yes.
 Chapter Five
Documenting Your Research

Documenting sources—recording where you discovered a fact—is

one of the most important aspects of your research. Sources are
valuable for many reasons. When you cite a source, you are proving
to others which records you based your facts on; if you eventually
share your research with your family or other researchers, your
family history may be judged for accuracy based on your sources. If
your sources are detailed and correct, others will be able to follow
your research footsteps.
Each time you add information to your tree, you’ll want to cre-
ate a source and source citation that describe where you found the
info. For example, if you find your father’s birthplace on his World
War I draft card, you’ll create a source for the record when you add
his birth date and birthplace.

Understanding Sources and Source Citations

If you’re new to family history, you may not be familiar with
sources and source citations. This section gives an explanation of
each and also shows you some examples.
• A source is the unchanging facts about an item; for example, the
author, title, and publication information for a book.
• Source citations are individual details that explain where you
found a fact, such as the page number in a book.
72 Part 2: Building a Tree

To help you understand how sources and source citations work

together, let’s look at an example from the 1930 United States
Federal Census. First, you would create a source for the census that
includes information like this:
• A title—1930 United States Federal Census
• Where you located the source—www.ancestry.com
• Publishing details—Bureau of the Census. Washington, D.C.:
National Archives and Records Administration, 1930.
As you can see, these details about the 1930 census won’t
change regardless of who or what you find in the records. However,
because you’ll find families and individuals in different locations
throughout the census, each census fact will need its own source
citation. A source citation for an individual in the 1930 census
might include this information:
• Source—1930 United States Federal Census
• Source citation—Harold Reed household, Santa Clara
Township, Santa Clara County, California. Roll: 219; Page: 14A;
Enumeration district: 110.
A source citation for a different individual in the 1930 census might
look like this. (Notice the source is the same as the previous example.)
• Source—1930 United States Federal Census
• Source citation—Michael Reed household, Kokomo Township,
Beaver County, Oklahoma. Roll: 1892; Page: 5B; Enumeration
district: 26.
Both individuals can be found in the 1930 census (the source),
but the source citation for each individual has changed because the
individuals were recorded in different places in the source.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 73

Creating Sources
Family Tree Maker lets you create sources in two ways: using
templates or a basic format. Source templates are useful because
you don’t have to guess which details need to be entered. Choose
the type of source you’re creating (for example an obituary) and
Family Tree Maker displays the relevant fields. If you don’t want
to use a template (for example, because you have your own system
of citation or you can’t find a matching template), you can create
a source by completing the standard fields (author, title, and
publisher) in the basic source format.

Adding a Source for a Fact

Usually, you will add a source as you create a source citation for
a fact or event. This section focuses on adding a source while
entering facts on the Tree tab in the People workspace.
Note: You need to create only one source for each item; you can use a
source for as many source citations as necessary.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.

2. In the editing panel, position the pointer over the fact you
want to add a source to, click the New source citation
button that appears next to it, and then choose Add New
Source Citation from the drop-down list.
74 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. The Add Source Citation window opens. To create a source using

a template, follow the instructions in “Creating a Source from a
Template” below. To create a basic source, refer to the “Creating a
Source Using the Basic Format” section on page 77.

Using Source Templates

Family Tree Maker has more than 170 templates to help you source
everything from embroidered samplers and other artifacts to online
databases and vital records. These source templates are based on the
QuickCheck models used in Elizabeth Shown Mills’s book Evidence
Explained—the premier reference for citing genealogy sources.

Creating a Source from a Template

Using a source template is simple. To determine which template
you should use, enter keywords and choose from a list of
suggestions, or view a list of all available templates and choose the
one that fits best.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 75

To choose a template using keywords

1. Access the Add Source Citation window and click New. (For
help see “Adding a Source for a Fact” on page 73.)
2. Enter a keyword in the Source template field and choose a
template from the list of options that appear. To narrow the list,
enter multiple keywords. For example, “property” brings up
eleven results, while “property grant” brings up one result.

3. The fields that appear now reflect the template you’ve chosen.
Complete these fields as necessary and click OK.

You can now add a source citation for the fact (see page 79).
76 Part 2: Building a Tree

To choose a template from a list

1. Access the Add Source Citation window and click New. (If you
need help see “Adding a Source for a Fact” on page 73). The
Add Source window opens.

2. Click More.
3. In Source group, choose the group that most closely matches
the item you’re sourcing. The categories list changes to reflect
the selected source group.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 77

4. Choose the appropriate category from the Category drop-

down list. The templates list changes to reflect the selected
source group and category.
5. Choose a template from the Template drop-down list. A
description of the template is displayed beneath its title.
6. Click OK to return to the Add Source window; the fields that
appear now reflect the template you’ve chosen. Complete these
fields as necessary and click OK. You can now add a source
citation for the fact (see page 79).

Creating a Source Using the Basic Format

If you don’t want to use a source template, you can create a source
by completing some standard fields (such as author, title, and
publisher) in the basic source format.
1. Access the Add Source Citation window and click New. (If you
need help see “Adding a Source for a Fact” on page 73.) The
Add Source window opens.
78 Part 2: Building a Tree

2. Complete the source fields as necessary:

• Title. Enter the title of the source exactly as it appears in
the source.
• Author. Enter the author or originator’s name.
• Publisher name. Enter the name of the publishing
company.
• Publisher location. Enter the place of publication (for
example, London, England).
• Publish date. Enter the copyright date for the source
(usually only a year).
• Source repository. Create a new repository or choose one
from the drop-down list.
A repository is the location where an original source
exists. This could be a library, county courthouse, or cous-
in’s home. To create a repository, click New. Then enter the
name, address, email, and phone number for the location.
• Call number. Enter a call number, if one exists.
The call number is the number assigned to the source at
the repository. It could be a microfilm number, a Dewey
Decimal system number, or some other numbering system
unique to a particular library or archive.
• Comments. Enter any comments about the source and the
information found in it. This information will not print on
your reports; it is for your personal reference. You might
include a description of the item or information about its
legibility.
3. Click OK. You can now add a source citation for the fact
(see page 79).
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 79

Creating Source Citations

After you create a source, you’re ready to identify where in the
source you found information by creating a source citation. Family
Tree Maker lets you create source citations in a variety of ways;
you’ll need to decide which method is most effective for you.
Note: You can have more than one source citation for the same fact. For
example, you might find an immigration date for your great-grandmoth-
er on a naturalization record and a census record. You should make
source citations for both records.

Adding a New Source Citation

Each time you add a fact to your tree, you should take a minute to
document where you discovered the information, whether it’s a
book in a library or a record you found online. When you create a
new source citation, you’ll link it to a source and add any additional
identifying information such as page or volume number.
1. Access the Add Source Citation window. (If you need help see
“Adding a Source for a Fact” on page 73.)
80 Part 2: Building a Tree

2. Change the citation as necessary:

• Source title. From the drop-down list, choose the source of
the information.
• Citation detail. Enter details about where you found the
information in the source, such as a page number.
• Citation text. Enter any additional information. For
example, you might enter a quote from a book or add a
paraphrased summary of the source text.
• Web address. For online sources, enter the URL where the
information was found.
• Include in reference note. Select the Citation text checkbox
to include text in the Citation text field in printed refer-
ence notes. Select the Web address checkbox to include the
source’s URL in printed reference notes. (The source title and
citation detail are always included in reference notes.)
You can include a media item or note as part of a source cita-
tion. For instructions, see “Attaching a Media Item to a Source
Citation” on page 84 and “Adding a Note to a Source Cita-
tion” on page 85.
3. Click OK.
Linking a Fact to an Existing Source Citation
If you’ve already created a citation for a source, such as a death
certificate, you don’t have to create another source citation for each
fact or individual in the source. For example, if you find your grand-
parents’ names and birthplaces in your aunt’s death certificate, you
don’t have to create a new source citation for the death certificate;
you can simply link these facts to the citation you already created.

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 81

2. Click the fact to which you want to add a source citation to

select it.
3. On the Sources tab of the editing panel, click the down arrow
next to the New button and choose Use Existing Source Cita-
tion from the drop-down list.

The Find Source Citation window opens.

82 Part 2: Building a Tree

4. Click the citation you want to link to from the list.

5. Click Link to Citation. The citation information now appears
on the Sources tab.

Copying and Updating a Source Citation

If you need to create a source citation that is similar to one already
in your tree, don’t make a new citation. Simply copy the old one and
update details as necessary (such as a page number). For example, if
several family members are in the same city directory for Cleveland,
Ohio, you can create a source citation for one family, then copy and
update the source citation for other families in the directory.

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. Click the fact to which you want to add a source citation to
select it.

3. On the Sources tab of the editing panel, click the down ar-
row next to the New button and choose Use Existing Source
Citation from the drop-down list. The Find Source Citation
window opens.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 83

4. Click the citation you want to copy from the list.

5. Click Create New Copy. A citation link appears on the Sources tab.
Now you can edit the citation without affecting the original.

6. Double-click the source citation to open it in an editing window.

Then make any necessary changes and click OK.
84 Part 2: Building a Tree

Attaching a Media Item to a Source Citation

If you have an image or recording of a source, you can link it to a
source citation. For example, you might have a scan of a marriage
certificate or census record that you want to add to the source
citation.

1. Double-click a source citation to open it in an editing window.

2. In the dialog that appears, click the Media tab.

3. Do one of the following:

• If the media item is already in your tree, click Link To Exist-
ing Media. Click the item you want then click OK.
• To add a media item, click Attach New Media. Use the file
management window to navigate to the media item. Then
click Open.
4. In the Copy to Media Folder dialog that appears, choose
whether you want to create an additional copy of the file in a
your tree’s media folder or to link to the file on your computer
only, and then click OK.
5. Click OK.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 85

Adding a Note to a Source Citation

You can use the Notes tab for additional information you have
about a source that you weren’t able to include elsewhere. For
example, you can enter a note about how you discovered a source
or where the source is located.

1. Double-click a source citation to open it in an editing window.

2. Click the Notes tab in a source citation.
3. Enter a note and click OK.

Using Source Repositories

With most sources, it’s possible to specify the physical location
where the original source can be found. This could be a library,
county courthouse, or an individual’s home. This location is called
the source’s repository. Naturally, more than one source may reside
in a repository. Therefore, you only need to enter information on
each repository once. You can then link the appropriate sources to
it rather than retyping the information for each source you create.
86 Part 2: Building a Tree

Adding a Repository

1. Open the Add/Edit Source dialog (see “Adding a Source for a

Fact” on page 73.)
2. Click the New button next to the Source repository drop-
down list.

3. In the dialog that appears, enter the name, address, phone

number, and email address of the location, and then click OK.
 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 87

Managing Repositories
You can monitor the usage of repositories in your tree, as well as
edit repository information, delete repositories, and add new ones.
Changes you make to a repository are automatically applied to all
the sources that are linked to it.

Reviewing Usage of a Repository

You may need to know how much information in your tree is
sourced from a specific repository or to check that a repository has
the correct sources linked to it. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open the Repositories dialog by choosing Manage Reposito-

ries from the Edit menu.

2. Select a repository and click Usage. The Repository Usage

dialog will appear with a list of sources linked to the selected
repository and citations for these sources.
88 Part 2: Building a Tree

Replacing a Repository
You can change all of the occurrences of one repository to another
repository. This merges the two repositories together as the second
repository and deletes the first repository. All of the sources
previously linked to the first repository will now be linked to the
second repository. This allows you to combine duplicate repositories
into a single repository without reassigning each source.

1. In the Repositories dialog, select the repository you want to replace.

2. Click the Replace button.
3. In the dialog that appears, select the repository to which you
want to link all sources from the first repository.

4. Click OK. In the alert message that appears, click Yes.

 Chapter 5: Documenting Your Research 89

Editing Repository Information

To update or correct information about a particular repository,
follow these steps:

1. Open the Repositories dialog by choosing Manage Reposito-

ries from the Edit menu.
2. Select the repository you want to edit.
3. Click the Edit button.
4. Change the name, address, phone number, and/or email ad-
dress, and then click OK.

Deleting a Repository

1. In the Repositories dialog, select the repository you want to

delete.
2. Click the Delete button.
3. In the message that appears, click Yes to unlink all sources
from the repository and delete it.
 Chapter Six
Including Media Items

As you gather names, dates, and facts, you’ll realize that they tell
only part of your family’s story. In order to really bring your ances-
tors to life, you’ll want to illustrate your family history with photo-
graphs, important documents, and video and sound clips.
Family Tree Maker helps you organize your multimedia items in
one central location. You can link media items to specific individu-
als; record important notes about each item; use images in family
tree charts; and more.

What Media Items Can I Add to My Tree?

Photographs are usually the first thing that comes to mind when you
want to illustrate your family history. But don’t limit yourself; many
personal objects can be scanned or photographed. Here are some items
you might want to add to your tree:
• Important records, such as birth and marriage certificates, censuses,
passports, diplomas, obituaries, and family Bibles.
• Photographs of heirlooms or items with sentimental value, such as
jewelry, medals, artwork, quilts, christening outfits, and furniture.
• Images of ancestral houses and hometowns, businesses, maps,
cemeteries, and headstones.
• Family documents, such as letters, funeral books, diaries, Christmas
cards, and newspaper and magazine articles.
• Audio clips of oral histories and family stories.
92 Part 2: Building a Tree

Adding Media Items

If you have a baby picture of your grandmother or a photo of your
grandfather’s military uniform, you’ll want to add it to your tree. You
can add photos, audio files, and videos from your computer or you
can scan documents directly into Family Tree Maker.

Adding a Media Item for an Individual

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the
appropriate individual.
2. Click the Media tab at the bottom of the window.
3. Click the down arrow next to the New button and choose Add
New Media from the drop-down list.

Note: When you add a media item to Family Tree Maker, the origi-
nal file is not moved from its location on your computer.

4. Use the file management window to navigate to the media item

you want to add to your tree. Then click Open.
Tip: You can select multiple media items by clicking on each file
while pressing the CTRL key.
A message asks whether you want to link the file(s) to your tree
or create a copy of the file(s).
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 93

5. Click Copy this file to create an additional copy of the file in

a Family Tree Maker media folder, or click Link to this file to
link to the file on your computer only.
Tip: Make copies of your media items if you want all your heritage
photos and other media items saved in one central location on your
computer. This makes them easier to find and easier to back up.
6. Click the checkbox for the category you want this item to
belong to; you can select multiple categories. (For more infor-
mation, see “Media Categories” on page 103.)
7. Click OK. The item is added to the individual’s Media tab.

Scanning an Image into Your Tree

If you have images you’d like to add to your tree that aren’t already
on your computer, you can scan them directly into your tree.
When you scan an image, you’ll choose the resolution in which
the item will be saved. The higher the resolution, or DPI (dots per
inch), the sharper your image—and the larger the file size that will
be created. If you plan on viewing your images online or sharing
them via email, scan images at a lower resolution such as 72 to 150
DPI; if you want to print images in charts and reports, use a higher
resolution such as 200 to 300 DPI.

1. Make sure your scanner is connected to your computer and

turned on.
2. Go to the Media workspace and choose Media>Scan Media.
Family Tree Maker automatically searches for connected
scanners.
3. Change any settings and click Scan. The image is added to the
Media workspace.
94 Part 2: Building a Tree

Changing the Display of an Image

When you’re viewing a photo, you can change how it’s displayed by
rotating the image or zooming in and out on it.
Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Double-click
a photo or click the photo and then click the Detail tab.

Use these buttons in the image toolbar to change the display:

Click the Rotate right button to move the image clock-

wise; click the Rotate left button to move the image coun-
terclockwise.

Click the Magnifier button to turn the pointer into a

magnifying glass when viewing an image.
Click the Size to fit button to display the entire image in
the current window.
Click the Actual size button to show the actual size of the
image. You can also choose a specific percentage from the
Fit Image drop-down list.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 95

Entering Details for a Media Item

After you add a media item, it’s a good idea to enter details about it
such as a caption, date, and description.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Double-

click a media item, or click the image and then click the
Detail tab.
2. Change the image’s details as necessary:
• Caption. Enter a brief title for the item.
• Date. Enter a date for the item. (Typically this is the date
the item was created.)
• Description. Describe the media item in detail. For photos
you can enter the names of individuals or info about the
location depicted; for heirlooms you may want to explain
what the item is and its significance to your family.
96 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. Click the Private checkbox to keep this media item from being
exported or uploaded to your online Ancestry tree.
4. To assign a category to the item, click the Edit button next to
the Categories field. Mark the checkbox for the category you
want this item to belong to; you can select multiple categories.
Click OK when you’re finished.
Tip: You can click the File name and location link to open the Media
folder and view the actual media item.

Entering a Note About a Media Item

If you have details that won’t fit in a media item’s description, you
can enter it in the item’s notes. For example, a photo of your grand-
mother in her graduation robes may include notes about her
college education and how you found the image.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Double-

click the media item you want to add a note to, or click the
image and then click the Detail tab.
2. Click the Notes tab at the bottom of the window and enter the
information.

Note: For more information about using notes, see “Adding a Note for
an Individual” on page 47.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 97

Adding a Portrait for an Individual

If you want to display a photo of an individual in charts, reports,
and the People workspace, you’ll need to add a portrait for them.

1. Click the People button on the main toolbar. Make sure the
individual you want to add a portrait to is the focus of the Tree
tab or Person tab.
2. In the editing panel, right-click the person silhouette and do
one of the following:
• If the photo is already in your tree, click Link to Existing
Picture. A media item window opens. Click the image you
want then click OK.
• If you’re adding a new image, click Add New Picture. Use
the file management window to navigate to the image you
want. Then click Open.
98 Part 2: Building a Tree

Editing Photos with Photo Darkroom

Old photos may fade and deteriorate with time and wear.
Fortunately, Family Tree Maker now comes with a photo repair tool
integrated into your genealogy toolkit, to quickly and effortlessly
edit your vintage photos without needing to switch to an external
image editor. Family Tree Maker’s Photo Darkroom is all you need
to revive and enhance old photos.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Double-

click the photo you want to repair, or select the photo and click
the Detail tab.
2. Click the Photo Darkroom button. The photo opens in Photo
Darkroom.

3. To view before and after images side by side as you are editing,
click the two-pane button in the view control . Both
the Result and Original will be displayed.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 99

4. Use the Faded Photo Repair Tool to make the image clearer.
Depending on the degree of fading, click the Light, Moder-
ate, or Intensive tool. You can click the tool several times to
increase the effect.
5. If you want to make further changes to the photo, open the
Advanced Settings section by clicking the disclosure triangle,
and then drag the Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, and
Sharpness sliders while observing the changes in the Result
view.
6. If you don’t like the result of your changes, click the Undo but-
ton to discard them step by step. You can click the Restore to
Original button to undo all the changes that you have made to
the photo.
7. Click Done to apply your changes and return to the Detail tab
of the Media workspace.
Note: The original photo is not modified. It is stored in the Darkroom
Originals folder in your tree’s media folder. If you want to use the origi-
nal photo in your tree, without the changes that you have made to it,
just open the photo in Photo Darkroom at any time, and then click the
Restore to Original button.

Linking a Media Item to Multiple Individuals

You may have a family photo that includes several individuals in
your tree. You don’t have to add the picture to each individual;
simply add it once to the Media workspace, then link it to the
necessary individuals. You can also link media items to specific
facts. For example, if you have a photograph of the ship on which
your grandparents immigrated to America, you can link the picture
to your grandparents and their immigration fact.
100 Part 2: Building a Tree

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Then

double-click the item you want to link to multiple individuals,
or click the item and then click the Detail tab.
2. At the bottom of the Detail tab, you’ll see a Links tab. Click the
New button and choose Link to Person.
3. In the Name column, click the name of the individual you
want to link the item to.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 101

4. Do one of the following:

• To link the item to a person, click Link to person only.
(You can link to one person at a time only.)
• To link the item to a specific fact (such as birth), click Link
to person’s fact. Then click the fact in the list below.

5. Click OK.
Tip: If you mistakenly link a media item to an individual, you can unlink
it on the Detail tab. Click the appropriate individual and then click the
broken link icon in the toolbar.

Managing Media Items

Occasionally you might need to do some maintenance tasks for
your media items such as change file names or assign categories.

Opening a Media Item from Family Tree Maker

If you need to edit an image or read a document in your tree, you can
open it in its default program without leaving Family Tree Maker.
102 Part 2: Building a Tree

Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Double-click

a media item or click the image and click the Detail tab. Click the
Open file button in the image toolbar to open the media item:
The media item opens in the file’s default program. If you
edit the media item and save your changes, the modified
file will be linked to Family Tree Maker.

Changing a Media Item’s File Name

Family Tree Maker lets you change a media item’s file name on your
computer. This can be useful if you’ve imported a tree and its media
files have generic names; you can use Family Tree Maker to change
their file names to something more identifiable.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. Right-click

a media item and choose Rename Media File from the drop-
down list, or click a media item and choose Media>Rename
Media File.
2. Enter the new name for the file and click OK.

Arranging an Individual’s Media Items

When you add media items for an individual, they are arranged in
alphabetical order (by caption). You can change the order in which
they appear on the individual’s Media tab. For example, you may
want to display the pictures by date.

1. Go to the Person tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate individual.
2. Click the Media tab at the bottom of the window. The tab
shows thumbnails of any media items you’ve linked to this
individual.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 103

Use these buttons in the media toolbar to change the display order:
Click the item you want to move. Then click the Move
Media Forward and Move Media Backward buttons to
rearrange the media items. The items will remain in the
order you’ve chosen.
Click the Auto Sort Media button to arrange the media
items alphabetically (by caption).

Media Categories
As you add each media item to your tree, you can assign it to
categories. These categories make your media items easier to search
for, sort, and view.

Creating a Category
You can use the default categories, modify them, or create your
own. If you decide to create your own categories, you might want
to set up a system before you add your media items. For example,
you may want to have event categories (e.g., Weddings, Birthdays,
Travel) or categories based on item types (e.g., Photos—Portraits,
Movies—Holidays).

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace. In the

media editing panel, click the Edit button.
104 Part 2: Building a Tree

2. Click the Add button.

3. Enter a name for the category and click OK.

Assigning a Category to Multiple Items

Family Tree Maker lets you assign categories to a group of items
at the same time.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace.

2. Select the media items you want to assign a category to. You
can select multiple media items by clicking on each file while
pressing the CTRL key.
3. Click Media>Categorize Media.
4. In the Categorize Media window, you can choose categories for
each media item one by one or for all selected media items at once.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 105

Creating a Slide Show

You can create a slide show of pictures you’ve included in your
tree—and even include a soundtrack. You can view your completed
slide shows using Windows Media Player.

1. Click the Media button on the main toolbar. Click

Media>Create Slide Show.
Tip: You can create a slide show for a specific individual by click-
ing the Create slide show button on the individual’s Media tab.
106 Part 2: Building a Tree

2. Change the slide show options as necessary:

• Title. Enter a name for the slide show. (This will be the
item’s file name on your computer also.)
• Images to include. To include pictures from a specific cat-
egory, choose the category name from the drop-down list.
Click the Include relationship media checkbox to include
images linked to relationships; click the Include fact media
checkbox to include images linked to facts.
• Image caption. Choose what text is displayed for images.
Click None to hide captions; click Use Captions Only to
display image captions; click Use Filenames Only to
display file names; click Use Captions or Filenames to
display captions (if no caption has been entered, the file
name will be displayed).
Click the Font button to choose a font style, size, and color
for captions and file names used in the slide show.
• Movie size. Choose the display size of the slide show from
the drop-down list.
Note: The larger the movie, the more memory required.

• Movie quality. Choose the display quality of the slide show

from the drop-down list.
Note: The higher the movie quality, the more memory required.

• Transition delay. Choose the number of seconds an

image is displayed.
• Sound track. To add music to the slide show, click the
Browse button and locate the MP3 or Windows Media
Audio (.wma) file you’d like to use.
 Chapter 6: Including Media Items 107

3. Click Next. Now you can change the order in which images
appear or delete images you don’t want.

4. Click Next. A preview window opens.

108 Part 2: Building a Tree

5. Do one of the following:

• To view the finished slide show in Windows Media Player,
click Launch slide show in Windows Media Player.
• To save the slide show to your tree, click Add slide show to
the media collection.
6. Click Finish.
7. If you have selected the Add slide show to the media col-
lection checkbox, the Copy to Media Folder dialog appears.
Click the checkbox for the category you want this item to
belong to; you can select multiple categories. Click OK to add
the item to the Media workspace.
8. If you have not selected the Add slide show to the media col-
lection checkbox, the Save movie dialog appears. Choose a
location and click Save.

Printing a Media Item

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Media workspace and click the
item you want to print.
2. Click the Print button on the main toolbar and choose Print
Media Item from the drop-down list.
3. When prompted choose a printer, select the number of copies,
and choose a page range.
4. Click Print.
 Chapter Seven
Using Maps

As you gather the names and dates of important events in your

ancestors’ lives, you’ll also record the locations where these events
took place—the towns, cities, and countries that shaped their daily
lives.
Often, these places exist only as names in a report or on
a pedigree chart. Family Tree Maker brings these ancestral
homelands to life by letting you virtually visit each place in your
tree. For example, you can see satellite images and maps of the
town in Denmark where your grandfather was born, the apartment
in Chicago where your great-grandparents lived, or even the lake
where you went swimming with your cousins every summer.
Each time you enter a location for a fact or event, Family Tree
Maker adds it to a “master list” of locations. To view this master list,
simply go to the Places workspace. You can then view maps and
satellite images of a location, identify individuals in your tree who
are associated with certain locations, and more.

Viewing a Map
The interactive online maps in Family Tree Maker are easy to
navigate using a few simple tools. You can zoom in and out on the
map, change the type of map you’re viewing, and more.
Note: You must be connected to the Internet to view these maps.
110 Part 2: Building a Tree

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. To access a map,

click a location in the Places panel.

There are four map types.

The Road map type appears
by default with the location
centered and identified with
a red marker. Aerial looks
straight down at the loca-
tion. Bird’s eye provides a 3D
angled view. And Street-
side is the view you’d have
standing there. To change
the map type, click the map
view drop-down menu in the
upper right corner and select
the view you want.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 111

Microsoft Bing Maps

Family Tree Maker has partnered with Microsoft® Bing™ Maps to let you
access some of the most exciting technology available today. Bing Maps
takes you beyond typical road maps by combining them with satellite
and aerial imagery to let you experience the world as it looks today.
As you visit different locations, you’ll notice that the level of detail
for each town, region, or country varies. In some areas you can zoom
in close enough to see cars, rooftops, and street intersections; in other
areas your view will disappear when you get within a mile of the location.
Fortunately, Bing Maps is updated regularly and regions that may not
have many images now will in the future. The most detailed views are of
the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

2. Choose Aerial to view a satellite image of the location.

112 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. To get a 3D view of a location, click Bird’s eye. Click the ar-

rows on either side of the compass tool to change the direction
of the view.

Note: Bird’s eye view is available only for certain parts of the world.

4. To turn the display of map labels such as street names on and

off in Aerial and Bird’s eye views, click the map view drop-
down menu, select Aerial, and click the Labels switch control
at the bottom of the list.
5. Choose Streetside to explore places as if you were there. This
view is not available for all areas of the world. See “Using
Streetside View” on page 114 for more information.

Moving Around a Map

You can quickly change the part of the map you’re viewing by
dragging it. Move the pointer over the map. When the pointer
changes to a hand, click and drag the map in any direction you want.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 113

Zooming In and Out on a Map

You can use the plus and minus buttons on the Map Tools to zoom
in and out on the displayed map.

1. Click the plus icon to zoom in one level at a time.

2. Click the minus icon to zoom out one level at a time.

114 Part 2: Building a Tree

Using Streetside View

1. Look for Streetside locations by clicking the map view drop-
down menu and choosing Streetside. The pointer changes to
the blue man icon wherever Streetside views are available.
2. Streetside view is not available for all locations. On the map,
locations that can be viewed from the Streetside perspective
are shaded blue. If there are any such locations in the display
area, the Streetside pointer icon is blue. Click the location for
which you want to get the Streetside view.
3. If there are no locations with Streetside view in the visible part
of the map, the Streetside pointer icon turns red. Scroll the
map until the pointer turns blue or click the Streetside item in
the map view menu again to toggle off the Streetside pointer
icon and blue street markings.

4. In Streetside view, use these means of navigation:

 Chapter 7: Using Maps 115

• Click the plus and minus buttons to zoom in and out.

• Click the arrows in the view to move along the streets.
• Drag the view to rotate the line of sight and look up or down.
• Click the compass icon to reset the view to looking
due north.
• Click the Show location on a map button to show the
current Streetside location on a Road map. The location is
marked by an orange diamond, and the field of vision is
also shown. To jump to another location, drag the map so
that the location you want comes under the orange
diamond. To hide the Road map, click the Hide map
button.

5. To leave Streetside view and return to the view you were in be-
fore entering Streetside (Road or Aerial), click the Close button
in the top-right corner.
116 Part 2: Building a Tree

Finding Places of Interest

Family Tree Maker helps you search for places of interest such
as libraries and cemeteries near important places in your family
history. If you’re planning a research trip, you can use the maps to
view all the cemeteries and churches in your ancestor’s hometown.
You can also type in other attractions and sights—try searching for
“hotel”, “park”, or even “gas station”.

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar.

2. If you’ve already entered the location in your tree, click its
name in the Places panel; otherwise, enter the location’s name
in the blank field above the map on the right.
3. Choose a location type (such as libraries) from the drop-down
list and click Go. (You can also type in your own search term
in the Location field.) Blue pushpins appear for each item that
matches your search.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 117

4. Move the pointer over a pushpin to see a name and address for
the location (if available).

Printing a Map
You can print maps directly from the software, whether it’s an
aerial shot of your ancestor’s farm or the migration path your great-
grandfather took across the country.

1. On the Places workspace, access the map you want to print. The
display window shows what part of the map will be printed. You
may need to resize the workspace to display more of the map.

2. In the main toolbar, click the Print button and choose Print
Map from the drop-down list. The Print window opens.
3. When prompted choose a printer, select the number of copies,
and choose a page range.
4. Click Print.
118 Part 2: Building a Tree

Viewing Locations in Groups

On the Places workspace, you can view locations in an alphabeti-
cal list or grouped together by country, county, city, and so on. If
you have hundreds of places in your tree, groups make it easier to
quickly find the one you’re interested in. An added benefit is that
you can see all people who are associated with a specific country or
city with one click.
Note: To make sure locations are grouped together correctly, you’ll need
to resolve any place name errors. For help, see “Standardizing Locations”
on page 289.

1. In the Places workspace, click the Alphabetical/Groups

button to toggle between showing places in an alphabeti-
cal list or by groups.
Alphabetical List Groups List

2. To see all places within a group, click its disclosure tri-

angle. To expand all groups, click the Expand All Nodes
button.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 119

Viewing People and Facts Linked to a Location

Family Tree Maker lets you view all the events that took place at a
certain location and the people associated with each event.
1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar.
2. Click a location in the Places panel.
Tip: If you’re viewing locations in groups, you can see all the people
and events for a group by clicking the Linked to All button and then
clicking a country, state, or county in the list of places. Or view
people and events just for a particular selected location by clicking
the Linked to This button.

On the right side of the window, you’ll see the selected location
and the individuals who have life events associated with it.

3. Do one of the following:

• To see the event that occurred at this location for a specific
person, click the plus sign (+).
• To see the events that occurred at this location for all the
individuals, click the Expand all items button on the tool-
bar and choose Expand all. (Click the Collapse all items
button to close all the events.)
120 Part 2: Building a Tree

• To always have all people and events related to the selected

location showing, click the Expand button on the toolbar
and select Expand All on Load.

Creating Migration Maps

Maps can be extremely useful when tracing an ancestor. You can
see at a glance all the locations that are connected with a specific
individual or family, track migration patterns, and maybe discover
where to locate more records.

Creating a Migration Map for an Individual

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. In the Places
panel, choose “Person” from the List by drop-down list.
2. Click the individual whose migration map you want to see. A
map appears in the display area; the individual’s birthplace is in-
dicated by a green marker and death place by a dark red marker.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 121

To the right of the map is every fact you’ve entered for the
individual—and its location.
3. Click the checkbox next to a fact to include its location in the
migration map.
4. Position the pointer over a marker to see the location’s name
and the fact associated with it.

Creating a Migration Map for a Family

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. In the Places
panel, choose “Person” from the List by drop-down list and
click an individual.
2. To view the locations associated with the individual’s immediate
family (parents, siblings, spouse, and children), click the
Include immediate family button in the mapping toolbar.
122 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. Click any individual’s name to the right of the map to highlight

his or her life events on the map. The migration path for the
individual is indicated by a thick line.
Tip: You can change the color of a migration path by clicking the
line color buttons in the mapping toolbar.

4. To view locations associated with an individual’s ancestors (up

to four generations), click the Ancestor generations button
in the mapping toolbar and choose the number of generations
from the drop-down.
A map appears in the display area: birthplaces are indicated by
green markers and death places by dark red markers; the mi-
gration path for each individual is indicated by a colored line.

Entering GPS Coordinates

Although the online maps are able to recognize most places, there
are times when it won’t be able to identify a location. Perhaps your
grandmother is buried in a rural cemetery or census records show your
family in a township that no longer exists. You can set a location’s exact
position using GPS (Global Positioning System) coordinates.
 Chapter 7: Using Maps 123

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. In the Places

panel, click the name of the location to which you want to add
GPS coordinates.
2. Place your cursor in the Location field and then click the
Location calculator icon that appears.

The Location Calculator opens. You can enter the coordinates

in degrees:minutes:seconds, degrees:decimal minutes, or
decimal degrees.

3. Enter the coordinates for the location and click OK.

124 Part 2: Building a Tree

Entering a Display Name for a Location

Recording locations in a complete and consistent manner is an
important part of creating a quality family history. Unfortunately,
long location names can clutter your reports and charts. To avoid
this problem, you can enter your own shortened or abbreviated
display names. For example, instead of using Boston, Middlesex,
Massachusetts, USA, for a birthplace, you can enter Boston, USA,
as the display name.

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. In the

Places panel, choose “Place” from the List by drop-down list.

2. Click the name of the location you want to change.

3. Enter a display name in the Short field.
 Chapter Eight
Researching Your Tree Online

As you enter stories and facts, you’ll probably notice that more
information about your family is waiting to be discovered—perhaps it’s
the burial location of your grandfather or the wedding certificate for
your aunt and uncle. Family Tree Maker can help you fill in these gaps
in your research with hints­—behind-the-scenes searches of Ancestry
and FamilySearch.
You can also search for information on RootsWeb.com or any of
your favorite websites. If you find info that matches a family mem-
ber, you can quickly add it to your tree—without leaving Family Tree
Maker.

Ancestry Hints
Once your FTM tree is uploaded to Ancestry to create a linked
Ancestry tree, Family Tree Maker automatically searches thousands
of databases on Ancestry looking for information that matches
people in your tree. When a possible match is found, a green leaf or
“hint” appears next to an individual in the tree viewer and editing
panel on the People workspace.
You can view the results when it’s convenient, and if the information
is relevant, you can add it to your tree.

FamilySearch Hints
FamilySearch, the largest genealogy organization in the world,
is operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
126 Part 2: Building a Tree

Millions of people use FamilySearch records, resources, and

services each year to learn more about their family history.
Family Tree Maker 2017 provides you with direct access to
FamilySearch’s Family Tree database of more than one billion
names. You can get automatic match suggestions (hints), search the
database, and merge any useful records you find into your own tree,
just as you can with records you find on Ancestry’s databases.
Note: If you don’t want Family Tree Maker to automatically search An-
cestry or FamilySearch when you’re connected to the Internet, you can
turn this feature off. To do this, choose Tools>Options, click General
and deselect options for hints.

Viewing Ancestry and FamilySearch Hints

If Family Tree Maker finds records or trees on Ancestry or
FamilySearch that might match an individual in your tree, you’ll see
a “hint” icon—a green leaf or a blue square respectively—next to the
person on the People workspace. Move the pointer over the icon to
see the number of records and trees that were found.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 127

Note: To view Ancestry Hints you must have an Internet connection,

log in to your Ancestry account, and have your FTM tree linked to your
Ancestry tree. To get hints for new people you add to your tree, keep
your FTM and Ancestry trees synced. To view the actual records and
images, you must have an Ancestry subscription.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace. In the tree viewer

or editing panel, click a hint icon.
2. Select a hint that interests you from the hint results list. If the
record matches someone in your family, you can add it to your
tree. (See “Adding Records to a Tree” on page 134.) If the
record does not match anyone in your tree, you can ignore it.
(See “Ignoring Hints” below.)

Ignoring Hints
If a hint is not relevant to someone in your tree, you can ignore it so
it won’t appear in your list of hints again.

1. Access the hints for an individual.

2. On the Possible Matches page, click the hint you want to ignore.
128 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. On the Search Result Detail toolbar, click the Ignore record

icon (a circle with a diagonal line through it).

To indicate the hint has been ignored, the icon appears

with a black box around it and an orange background.

Viewing Ignored Hints

If you’ve chosen to ignore specific hints for an individual, you can
still view them at a later time.
1. Click the Web Search button on the main toolbar. Choose the
individual whose hints you’d like to view.
2. Select Ancestry or FamilySearch in the Search Locations list.
3. Click Search>View Ignored Records. If the individual has
no ignored hints, a corresponding message appears.

4. To take the hint off the Ignore list, click the Ignore record icon.

Searching Ancestry
You don’t have to wait for Ancestry Hints to help you discover facts
about your family, you can search the website any time you like.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 129

Note: Although anyone can view Ancestry search results, you must
have a subscription to view the actual records and images.

1. Click the Web Search button on the main toolbar.

2. Select Ancestry in the Search Locations list. If you want to
research someone other than the individual who is currently
selected, use the mini pedigree tree or the Index of Individuals
button to choose the appropriate person.
Notice that some fields have been filled in for you already.
By some fields you’ll see an Exact checkbox. Use these options
to limit your results to records that match your search terms
exactly. Start by entering just one or two search terms, such as
name and location.

What Can I Find on Ancestry.com?

Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online family history resource with
more than 20 billion historical records—and more being added all the
time. Here’s a sample of the wealth of information available on Ancestry:
• A complete U.S. census collection (1790–1940). You’ll also find
census records for the UK, Australia, Canada, and other countries.
• Immigration records and passenger lists from 1820 to 1960.
• Birth, marriage, and death records back as far as the 16th century.
• More than 550 million military records from the 1600s to the
Vietnam War and beyond.
• More than 150 million pages from historical newspapers as far back
as the 1700s.
• More than 20,000 local histories, memoirs, journals, and biographies.
• Thousands of photos from the Library of Congress, maps beginning
in the 1500s, and photographs dating back to the mid-1800s.
• Over 90 million family trees from all over the world—created by
researchers just like you. Within these trees you’ll find 330 million
photographs, scanned documents, and stories.
130 Part 2: Building a Tree

3. Add or delete names, dates, and places as necessary.

4. To display records for a specific country or ethnicity first in
your search results, choose an option from the Collection
Focus drop-down list.

5. To limit your search results to a specific type of record:

• Click the Historical records checkbox to search for birth
records, censuses, military and immigration records, etc.
• Click the Stories & publications checkbox to search
for member-submitted stories, newspapers, and county
histories.
• Click the Family Trees checkbox to search trees submit-
ted by members.
• Click the Photos and maps checkbox to search maps,
historical images, and member-submitted photos.
6. Click Search.
7. If you get a large number of search results or matches, click the
Edit Search button to narrow your search. Try adding more
dates, a gender, or a spouse’s name. (You can also narrow your
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 131

search by clicking a category link at the top of the window.) If

you get too few results or no matches, delete one or more of
your search terms to broaden your search.

8. Click a search result to see the record or index. The tab at the
bottom of the window lets you compare, side-by-side, the facts
in your tree with the details found in the highlighted record.

9. If the information matches what you already know about the

individual and his or her family, you can add the information
to your tree. (For instructions, see “Adding Records to a Tree”
on page 134.)
132 Part 2: Building a Tree

Ancestry Search Tips

Ancestry automatically includes name variations, abbreviations, and
nicknames when it searches for records. But if you’re searching for an
elusive ancestor, try these tips to get the most out of your searches:
• Use wildcards. Wildcards represent unknown letters in a name. Use
an asterisk for up to six characters; a search for “fran*” will return
results for Fran, Franny, Frank, Frannie, and Frankie; use a question
mark for a single character; a search for “Hans?n” will return matches
such as Hansen and Hanson.
• Search for similar-sounding names. You can search for last
names that “sound like” the one you’re looking for. For ex-
ample, a search for Smith would return Smithe, Smyth, and
Smythe. To do so, click the “Exact...” link under the individual’s
surname. Then click the Sounds like, Soundex, and Similar check-
boxes.
• Estimate dates. Not sure of the exact date of an event? Make an edu-
cated guess; you’ll get better results than if you leave the field blank.
• Add multiple locations. If a family member lived in New York, Penn-
sylvania, and Illinois, add each of these residences to your search and
you’ll get results for all locations at once. To do this, click the “Show
more options” link at the bottom of the search page. Then add ad-
ditional locations in the event location fields.
• Narrow your search by content. Search for a specific type of content,
such as a family trees, historical records, or photo and maps. To do
this, click the necessary checkboxes at the bottom of the search form.
• Search in specific collections. Ancestry has special collections
focused on countries and ethnicities. If you’re looking for an indi-
vidual who lived in only one country, you can narrow your search to
that location. Simply choose an option from the “Collection Focus”
drop-down list.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 133

FamilySearch Search Tips

• Search for name variations. Try searching for variations in spelling
or different variations of the same name. You can also try nicknames,
different middle names and abbreviations.
• Use wildcards. Wildcards allow you to replace letters in a person’s
name and check for multiple spellings in a single search. A question
mark (?) replaces a single character, and an asterisk (*) replaces
multiple characters. For example, searching for Sm?th will return re-
sults for Smith, Smeth, or even Smythe. A search for Joh* will find
matches such as John, Johnson, or Johnathon.
• Estimate dates. Not sure of the exact date of an event? Make an
educated guess; you might get better results than if you leave the
field blank.
• Provide less information. Adding too much information to your
search may exclude results that don’t have all that information, or
where some of the information differs. For example, try entering just
a name and one event, or use only the name if it’s not very common.
• Provide more or different information. Adding more information
may help to find a record that matches more closely.
• Use exact searching carefully. Keep in mind that using the “Match
All Exactly” checkbox returns fewer results. On the other hand, exact
searching might be very helpful, limiting the results to people who
lived in a specific place and time.
• Use other alphabets. If the person was from a country with a differ-
ent alphabet, try looking for the name written in the person’s native
language.
Important: You can use the Find feature to find only deceased people in
the FamilySearch Family Tree; you cannot look up living people.
134 Part 2: Building a Tree

Searching FamilySearch
You can search the FamilySearch Family Tree database without
waiting for FamilySearch hints to appear. This will produce a list
of possible matches to people in your tree. You can then review the
possible matches and merge any information that you find to be
relevant into your Family Tree Maker tree.

1. Go to the Web Search workspace.

2. In the Search Locations list, select FamilySearch.org.
3. In the search form, enter information about an individual for
whom you want to search.
4. Click Find. The search results appear.
5. Select a search result and look through the person’s data in the
Search Results Detail area. If this is the individual you were
looking for, you can add the information you have found to
your tree. (See “Adding Records to a Tree” below.)

Adding Records to a Tree

When you find a relevant record or family tree on Ancestry
or FamilySearch, you can add the information directly to your
tree using the Web Merge Wizard. You can choose the pieces of
information you want to add and whether that information will
be “preferred” or “alternate.” The wizard can even include record
images and sources for you automatically.
Note: It is always a good idea to save a backup of your tree file before
making major changes using Web Merge.

1. In the Web Search workspace, access the record that you want
to add to your tree.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 135

2. Make sure the individual you want to add the record to is

selected in the Person from Your Tree section. If you need to
merge the record with a different person, click the Select a Dif-
ferent Person button (a file folder icon) in the toolbar. Choose
an individual and click OK.
The bottom of the window displays the information in your
tree compared side-by-side with the information found in the
online record.

3. Click Merge. The Web Merge Wizard will launch. Depending

on the type of record you’re accessing, the wizard may contain
multiple pages.
The left side of the window lists the names of the people
included in the record you are adding. As you move through
the wizard, each individual will be highlighted as you make
decisions about his or her information. Next to the individu-
als’ names, you’ll see two columns: the Person from My Tree
column shows the information you already have in your tree
and the Person from Web Search column shows the informa-
tion from the record you are adding to your tree.
136 Part 2: Building a Tree

4. Use the buttons next to the facts in the two columns to deter-
mine how each fact will be added:
• To keep a fact and mark it as “preferred,” select the button
next to the fact. The corresponding fact for the other indi-
vidual will be added as an alternate fact unless you choose
to discard it.
• To remove a fact, click the arrow next to the Alternate head-
ing and choose “Discard” from the drop-down list. This fact
will not be added to your tree. Though you may choose to
discard some facts for a person, it is usually a good idea to
keep all facts in case they turn out to be relevant.
If you discard a fact, you still have the option to add its
source to your tree by clicking the Keep sources checkbox.
5. Click Next and do one of the following:
• If the individual you want to add has parents, spouse(s), or
children associated with the record, the wizard asks if you
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 137

want to add the information found for the first additional

family member. Go on to step 6.
• If the individual doesn’t have siblings or parents associ-
ated with the record, click the Next button to go to the
Summary window. Skip to step 8.
6. Choose what you want to do with each family member. You
can ignore the person, add the person as a new individual in
your tree, or merge the person with an existing individual in
your tree.
The details about the additional family members appear in the
Person from Web Search column, while the information you
already have in your tree appears in the Person from My Tree
column. You can compare the information you have with what
Family Tree Maker has found. If more than one individual
appears in the Person from My Tree column, you will need to
select the individual with whom you want to merge the new
information.
7. Click Next and complete step 6 for every name in the record
until all additional family members have been looked through.
When you have made decisions for each family member, the
Summary window opens.
8. Verify your selections in the Summary window. If you want to
include an image of a record as a media item, click the Media
checkbox. When you’re ready, click Merge Now. A message
tells you when the information has been successfully added to
your tree. Click Close to close the message.
Note: You cannot undo a merge. However, if you decide you made a mis-
take, you can simply delete the fact(s) or source(s) that you added.
138 Part 2: Building a Tree

Searching Online with Family Tree Maker

With Family Tree Maker, you have a convenient starting point for
researching and expanding your family history—without interrupt-
ing your work. You can explore the Web using any of your favorite
search engines or genealogy websites. Then use the “Web clipping”
tool to select text and images you’re interested in and add them to
individuals in your tree.

1. Click the Web Search button on the main toolbar. Using the
mini pedigree tree or Index of Individuals button, choose the
individual whose information you want to search for.
2. In Search Locations, click the website that you want to search,
or enter a website in the Address field of the Web browser. The
website opens.

3. Look for information on your ancestors just as you would if

you were performing any kind of online search.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 139

Copying Online Facts

If you find details on a website that you’d like to add to your tree,
you can use the “Web clipping” tool. In some cases, Family Tree
Maker will recognize the type of information you’re viewing and
will give you relevant fields to choose from. For example, if you add
info from the Social Security Death Index, you’ll have the option to
add the text to a name, Social Security Number, birth fact, or death
fact.

1. Access the website you want to copy facts from.

2. If you want to link the facts to a different person, click the
Select a different person button in the Person from Your Tree
section which is located at the bottom of the window. Select an
individual and click OK.
3. Click the Facts tab at the bottom of the window. On the Search
Result Detail toolbar, click the Enable web clipping icon.

4. Move the pointer over text on the website until the pointer
turns into a cursor. Highlight the text you want to copy. A
drop-down list appears.
140 Part 2: Building a Tree

5. Choose a fact from the Insert Fact drop-down list. For

example, you can choose the birthplace fact. The highlighted
information now appears in the Search Result Detail section.
Tip: You can copy multiple facts before adding the information to
your tree; you don’t need to add each fact individually.

6. When you have selected all the information you want, click
Merge. The Web Merge Wizard will launch.
7. Use the buttons next to the facts in the two columns to deter-
mine how each fact will be added:
• To keep a fact and mark it as “preferred,” select the but-
ton next to the fact. The corresponding fact for the other
individual will be added as an alternate fact unless you
discard it.
• To remove a fact, click the arrow next to the Alternate head-
ing and choose “Discard” from the drop-down list. This fact
will not be added to your tree. Though you may choose to
discard some facts for a person, it is usually a good idea to
keep all facts in case they turn out to be relevant.
If you discard a fact, you still have the option to add its
source to your tree by clicking the Keep sources checkbox.
8. Click Summary to see how the information will be added to
your tree. If necessary, click Edit to enter a source citation for
the information. (The default source citation is the URL, or
Web address, where the information was found.)
9. Click Merge Now. A message tells you when the information
has been added successfully. Click Close to close the message.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 141

Copying an Online Image

You may find family photos or historical documents that will
enhance your family history. Family Tree Maker makes it easy to
add these directly from a website to your tree.
Note: Before copying any images from the Web, make sure you aren’t
violating any copyrights and/or get permission from the owner.

1. Access the Web page with the image you want to copy.
2. If you want to link the image to a different person, click the
Select a different person button in the Person from Your Tree
section which is located at the bottom of the window. Select an
individual and click OK.
3. Click the Media tab at the bottom of the window. On the Search
Result Detail toolbar, click the Enable web clipping icon.

4. Move the pointer over the Web page until the image you
want is highlighted by a green dotted line.
142 Part 2: Building a Tree

5. Click the highlighted image. A thumbnail of the image appears

in the Search Result Detail section.
6. When you have selected all the images you want, click Merge. A
message tells you when the image has been added successfully.
Click Close to close the message.
Note: The image will be linked to the person displayed in the
Person from Your Tree section. You can also view it on the Media
workspace.

Copying Online Text to a Note

While surfing the Web, you may come upon interesting stories
about the founding of your grandfather’s hometown or a
description of the ship your great-grandparents sailed to America
on. You can easily save this type of information using the “Web
clipping” tool.

1. Access the website you want to copy text from.

2. If you want to link the notes to a person in your tree who is dif-
ferent from the currently selected individual, click the Select a
different person button in the Person from Your Tree section.
Choose an individual and click OK.
3. Click the Notes tab at the bottom of the window. To add the
text as a personal note, click the Person note button; to add the
text as a research note, click the Research note button.
4. On the Search Result Detail toolbar, click the Enable web clip-
ping icon.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 143

5. Move the pointer over text on the website until the pointer
turns into a cursor. Highlight the text you want to copy. The
Insert note button appears.

6. Click Insert note. The information now appears in the Search

Result Detail section.
7. Click Merge. A message tells you when the text has been added
successfully. Click OK.
Note: The note will be linked to the person in the Person from Your Tree
section. To view the notes later, go to the individual’s Person tab and
click the Notes tab at the bottom of the window.
144 Part 2: Building a Tree

Archiving a Web Page

Websites are constantly changing and even disappearing. If you
find a website you want to refer to multiple times, or if you find a
site that contains too much information to read in one sitting, you
might want to archive the Web page. That way, you can read the
page’s contents and continue your research when it’s convenient for
you—without being connected to the Internet. When you archive a
Web page, Family Tree Maker will save a “snapshot” of the page in
HTML format that can be opened in any Web browser.

1. Access the Web page you want to archive.

2. If you want to link the archived page to a person in your tree
who is different from the currently selected individual, click
the Select a different person button in the Person from Your
Tree section. Choose an individual and click OK.
3. Click the Facts, Media, or Notes tab. In the Search Result De-
tail toolbar, click the Create page archive icon (a picture frame
icon). A thumbnail of the page appears in the Search Result
Detail section.

4. Click Merge. A message tells you when the archived Web page
has been added successfully. Click Close to close the message,
and then click OK.

Note: The archived page will be linked to the person in the Person
from Your Tree section. To view the archived page later, go to the
Media workspace.
 Chapter 8: Researching Your Tree Online 145

Managing Research Websites

You can create a list of favorite family history websites so they’re
easy to visit.

Adding a Website to Your Favorites List

1. Click the Web Search button on the main toolbar. In Search

Locations, click the New button.
2. If you are currently accessing the website, click the Use Cur-
rent Site button. If not, enter the address for the website in the
URL address field.

3. Enter a name for the website in the Favorite name field. This
can be any name that helps you identify
the website.
4. Click OK. The new website now appears in
your list of personal favorites.

Sorting Your Website Favorites List

If you’ve gathered quite a few favorite sites, you
can sort the list so it appears in an order that’s
useful to you. For example, if you visit some
websites daily, you can put them at the top of
the list.
146 Part 2: Building a Tree

1. Click the Web Search button on the main toolbar. Click the
Manage Favorites button at the bottom of the Search Loca-
tions area. The Manage Favorites dialog appears.

2. To display the websites in alphabetical order, click Sort favor-

ites alphabetically. To choose your own display order for the
websites, click a website in the Personal favorites list and then
click the up and down arrows. When you’re finished, click OK.
 Part Three
Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts.......................... 149

Chapter 10: Running Reports.............................................179

Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book....................207

 Chapter Nine
Creating Family Tree Charts

After spending time gathering, compiling, and entering your

family’s history, it’s time to show off your hard work. Family
Tree Maker offers a wide variety of family tree charts to help you
bring your family history to life. Add your own personal touch
by customizing the charts with attractive backgrounds, colors,
photos, fonts, and more. These charts help you quickly view the
relationships between family members and are also a fun way to
share your discoveries—hang a framed family tree in your home,
print out multiple copies to share at a family reunion, or email
charts to distant relatives.
As you begin creating your own charts, you might want to
experiment with various formatting options, print out different
versions, and see what you like best.

Pedigree Charts
The pedigree chart is a standard tool of genealogists and what most
people think of when they hear the term “family tree.” This chart
shows the direct ancestors of one individual—parents, grandparents,
great-grandparents, and so on.
150 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Standard Pedigree Charts

In the standard pedigree chart (fig. 9-1), the primary individual
is on the left side of the tree, with ancestors branching off to the
right—paternal ancestors on top and maternal ancestors on bottom.

Figure 9-1. A pedigree chart using a custom template.

 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 151

Vertical Pedigree Charts

In the vertical pedigree chart (fig. 9-2), the primary individual
is shown at the bottom of the page, with his or her ancestors
branching above the individual—paternal ancestors on the left and
maternal ancestors on the right.

Figure 9-2. A customized vertical pedigree chart with portraits.

Hourglass Charts
An hourglass chart shows both the ancestors and descendants
of an individual. The primary individual appears in the middle
of the chart, with ancestors and descendants branching off in an
hourglass shape.
Note: Because of its shape and the number of individuals included,
most hourglass charts look best as posters.

Standard Hourglass Charts

In the standard hourglass chart, the primary individual appears
in the middle of the chart, with ancestors branching above and
descendants extending below the person.
152 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Figure 9-3. An hourglass poster spread over six pages.

The chart in figure 9-3 shows an hourglass chart laid out as a

poster. Notice the white spaces running vertically and horizontally
across the pages. These show the margins of a standard 8½" by 11"
sheet of paper. If you want to print the tree at home, you can use
these guides to tape the pages together.

Figure 9-4. One page of a standard hourglass book chart.

 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 153

You can also create standard hourglass charts that are useful for
including in family history books. When you use the book layout,
the chart is condensed into a series of individual family trees that
appear on separate pages. The chart in figure 9-4 shows one page of
a multi-page book-layout chart. Notice the numbered boxes in the
upper part of the chart. When you are viewing the chart in Family
Tree Maker, you can click one of these boxes to access that page of
the chart. And when your chart is printed out, the numbered boxes
help you navigate to related individuals found on other pages in the
chart.

Horizontal Hourglass Charts

In the horizontal hourglass chart (fig. 9-5), the primary individual
appears in the middle of the chart with ancestors branching to the
right and descendants extending to the left of the person.

Figure 9-5. A horizontal hourglass chart.

154 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Descendant Charts
The descendant chart shows the direct descendants of an individ-
ual—children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on. The
primary individual is shown at the top of the chart, with descendants
underneath in horizontal rows. You can also create a chart that
shows the direct line between two selected individuals (fig. 9-6).

Figure 9-6. A direct-line descendant chart.

 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 155

Bow Tie Charts

In the bow tie chart (fig. 9-7), the primary individual appears in
the middle with paternal ancestors branching off to the left and
maternal ancestors branching to the right.

Figure 9-7. A customized bow tie chart.

Family Tree Charts

In the family tree chart (fig. 9-8), the primary individual appears
at the bottom of the chart, with ancestors branching above him or
her in a tree shape.

Figure 9-8. A customized family tree chart with images.

156 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Fan Charts
A fan chart displays an individual’s ancestors in a circular shape,
one generation per level. The primary individual is at the center
or bottom of the chart. You can choose between a full circle,
semi-circle (fig. 9-9), quarter-circle, and more.

Figure 9-9. A customized semi-circle fan chart.

Note: Because of its shape and the number of individuals included,

this chart is available only in poster layout.

Extended Family Charts

The extended family chart (fig. 9-10) can display every individual
you’ve entered in your tree or just the people you select. The chart
is arranged so that each generation appears on a separate horizontal
row: children, parents, and grandparents, etc.
Note: Because of its shape and the number of individuals included,
this chart is available only in poster layout.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 157

Figure 9-10. A section of an extended family chart.

Relationship Charts
The relationship chart (fig. 9-11) is a graphical representation
of one person’s relationship to another. The common relative is
shown at the top of the chart, with direct-line ancestors and
descendants shown vertically beneath the individual.

Figure 9-11. A relationship chart with a patterned background.

158 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Creating a Chart
All charts are based on the last individual you were viewing in
your tree. To change the primary individual in the chart, click his
or her name in the mini pedigree tree above the chart, or click the
Index of Individuals button and choose the person you want.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publi-

cation Types, click “Charts.”
2. Double-click the chart icon, or select its icon then click the
Create Chart button or the Detail tab.
3. Use the editing panel to change the chart.

Customizing a Chart
You can customize the contents and format of charts. For example,
you can determine which facts are included and choose background
images and fonts.
Note: You can save your custom changes as a template so you can
use the same settings again. For instructions, see “Creating Your
Own Template” on page 174.

Choosing Facts to Include in a Chart

In most charts you can choose which events or facts are included.
Keep in mind, the more facts you add, the larger your chart will be.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Items to include button.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 159

The chart’s default facts are shown in the Included facts list. You
can add and delete facts and change their display options.

2. Do one of the following:

• To delete a fact, click the fact in the Included facts list and
click the red (X) button.
• To add a fact, click the blue (+) button. The Select Fact
window opens. Choose a fact from the list and click OK.
3. Change the fact options as necessary:
• Include only preferred facts. Click this checkbox to
include only preferred facts. If you have multiple facts
for the same event, only the preferred is included.
• Include private facts. Click this checkbox to include facts
you’ve marked as private.
• Include blank facts. Click this checkbox to include a fact
label even if the fact is empty.
• Display user-defined short place name. Click this check-
box to use shortened place names for locations.
160 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

4. To change a fact’s format, click the fact in the Included facts list
and click the [Fact Name] Options button. Select the options
you want and click OK.

Note: Options vary by fact. For example, you can include dates
and locations in births, marriages, and deaths.
5. Click the Print individual number with name checkbox to
assign numbers to individuals in the chart.
6. Click OK.

Changing a Chart’s Title

You can change the title that appears at the top of a chart. Access
the chart you want to change. In the editing panel, enter a new
name in the Chart title field.
To reset the original chart title, click the button with a blue arrow
on it.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 161

Including Source Information with a Chart

While you can’t display sources in the actual chart, you can add a
list of sources to the end of a chart (fig. 9-12).

Figure 9-12. Sources for a pedigree chart.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Items to include button.
2. Click the Include sources checkbox; then click OK.

Adding Images and Text to a Chart

You can personalize your charts and make them more appealing by
adding backgrounds, family photographs and portraits, or stories.

Adding a Background Image

Family Tree Maker comes with hundreds of attractive images you
can use as chart backgrounds. Or you can create a background
using an image on your computer or a photo in your tree.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing panel,

choose an image from the Background drop-down list:
• To use an image on your computer, click Browse for
Image. Choose an image and click Open.
162 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

• To use an image in your tree, click Select from Media

Collection. Choose an image and click OK.

2. Choose how the background will be displayed. To center the

image on the page, choose Center. To stretch the image to fit the
entire page, choose Stretch. To show a close-up of the image,
choose Zoom. To show a series of the image, choose Tile.
3. Use the up and down arrows to set the intensity of the image.
At 0 percent, the image will look normal, while a higher per-
centage will fade the image so the chart is easier to read.

Adding Portraits to a Chart

You can include images of individuals in a chart. In order to do this,
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 163

you must have already added the images to your tree and linked
them to specific individuals. (For instructions see “Adding a Portrait
for an Individual” on page 96.)

1. Access the chart you want to change. Choose an image type

from the Pictures drop-down list:
• Choose Thumbnail to use low-resolution thumbnail images.
• Choose Photo to use the resolution of the actual photo.
2. From the top drop-down list, choose how images are posi-
tioned next to fact boxes:
• To align images with the middle of boxes, choose Center.
• To align images with the top of boxes, choose Top.
• To resize images to the same height as boxes, choose Stretch.
Note: This option may cause your photos to look distorted.

• To resize images to the same height as boxes (with cropped

margins on the left and right side), choose Zoom.

3. From the bottom drop-down list, choose how images are

displayed in fact boxes:
• To display images on the left side, choose Left.
• To display images on the right side, choose Right.
• To display images as a background, choose Behind.
4. If you want to change the size of the photo or thumbnail, enter
a size in the Inches wide field.
Note: The larger the image is, the less space available for facts.
164 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

5. Click Use silhouettes to display a silhouette icon for individu-

als who don’t have portraits.

Adding a Decorative Photo or Embellishment

You can add family photographs, borders, or embellishments to your
charts.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Insert Image or Text Box button.

2. Choose an image using the drop-down list:

• To use an image in your tree, click Insert Image from
Media Collection. Choose an image and click OK.
• To use an image on your computer, click Insert Image
from File. Choose an image and click Open.
Note: You’ll find a variety of decorative images in the Embel-
lishments folder located in the Family Tree Maker folder.

3. To resize an image, click it. Then

move the pointer over the icon in
the bottom-right corner. Drag the
image to the size you want.
4. To change the position of the
image, move the pointer over
the image and click and drag the
image to the location you want.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 165

Adding Text
You can add text anywhere on a chart. For example, you could
write a short biography of the main person in the chart (fig. 9-13).

Figure 9-13. A family tree chart with a short biography.

1. Access the chart you want to add text to. In the editing toolbar,
click the Insert Image or Text Box button.

2. Choose “Insert Text Box” from the drop-down list.

3. To change the position of the text box, move the pointer over
the text. When the pointer changes shape, click and drag the
box to the location you want.
4. To enter or edit text, simply double-click the box. Enter your
text and click OK.
Tip: To change the text’s size or color, click the Fonts button in
the charts toolbar. In “Items to format” select Text Boxes.
166 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Changing the Header or Footer

You can define the headers and footers for each chart (the lines of
text at the top and bottom of a chart).
Note: Not every option is available for every chart.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Header/Footer button.

2. Change the header and footer options as necessary:

• Chart note. Enter any text you want to appear in the footer.
• Draw box around footer. Click this checkbox to enclose
the footer in a box.
• Print “Created with Family Tree Maker”. Click this
checkbox to add this statement to the footer.
• Include submitter info. Click this checkbox to add your
user information to the footer.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 167

• Include date of printing. Click this checkbox to include

the current date in the footer.
• Include time of printing. Click this checkbox to include
the current time in the footer.
• Include page/chart numbers. Click this checkbox to include
page numbers. From the drop-down list, choose whether the
number appears in the header or footer.
In Starting number enter the number of the chart’s first
page; in Starting number for continuation charts, enter
the number of the second page of the chart.
3. Click OK.

Changing Formatting for a Chart

You can change a chart’s formatting such as its fonts, colors and
borders, and box sizes.

Changing Layout Options

Depending on the number of individuals and facts in your chart,
you may need to adjust the layout and spacing to best display each
individual.
Note: Not every option is available for every chart.

1. Access the chart you want to change. The editing panel displays
the options you can change.
168 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

2. Change the chart’s layout options as necessary:

• Layout. Choose Book to create pages for a book; if a chart
flows onto multiple pages, each page is cross-referenced to
generations on other pages. Choose Poster to create pages
that can be linked together to form a poster (click the
Advanced button to customize the poster).
• Overlap. Change the horizontal spacing. Choose No Over-
lap to space columns equally; choose Columns Overlap to
overlap columns slightly; choose Only Root Overlaps to
overlap the primary individual’s column with the parents’
column; choose FishTail to overlap all columns except the
last generation.
• Spacing. Change the vertical spacing. Choose Perfect to
space rows evenly; choose Collapsed to space rows closer
together; choose Squished to use minimal space between
rows; choose Custom to adjust the spacing using the
Advanced poster format.
Tip: Collapse or squish columns if you want to fit many
people on one page.

• Align nodes. Choose how lines connect individuals.

Choose Top to use lines underneath names; choose Cen-
ter to center lines next to each person; choose Bezier to
use curved lines; choose Straight to use diagonal lines.
• Center tree on page. Click this checkbox to display the
tree in the center of the page. If the chart is for a book,
don’t use this option. Instead, leave extra space in the left
margin for binding.
• Last descend­ant generation vertically. Click this checkbox
to show the last generation under their parents.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 169

• Boxes overlap page breaks. Click this checkbox so boxes

that fall on a page break will not be split over two pages.
• Include empty branches. In the Book layout, displays
all branches of the tree through the generations you have
specified even if there is no person entered for them.
Printing empty branches is useful when you want to collect
more information about your family. You can fill out the
boxes by hand and later transfer the information into Fam-
ily Tree Maker. In the Poster layout this option is available
only for Pedigree and Fan charts.
• Include duplicate ancestor lines. If you have an instance
of intermarriage in your family (for example, cousins mar-
rying back into the family), you will have some duplicate
individuals in your tree. Select this option if you want these
individuals to print in your tree more than once.
• Include siblings of primary individual. Displays the
brothers and sisters of the person selected for the chart.
Siblings are displayed on the same level as the primary
person. This option is not available in the Book layout.
• Include spouses of primary individual. Displays each
husband or wife of the person selected for the chart. This
option is not available in the Book layout for all charts.
• Include all individuals. Includes everyone entered in the
tree file in the chart, even those individuals who may not
be attached to the main tree. These unrelated people are
displayed in a separate tree (or trees) at the bottom of the
chart. When this option is not selected, unrelated people
do not appear in the chart.
170 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

• Display relationship label for each node. Shows each per-

son’s relationship to the person in the “Relation from” field.
• Show generation labels. Displays the relationship of the
generation (parent, grandparent, and so on) to primary
person above each column of the chart (excluding the
root). The font and box style can be configured for all gen-
eration labels by clicking the Fonts and the Box and line
styles buttons in the editing toolbar.
Note: You cannot move the generation labels. If you manually
change the location of the columns, the labels may no longer
be aligned.
• Show thumbnail. Displays the picture you assigned to each
person that appears on the chart. If a picture is not avail-
able, a silhouette is displayed instead.
• Include civil/canon information. Displays the civil and
canon degrees of separation at the bottom of the chart.
For more information, see “Civil Degree” and “Canon
Degree” in the Relationship Calculator section of Chap-
ter 13 (page 250).
• Root Node at Fan Origin. Orients the primary person’s
box so that it is square with the page. In charts of 90
degrees or less, the primary person’s node is placed in the
bottom-left corner of the chart. When not selected, the
root node is placed closer to the other nodes and oriented
with the chart.
• Fan layout. Specifies the number of degrees to use for the
chart. The dark portion of each circle indicates how the
chart will appear.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 171

Adding Page Borders, Text Boxes, and Background Colors

You can enhance a chart by adding a border, background color,
and text boxes.
Note: Not every option is available for every chart.

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Box and line styles button.

2. To change the format of text boxes, click a group in the

Boxes list.
172 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

3. Change these options as necessary:

• Choose border, fill, and shadow colors from the drop-down
lists.
• Click Double line to add two lines to box borders.
• Click Rounded corners to use round corners for box
borders.
• Click Semi-transparent to make the background image or
color partially visible through boxes.
• Click Use gradient fill to make a box’s fill color go from
light to dark.
• Click All boxes same size to make all boxes on the chart
the same size.
4. To change the size of boxes, enter the maximum width and
height (in inches) for boxes in the “Book layout maximums.”
5. To change the format of pedigree and divider lines, choose col-
ors from the drop-down lists. Then choose the line thickness.
6. To add a border to the entire chart, choose a color from the
Line drop-down list. Then click Double line to add two lines
to the page border; click Rounded corners to use round
corners for the page border.
7. To add a colored background, choose the color from the
Background drop-down list. (Choose “None” for a blank back-
ground.)
8. Click OK.

Changing Fonts
You can change the appearance of the text in charts to make it
more formal, more fun, or maybe just more readable.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 173

1. Access the chart you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Fonts button.

2. In the Items to format list, click the text element, such as the
chart title, you want to change.

3. Choose a font from the Font drop-down list. You can also
change the size of the font, its style, color, and alignment.
4. Click OK to save your changes.
174 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Using Chart Templates

Family Tree Maker comes with several templates you can use to
quickly dress up your family tree charts. You can also turn your
own chart designs into templates.

Creating Your Own Template

After you’ve customized a chart with your favorite fonts and colors
and changed the spacing and layout to make everyone fit perfectly
on the page, you don’t want to lose your settings. You can save your
modifications as a template, and you won’t have to recreate your
changes if you want to use them on another chart.

1. After you’ve modified a chart, click the Save settings

button in the editing toolbar.

2. Choose one of the following:

• Save as preferred template. This option saves the current
settings as the preferred template for all charts. However,
this template isn’t permanent; if you modify the preferred
template, the old settings will be written over.
• Create new template. This option lets you name the
template and add it to the list of custom chart templates.
3. Click OK. To assign your template to a chart see the next section.

Using a Custom Template

Family Tree Maker lets you use attractive templates to instantly
change the look of your chart.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 175

You can apply custom templates to any chart. And if the results
aren’t exactly what you want, you can modify it.

1. Access the chart you want to apply a template to. Click the Use
saved settings button in the editing toolbar.

2. Choose one of these template options:

• Default template. This is the default chart template.
• Preferred template. This is a template you have created
and saved as your “preferred” template.
• Custom template. These are the custom templates found in
Family Tree Maker (or templates you have created).
3. Click OK.

Saving Charts
You can save a specific chart in Family Tree Maker, or you can save
a chart in different file formats to export.

Saving a Specific Chart

If you like a chart you’ve created, you’ll probably want to save it.
That way you can view it again without having to recreate it.

1. After you’ve modified a chart, click the Save chart button

in the editing toolbar.
176 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

2. Enter a unique name for the chart. For example, don’t use
generic terms like “Pedigree Chart” or “Relationship Chart.”
3. Click Save.
Tip: To open a saved chart, go to the Collection tab on the Publish work-
space. In Publication Types, click Saved Charts. Then double-click the
chart you want to open.

Saving a Chart as a File

You may want to save a chart as an image or PDF so you can share it
easily with family or post it online.
1. Access the chart you want to save.
2. Click the Share button above the editing panel. From the drop-
down list, choose one of the following:
• Export to PDF. An Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) is
useful because it keeps the formatting you select. If you print a
chart or send it to a relative, the chart will look exactly as you see
it on your monitor. You can’t change a PDF within Family Tree
Maker, and you need Adobe Reader to view it. (Adobe Reader
can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.)
• Export to One Page PDF. This option exports the chart as
one page (regardless of size). Use this option if you’re creat-
ing a poster-sized chart or printing a chart at a copy store.
• Export to Image. This option lets you create an image of the
chart as a bitmap, JPEG, or other image format.
Each format has its own export options. After you choose a
format type, you may be able to choose options such as page
borders. Once you’ve made your selections, click OK.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the chart; then
enter a name for the chart and click Save.
 Chapter 9: Creating Family Tree Charts 177

Printing a Chart
1. Access the chart you want to print.
2. Click the Print button above the editing panel.
3. When prompted choose a printer, select the number of copies,
and choose a page range.
4. Click OK.

Sharing a Chart
You can share your charts with others by emailing them as PDFs.
Note: You must be connected to the Internet and have a desktop
email program to use this feature.

1. Access the chart you want to email.

2. Click the Share button above the editing panel. From the drop-
down list, choose Send as PDF.
3. Use the preview window to make sure the chart looks correct;
then click Send as PDF.
4. Change any options as necessary and click OK.
5. Navigate to the location where you want to save the chart.
Then enter a name for the chart and click Save. Family Tree
Maker opens an email (with the file attached).
6. Send the email as you would any other.

Large Chart Printing

With Family Tree Maker, you can order a large, high-quality,
professional print of your chart from the Family ChartMasters
website in just a few clicks.
1. Access the chart you want to print.
178 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

2. Click the Share button above the editing panel, and then
choose Order Large Print at Family ChartMasters from the
drop-down list.
3. In the message that appears, click Export Chart to PDF.
4. Change any options as necessary, click OK, and then choose a
location and click Save.
5. When the export process is complete, a new message appears.
Click the Go to Family ChartMasters button.
6. The Family ChartMasters website opens in your default web
browser. Follow the onscreen instructions to upload the ex-
ported file and order a large format print of your family tree.

Charting Companion Plug-In

If you like making charts with Family Tree Maker, you’ll love the
amazing array of additional chart types and settings you get with
Progeny Genealogy’s Charting Companion.
You can access the plug-in from the Tools menu and it will
work directly with your charts as though it were part of Family
Tree Maker.
Charting Companion provides six unique chart types not
found in Family Tree Maker, including the Descendant Fan (a
combination of descendant and family tree fan charts), plus a
great collection of embellishments, and lots of special options for
printing.
To get the plug-in, please visit www.familytreemaker.com and
follow the GIFT Collection link.
 Chapter Ten
Running Reports

Family Tree Maker includes a number of reports to help you

organize and understand the information you’ve entered in your
tree. You can create detailed reports about a single family, such as
the family group sheet; relationship reports that show marriage
events; bibliographies and source reports that help you keep track
of your research; and more.
Each report can be customized—options differ by report. You
can change fonts, add background images, and add headers and
footers.

Genealogy Reports
Genealogy reports are a staple of serious family historians. These
narrative reports contain biographical details about individuals.
Relationships between people are shown using numbering systems
that are unique to each report. You can choose from ancestor-or-
dered reports (Ahnentafels) or descendant-ordered reports.

Ahnentafel Report
The Ahnentafel (a German word meaning “ancestor table”) is a
numbered list of individuals (fig. 10-1). Its format is ancestor-
ordered, meaning that it starts with one individual and moves back-
ward in time to that individual’s ancestors. This type of report isn’t
used frequently because it shows two family lines at the same time.
180 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Figure 10-1. An Ahnentafel (ancestor report).

Descendant Report
A descendant report (fig. 10-2) is a narrative report that includes
biographical information about each individual. It is descendant-
ordered, meaning it starts with an individual and moves forward
in time through that individual’s children and grandchildren. You
have four numbering system options: Register, NGSQ, Henry, and
d’Aboville.

Figure 10-2. A Register descendant report.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 181

Person Reports
Person reports give you an overview of your tree and help you
focus on specific individuals.

Custom Report
Custom reports (fig. 10-3) let you explore your tree in ways that are
interesting to you. For example, you can create a custom report of
birthplaces or causes of death.

Figure 10-3. A custom report of all individuals who lived in Massachusetts.

Data Errors Report

The Data Errors Report (fig. 10-4) lists all instances where data is
missing or may be incorrect. This includes nonsensical dates (e.g.,
an individual being born before his or her parents were born),
empty fields, and duplicate individuals. (For more information see
“Running the Data Errors Report” on page 287.)

Figure 10-4. A Data Errors Report.

182 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Individual Report
The Individual Report (fig. 10-5) lists every fact and source you
have recorded for a specific individual.

Figure 10-5. An Individual Report.

LDS Ordinances Report

The LDS Ordinances Report (fig. 10-6) is useful for members of
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and displays LDS-
specific ordinances such as baptisms and sealings.

Figure 10-6. An LDS Ordinances Report.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 183

LDS Ordinance Summary Report

The LDS Ordinance Summary Report (fig. 10-7) lists all people in
the tree and their LDS ordinances status. You can restrict the report
to selected individuals.

Figure 10-7. An LDS Ordinance Summary Report.

Note: Click Tools > Options and then select the Show LDS information
checkbox to access the LDS Ordinances Report and the LDS Ordinance
Summary Report.

List of Individuals Report

The List of Individuals Report has five options: all individuals
in your tree, all individuals and their ID numbers, a list of
anniversaries, a list of birthdays (fig. 10-8), and a contact list.

Figure 10-8. A list of birthdays.

184 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Notes Report
The Notes Report (fig. 10-9) lets you view the person, research,
relationship, or fact notes you’ve entered in your tree.

Figure 10-9. A report of research notes.

Surname Report
The Surname Report (fig. 10-10) lists the total number of
individuals with a specific surname, the number of males and
females with that surname, and the earliest and most recent year a
surname appears in your tree.

Figure 10-10. A Surname Report sorted by name count.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 185

Task List
A task list (fig. 10-11) displays all research tasks on your to-do list.
You can see each task’s priority, category, and creation and due dates.

Figure 10-11. A research to-do list.

Timeline Report
A timeline (fig. 10-12) lists an individual’s life events with the date
and location of the event and the person’s age at the time. You can
also include events for an individual’s immediate family (such as
birth, marriage, and death) and historical events.

Figure 10-12. A timeline for an individual and his family.

186 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Relationship Reports
Relationship reports are just what they sound like; they show the
relationships between different individuals and families in your tree.

Family Group Sheet

A family group sheet (fig. 10-13) is one of the most commonly
used reports in family history. It is a detailed report about a single
family (primarily the parents and children of a family, although it
also includes the names of the couple’s parents); including names,
birth, death, and marriage information; notes; and sources. If the
individual has more than one spouse, additional family group
sheets will be created for each family.

Figure 10-13. A family group sheet.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 187

Kinship Report
The Kinship Report (fig. 10-14) helps you determine how
individuals in your tree are related to a specific person.

Figure 10-14. A Kinship Report.

Marriage Report
The Marriage Report (fig. 10-15) shows husbands and wives, their
marriage dates, and relationship statuses.

Figure 10-15. A Marriage Report.

188 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Outline Ancestor Report

The Outline Ancestor Report (fig. 10-16) shows where everyone fits
in the family. Starting with a relative, it moves to the past, showing
the primary individual’s parents, grandparents, great-grandparents,
and so on, generation by generation in outline format, with each
individual on a separate line.

Figure 10-16. An Outline Ancestor Report.

Outline Descendant Report

The Outline Descendant Report (fig. 10-17) starts with an ancestor
and outlines each generation of descendants; you can choose the
number of generations to show in the report.

Figure 10-17. An Outline Descendant Report.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 189

Parentage Report
The Parentage Report (fig. 10-18) lists each individual, his or her
parents, and their relationship (e.g., biological, adopted, foster).

Figure 10-18. A Parentage Report.

Family View Report

The Family View Report (fig. 10-19) shows three generations of an-
cestors for an individual and his or her parents and children.

Figure 10-19. A Family View Report.

190 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Place Usage Report

The Place Usage Report (fig. 10-20) lists the locations in your tree
and each person associated with them. You can also include specific
events, such as birth or marriage, that occurred at that location.

Figure 10-20. A Place Usage Report.

Media Reports
Media reports let you view items individually or in groups.

Photo Album
A photo album (fig. 10-21) shows a person’s birth and death dates,
the names of their parents, and all photos linked to them.

Figure 10-21. A photo album for an individual.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 191

Media Item Report

A Media Item Report (fig. 10-22) shows an image (or icon) of a
media item, its caption, date of origin, description, and the people
the item is linked to.

Figure 10-22. A Media Item Report.

192 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Media Usage Report

The Media Usage Report (fig. 10-23) lists all your media items. For
each item you’ll see a thumbnail, name, location on your computer,
and people it is linked to.

Figure 10-23. A Media Usage Report.

Source Reports
Family Tree Maker includes several reports that help you see how
you’ve sourced facts in your tree.

Source Bibliography
A bibliography (fig. 10-24) is a detailed list of all the sources used in
your research.

Figure 10-24. An annotated bibliography.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 193

Documented Facts Report

The Documented Facts Report (fig. 10-25) shows an individual and
the events you’ve entered source information for.

Figure 10-25. A Documented Facts Report.

Undocumented Facts Report

The Undocumented Facts Report (fig. 10-26) shows individuals and
events that don’t have sources associated with them.

Figure 10-26. An Undocumented Facts Report.

194 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Source Usage Report

The Source Usage Report (fig. 10-27) shows each source and the
individuals and facts associated with it.

Figure 10-27. A Source Usage Report.

Calendars
You can make calendars (fig. 10-28) that display birthdays, death
dates, and anniversaries for your immediate family or ancestors.

Figure 10-28. A calendar showing birth dates for all individuals.

 Chapter 10: Running Reports 195

Creating a Report
All reports are based on the last individual you were viewing in
your tree. To change the primary individual in the report, click his
or her name in the mini pedigree tree above the report, or click the
Index of Individuals button and choose the person you want.

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publi-

cation Types, click the report type you want.
2. Double-click the report icon, or select its icon and then click
the Create Report button or the Detail tab.
3. Use the editing panel to change the report.

Customizing a Report
You can customize the contents and format of reports. For example,
you can determine which individuals and facts are included in the
report and choose background images and fonts.

Choosing Facts to Include in a Report

In some reports you can choose which events or facts you’d like to
include.

1. Access the report you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Items to include button.

The Items to Include window opens. The report’s default facts

are shown in the Included facts list. You can add and delete
facts and change their display options.
196 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

2. Do one of the following:

• To delete a fact, click the fact in the Included facts list and
click the red (X) button.
• To add a fact, click the Add (+) button. The Select Fact
window opens. Choose a fact from the list and click OK.

3. Change the fact options as necessary:

• Include only preferred facts. Click this checkbox to
include only preferred facts. If you have multiple facts for
the same event, only the preferred one is included.
• Include private facts. Click this checkbox to include facts
you’ve marked as private.
• Include blank facts. Click this checkbox to include a fact
label even if the fact is empty.
• Display user-defined short place name. Click this check-
box to use shortened place names for locations.
 Chapter 10: Running Reports 197

4. To change a fact’s format, click the fact in the Included facts list
and click the Options button. Select the options you want and
click OK.
Note: Options vary by fact. For example, you can include dates and
locations in births, marriages, and deaths.

5. Choose notes to include in the report:

• Click Include person notes to show person notes linked to
individuals.
• Click Include research notes to show research notes linked
to individuals.
• Click Include relationship notes to show person notes
linked to relationships.
• Click Include fact notes to show notes linked to facts.
• Click Include private notes to show a note even if it has
been marked as private.
6. To show sources in the report, click the Include sources
checkbox.
7. Click OK.
198 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Choosing Individuals to Include in a Report

In many reports, you can choose which individuals will be includ-
ed. For example, you can choose a specific ancestor and his or her
descendants. You can also choose individuals by picking specific
criteria (for example, you may want to generate a report that shows
all individuals who were born in a particular city).

1. Access the report you want to change. You can choose indi-
viduals for the report in the editing panel.

2. Do one of the following:

• To include the individual’s immediate family members,
click Immediate family.
• To include also grandparents, aunts, uncles, first cousins,
nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and spouses of all those
who are listed, click Extended family.
• To include everyone in your tree, click All individuals.
• To choose specific individuals, click Selected individu-
als. The Filter Individuals window opens. Click a name
and then click Include to add the person. When you’re
finished choosing individuals click Apply.
 Chapter 10: Running Reports 199

Changing a Report’s Title

You can change the title that appears at the top of a report. Access
the report you want to change. In the editing panel, enter a new
name in the Report title field. Click the button next to this field to
revert to the original report title.

Adding a Background Image

Family Tree Maker comes with hundreds of attractive images you
can use as report backgrounds. Or you can create a background
using an image on your computer or a photo in your tree.

1. Access the report you want to change. In the editing panel,

choose an image from the Background drop-down list:
• To use an image on your computer, click Browse for Image.
Choose an image and click Open.
• To use an image in your tree, click Select from Media
Collection. Choose an image and click OK.
200 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

2. Choose how the background will be displayed. To center the

image on the page, choose Center. To stretch the image to
fit the entire page, choose Stretch. To show a close-up of the
image, choose Zoom. To show a series of the image, choose
Tile.
3. Choose the intensity of the image. At 0 percent, the image will
look normal, while a higher percentage will fade the image so
the report is easier to read.

Changing the Header or Footer

You can define a report’s headers and footers (the lines of text at the
top and bottom of the page).

1. Access the report you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Header/Footer button.

2. Change the header and footer options as necessary:

• Show report title on every page. Click this checkbox to display

a header (the title) on each page of the report.
 Chapter 10: Running Reports 201

• Show footer. Click this checkbox to display a footer on each page

of the report. Click Include page number to display a page num-
ber on the left side of the footer; click Include print date to dis-
play the current date on the right side of the footer; click Include
print time to display the current time next to the current date.
3. Click OK.

Changing Fonts
You can change the appearance of the text in reports to make it
more formal, more fun, or maybe just more readable.

1. Access the report you want to change. In the editing toolbar,

click the Fonts button.

2. In the Items to format list, click the text element, such as the
report title, you want to change.
202 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

3. Choose a font from the Font drop-down list. You can also
change the size of the font, its style, color, and alignment.
4. Click OK to save your changes.

Saving Reports
You can save a specific report in Family Tree Maker, or you can save
a report in different file formats to export.

Saving the Settings for a Report

After you’ve customized a report, you can save your settings so
you won’t have to recreate these changes the next time you view
the report. The settings you can save depend on the report, but
generally include fact options, fonts, headers and footers, page
layouts, and background images.
Note: You cannot save settings in one report and use them in another.
For example, if you save settings in the Parentage Report, you cannot
use these settings in the Kinship Report.

1. After you’ve modified the report, click the Save settings

button in the editing toolbar.

2. A message asks if you want to use the current settings as the

preferred settings for this report type. Click Yes.
Tip: To change back to the report’s default settings, click the Use report
settings button in the editing toolbar. Then choose Default settings and
click OK.
 Chapter 10: Running Reports 203

Saving a Specific Report

If you like a report you’ve created, you’ll probably want to save it.
That way you can view it again without having to recreate it.

1. After you’ve modified a report, click the Save report

button in the editing toolbar.

2. Enter a unique name for the report. For example, don’t use
generic terms like “Family Group Sheet” or “Custom Report”.

3. Click Save.
Tip: To open a saved report, go to the Collection tab on the Publish
workspace. In Publication Types, click Saved Reports. Then double-click
the report you want to open.
204 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Saving a Report as a File

You may want to save a report as a document or spreadsheet so you
can share it easily with family or post it online.

1. Access the report you want to save.

2. Click the Share button above the editing panel. From the drop-
down list, choose one of these options:
• Export to PDF. An Adobe PDF (Portable Document
Format) is useful because it keeps the formatting you select.
If you print a report or send it to a relative, the report will
look exactly as you see it on your monitor. You can’t change
a PDF within Family Tree Maker, and you need Adobe
Reader to view it. (Reader can be downloaded for free from
the Adobe website.)
• Export to CSV. This spreadsheet format organizes informa-
tion into fields (comma-separated values). Although you
can export any report to a CSV file, it is most useful for
statistical reports that use columns, such as the marriage
report.
• Export to RTF. This creates a basic text file but can include
information such as text style, size, and color. This universal
format can be read by nearly all text editing programs.
• Export to HTML. Hypertext Markup Language is the stan-
dard language for creating and formatting Web pages.
Each format has its own export options. After you choose a
format type, you may be able to choose options such as text
separators. Once you’ve made your selections, click OK.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the report.
Then enter a name for it and click Save.
 Chapter 10: Running Reports 205

Printing a Report
1. Access the report you want to print.
2. Click the Print button above the editing panel.
3. When prompted choose a printer, select the number of copies,
and choose a page range.
4. Click Print.

Sharing a Report
You can share reports with others—via email—in a variety of formats.
Note: You must be connected to the Internet and have a desktop email
program to use this feature.

1. Access the report you want to email.

2. Click the Share button above the editing panel. From the drop-
down list, choose one of these options:
• Send as PDF. The Adobe PDF retains printer formatting
and graphical elements so it resembles how the printed
document will appear.
• Send as CSV. This format organizes information into fields
(comma-separated values) and is meant to be imported
into spreadsheet programs.
• Send as RTF. This creates a basic text file but can include
information such as text style, size, and color. This univer-
sal format can be read by nearly all text editing programs.
• Send as Image. This option lets you create an image of the
report as a bitmap, JPEG, or other image format.
 Each format has its own export options. After you choose a
format type, you may be able to choose options such as page
borders and text separators. Once you’ve made your selections,
click OK. A file management window opens.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the report.
Then enter a name for the report and click Save. Family Tree
Maker opens a new email (with the file attached).
4. Send the email as you would any other.
 Chapter Eleven
Creating a Family History Book

Wouldn’t you love to have a printed family history to share your

family stories, photographs, maps, and research? And what could
be more convenient than using the same software to organize your
family history and create a book to tell your ancestral story?
Family Tree Maker has a publishing tool to help you create a
quality family history book that you and your family will enjoy for
years to come. The tool is a desktop book-building feature built
into the Family Tree Maker software. It’s a great way to assemble a
traditional genealogy using images, facts, charts, and reports from
your tree.

The Desktop Book-Building Tool

Getting started with the book-building tool is easy because you can
use the facts, charts, reports, and timelines already in your tree.
Add some personal stories and photos and you’ve created a book
you can email to family members or get printed at a copy shop.

Starting a Family History Book

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publi-
cation Types, click Books.
2. Double-click Genealogy Book. The Save Book window opens.
208 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

3. Enter a title for the book in the Book name field and click
Save. The book opens in the text editor.

Importing a Book
If you created a book in Family Tree Maker 2006 or Version 16, you
can import the book into your tree. However, because of differences
between the old and new software, some items won’t transfer, such
as images, text formatting, and NGSQ reports.
Note: Before you import a book, make a backup of your tree. Also, you
can only import books that have been created in Family Tree Maker.

1. Choose File>Import Books.

2. Navigate to the Family Tree Maker (.ftw) file that contains the
book you want to import and click Open. A success message
shows how many books and book items were imported.
3. Click OK. The book is added to the Saved Books list.
4. To view the imported book, go to the Collection tab on the
Publish workspace. In Publication Types, click Saved Books.
5. Double-click the book to open it in the text editor.
If an item wasn’t imported, you can click on the missing item
in the outline to see an explanation of what has been left out—
and in some cases, who the item was attached to.
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 209

Accessing a Saved Book

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publi-
cation Types, click Saved Books.
2. Double-click the book you want to open, or select its icon and
then click the Detail tab. The book opens in the text editor.

Setting Up a Book
When you create a book you can enter the name of the author and
title and add headers and footers.

1. Access the book you want to set up.

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Book Properties
button.

3. Change the book’s properties as necessary:

• Book title. Enter the name of the book. This is the title
that will appear in the book’s headers and footers; it is not
entered on the title page automatically.
• Author. Enter the author of the book.
• Header. Choose a header type from the drop-down list.
Headers are typically the title of a book, but you can have
no header, or a combination of the book title, chapter
name, and page number. To change the header’s font, click
Font and choose a style and size from the drop-down list.
Note: You can add or remove the header from a specific page
using Item Properties. See “Changing an Item’s Settings” on
page 219.
210 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

• Footer. Choose a footer type from the drop-down list.

Footers are typically page numbers, but you can have no
footer, or a combination of the book title, chapter name,
and page number. To change the footer’s font, click Font
and choose a style and size from the drop-down list.
Note: You can add or remove the footer from a specific page
using Item Properties. For instructions see “Changing an Item’s
Settings” on page 219.
• Starting number. Choose what page you want the body of
the book to start on (the front matter—title page, table of
contents, dedication, etc.—will be numbered separately).
• Use Roman numerals. Click this checkbox to use standard
Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv) for the book’s front matter—
title page, table of contents, dedication, etc.
4. Click OK.

Adding Content to a Book

You can add any number of items to your family history book,
including stories, photos, reports, charts, and even an automatically
generated table of contents and index.

Adding Text
Don’t let your family history book become a dry recitation of facts.
Add interest by including family stories and memories. If your
grandfather immigrated to America when he was young, don’t just
list this fact in an individual report. Include an excerpt from his
journal that tells how he felt when he saw the Statue of Liberty.
Family Tree Maker has three options for entering text: you can
manually type text, import text from a text file or document, or use
Smart Stories to extract facts, sources, and notes in your tree (for
more information on Smart Stories, see page 62).
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 211

Adding a Text Item

Before you can add stories, you’ll need to add a text item to the
book. A text item is basically a blank sheet of paper in the book
text editor. Creating one is much like opening a new document in
a word-processing program. You can use it for everything from an
entire chapter to a simple page with a photo and a caption.

1. Access the book you want to add a text item to. In the book
panel toolbar, click the Add Book Item button.

The Add Book Item window opens.

2. In Publication type, click Other. Then double-click Smart

Story (Text Item), or select its icon and then click OK. A blank
page opens in the text editor.
212 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Entering Text Manually

You can use the text editor to write your own family narratives.

1. Click a text item in the book outline.

2. Place the cursor where you want the text and begin typing.

Importing Text from Another Document

If you’ve already written part of your book in another text editing
program, you don’t have to re-type your text or copy and paste
sections into Family Tree Maker. You can import the entire
.doc/.docx, .rtf/.rtfd, or .txt document at once—without losing
formatting.

1. Create a new text item.

2. Select the text item in the book outline.
3. Place the cursor where you want the text. In the text editor,
choose File>Open. A file management window opens.
4. Navigate to the document you want to import and click Open.
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 213

Formatting Text
The text formatting options available in Family Tree Maker are
similar to most word-processing programs. You can change fonts,
text size, alignment, tabs, and indents.

1. Click a text item in the book outline.

2. Format the text using these options:
• Change the font color, size, or style. Select the text you
want to change. Click Format>Character. The Font
window opens. Make the necessary changes and click OK.
• Change the amount of space between lines of text. Select
a paragraph. Click Format>Paragraph. On the Formatting
and Indents tab, choose a spacing option from the Line
spacing drop-down list. Click OK.
• Change the indent of a paragraph. Select a paragraph.
Click Format>Paragraph. On the Formatting and Indents
tab, choose new indents from the Left and Right drop-down
lists. Click OK.
• Add a page break. Place your cursor where you want the
page break to occur. Click Format>Paragraph. On the
Frame and Page Breaks tab, click the Page break before
checkbox. Click OK.
• Change the document’s tabs. Click Format>Tabs. The Tabs
window opens. Make the necessary changes and click OK.

Adding Images
What family history book would be complete without photos,
letters, historical records, and maps? Family Tree Maker lets you
add images from your family tree or images you’ve stored on your
214 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

computer that you don’t necessarily want to keep in your family

tree—for example, clip art or embellishments.

1. Click a text item in the book outline.

2. Place your cursor where you want the image to appear.
3. Do one of the following:
• To use an image in your tree, choose Insert>Image from
Media Collection. The Find Media Item window opens.
Select the image and click OK.
• To use an image on your computer, choose Insert>Image
from File. Navigate to the image you want and click Open.

Note: You can also add images linked to individuals by clicking the Me-
dia button on the Smart Story toolbar (for more information see page
67). Select the image you want and drag it to your document.
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 215

4. To align the image, use the alignment buttons on the toolbar.

You can also move the image by dragging it to a new location.
5. To resize an image, click it. Then drag one of its square handles
to change the size. To maintain the image’s proportions, drag
the image from one of its corners.

Adding a Chart or Report

You can add as many charts and reports to a book as you’d like.
Make sure you choose ones that are appropriate for your audience.
For example, you may want to share more personal and informal
reports in a book meant for your children, but you’ll want to
remove facts about living relatives if you are sharing the book with
other genealogists.

1. Access the book you want to add a chart or report to.

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Add Book Item button.

3. In the Add Book Item window, click the category for the chart
or report you want to use. Then double-click the chart/report,
or select its icon and click OK.
Tip: You can also click Saved Charts or Saved Reports to use items
you’ve already created.
4. Use the editing panel to customize the chart or report (for
instructions see chapters 9 and 10).
216 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Adding a Placeholder
If you want to incorporate a story, chart, or photo from outside
Family Tree Maker, you can use a placeholder to reserve a specific
number of pages until you’re ready to add the information.

1. Access the book you want to add a placeholder to.

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Add Book Item button.

3. In the Add Book Item window, click Other. Then double-click

Place Holder, or select its icon then click OK.
4. Choose the number of pages you want to reserve from the
Number of pages field.
Tip: Give the placeholder a descriptive name so you don’t forget
what you were going to use it for. You can change its name by click-
ing the Book Item Properties button in the book panel toolbar.

Creating a Table of Contents

Family Tree Maker can generate a table of contents for a book
automatically. If you make changes to a book (such as adding
a chart or moving a chapter), the table of contents and its page
numbers will be updated to reflect the changes.
Note: The table of contents is added after the title page. You can change
the order of the front matter—table of contents, dedication, preface,
etc.—but you cannot move the table of contents out of the front matter.

1. Access the book you want to add a table of contents to.

 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 217

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Add Book Item button.

3. In the Add Book Item window, click Other. Then double-click

Table of Contents, or select its icon and then click OK. The
table of contents opens.

Although you cannot edit the table of contents, you can

customize its font, size, and color by clicking the Fonts button
under the “Table of Contents Options” heading.

Creating an Index of Individuals

Family Tree Maker can automatically generate a list of all
individuals in the book’s reports and charts (names mentioned in
text items will not be included). If you make changes to the book
218 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

(such as adding a new chart) Family Tree Maker will update the
index to reflect the change.
Note: The index cannot be moved; it must be the last item in your book.

1. Access the book you want to add an index to.

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Add Book Item
button.

3. In the Add Book Item window opens, click Other. Then

double-click Index, or select its icon then click OK. The index
opens.

Although you cannot edit the index, you can customize its
font, size, and color by clicking the Fonts button under the
“Index Options” heading.
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 219

Organizing a Book
As your book grows, you may find that it has changed from the
project you originally envisioned and that you need to make some
adjustments. Perhaps you’ve uncovered additional records and
photos and you want to rearrange a couple of chapters to include
them. Family Tree Maker makes it easy to change titles, move
chapters, or even delete sections you don’t need.

Changing an Item’s Settings

A Family Tree Maker book is made up of a variety of different book
items: text items, charts, reports, etc. You can change settings for
each book item.

1. Click an item in the book outline.

2. In the book panel toolbar, click the Book Item Properties
button.

3. Change the item’s settings using these options:

• Change the item’s title. Enter a title in the Item name
field. This is the title that will appear in the book’s table of
contents and this item’s headers and footers.
• Make this item start a new chapter. Click the This item
begins a chapter checkbox.
• Make the first page of this item start on an odd-num-
bered (right-facing) page. Click the Start this item on
an odd numbered page checkbox. Typically each chapter
starts on an odd-numbered page.
220 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

• Prevent a page number from appearing on the first page

of an item. Click the Do not print page number on the
first page checkbox. Typically chapter openers do not
include a page number. You may also want to use this
option for reports, charts, and full-page images.
• Display headers in the item. Click the Include the header
in this item checkbox.
• Display footers in the item. Click the Include the footer
in this item checkbox.
4. Click OK.

Rearranging Book Items

The book panel shows all the items in a book. The order in which
they’re displayed in this outline is the order in which they will be
printed. You can change this order at any time.

1. Click the item you want to move in the book outline.

2. To change an item’s order in the outline, select the item. Then
click the Move Up and Move Down buttons in the
book panel toolbar. (You can also drag items to the desired
location.)
 Chapter 11: Creating a Family History Book 221

Deleting a Book Item

If you don’t want a text item, report, or chart in your book, you can
delete it.
1. Click the item you want to delete in the book outline.
2. Click the Delete Book Item button.
3. Click Yes to confirm.

Printing a Book at Home

When you’re done creating a book, you can make copies on your
home printer.
Tip: If you want to see what your book will look like when it is printed,
click the Preview Book button below the book outline.

1. Access the book you want to print.

2. Click the Print button below the main toolbar.
3. When prompted choose a printer, select the number of copies,
and choose a page range.
4. Click Print.

Exporting a Book
You can export your book as a PDF or text file and take it to a copy
shop to be printed and professionally bound or email it to family
members.
1. Access the book you want to export; then click the Share but-
ton below the main toolbar.
2. Choose Export to PDF or Export to RTF from the drop-down
list. A file management window opens.
3. Navigate to the location where you want to save the book. Then
enter a name for it and click Save.
222 Part 3: Creating Charts, Reports, and Books

Family Book Creator Plug-In

Family Book Creator by Stefan Harms is a plug-in for Family Tree
Maker which turns your research into a detailed personalized book
with just a few clicks.
Different book types and languages are supported. You may
create your book documents directly in word processor file formats
(DOCX, DOC, RTF, ODT) or platform independent file formats
(PDF, EPUB, JPEG, PNG) without the need of having Microsoft
Word or any other word processor or PDF application installed.
Family Book Creator is able to create the following types of
books:
• Alphabetical family register
• Ancestors of the selected individual
• Descendants of the selected individual and preferred
spouse
• Relatives of the selected individual
To get the plug-in, please visit www.familytreemaker.com and
follow the GIFT Collection link.
 Part Four
Managing Your Trees

Chapter 12: Working with Trees....................................... 225

Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences................................... 249

Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver.......................... 275

 Chapter Twelve
Working with Trees

In chapter 3 you learned how to create and import new trees. This
chapter explains the many tools Family Tree Maker has to help you
manage, share, and protect your trees.

Managing Your Trees

This section explains how to manage your trees effectively, whether
you’re working on one comprehensive tree or multiple trees.

Opening a Tree
When you launch Family Tree Maker, it automatically opens the
last tree you were working in. You can switch to a different tree
when necessary.

1. On the main toolbar, click the tree drop-down list and choose
the tree you want to open.
226 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

If the tree you want isn’t in the drop-down list, click Browse
to look for it on your hard drive. Navigate to the tree you want
and click Open.
Note: If you try to open a GEDCOM, a tree file from a previous ver-
sion of Family Tree Maker, or a file from another genealogy program,
the software automatically opens the New Tree tab so you can im-
port it (for instructions see “Importing a Tree” on page 25).

Viewing Information About a Tree

You can view a summary of your tree file, such as its size and the
last day you created a backup. You can also see information about
the people in your tree, for example, the number of marriages,
individuals, and surnames.

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace. A basic

summary of your tree file appears at the top of the tab.

2. To see additional statistics, click the More button. The File

Statistics window opens.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 227

Renaming a Tree
You can change the name of a tree at any time.

1. On the main toolbar, click the tree drop-down list. Move the
pointer over the tree, and then click Rename Tree.
2. Enter a new name for the tree and click OK.
Note: Only the name of your FTM tree will change. The name of
any linked Ancestry trees will not be changed.

Deleting a Tree
1. On the main toolbar, click the tree drop-down list. Move the
pointer over the tree, and then click Delete Tree.
2. If you want to delete the media files that are linked to the tree,
click Move selected linked files and select the files you’d like to
delete. Then click OK.

Using Privacy Mode

If your tree contains personal information about living family
members, you might want to “privatize” your tree before exporting
a family history book or printing a family tree chart. In privacy
mode information about living individuals, such as birth dates, will
not be displayed. Be aware that you cannot edit the tree until you
turn off privacy mode.

1. Click File>Privatize File. “Privatized” appears in the window’s

title bar and a checkmark appears next to the Privatize File
option in the File menu.
2. To continue working in your tree, turn off privacy mode by
clicking File>Privatize File again.
228 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Exporting a Tree File

If you want to share your family tree with someone, you can export
all or part of a tree as a GEDCOM—the standard file format used
to transfer data between different genealogy software. (Be aware
that only links to media files will be included in GEDCOMs.) You
can also export your tree as a Family Tree Maker 2017 or a Family
Tree Maker 2014.1 file.
TIP: To export a specific branch of your family tree, go to the People
workspace. Select the person whose family you want to export.
Right-click and choose Export Branch.

1. Click File>Export. If the information window appears, click

Continue. The Export window opens.

2. Do one of the following:

• To export the entire tree, click Entire file.
• To export a saved Index list, click Saved list.
• To choose specific individuals to include in the file, click
Selected individuals. The Filter Individuals window will
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 229

open. Click a name and then click Include to add the per-
son. When you’re finished choosing individuals, click Apply.
3. Choose a GEDCOM or Family Tree Maker option from the
Output format drop-down list.
4. To exclude information about living individuals, select the
Privatize living people checkbox. Names and relationships
will be exported, but facts and shared facts will not.
5. Choose the information you want to include in the export file:
• Private facts. Click this checkbox to export facts marked as
private.
• Private notes. Click this checkbox to export notes marked
as private.
• Media files. Click this checkbox to export all media files
in your tree. Click the Private media checkbox to export
media items marked as private.
• Tasks. Click this checkbox to export your research to-do
list.
Note: This option is not available for GEDCOMs.
• Charts, reports, and books. Click this checkbox to export
charts, reports, and books you’ve saved.
Note: This option is not available for GEDCOMs.

GEDCOM
Because your great-aunt may not use the same software you do, you’ll
need to share your family history with her in the GEDCOM format.
GEDCOM stands for GEnealogical Data COMmunications; it allows
genealogy files to be opened in any genealogy software program—on
Macs or PCs.
230 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

• Include only items linked to selected individuals. Click

this checkbox to export only tasks, notes, and media items
that are linked to the individuals you’re exporting.
6. Depending on the output format you have chosen, select
the Enable password protection checkbox or the Export as
password-protected ZIP file checkbox. The Password and
Confirm password fields become available. Enter the pass-
word you want to use for protection of your exported tree.
Make sure your password is not easy to guess. It should be at
least eight characters long and contain digits as well as letters.
You, or anyone you give the file to, will have to enter exactly
the same password when opening or unpacking your exported
tree. Passwords cannot be recovered, so it’s a good idea to write
the password down and keep it in a safe place.
7. Click OK.
8. If you are exporting to GEDCOM, choose the program into
which the GEDCOM file is going to be imported.
9. Navigate to the location where you want to save the tree file.
Note: Family Tree Maker automatically gives the exported file
the same name as the original tree. If you want to use a differ-
ent name, you can change it.

10. Click Save. A message tells you when your tree file has been
exported successfully.

Backing Up Tree Files

Your family trees are important; not only do they contain your
family’s history, they represent hours of hard work. Unfortunately,
computer files can be corrupted by viruses or accidentally deleted.
You can preserve your family history through regular backups.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 231

Then, if your original tree is damaged or you want to revert to a

previous copy, you can restore it from the backup.
Tip: Family Tree Maker can back up a tree automatically every time
you exit the program. To do this, click Tools>Options and make sure
the Automatically backup family file checkbox is selected.

Backing Up a Tree File

1. Make sure the tree you want to back up is open and click
File>Backup. The Backup window opens.

2. If you want a new name to distinguish your backup file from

your original tree, enter a new name in the Backup file name
field. For example, if you back up your trees to the same USB
flash drive every time, and this backup file has the same name
as the file that is already on the drive, then this backup will
write over the original file.
3. Choose one of these backup types:
232 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

• DVD or flash drive. Click Removable Media. In the drop-

down list, choose your DVD drive or flash drive.
• Hard drive. Click Working directory to save the backup to
the folder where your current tree is saved; click Custom
directory to choose a new location on your hard drive.
4. Choose the information you want to include in the backup:
• Media files. Click this checkbox to include all media items
from the tree’s media folder.
• Historical events. Click this checkbox to include historical
events you’ve created or edited for timelines.
• Web favorites. Click this checkbox to include your favor-
ites list on the Web Search workspace.
5. If the tree is linked to an Ancestry tree, click Allow restored
file to resume syncing so the backup file can be synced with
the Ancestry tree if necessary.
6. Click OK. A message tells you when the tree file has been
backed up successfully.
Note: Backup files cannot be opened in other genealogy pro-
grams like GEDCOMs can. They can only be opened in the ver-
sion of Family Tree Maker in which they were created.

Restoring a Tree from a Backup

If you need to use your backup file as your working tree, you can
restore it when necessary.

1. Disable any anti-virus software running on your computer.

2. If your backup file has been copied to a DVD or other remov-
able media, copy it back to your hard drive.
3. Click File>Restore. A file management window opens.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 233

4. Navigate to the backup file you want to restore and click Open.
Note: You can identify a backup file by its file extension (the let-
ters after the file name). Family Tree Maker backups use .ftmb.
5. Enter a name for the restored tree file and click Save.
The tree will open. Any info you entered in the original tree
since you created this backup will not be included. Don’t forget
to reenable your anti-virus software.

Compressing a Tree File

As you work in a tree you will add and delete quite a bit of
information. However, even when you delete info, the file size may
not change. You should compress a tree periodically to remove
unnecessary bits of data and optimize performance.

1. Click Tools > Compact File. The Compact File window opens.
2. To back up your tree file before you compress it, click the Back
up file before compacting checkbox (recommended).
3. To have the tree file analyzed more deeply prior to compacting,
select the Perform extended analysis option. This may signifi-
cantly increase the duration of the compacting process.
4. Click Compact. If you chose to back up your file, the Backup
window opens. Change any options as necessary and click OK.
5. When Family Tree Maker has finished compacting the tree file,
a message appears showing how much the file size was reduced
by. Click OK.
6. Repeat steps 1 through 5 until you get the result “reduced by
0.00%” or as close as you can get to it.
Because file compression happens behind the scenes, you won’t
see changes in your tree, but you should notice better perfor-
mance and a smaller overall tree file size.
234 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Uploading a Tree to Ancestry

Chapter 3 explains how to start a new tree by downloading an
existing tree from Ancestry. Family Tree Maker also lets you upload
a tree to Ancestry. It’s easy, free, and because your tree will be
online, it can be shared with family around the world.
Note: To upload a tree to Ancestry, you do not need a subscription, but you
must log in to your Ancestry account and have Internet access.

Uploading and Linking a Tree to Ancestry

When you upload a tree to Ancestry, you create a link between your
desktop Family Tree Maker tree and its corresponding tree on An-
cestry. This means that additions, deletions, or edits you make in
your Family Tree Maker tree will be duplicated in your Ancestry tree
(and vice versa). (For more information see “Working with Linked
Trees” on page 238.)
Be aware that the time it takes to upload your tree is determined
by tree size (including the size of the media collection) and the speed
of your Internet connection. Your tree will be transmitted in the
background in two stages. Media items are processed first and data
is uploaded during the final stage. The tree will appear online when
both media and tree data are uploaded.
Note: When you upload and link a tree to Ancestry, you must upload
your entire tree; you can’t choose which part of your tree is uploaded.

1. Open the tree you want to

upload to Ancestry. Then go
to the Plan workspace and
click the Current Tree tab.
2. Click the Upload and Link
to Ancestry button.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 235

3. Enter a name in the New Ancestry Tree field.

4. Choose whether you want to make your Ancestry tree public

or private. See “Privacy Options for Ancestry Trees” below for
more information.

Privacy Options for Ancestry Trees

When you upload your tree to Ancestry, you can choose between two
levels of privacy:
• Public. If your tree is public, Ancestry subscribers can view your
entire tree (except information about living individuals and private
notes), and your tree will appear in search engines such as Google.
• Private. If your tree is private, limited information about individuals
in your tree (name, birth year, birthplace) will still appear in Ancestry
search results. No one will be able to view your entire tree or any
attached photos and records unless he or she asks your permission and
you grant it. You can also invite other people to view your tree.
236 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

5. If you don’t want your private tree to appear in search results

on Ancestry or third-party search engines such as Google,
select the Exclude this tree from Ancestry search index
checkbox.
6. Choose whether your Ancestry and FTM trees will be synced
manually or automatically. (For more information on synchro-
nization options, see “Setting Up Syncing” on page 239.)
7. Click Upload. A message lets you know when the tree has been
uploaded successfully.
8. To view your tree on Ancestry, click the View online tree now
checkbox and click OK.

Differences Between FTM and Ancestry Trees

Most content in your tree is uploaded and/or synced seamlessly
between Family Tree Maker and Ancestry. However, because
Ancestry and FTM trees are in different formats, there are a few
differences you should be aware of.

Content Differences

Facts In general fact dates, places, and descriptions (includ-

ing alternate facts) are the same in Family Tree Maker
and Ancestry trees. However, some fact types have
different labels. For example, the Physical Description
fact in Family Tree Maker is the Description fact in
Ancestry trees.

Media items • The caption of a media item in Family Tree Maker

is the same as the Picture name field on Ancestry.
• Video items are not transferred between Family
Tree Maker and Ancestry.
• Media items attached to relationships in Family
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 237

Content Differences

Media items Tree Maker are uploaded to Ancestry as linked to

(continued) each person individually, but not to the relation-
ship.
• Ancestry citation media you’ve merged into Fam-
ily Tree Maker won’t be re-uploaded to Ancestry.
• Documents can’t be uploaded to Ancestry trees
in these formats: .exe, .dll, .bat, and .mht.
• Photos that exceed 15MB will be resized when
uploaded to Ancestry—your original file will not
be affected. Images need to be in one of these
formats: .jpeg, .bmp, .png, .gif, or .tif.

Notes In Family Tree Maker you can create a variety of

notes: person, research, fact, relationship, media, and
source citation. Only person notes can be uploaded
to Ancestry trees.

Places Shortened display names and GPS coordinates in

Family Tree Maker are not included in Ancestry trees.

Publications Saved reports, charts, and books cannot be

transferred from Family Tree Maker to Ancestry.

Privacy In Family Tree Maker only you can view information

you’ve entered for a living individual. In your Ancestry
tree, only people you give permission to can view
information about living individuals.

Web links Web links are not uploaded, downloaded, or synced.

Sources • Sources created with templates will transfer to

Ancestry. Some fields cannot be uploaded online.
• Media items attached to citations are uploaded;
media items attached to sources are not.
238 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Content Differences

Stories • A story created on Ancestry will become an .htm

file in Family Tree Maker, which can be viewed in
a Web browser. You can edit the text in a word-
processing program.
• Smart Stories created in Family Tree Maker will
be text files (.rtf) in Ancestry. The story can’t be
viewed in your Ancestry tree but the document
can be downloaded. (Smart Stories are uploaded
only if they are attached to individuals.)

Working with Linked Trees

Family Tree Maker makes entering information into your tree
fast and easy. It also contains powerful tools to help you organize
your media items, cite sources, and create charts and reports. But
because the program is on your desktop, sharing your tree with
others can be time-consuming, and, if you don’t have a laptop, you
won’t have access to your tree on the go.
Fortunately FamilySync gives you the freedom to view and
update your tree no matter where you are. First, create your tree in
Family Tree Maker. Then upload and link it to Ancestry. When you
go to the library or a family member’s home—anywhere with Inter-
net access—make changes to your Ancestry tree online. Then sync
the changes to your FTM tree when you get home. (You can also
download and link a tree you’ve already created on Ancestry. For in-
formation see “Downloading a Tree from Ancestry” on page 26.)
Each Ancestry tree can link to multiple FTM trees. It’s not
necessary to break an old link to download a tree to a new
computer. To link the trees on multiple computers to a single
Ancestry tree, follow these steps:
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 239

1. Back up your FTM tree manually, including media and sync

information. (See “Backing up a Tree File”, page 231).
2. Copy the backup file to the other computer with a flash drive.
3. On the other computer, restore your tree from the backup.
The changes made in any of the trees can be applied to other
trees automatically or manually. The core data in your linked trees
is synchronized in all directions. But some types of data will not
sync, remaining only on the computer they were created on.
Note: For more information on what does and doesn’t sync,
open Family Tree Maker Help from the Help menu and search
for the “Syncing Local and Online Trees” topic.

Setting Up Syncing
When you link your FTM and Ancestry trees together, you can
choose how your trees will be synchronized. You have two options:

• Manually. You can synchronize your trees by clicking the Sync

Now button on the Current Tree tab or clicking the Ancestry
Sync icon and choosing “Sync Now” from the drop-down.

• Automatically. Family Tree Maker checks for changes when

you open a tree or close the program. If it detects differences
between the trees, it synchronizes the changes automatically.
You can also sync your trees any time by clicking the Sync Now
button on the Current Tree tab.

You can also choose whether or not Family Tree Maker will
display a list of changes you’ve made to your Ancestry and FTM
trees that you can review before syncing.
240 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Changing Your Current Sync Setting

When you upload or download a linked tree, you will choose how
your trees will be synced. You can change this setting at any time.

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

2. Click the Sync Now button and choose “Sync Options” from
the drop-down. The Sync Options window opens.

3. Click Automatically or Manually.

4. To download images of historical records from Ancestry when
your trees sync, select the Download Ancestry Citation Media
checkbox.
5. Click OK.

Creating a Log of Recent Sync Changes

You can set up FamilySync so that every time you sync your
Ancestry and FTM trees you can view a list of recent changes—the
number of people, sources, and media items that have been added,
updated, or deleted from your tree since the last sync.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 241

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

2. Click the Sync Now button and choose “Sync Options” from
the drop-down. The Sync Options window opens.
3. Select the Show Change Log before finalizing sync checkbox.
4. Select the Proceed with sync after 60 seconds checkbox to have
Family Tree Maker automatically close the Sync Change Log
window and complete the sync.
5. Click OK. The next time your trees are synced, you’ll see the
Sync Change Log (fig. 12-1).

Figure 12-1. The Sync Change Log.

The number of items deleted from the trees, if there are any, is
displayed in red. You will be asked to confirm deletion if you proceed.
To proceed with the sync, click the Continue button. To reject the
changes, click the Cancel Sync button. Click the View/Print Details
button to see specific details about what changes will be included in
the sync.

Viewing a Tree’s Sync Status

The Ancestry Sync icon in the upper-right corner lets you see at a
glance whether your FTM and Ancestry tree are synced. A check
mark icon means that the trees are up-to-date; an icon with two
242 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

vertical arrows means that you have changes waiting to be synced

(fig. 12-2).

Figure 12-2. Left, trees are in sync; right, trees need to be synced.

The Ancestry Sync icon also displays the sync weather report
status. See “Getting Sync Weather Reports” on page 243.
You can also see the date and time when your tree was last
synced on the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace (fig. 12-3).

Figure 12-3. Date and time of last sync.

Syncing Trees Manually

You can sync your tree manually at any time. However, be aware that
you can’t work in your Ancestry or FTM tree until synchronization
is complete.
On the Plan workspace, click the Current Tree tab; then click
the Sync Now button. On other workspaces, click the Ancestry Sync
icon and choose “Sync Now” from the drop-down.
Note: You can’t sync your trees from Ancestry; you must use Family
Tree Maker. To see the changes in your Ancestry tree, you’ll need to
reload or refresh the Ancestry website in your Web browser.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 243

Getting Sync Weather Reports

Wouldn’t it be great if you could know when there was a problem
with syncing so you could just stay away for a time and come
back when it was safe? That was the simple idea behind the Sync
Weather Report we’ve built into Family Tree Maker 2017. Now each
time you go to sync, if there’s a reason you should maybe think
twice, a window pops up to say so. The red window appears if the
sync system is down, or if syncing is for some reason downright
dangerous. This status is actually a kind of “kill switch” and syncing
is temporarily disabled. The orange window appears when caution
is in order. You can still sync but the Weather Report message
system lets us tell you what’s up.

In fact, you don’t even have to try syncing a tree to find out what the
sync weather is like. Just take a look at the Ancestry Sync icon, which
can be found in the top-right corner of the application window and
in the FamilySync panel in the bottom-left part of the Current Tree
tab on the Plan workspace. It not only displays the sync status, it lets
you instantly see the latest weather report as well:

No problems found, safe to sync.

Problems may occur, syncing is not recommended.

Serious connection problems, syncing is impossible.

244 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Resolving Conflicts Between Linked Trees

When you change the same fact in your FTM and Ancestry trees,
you’ll need to choose which information to keep (fig. 12-4). For
example, if you change a deathplace in Family Tree Maker and a
family member changes the same deathplace in your Ancestry tree,
when you try to sync your trees, you’ll be prompted to fix the issue.

1. Do one of the following:

• To keep the information entered in Family Tree Maker,
click Overwrite conflicts with Family Tree Maker data.
• To keep the information entered in the Ancestry tree, click
Overwrite conflicts with Ancestry data.
• To manually choose which information to keep, click
Resolve conflicts manually.

Figure 12-4. A message showing conflicts between linked trees.

 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 245

2. Click Continue. If you are overwriting data, the sync contin-

ues. If you are resolving the conflict manually, choose the facts
you want to keep and click Continue again.
Important: Deletions always take priority over other changes.
For example, if you delete an individual in your Ancestry tree
and update the same individual’s birthplace in your FTM tree,
when you sync the trees together the individual will be deleted.

Unlinking Trees
If you no longer want your FTM and Ancestry trees linked
together, you can remove the connection between them.
Warning: If you unlink your FTM and Ancestry trees, changes will no lon-
ger be synchronized, and you cannot relink the trees, but you can upload
or download the tree again to create a new link. Also note that Ancestry
hints will not appear in an unlinked tree.

1. Click the Ancestry Sync icon in the top-right corner of any

workspace and choose Unlink Tree from the drop-down list.
2. Click Unlink.

Changing Privacy Settings

When you upload a tree to Ancestry, you choose whether your
Ancestry tree will be public (the default) or private. However, you
can change its privacy settings at any time. (For more information
on the differences between public and private trees, see page 235.)

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

2. Click the Sync Now button and choose “Manage Online Tree
Privacy” from the drop-down. The Tree Settings page opens.

3. Click Public Tree to let other Ancestry subscribers view your

246 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

tree; click Private Tree to prevent others from viewing your

tree.
Note: If your tree is private, Ancestry subscribers can still see
names, birth dates, and birthplaces from your tree in search
results. However, to see your full tree or any attached photos
and records, they’ll have to ask you for permission. If you don’t
want your tree to appear in search results either, select the
Also prevent your tree from being found in searches checkbox.
4. Click Save Changes.

Inviting Others to View Your Ancestry Tree

You can invite friends and family to view your Ancestry tree. You
can even let them add new information or photos.
Warning: Anyone assigned the role of “editor” can add, edit, or delete
information in your Ancestry tree. These changes will be made to your
FTM tree when the trees are synced together.

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

2. Click the Invite to Online Tree button. The Tree Settings
window opens.
Note: If you’ve already invited people to your tree, you’ll need
to click the Sync Now button and choose “Manage Online Tree
Invitees” to invite more people to your tree.
 Chapter 12: Working with Trees 247

3. Click the Invite people button.

4. Enter the person’s email or Ancestry username to address the

invitation and assign the person one of these roles: editor,
contributor, guest.

5. If you want, include a personal message to the invitee. Then

click Send Invites.
248 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Roles in Ancestry Trees

When you invite people to view your tree, they can participate in different
ways, depending on the role you assign them:
• Editor. Editors can add, edit, or delete anyone in your tree, add
stories and photos, and leave comments. They can also see living
individuals. Editors cannot delete or rename the tree, change tree
settings, or invite others to the tree.
• Contributor. Contributors can add photos or stories to your tree, but
they cannot add or edit people. You can choose whether or not they see
living individuals.
• Guest. Guests can only view your tree and leave comments. You can
choose whether or not they see living individuals.
 Chapter Thirteen
Tools and Preferences

Using Family Tree Maker Tools

If you need some extra help calculating approximate birth dates,
understanding how individuals are related to each other, or creating a
to-do List, Family Tree Maker has several tools that can help.

Soundex Calculator
Soundex is a term familiar to serious family historians. It’s a
coding system used by the government to create indexes of U.S.
census records (and passenger lists) based on how a surname
sounds rather than how it is spelled. This was done to compensate
for potential spelling and transcription errors. For example, “Smith”
may be spelled “Smythe,” “Smithe,” or “Smyth.” Using Soundex,
these “Smiths” are all identified by the same code (S530). You can
use Soundex to find surnames that use the same code and then
search for ancestors using all these surname variations.
Click Tools>Soundex Calculator. Then enter a surname in the
Name field, or click Index to select someone in your tree.
250 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Relationship Calculator
The relationship calculator helps you identify how two people
in your tree are related, shows an individual’s nearest common
relative, and gives his or her canon and civil numbers.
Note: Canon and civil numbers indicate the degree of relationship
between individuals. Canon laws (used in the United States) measure
the number of steps back to a common ancestor. Civil degree measures
the total number of steps from one family member to another.

1. Click Tools>Relationship Calculator. In the first field, you’ll

see the home person. In the second field, you’ll see the indi-
vidual who is the current focus of the tree.
2. To change the individuals whose relationship you’re calculat-
ing, click the Person from people index button next to a name
(the button with an index card). In the Index of Individuals
window, select a new person and click OK.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 251

The individuals’ relationship is listed underneath their names.

If they have multiple connections (for example, if they are
cousins who married), click the drop-down list to see each
relationship. You can also see how the individuals are related in
the Path section.

Date Calculator
You can use the date calculator to figure out an individual’s birth
year, age at the time of a specific event, or the date of an event.
For example, if you know the date your grandmother was married
and you know how old she was when she got married, you can
determine the approximate year she was born.

1. Click Tools>Date Calculator. The date calculator opens.

252 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

2. Use this chart to help you enter dates into the calculator:

To calculate this Do this

A birth date • Click Birth date.

• Enter a date in the Date of known event field.
• Enter the individual’s age in the Age at time of
event fields.

The date of a • Click Other event date.

specific event • Enter a date in the Known birth date field.
• Enter the individual’s age in the Age at time of
event fields.

An individual’s age • Click Age.

on a specific date • Enter a date in the Known birth date field.
• Enter a date in the Date of known event field.

3. Click Calculate. The calculated event date or age appears.

Name Converter
If you import another person’s genealogy file into your tree,
you may find that each file has recorded names differently; your
surnames may be in all caps while theirs may not. You can use the
convert names tool to format all names in your tree at once.

1. Click Tools>Convert Names. The Convert Names window

opens.
2. To capitalize the first letter in each name, click First Middle
Surname. To capitalize the first letter of the first and middle
names and capitalize the entire surname, click First Middle
SURNAME.
3. Click OK.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 253

Find Individual Tool

You can use any fact in your tree (such as occupation or burial) to
locate either a specific individual or a group of individuals who fit
specific criteria. For example, you can search for everyone in your
tree who lived in Illinois at the time of the 1850 census. Or, you can
find out which individuals are buried in the same cemetery.
Note: The Find Individual tool searches Place and Description fields;
Date fields cannot be searched.

1. Click Edit>Find Individual. The Find Individual window

opens.
2. Choose the type of fact you want to search from the drop-
down list. Then enter your search term and click Find.

3. If you want to view a specific individual, click his or her name

in the search results and click Go To.
254 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Automatic Reference Numbers

Some family historians use reference numbers to identify people in
their trees, particularly if the tree contains individuals with identi-
cal names. Family Tree Maker can assign reference numbers to
individuals (Person ID), relationships (Relationship ID), or both.
Note: If you have entered your own reference numbers, Family Tree
Maker will not overwrite them.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the References tab.

2. Click Use individual reference numbers to choose how

numbers are assigned to individuals; click Use relationship
reference numbers to choose how numbers are assigned to
relationships.
3. Click Numbers only to assign numbers, starting with 1. Click
Prefix to add a prefix before the number (you can enter num-
bers, letters, and/or symbols). Click Numbers plus suffix to
add a suffix after the number (you can enter numbers, letters,
and/or symbols).
4. Click OK.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 255

Global Birth Order Tool

In the family group view, you can change the order in which
children are displayed in a family by clicking the Move up and
Move down buttons. If you always want to display children in your
tree by birth order, you can use this tool to change them all at once.

1. Click Tools>Sort All Children by Birth.

2. If you want to back up your tree file before you sort children,
click the Back up file before sorting checkbox (recommended).
3. Click Sort.

Research To-Do List

Whether you are a new user or an experienced family historian,
the to-do list can help you keep track of the research you’ve already
done and create tasks for your next steps. You can add research
tasks for specific individuals or general tasks for your entire
tree; tasks can be as simple as sending an email to a cousin or as
complicated as locating an entire family in the 1940 census.

Creating a To-Do Task

When you create a task, you can choose the priority of the task, the
category it fits in, and its due date.
Note: This section explains how to add tasks for specific individuals.
You can also add tasks to the tree’s to-do list on the Current Tree tab
on the Plan workspace.

1. Go to the Person tab for a specific individual (on the People

workspace). Click the Tasks tab.
256 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

2. Click the New button in the Tasks toolbar. The Add Task
window opens.

3. Enter the task in the Description field. For example, “Look for
Madeline’s birth information in Highland, Utah.”
4. Click Edit to choose a category for the task. Choose a category
or create a category and click OK. (For more information see
“Creating Task Categories” below.)
5. Choose a deadline for the task from the Due date drop-down
list. Then choose a priority. (Assign a high priority to the tasks
you want to accomplish first.) When you’re finished click OK.
Tip: You can print the to-do list for this individual by clicking the
Print button on the Tasks toolbar. To print a list of all tasks in your
tree, use the Task List report on the Publish workspace.

Creating Task Categories

Each task you create can be assigned to a category. You can add
categories that are useful to your research.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 257

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace. In the

Tasks section, you can see your current to-do list.

2. Click New. The Add Task window opens. Click Edit. The
Category/Location window opens, showing all available
categories.
3. Click Add. The Add Category Name window opens.

4. Enter a name in the Category name field and click OK. Click
OK again.
258 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Marking a Task as Complete

When you finish a task on your to-do list, you’ll want to mark it as
complete. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace. In the
Tasks section, click the checkbox next to the task.
Tip: To delete a task, click its name; then click the red (X) button in the
Tasks toolbar.

Sorting the To-Do List

You can filter the to-do list in various ways. For example, you can
sort the list to show which tasks are done or still pending.

1. Go to the Current Tree tab on the Plan workspace.

2. Click the Filter tasks button and choose one of these options
from the drop-down list:
• To show every task you’ve entered, choose Show All Tasks.
• To show unfinished tasks, choose Show Uncompleted Tasks.
• To show tasks that belong to a specific category, choose
Filter by Task Categories.

Tip: You can change what information is displayed for each task. Click
the Show/Hide columns button in the Tasks toolbar. Then, from the
drop-down list, select or deselect specific columns.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 259

Setting Up Preferences
Family Tree Maker is a powerful program with many features and
options. To get the most out of the software, you might want to
take a minute and define a few key preferences.

General Preferences
You can set some preferences that affect the interface and general
workings of Family Tree Maker.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the General tab.

2. Change these preferences as necessary:

• Default directory for new tree files. To change the default
location where trees are saved on your hard drive, click
Browse and choose a new folder.
• Automatically check for program updates when
connected to the Internet. Click this checkbox if you
want Family Tree Maker to look for software updates when
you’re online. You’ll be alerted if an update exists.
• Show LDS information. Click this checkbox if you want to
display LDS fields such as sealings and baptisms.
• Use large fonts. Click this checkbox to make fonts in the
software larger and more readable.
260 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Note: A larger font may help readability, but some labels may
not display correctly or be cropped.
• Use caption instead of filename for media display. Click
this checkbox to sort media items by the captions you’ve
given them; otherwise media items will be sorted and
displayed by file name.
• Automatically backup family file. Click this checkbox to
create backups of your trees automatically when you close
the program. If your original tree is ever lost or damaged,
you can use the backup to restore your information.
• Crop portrait displays. Click this checkbox to resize
portrait images so that they fill the frame.
Note: The actual images in your tree will not be modified. Also,
you cannot choose to resize individual thumbnails. This option
resizes every portrait in your tree.
• Show Sync Weather status on Ancestry Sync icon. Click
this checkbox to display the sync weather status badge on
the Ancestry Sync icon.
• Color theme. Choose the color theme you want from the
drop-down list: default for Ancestry is light green; Windows is
classic blue; or you can select your current Windows display.
• PDF driver. If you don’t want to use the default PDF driver,
you can choose your own from the list.
• Merging Default. Choose a default method of dealing with
differences when merging trees.
Online Searching Preferences
You can determine whether or not Family Tree Maker will search
Ancestry and FamilySearch for matching records and trees when
you’re connected to the Internet.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 261

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the General tab.

2. Change these preferences as necessary:

• Show hints from Ancestry. Select this checkbox to have
Family Tree Maker search Ancestry for individuals in your
tree when an Internet connection is available.
You’ll see a green leaf (or hint) next to an individual when
possible matches have been found. If you deselect this op-
tion, you can still search Ancestry for your family members
on the Web Search workspace.
• Exclude Ancestry tree hints. Select this checkbox to ex-
clude hints from family trees submitted by other Ancestry
users.
• Show hints from FamilySearch. Select this checkbox to have
Family Tree Maker search FamilySearch.org for individuals
in your tree when an Internet connection is available.
You’ll see a blue square (or hint) next to an individual when
possible matches have been found. If you deselect this option,
you can still search FamilySearch for your family members
on the Web Search workspace.
• Show Web Search introduction screen. Select this checkbox
to display Web Search help when you begin an online search.

Fastfields Preferences
Fastfields speed up data entry by automatically filling in repetitive
data as you type. For example, if you type “San Jose, California,
USA” into a place field then go to another place field and begin to
type “San,” Family Tree Maker will recognize the similarity and
262 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

suggest “San Jose, California, USA.” By default, all Fastfields are

used, but you can turn off any you wish.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the General tab.

2. In the Use fastfields for section, click the checkbox for each
type of field you want to turn off Fastfields for: names, places,
sources, and/or fact descriptions.

Spell Checking Preferences

You can choose which terms the spell check should ignore. By
default these include words in uppercase and HTML tags.
Tip: You can use the dictionary to add unusual family surnames or loca-
tions that you want the spell checker to ignore.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the General tab.

2. Click the Spell Check Options button.

Fastfields
Fastfields save you time by automatically filling in some types of
information. Perhaps you noticed as you typed an individual’s name
that the last name was completed for you. This is because name fields,
among others, are Fastfields.
Location Fastfields remember the places you’ve entered in a tree. As
you type a location, Family Tree Maker suggests possible matches. Use
the keyboard arrows, mouse, or trackpad to highlight the correct location
and press Enter to select it. You can also keep typing a name to override
the Fastfields suggestion.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 263

Fact Display Preferences

The person editing panel on the Person tab includes a Sources tab.
If you want, you can also display media and notes tabs.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the General tab.

2. In the Fact display section, click the checkbox for each type of
tab you want to display on the person editing panel.

Date Preferences
Family Tree Maker lets you change how dates are formatted.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the Names/Dates/Places tab.

2. Change these date preferences as necessary:

• Date display format. Choose how dates are displayed. Click
Day Month Year to show the day before the month (07 Jan-
uary 2017). By default, Family Tree Maker displays dates in
this accepted genealogical date standard. Click Month Day
Year to show the month before the day (January 7, 2017).
264 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Click the drop-down lists to choose different formats for

the day, month, and date separator.
• Date input format. Choose how Family Tree Maker inter-
prets dates you enter: day, month, year, or month, day, year.
For example, if you enter “6/7/2014” Family Tree Maker
can read this as June 7th or July 6th.
• Double dates. Change the year in this field to change the
default double date cutoff year. If you do not want double
dates to print, set the double date cutoff year to zero.
Note: Calendars in Europe and the United States changed in
1752—moving from Julian to Gregorian. In the Julian system,
the first day of the year was 25 March. In today’s Gregorian
system, 1 January is the first day of the year. Dates that fall
between January and March of 1752 can be interpreted in
two ways, and some genealogists prefer to show both dates.
For example, February 22 could fall in the year 1750 accord-
ing to the Gregorian calendar, so the date would be noted as
22 February 1750/51.

• Fact labels. To display a different abbreviation for the term

“About” (meaning “circa”), enter your preferred label.
• Ancient date notation. Choose whether dates before 1000
AD are displayed with BC/AD or BCE/CE.

Name Preferences
Family Tree Maker lets you determine how names are displayed in
the Index on the People workspace. You can include titles, alternate
names, and married names for females.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the Names/Dates/Places tab.

 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 265

2. Change these preferences as necessary:

• Use AKA if available after middle name. Click this

checkbox to have Also Known As names included with the
preferred name (for example, Bobbitt, Mary Eliza “Mollie”).
• Use AKA if available as an additional entry. Click this
checkbox to give Also Known As names their own entries in
the Index (for example, Hannah Willis and Anna Willis).
• Use titles if available. Click this checkbox to have titles
included with the preferred name (for example, Hoyt,
Captain Samuel).
• Use married names for females. Click this checkbox to list
women by their married (and maiden) names (for example,
Hoyt, Maria Hitchcock).

Place Preferences
Family Tree Maker lets you determine whether place names entered
in your tree are compared against the software’s location database.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the Names/Dates/Places tab.

266 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

2. Change these preferences as necessary:

• Check place authority when entering place names. Click
this checkbox to have Family Tree Maker compare each
place you enter against its database of locations. This keeps
your locations in standard formats and consistent through-
out your tree.
• Exclude selected country from resolved place names.
When you enter a place name, you usually include a coun-
try. However, if most events occur in the same country (for
example, if most of your ancestors were born and died in
England), you may not want to include that country’s name
in place fields and charts and reports. To keep a country’s
name from appearing, choose it from the drop-down list.

Warning and Alert Preferences

Family Tree Maker can automatically check your tree for problems
and alert you if it detects a possible error, such as unusual dates.

1. Click Tools>Options. Then click the Warnings tab.

 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 267

2. The Show warnings for non-critical errors section lets you

choose how you want Family Tree Maker to handle minor er-
rors. Change these preferences as necessary:
• Show alerts for unlikely birth, death, and marriage dates.
Click this checkbox to get alerts when you enter dates that
don’t seem accurate (for example, a death date that occurs
earlier than a birth date).
• Show unrecognized place name indicators. Click this
checkbox to get alerts when Family Tree Maker doesn’t
recognize a location you’ve entered.
Note: This option is not available if you deselected the “Check
place authority” option on the Names/Dates/Places tab.

• Show informational alerts. Click this checkbox to get

alerts when you update your tree—for example, when you
change the home person or edit an individual’s name.
• Show prompt when sorting children in the family view.
Click this checkbox to get alerts when you manually sort
children in the family group view.
• Show backup reminder before critical operations. Click
this checkbox to be reminded to back up your tree before
completing tasks like merging duplicate individuals.
• Double dates. If Family Tree Maker detects double dates,
you can leave the dates as they are, use formatting to show
both dates, or be prompted for instructions.
• Titles in name fact. If Family Tree Maker detects a title
such as Reverend, Captain, or Sir in a Name fact, you can
leave the title in the Name fact, move the title to the Title
fact, or be prompted for instructions.
268 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

• One- or two-digit years. If Family Tree Maker detects

years entered with one or two digits, you can accept the
date as it is, change the date to the most recent century, or
be prompted for instructions.
• Text in quotes. If Family Tree Maker detects nicknames
(indicated by quotes) in a Name fact, you can leave the
nickname in the Name fact, move the nickname to the
AKA fact, or be prompted for instructions.
• Copy media files. When you add a media file to your tree,
you can choose whether or not to automatically copy the
file to the Family Tree Maker media folder or be prompted
for instructions.
• Auto-populate Smart Stories. When you create a Smart
Story, you can start with a blank page, a page populated
with information about the individual and his or her fam-
ily, or be prompted for instructions.

Managing Facts
Facts are the essential building blocks of your tree, where you
record the details about your family. In order to capture the
information you care about, you might want to create your own
facts or change which fields appear in predefined facts.

Creating a Custom Fact

You can create custom facts that work for your family tree. For
example, if you are tracking your ancestors by census records,
you can make a custom fact for each census year.

1. Click Edit>Manage Facts. The Manage Facts window opens.

 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 269

2. Click New. The Add Custom Fact window opens.

3. Change the fact as necessary:

• Fact label. Enter the name of the fact as it will appear on
the Person tab.
• Short label. Enter a short name (up to six characters) for
the fact that will appear on the Tree tab editing panel.
• Abbreviation. Enter an abbreviation (up to three charac-
ters) for the fact that will appear in reports.
• Fact type. Choose Individual fact if the fact applies to one
person, such as birth or death. Choose Shared fact if the
fact applies to more than one individual, such as marriage.
• Fact options. Choose the fields that you want to appear for
the fact: Date and Place; Date, Place, and Description; or
Description only.
• Private by default. Click this checkbox to make this fact
type private. You can change privacy for a specific fact on
the Person tab.
270 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

• Fact sentence. To change the default sentence, see “Modi-

fying a Fact Sentence” on page 271.
4. Click OK.

Modifying a Predefined Fact

While you can’t rename or delete predefined facts, you can choose
which fields are included as part of the fact. For example, you can
modify the Cause of Death fact so that only the Description field is
included.

1. Click Edit>Manage Facts. The Manage Facts window opens.

2. Click the predefined fact that you want to modify. Then click
Properties. The Fact Properties window opens.

3. In Fact options, choose the fields you want for the fact.
4. Click the Private by default checkbox to make this fact type
private. You can change privacy for a specific fact on the
Person tab.
5. Click OK.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 271

Modifying a Fact Sentence

When you create an Ahnentafel, descendant report, or Smart
Story, Family Tree Maker generates descriptive sentences for each
fact or event. You can change the wording and choose what info
is included. For example, the default burial sentence looks like
this: Robert Gedge was buried on 1 Sept 1888 in Attleborough,
England. If you record cemetery names, you could add this to the
sentence: Robert Gedge was buried in the All Saint’s Cemetery in
Attleborough, England, on 1 Sept 1888.

1. Click Edit>Manage Facts. The Manage Facts window opens.

2. Click New or select the fact you want to modify and click
Properties. The Fact Properties window opens. The Fact
sentence field displays the current sentence­—a combination of
text and predefined data variables.

3. To change the text, simply add, delete, or type over it. To

change which variables are in the sentence, delete the variable
or choose a new one from the Insert Fact Data drop-down.
Tip: If you don’t like your changes and want to use the default sen-
tence, click Insert Fact Data and choose Reset Fact Sentence.
The Example field shows what the fact sentence will look like.
For example, if you deselect the Description checkbox, you can
see what the sentence will be if the Description field for the
fact is blank.
272 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Managing Historical Events

An individual’s timeline and the Timeline report can include
historical events. You can edit or delete any historical event. You
can also add entries that are relevant to your family history, such as
international events that caused your ancestors to emigrate.

1. Click Edit>Manage Historical Events. The Manage Historical

Events window opens.

2. To delete an event, click the entry; then click Delete.

3. To add an event, click the New button. The Add/Edit Historical
Event window opens.
4. Change the historical event as necessary:
• Event title. Enter a short title for the event.
• Event date. Enter the date or date range of the event.
• Place where event occurred. Enter the location of the
event.
 Chapter 13: Tools and Preferences 273

• Category. Choose a historical category from the drop-

down list or add your own categories. You can also edit and
delete the default categories.
• Description. Enter a summary of the historical event.
5. Click OK.

Customizing the Tree Tab Editing Panel

By default, these facts appear on the editing panel of the Tree tab in
the People workspace: name, sex, birth date and place, death date
and place, marriage date and place. If you often record burials or
christenings, you can add these facts to the editing panel so you can
enter the information more easily.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace. The editing panel

appears with its default facts.
274 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

2. Click Customize View. The Customize View window opens.

3. In the Individual facts section or the Shared facts section, click
the fact you’d like to add to the editing panel; then click the
right arrow button to add the fact to the Selected facts sections.
4. To change the order in which facts display on the panel, click
a fact in the Selected facts section and click the up and down
arrows.

5. Click OK. The editing panel now includes the new facts.

Entering User Information

You can enter information that identifies you as the creator of
a tree. This info is automatically added to your tree file if you
export and send it to another family member or researcher.

1. Click Tools>User Information. The User Information window

opens.
2. Enter your information and click OK.
 Chapter Fourteen
Family Tree Problem Solver

No matter how organized you are or how carefully you enter

information, errors can creep into your tree. Whether you’ve
added a child to the wrong family or spelled your ancestor’s name
incorrectly, Family Tree Maker makes it easy to clean up your tree.

Straightening Out Relationships

At some point in your research you may discover that a certain
individual doesn’t belong in your tree and you need to delete him
or her. Or maybe you added a child to the wrong family. Cleaning
up relationship issues as soon as you find them keeps them from
multiplying.

Merging Duplicate Individuals

After months and years of gathering names and dates, your family
tree may become a bit disorderly. You might discover that Flossie
and Florence are actually the same person. If you’ve entered
duplicate individuals, you should merge them together (instead of
deleting one) so that you don’t lose any information.
Family Tree Maker can assess your tree and show you individu-
als who might be duplicates.
Note: Before you merge individuals, make a backup of your tree. If you
need help see “Backing Up a Tree File” on page 231.
276 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Finding Duplicate Individuals

After adding a lot of new information or merging a family member’s
tree with yours, it’s a good idea to check for duplicate individuals.

1. Click Edit>Find Duplicate People. The Find Duplicate People

window opens.

In the Person 1 and Person 2 columns you’ll see the individu-

als who might be duplicates. (You can click a column header
to sort a column alphabetically.) In the third column you’ll see
a match score—the higher the number the more likely the in-
dividuals are a match; a 1,000 means the individuals are almost
exact matches.
2. To merge a pair of individuals (or just compare the two), click
their row in the window and click Compare/Merge. The Indi-
vidual Merge window opens. To complete the merge, continue
with step 5 in the next section, “Merging Individuals.”
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 277

Merging Individuals
If you discover that two individuals in your tree are actually the
same person, you can merge the two together and retain all the
facts and sources associated with each person.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and click the name
of one of the duplicate individuals in the Index.
2. Click Person>Merge Two Specific Individuals. The Index of
Individuals window opens.

3. Click the name of the other duplicate individual. You can use
the scroll bar to move up and down the list, or you can type a
name (last name first) in the Find field.
4. Click OK. The Individual Merge window opens.
278 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

The two columns show the facts attached to each individual.

You can decide how the information is merged together and
whether you want to keep or discard alternate facts.

5. Use the buttons next to the facts to determine how each fact
will be merged:
• To keep a fact and mark it as preferred, select the but-
ton next to the fact. The corresponding fact for the other
individual will be merged as an alternate fact unless you
discard it.

• To remove a fact, click the Alternate arrow and choose “Dis-

card” from the drop-down list. Though you may discard any
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 279

fact you like, it is usually a good idea to keep all facts in case
they turn out to be relevant.

If you discard a fact, you can keep its sources, media, and
notes items by selecting the corresponding checkboxes.
Note: To learn more about preferred and alternate facts, see
“Adding Alternate Facts” on page 45.

6. Click OK to complete the merge.

Removing an Individual from a Tree

If you’ve mistakenly added an individual who isn’t related to
you, don’t worry, Family Tree Maker makes it easy to delete any
individual and his or her information from your tree.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.

2. Make sure the individual you want to delete is the focus of the
Index and family group view.
3. Click Person>Delete Person. A message asks you to confirm
that you want to delete the individual. Click Yes.
All notes, tasks, and media links associated with the person
will be permanently deleted.
Note: Whenever you want to remove someone permanently from
your tree, always use the Delete Person menu option. If you try to
delete someone by removing his or her name from the Name fact,
you won’t actually delete the individual—or any of his or her facts or
relationships.
280 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Removing a Marriage
As you continue your research you might find that you’ve connected
a couple incorrectly. You’ll need to delete any marriage facts you’ve
entered and also detach the individuals from each other.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace and select the

appropriate couple.
2. Click the Person tab for one of the individuals. Right-click the
Marriage fact and choose Delete Fact. A message asks you if
you want to delete this fact (and associated notes) from both
individuals. Click Yes.
Note: If you don’t delete the Marriage fact, the individual will still be
considered married but to an unknown person.

3. To detach the individual from the current spouse, click

Person>Attach/Detach Person>Detach Selected Person. The
Detach window opens.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 281

4. Click the checkbox for the incorrect spouse. If the couple has
children, you can click their checkboxes to detach them from
the selected individual too.
5. Click OK.

Detaching a Child from the Wrong Parents

If you’ve added a child to the wrong parents, you can detach the
child from the family without deleting them from your tree.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.

2. Make sure the correct family is the focus of the family group
view. Then click the child’s name.
3. Click Person>Attach/Detach Person>Detach Selected
Person. The Detach window opens.

4. Click the checkboxes next to the father and/or mother.

5. Click OK.
282 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Attaching a Child to a Father and Mother

If you’ve added an individual and his or her parents to your tree, but
you did not know they were related when you entered them, you can
still link them together.

1. Go to the Tree tab on the People workspace.

2. Make sure the individual you want to attach to his or her par-
ents is the focus of the Index or family group view.
3. Click Person>Attach/Detach Person>Attach Mother/Father.
The Select the Mother/Father to Attach window opens.
4. Choose the father or mother from the list and click OK. If the
father or mother has multiple spouses, you’ll need to choose
which family the child belongs to.
5. Choose the appropriate family and click OK.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 283

Fixing Text Mistakes

It’s easy to introduce errors into your tree. Perhaps you transcribed
a record too quickly or imported incorrect notes from a family
member’s tree. Family Tree Maker has several tools that can help
look for misspellings, inaccurate dates, and duplicate facts.

Global Spell Checker

The global spell checker lets you search for errors in your tree.

1. Click Tools>Global Spell Check.

2. Change these options as necessary:

• Fact descriptions. Select this checkbox to check spelling in
fact descriptions.
• Media. Click this checkbox to check spelling in media cap-
tions and descriptions.
• Sources. Click this checkbox to check spelling in citation
detail and citation text fields.
• Notes. Click to check spelling in all notes.
• Tasks. Click to check spelling in all tasks in the research to-
do list.
3. Click Begin Checking. If the spell checker finds a potential er-
ror, it displays the word in the “Not in dictionary” field.
4. Replace or ignore the word using the spell check buttons. A
message tells you when the spell check is complete. Click OK.
284 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Find and Replace Tool

You may have mistakenly spelled an individual’s name wrong
throughout your tree or perhaps you abbreviated a place name that
you want to spell out now. You can use Find and Replace to correct
these mistakes—one by one or all at the same time.

1. Click Edit>Find and Replace. The Find and Replace

window opens.

2. Enter the term you want to search for in the Find field. Then
enter the new term you want to use in the Replace with field.
3. Choose one or more of the following:
• To find words that match your search exactly (uppercase
and lowercase), select the Match case checkbox.
• To find entire words that match your search, select the
Find whole words only checkbox. (For example, a search
for Will would not show results for William or Willton.)
• To search using wildcards, click the Use wildcards check-
box. Wildcards allow you to search for one or more missing
characters. An asterisk (*) replaces multiple characters; a
search for “Mas*” could find Massachusetts, Masonville, or
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 285

Masterson. A question mark (?) replaces one character; a

search for Su?an would find Susan and Suzan.
4. Click the checkbox for each part of the tree you want to search
in. If you’re not sure where the information is, you might want
to select all of the checkboxes.
5. Click Find. The first result that matches your terms appears.

6. If you want to replace the search term with the new term, click
Replace.
Tip: You can replace all matching search results by clicking the
Replace All button. Before you do, back up your tree file because you
cannot undo these changes.

7. To find the next match, click Find Next.

8. Continue searching and replacing terms as necessary.
286 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

Merging Duplicate Facts

If you have multiple versions of the same fact, you can merge them
together. You can choose only one date and place for the fact. If you
have multiple descriptions, they will be combined into one.

1. Select the appropriate individual and go to the Person tab on

the People workspace.
2. Click the Facts button, right-click one of the duplicate facts,
and then select Merge Duplicate Facts.

3. The Merge Duplicate Facts window opens.

4. Click the checkboxes next to the facts you want to merge and
click Next.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 287

5. Select the date and location you want to keep.

6. Click Finish.

Running the Data Errors Report

Family Tree Maker can search your tree and identify potential
errors. For example, it can look for blank fields or date problems,
such as an individual being born before his or her parents were
born. It’s a good idea to run the Data Errors Report (fig. 14-1)
periodically to make sure your tree is as error free as possible.

Figure 14-1. A Data Errors Report.

288 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

1. Go to the Collection tab on the Publish workspace. In Publica-

tion Types, click Person Reports.
2. Double-click the Data Errors Report or click the report icon
and then click the Create Report button or the Detail tab.
3. To determine which errors the report lists, click the Errors to
include button on the editing toolbar. The Errors to Include
window opens.

4. Click the checkboxes next to the errors you want to search for.
Then click OK. The Data Errors Report opens.
5. To fix the error immediately, simply double-click an individu-
al’s name in the report. An editing window will open.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 289

Standardizing Locations
When you import a tree or manually enter a location, Family Tree
Maker checks the location against its database of three million
places. If any misspellings are found, or if the place doesn’t match
any sites in the database, a location is considered “unrecognized.”
You’ll want to examine these “unrecognized” locations occasion-
ally and make any necessary changes. In some cases, you may want
to leave the name exactly as it is. For example, if a town or city no
longer exists, or the county boundaries have changed over the years,
it is perhaps most appropriate to keep the location’s name as it is.
However, in most cases, you’ll want to identify locations to keep
your tree consistent and to make sure that locations are grouped
together correctly on the Places workspace.

Identifying a Single Location

If you see a question mark icon next to a place name in your tree,
you can try to identify the place in the locations database.

1. Click the Places button on the main toolbar. Click an unidenti-

fied location (with a question mark icon) in the Places panel.
On the right side of the window, you’ll see the location’s name
and any people and events associated with it.
290 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

2. Click the question mark icon next to the location’s name.

3. Do one of the following:

• If a suggestion matches the location in your tree, click its
name in “Suggested place names” and click Replace.
• If no locations are a match, you can ignore only part of a
location by clicking the Move first segment to place detail
arrow. When the updated location finally has a match, click
Replace. (You can also click Ignore to leave the location as it is.)
Note: Ignoring part of a location doesn’t change how it is dis-
played in your tree; it simply allows the location to be grouped
together correctly on the Places workspace.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 291

Identifying Multiple Locations

If you’ve imported a tree or merged someone’s tree into your own,
you’ll likely have many place names that don’t match the other
locations in your tree. Instead of updating each location one at a
time, you can identify multiple locations at once.

1. Click Tools>Resolve All Place Names.

2. To back up your tree file before you update your locations,
click Yes. The Backup window opens. Change any options as
necessary and click OK.
The Resolve All Place Names window opens. Each unrecog-
nized location is listed, along with a suggested replacement
location.

3. For each listed location, click the checkbox for the option
you want to use:
292 Part 4: Managing Your Trees

• Unrecognized Place Name. Click this checkbox to leave

the location as it is.
• Suggested Place Name. Click this checkbox to change the
current location to the suggested location.
• Desc. Click this checkbox to move the location’s name
from the Place field to the Description field.
• Ignore. Click this checkbox to leave the location as it is.
The location name will no longer be “unrecognized.”
• Other. To see other locations that might match the cur-
rent place name, or to ignore only part of a location, click
Other. The Resolve Place Name window opens. When you
identify a matching location, click Replace.
4. When you’ve chosen an option for each location, click OK.

Finding Missing Media Items

If you move a media item on your computer after you’ve added it
to a tree, you won’t be able to view, print, or export the item until
it is relinked to your tree. You can search for missing media items
individually or all at once.

Finding a Single Missing Media Item

On the Media workspace, the editing panel shows the media item’s
name and location on your computer. If a media item is no longer
linked to your tree, you’ll see a red “File not found” message (fig.
14-2). To relink the media item, click it and locate the item.
 Chapter 14: Family Tree Problem Solver 293

Figure 14-2. A missing media file.

Finding All Missing Media Items

Family Tree Maker can search for missing media items and help
you relink them to your tree.

1. Click the Media button on the main toolbar. Click Media>Find

Missing Media. A list of unlinked images appears.

2. Click the checkboxes next to the items you want to locate or

click Select All to find all missing media items.
3. Click Search. If Family Tree Maker finds the file, its current
location is displayed in the Path column; a check mark appears
in the Status column. If Family Tree Maker can’t find the file,
click its row in the Path column to search for it yourself.
4. When you’re finished, click OK.
 Troubleshooting

Although we hope you never have problems while using Family Tree
Maker, all computers and software have their own incompatibilities.
This chapter identifies several common problems and includes ways
to fix them.
If you don’t find an answer to your question, you can get help at
support.familytreemaker.com. Enter your issue in the search field
and press Enter.
When dealing with technical issues, you should make sure that
your computer meets or exceeds the system requirements. Also,
keep in mind that the more information you enter, the greater the
amount of free hard drive space and available RAM you will need.
If you plan to include many pictures, audio, or video files in your
trees, you will need a substantial amount of hard drive space.

LEGAL DISCLAIMER
IMPORTANT—READ CAREFULLY BEFORE FOLLOWING TROUBLESHOOTING TIPS

Family Tree Maker has made every effort to make the information contained in
this guide accurate, complete, and useful. However, inaccuracies, errors, and omis-
sions may occur. All recommendations, statements, and procedures are given with-
out warranty of any kind. The user assumes all risks associated with use of this guide.
296 Troubleshooting

Ancestry Issues
Because Family Tree Maker and Ancestry are closely linked
together, you may encounter some website-related issues when
using Family Tree Maker.

I am having problems logging in to Ancestry.

Your computer may not be connected to the Internet. Make sure
that you are able to access and sign in to Ancestry using a normal
Web browser (Internet Explorer, etc.). If you are unable to access
the website, you’ll need to fix your Internet connection first.

Make sure Internet access is enabled in Family Tree Maker. To do

this, go to the File menu and select Go Online. (If the menu item
“Go Offline” appears, Internet access is already enabled. To make
absolutely sure, you may want to select “Go Offline” and then select
the “Go Online” item again.)

Your firewall settings or security software may be preventing Family

Tree Maker from connecting to the Ancestry server. You may
need to add FTM.exe as an exception to your security software or
firewall. For information about changing firewall settings, contact
your security software manufacturer directly.

Make sure that your computer’s date and time are correctly set to
your time zone. They can be adjusted by clicking on the date and
time in the lower right-hand corner of your desktop, then selecting
“Change date and time settings...”.

I have a problem getting Ancestry hints.

Make sure your FTM tree is uploaded and linked to the Ancestry tree.
 Troubleshooting 297

Click Tools > Options and make sure the Show hints from
Ancestry checkbox is selected. To be absolutely certain, you may
want to deselect the checkbox and then select it again.

Sign in to Ancestry using a Web browser and make sure there are
hints in the Ancestry tree to which your FTM tree is linked.
Try closing and then opening your FTM tree.

When I try to access a record on Ancestry, I see an error message.

What does it mean?
Occasionally you may come across one of these error messages:
Document contains no data.
503 Service Unavailable.
We’re sorry, this page is temporarily unavailable.
These types of errors usually indicate a temporary issue with your
Internet Service Provider (ISP) or the Ancestry website. To resolve
the issue, refresh or reload the Web page by pressing CTRL+F5. Or
you can try to view the page again later.
If you keep seeing the same error message, you should clear
your temporary Internet files.

I have problems printing and saving information I find on

Ancestry when I access the website through Family Tree Maker.
The Web Search feature lets you add records from Ancestry
and also navigate the entire website. However, some features
on Ancestry work better when accessed through a regular Web
browser rather than through the Family Tree Maker browser
because of its limited functionality. If you’re having trouble using an
Ancestry feature in Web Search, click the Browser Options button
(left of the Address field) and choose “Open in New Window” to
open the site in a regular Web browser.
298 Troubleshooting

FamilySync Issues
I get an error message when I try to sync my FTM and Ancestry
trees.
To improve your chances of trouble-free syncing, read “Best
Practices for Syncing” in the FTM Support Center.
(Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “best practices” in
the search field.)

Check your Internet connection. If you have a dial-up Internet

connection, or you have disabled your broadband connection,
establish your Internet connection before you open Family Tree
Maker. Make sure you are able to get to other websites.

Make sure Internet access is enabled in Family Tree Maker. To do

this, go to the File menu and select Go Online. (If the menu item
“Go Offline” appears, Internet access is already enabled. To make
absolutely sure, you may want to select “Go Offline” and then select
the “Go Online” item again.)

Generate and send a Sync Error Report. Sending a Sync Error

Report (sometimes also called a “Sync Error Log”) will help
technical support determine exactly what is causing the issue
you are experiencing when using FamilySync. The easiest way to
generate and send a Sync Error Report is to use the FamilySync
Report dialog. This will create a report and deliver it to the Family
Tree Maker technical support team automatically. You can access
the dialog in two ways:

• If an error occurs during syncing, the FamilySync Report

dialog will open automatically.
 Troubleshooting 299

• You can open the dialog at any time by choosing Send Sync
Error Report from the Help menu.

I synced my trees and I can’t see all the media items in my Ancestry
tree. What happened?
When you synchronize trees, data is transferred immediately.
Media items are processed separately in the background. Because
of this it may take a while for all your images to appear in your
Ancestry tree. You can track the progress of your media sync using
the Media processing status bar on the main toolbar.

Relationship Mistakes and Unknown Spouses

You can easily fix an incorrect relationship by detaching an
individual, then attaching them to the correct person in your tree.
In the case of an unknown spouse, you would detach them from
the person in your tree and their children, if any. For help, read
“Fixing Relationship Mistakes” in the FTM Support Center. (Go to
support.familytreemaker.com and enter “relationship mistakes” in
the search field.)

Damaged or Corrupt Files

I don’t have a backup of my tree and my file won’t open. Is there
anything I can do?
Files can be damaged by viruses, a merging of corrupt data, the
improper shut down of Family Tree Maker, and more. If you don’t
have a backup of your tree, you can try to fix your current file. For
help, read “Repairing a Tree File” in the FTM Support Center. (Go to
support.familytreemaker.com and enter “repair” in the search field.)
300 Troubleshooting

Display Problems
In Family Tree Maker buttons and fields overlap each other and are
difficult to read. How can I fix this?
Display problems can occur if you have changed the default
Windows font size. You’ll need to change your Windows font size,
or you can drag open a window to enlarge it.
For more information on this issue, read “Fixing Display Issues” in
the FTM Support Center. (Go to support.familytreemaker.com and
enter “display issues” in the search field.)

Error Messages
You may occasionally receive an error message while installing or
using Family Tree Maker. Here are some messages you might see:

Family Tree Maker has encountered a problem and needs to close or

Family Tree Maker has stopped working.
Usually this message is caused by an old or corrupt Family Tree
Maker configuration file. For instructions on deleting this file, read
“Resetting Program Settings” in the FTM Support Center. (Go to
support.familytreemaker.com and enter “resetting” in the search
field.) If you keep seeing this message, please contact technical
support.

You are not connected to the Internet or are behind a firewall.

This message appears when your Internet connection is inactive or
when something is blocking Family Tree Maker from using your
Internet connection.
 Troubleshooting 301

You must be logged on as an administrator.

In Windows you may need to run Family Tree Maker as an
administrator. To do this, right-click the Family Tree Maker icon
and select “Run as Administrator.” If you need more help, read
“How to Give FTM Administrator Privileges” in the FTM Support
Center. (Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “admin” in
the search field.)

Tree File Importing Errors

I get an error message when I try to import a tree.
It is important to determine if the importing problem is specific to
one tree file or to multiple tree files. If you can import some tree
files but not others, the tree file may be damaged. You may need to
revert to a backup. If you cannot import any tree files, create a new
test tree file in Family Tree Maker and export it as a GEDCOM.
Now try to import the test tree file. If it doesn’t import, you’ll need
to uninstall and reinstall the software. For more information, read
“Uninstalling FTM” and “Manually Uninstalling FTM” in the FTM
Support Center. (Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter
“uninstall” in the search field.)

Incorrect tree file version.

This message appears when you’re importing a tree file that is not
supported by Family Tree Maker (for example, if someone shares
a Family Tree Maker tree file with you but you’re using a different
version of the software). For help importing a tree file, read “Im-
porting an Existing File” in the FTM Support Center.
(Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “import existing” in
the search field.)
302 Troubleshooting

Installation Problems
For the majority of users, Family Tree Maker installs without any
problems. However, if you are experiencing difficulties you should
test the DVD on another computer to verify that the disc is good.
If the installation DVD is damaged, contact technical support for
assistance. If the DVD works on another computer, one of these
topics may help you resolve the problem.

I can’t get Family Tree Maker to install on my computer.

Occasionally Family Tree Maker won’t install on your computer
because of conflicts with other software, corrupt user profiles,
and other reasons. For help troubleshooting this issue, read
“Troubleshooting Installation” in the FTM Support Center. (Go to
support.familytreemaker.com and enter “installation” in the search
field.)

Nothing happens when I put the DVD in the DVD drive.

There may be fingerprints, scratches, or dust on your DVD. Remove
the DVD from the drive and gently wipe it with a clean towel. Do
not wipe in a circular motion; wipe from the inside edge to the
outside edge.

The Windows Autorun feature may be turned off. You’ll need to

start the installation program yourself. Make sure the DVD is in the
DVD drive. Press Windows logo key + R.
In the Open field, type “d:/setup/setup”. (The “d” in “d:/setup”
stands for drive D. If you are installing from another drive, type
that letter instead. For example, from drive E, type “e:/setup/setup”.)
Then click OK.
 Troubleshooting 303

I get a message saying there isn’t enough hard drive space to install
the program.
You may be out of space on the drive where Windows is installed,
the drive where you’re attempting to save the program, or the drive
where your temporary folder is located. To ensure that you have
sufficient hard drive space, check the following:

• Hard drive space available on the drive where Windows is

installed. You need to have at least 900MB of space available
on the drive where Windows is installed. In addition, Windows
needs at least 15% of the total space on your hard drive to be
free to run properly after Family Tree Maker has been installed.
You may encounter problems if you have less.
• Hard drive space available on the drive where Family Tree
Maker is saving your trees. You generally need to have three
times the size of your tree file available because of the way many
Windows programs (including Family Tree Maker) save files.
For example, if your tree file is 400,000 bytes, you actually need
1,200,000 bytes (1.2MB) available to save it.
• Temporary hard drive space. Windows has a temporary storage
folder, usually C:\Windows\Temp. This folder should be cleaned
out on a regular basis. To do this, close all open programs. Press
Windows logo key + R. Then, in the Open field, type “temp”
and click OK. Windows opens the Temp folder. Make sure the
window’s title bar says “Temp” and delete any files.

I get a message saying, “You must be logged on as an administrator.”

In Windows access to common tasks and programs may be
managed by the User Account Control (UAC). If you are trying
to access Family Tree Maker as a standard user (meaning without
administrative privileges), you won’t be able to open the program.
304 Troubleshooting

You will need to run Family Tree Maker as an administrator. If

you need instructions, read “How to Give FTM Administrator
Privileges” in the FTM Support Center. (Go to support.
familytreemaker.com and enter “admin” in the search field.)

How do I manually uninstall Family Tree Maker?

If you have uninstalled and reinstalled the Family Tree Maker
program and it still opens with the error message, “Program has
encountered a problem and must close” (or something similar), you
may need to manually remove Family Tree Maker. To troubleshoot
this issue, read “Manually Uninstalling FTM” in the FTM Support
Center. (Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “uninstall”
in the search field.)

Internet Connection Problems

I get an error message that says, “You are not connected to the
Internet or are behind a firewall.”
This error occurs when there is no connection to the Internet, or
a firewall is blocking Family Tree Maker from using your Internet
connection.

Make sure Internet access is enabled in Family Tree Maker. To do

this, go to the File menu and select Go Online. (If the menu item
“Go Offline” appears, Internet access is already enabled. To make
absolutely sure, you may want to select “Go Offline” and then select
the “Go Online” item again.)

Check your Internet connection. If you have a dial-up Internet

connection, or you have disabled your broadband connection,
establish your Internet connection before you open Family Tree
 Troubleshooting 305

Maker. Make sure you are able to get to other websites. If you are
still unable to use Family Tree Maker online features, you can
troubleshoot this issue. Read “Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues”
in the FTM Support Center. (Go to support.familytreemaker.com
and enter “connectivity” in the search field.)

PDF Problems
I am unable to save a chart as a PDF.
If you have problems saving reports and charts as PDFs, you may
need to designate yourself as an administrator on your computer.
If you need instructions, read “How to Give FTM Administrator
Privileges” in the FTM Support Center.
(Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “admin” in the
search field.)
Also, be aware that PDFs in Family Tree Maker are limited
to 200 inches by 200 inches. If your chart is larger than this, the
contents will be cropped.

Performance Issues
Family Tree Maker is running slowly. What can I do?
If Family Tree Maker is running more slowly than expected, here
are a few steps you can take to increase the software’s performance.
• Make sure your computer meets or exceeds the system
requirements.
• Run the Compact File tool to reindex your file and remove
unnecessary data. (For instructions see “Compressing a Tree
File” on page 225.)
• Check your tree for duplicate individuals or sources. Merge
them as necessary.
306 Troubleshooting

• Work offline. Consider temporarily disabling Internet access in

Family Tree Maker. To do this, go to the File menu and choose
Go Offline.
• Turn off Ancestry and FamilySearch hints. To do this, go to the
Tools menu and choose Options. Deselect Show hints from
Ancestry and Show hints from FamilySearch and click OK.
• Disable Fastfields. Disabling Fastfields in large databases can
also speed things up. To do this, go to the Tools menu and
choose Options. Deselect all checkboxes in the Use fastfields
for section and click OK.

Printing Problems
Many printing problems are related to the specific printer you’re
using. Before you begin, make sure your printer is hooked up cor-
rectly, turned on, and connected to the computer. Also, make sure
you’re familiar with any documentation that came with your print-
er. If you don’t find your issue in the topics below, you may want to
contact technical support for the printer’s manufacturer.

I am unable to print in Family Tree Maker.

Try to print an image or document from another program. This will
verify whether or not the printer is functioning properly. If you can
print something using another program, the issue may be a conflict
with Family Tree Maker.

The most common cause of printing issues involves conflicts

between the program and printer driver, which acts as a translator
between the printer and the program. Verify that the driver for
your printer is up to date. Most manufacturers offer these drivers as
free downloads from their websites.
 Troubleshooting 307

Your computer may be running low on memory. Family Tree

Maker requires that you have at least 2GB of physical memory to
run. If you don’t have enough memory, Family Tree Maker might
take a long time to perform certain tasks like printing, especially
if you have a large tree. Try closing other programs to make more
memory available. If the performance is still sluggish, you might
want to add more memory to your system.

Why is Family Tree Maker printing slowly?

Printing from Windows, especially when printing graphics, can be
slow. To improve your printing speed, try printing images at a lower
quality. (Although be aware that the final product won’t look as nice.)

The Windows spool settings may be slowing down printing. To

disable these features, see your Microsoft Windows user’s guide.
You may also need to refer to the printer’s documentation.

My photos are not printing clearly.

Try changing the image to a different format before you import it.
Family Tree Maker accepts a variety of common file formats.

The original image may be of poor quality. If you scanned the

photograph, you may need to rescan it.

Family Tree Maker crashes when I print charts and reports.

Verify that the driver for your printer is up to date. Most manufac-
turers offer these drivers as free downloads from their websites.

Program Unexpectedly Shuts Down

Family Tree Maker may shut down unexpectedly, and you may see
an error message.
308 Troubleshooting

I get a message saying, “Family Tree Maker has stopped working,” or

“Family Tree Maker has encountered an error and needs to close.”
Usually this message is caused by an old or corrupt Family Tree
Maker configuration file. For instructions on deleting this file, read
“Resetting Program Settings” in the FTM Support Center.
(Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “resetting” in
the search field.) If you keep seeing this message, please contact
technical support.

Family Tree Maker keeps crashing. What can I do?

If Family Tree Maker is crashing frequently it could be due to
needed system or program updates, file corruption, or other
reasons. For help troubleshooting this issue, read “FTM 2017
Crashes or Closes Unexpectedly” in the FTM Support Center. (Go
to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “crashes” in the search
field.)

Software Updates
How can I make sure I have the latest software updates?
Periodically, updates that fix bugs and add new features in Family
Tree Maker are released. Make sure that Family Tree Maker is up to
date by going to the Help menu and choosing Check for Update.
You may need to run Family Tree Maker as an administrator in
order to check for updates. If you need instructions, read “How to
Give FTM Administrator Privileges” in the FTM Support Center.
(Go to support.familytreemaker.com and enter “admin” in the
search field.)
You can also check for free updates at www.familytreemaker.com.
 Glossary

Ahnentafel German for ancestor table. In addition to being a

chart, it also refers to a genealogical numbering system.
ancestor A person you descend from—parent, grandparent, great-
grandparent, etc.
Ancestry Hint The green leaf indicating that a person might have
matching records on Ancestry.
Ancestry Member Tree (AMT) Same as Ancestry tree.
Ancestry tree An online family tree you have created on or
uploaded to Ancestry.
blended family A family composed of a couple and their children
from previous relationships and/or marriages, as well as any
children they have together.
combined family view An option in the family group view that
lets you view blended families.
CSV Comma Separated Values. A file format that organizes
information into fields and can be imported into a spreadsheet.
descendant A person who descends from you—your child,
grandchild, great-grandchild, etc.
310 Glossary

editing panel A section of a workspace that lets you easily edit

and view information for a specific individual or item.
export To transfer data from one computer to another or from
one computer program to another.
family group sheet A chart or report that displays information
about a single family—father, mother, and children.
family group view Shows a single family—father, mother, and
their children—in Family Tree Maker.
family view One of the display options for the tree viewer on the
People workspace. Similar to the vertical pedigree chart.
FamilySearch hint The blue square indicating that a person might
have matching records on FamilySearch.org.
FamilySync A feature that lets you link trees from Family Tree
Maker and Ancestry so that changes made to an FTM tree will be
reflected in the Ancestry tree and vice versa.
Fastfields A feature that reminds you of locations and people
you’ve entered previously so that when you type a new place or
name, you’ll see possible matches.
FTM tree A family tree you have created in or downloaded to
Family Tree Maker.
GEDCOM GEnealogical Data COMmunication. A standard
designed by the Family History Department of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints for transferring data between different
genealogy software programs.
genealogy report A narrative-style report that details a family
through one or more generations and includes basic facts about
each member.
 Glossary 311

generation The period of time between the birth of one group of

individuals and the next—usually twenty-five to thirty years.
given name The first (and middle) name given to a child at his or
her birth. Also known as a Christian name.
hint See Ancestry Hint and FamilySearch hint.
home person The main individual in your tree.
HTML HyperText Markup Language. The standard language for
creating and formatting Web pages.
icon A small picture or symbol that represents a program, file,
or folder on your computer. Double-clicking an icon causes the
program to run, the folder to open, or the file to be displayed.
import To bring a file into a program. The file may have been
created in the same or a different program.
maternal ancestor An ancestor on the mother’s side of the family.
paternal ancestor An ancestor on the father’s side of the family.
PDF Portable Document Format. A file format that retains printer
formatting so that when it is opened it looks as it would on the
printed page.
pedigree chart A chart that shows the direct ancestors of an
individual. Also known as an ancestor tree.
pedigree view One of the display options for the tree viewer on
the People workspace. Similar to the standard pedigree chart.
preferred A term Family Tree Maker uses in reference to parents,
spouses, or duplicate events indicating that you want to see the
preferred selection first or have it displayed in charts and reports.
primary person The individual who is currently the focus of the
workspace, chart, or report.
312 Glossary

RTF Rich Text Format. A basic text file format that can be opened
in almost all word-processing programs.
siblings Children of the same parents.
Smart Stories A tool that helps you compose stories using facts,
sources, notes, and images from your tree.
Soundex A system that assigns a code to a surname based on how
it sounds rather than how it is spelled.
source A place where you found specific information, such as a
historical records, a book, or an interview.
source citation The individual details about where information is
located within a source.
surname The family name or last name of an individual.
Web clipping The ability to “clip” text or images from a Web page
and add them elsewhere, like to your Family Tree Maker tree.
Web Dashboard A feature on the Plan workspace that lets you
view your Ancestry account and trees.
Web Merge A feature that lets you take records you’ve found on
Ancestry and FamilySearch and add them to your Family Tree
Maker tree.
workspace A major grouping of Family Tree Maker features. Each
workspace can be opened from the main toolbar.
 Index

A turning off and on, 260–261

viewing, 126
addresses, entering, 43 viewing ignored hints, 128
administrator error message, 303 Ancestry trees. See trees (Ancestry)
adoptions, indicating, 59–60 Ancestry Web Dashboard, 11
aerial maps, 111 anniversary lists, 183
ages, calculating, 251–252 annotated bibliographies, 192
Ahnentafel reports, 179–180 audio files. See media items
AKA (Also Known As) names,
entering, 43
AKA names, including in Index, B
264–265 backgrounds
alerts, preferences for, 266–268 for charts, 161–162
alternate facts, entering, 45 for reports, 199
Ancestry backups
error messages on, 297 automatic, preferences for, 260
hints from, 125–128 creating, 231–232
hints from, turning off and on, reminders, turning off and on,
260–261 267
Member Connect, 11 restoring files from, 232
records, adding to trees, bibliographies, 192
134–137 biographies, creating with Smart
records on, 129 Stories, 64–65
searching, 128–131 bird’s-eye-view maps, 112
search tips, 132 birth dates
Ancestry Hints calculating, 251–252
ignoring, 127 entering, 35
314 Index

birthday lists, 183 C

birth order, sorting children by, 40,
255 calculators
birthplaces, entering, 36 for dates, 251–252
blended families, viewing, 54–55 for relationships, 250–251
book-building tool, 207 Soundex, 249
Bookmarks button, 13 calendars, 194
books captions for media items, 95
chapters in, reordering, 220 categories
charts in, adding, 215 for media items, 103–105
creating new, 207–208 for To-Do lists, 256–257
exporting as PDF, 221 causes of death, entering, 43
footers, changing, 209–210 cemeteries, locating on maps,
headers, changing, 209–210 116–117
images, adding, 213–215 censuses available on Ancestry, 129
importing, 208 charts
index of individuals, adding, adding embellishments to,
217–218 164–165
in linked trees, 237 adding photographs to,
place holders, adding, 216 161–164
printing, 221 adding text boxes, 165
reports, adding, 215 backgrounds for, 161–162
saved, accessing, 209 borders for, 171–172
settings, changing for items, bow tie, 155
219–220 centering on pages, 168
table of contents, adding, Charting Companion plug-in,
216–217 178
text item choosing facts to include,
adding manually, 210–211 158–160
importing, 212 creating, 158
titles, adding, 209 about descendants, 154
borders, adding to charts, 171–172 displaying everyone in tree,
bow tie charts, 155 156–157
boxes (text), adding to charts, display names for locations
171–172 entering, 124
 Index 315

emailing, 177 Collection tab (Publish), 21

family group sheets, 186–187 color coding, 51
family tree, 155 combined family view, 54–55
fan, 156 Compact File tool, 233–234
fonts for, changing, 172–173 connection error messages, 304
footers for, changing, 166–167 contact lists, 183
headers for, changing, 166–167 contributors in Ancestry trees, 248
hourglass Convert Names tool, 252
horizontal, 153 courthouses, locating on maps,
standard, 151–153 116–117
in books, 215 CSV format, saving reports in,
including sources in, 161 204–205
in linked trees, 237 custom facts
pedigree creating, 268–270
standard, 150 sentences for, modifying, 271
vertical, 151–152 custom reports, 181
portraits of individuals in, as- custom templates (for charts),
signing, 97 174–175
printing, 177–178
about relationships, 157
D
saving
in Family Tree Maker, 175 Data Errors Report, 287–288
as files, 176 Data Errors Reports, 181–182
spacing of columns, changing, Date Calculator, 251–252
168 dates
titles for, 160 of births, entering, 35
children calculating, 251–252
adding to tree, 39–40 errors in, 267–268
adopted, indicating, 59–60 guidelines for entering, 38
attaching to parents, 282 inaccurate, locating, 287–288
biological, indicating, 59–60 preferences for, 263–264
detaching from parents, 281 deleting people from trees, 279
foster, indicating, 59–60 descendant reports, 180, 188
order for, changing, 40 descendants
christenings, entering, 43 charts displaying, 154
churches, locating on maps, reports of, 180, 188
116–117 Detail tab (Media), 19
citations. See source citations Detail tab (Publish), 21
316 Index

disclaimer, legal, 295 finding and replacing, 284–285

display colors, changing for Family missing media items, 292–293
Tree Maker, 260 preferences for alerts, 266–268
divorces, indicating, 59 for unidentified locations
Documented Facts Reports, 193 resolving, 289–292
double dates, preferences for, 264 setting up, 267
downloading for unlikely dates, 267
Ancestry trees, 26–29 Unrecognized Place Name,
duplicate individuals 289–292
finding, 276 events. See also facts
merging, 277–279 exporting
DVDs, troubleshooting installation, books, 221
302–303 trees, 228–230
extended family charts, 156–157
E
editing panel (People workspace) F
overview, 16 facts
editing panel (Tree tab) adding source citations for,
customizing facts on, 273–274 79–85
customizing tabs on, 263 adding sources for, 73–78
editing photos, 98 alternate, 45
editors in Ancestry trees, 248 associated with locations, view-
emailing ing, 119–120
charts, 177 copying and pasting, 44
reports, 205–206 custom, creating, 268–270
embellishments, adding to charts, duplicate, merging, 286–287
164–165 entering, 41–42
emigration information, entering, including in charts, 158–160
43 including in reports, 195–197
error messages, 300–301 in linked trees, 236
errors making private, 46–47
administrator message, 303 media items for, adding, 92–93
creating reports of, 181–182, online, saving to trees, 139–140
287–288 predefined, modifying, 270
data entry, 283–287 preferred, 45–46
File Not Found (media items), privacy for, 269
292–293 sentences for, modifying, 271
 Index 317

sourced, reports of, 193 fan charts, 156

using in Smart Stories, 65 Fastfields
families overview, 262
blended, viewing, 54–55 preferences for, 261–262
combined, viewing, 54–55 favorite websites
locations associated with, adding to, 145
121–122 sorting, 145–146
step, viewing, 54–55 File Not Found errors (media
Family Book Creator plug-in, 222 items), 292–293
family group sheets, 186–187 files
family group view backing up, 231–232
displaying blended families, compressing, 233
54–55 damaged, troubleshooting, 299
overview, 16 exporting, 228–230
sorting children in, 40 importing, 25–27
FamilySearch media items, changing names
hints, 125 of, 102
hints, turning off and on, 261 media items, missing, 292–293
searching, 134 restoring from backups,
search tips, 133 232–233
FamilySync file sizes
comparison between Ancestry reducing, 233–234
and FTM trees, 236–238 viewing, 226
conflicts between trees, resolv- filtered lists
ing, 244–245 managing saved, 14
downloading Ancestry trees, opening, 14
27–30 saving, 14
log of changes, 240–241 Find and Replace tool, 284–285
options for, 239–240 Find Individual tool, 253
privacy for linked trees, chang- fonts
ing, 245–246 changing in charts, 172–173
status of linked trees, 241–242 changing in reports, 201
syncing trees manually, 242 display, setting in Family Tree
unlinking trees, 245 Maker, 259
uploading trees to Ancestry, in books, 213
234–236 in software, enlarging, 259
family tree charts, 155 footers
family view, 15 for books, 209–210, 219–220
318 Index

for charts, 166–167 HTML, saving reports as, 204–205

for reports, 200
foster children, indicating, 59–60
I
ID numbers, 254
G images. See media items,See
GEDCOMs also media items; photographs
importing, 25–27 immigration information, entering,
overview, 229 43
saving trees as, 228–230 importing
GPS (Global Positioning System) books, 208
coordinates errors during, 301–302
entering, 122–123 trees, 25–27
Gregorian calendar, 264 Index
guests in Ancestry trees, 248 including
guide, organization of, xix married names, 264–265
titles, 264–265
overview, 12
H indexes, adding to books, 217–218
headers Index of Individuals Reports, 183
for books, 209–210, 219–220 individuals
for charts, 166–167 adding media items for, 92–93
for reports, 200 addresses, entering, 43
Help causes of death, entering, 43
in software, 5–7 christenings, entering, 43
technical support, contacting, 7 default photo for, assigning, 97
hierarchy list, for groups, 118 duplicate
hints. See Ancestry Hints, Family- finding, 276
Search hints merging, 277–279
historical events for timelines, emigration information, enter-
creating or editing, 272–273 ing, 43
History button, 13 entering basic information for,
home person, 13, 30–32 35–37
horizontal hourglass charts, 153 entering information about
hospitals, locating on map, 116–117 marriage, 38–39
hourglass charts finding specific people, 253
horizontal, 153 immigration information,
standard, 151–153 entering, 43
 Index 319

locations associated with, license agreement, 5

120–121 linked trees
media items for, choosing sort comparison between Ancestry
order, 102–103 and FTM trees, 236–237
physical descriptions, enter- conflicts between, 244–245
ing, 43 inviting others to view,
reference numbers for, 254 246–247
removing marriages, 280–281 linking multiple FTM trees to
reports about, 182 Ancestry, 238
slide shows of media items, log of changes, 240
105–108 privacy for, changing, 245–246
installation status of, 241
automatic, 4 syncing manually, 242–243
license agreement, 5 syncing options, 239–240
registering software, 4 troubleshooting, 298–299
system requirements, 3 unlinking, 245
troubleshooting, 302–304 uploading trees to Ancestry,
Internet connections, error mes- 234–239
sages for, 304 locations
associated with families,
121–122
J associated with individuals,
Julian calendar, 264 120–121
completing with Fastfields, 262
K display name for, 124
entering, 36
keyboard shortcuts, 10
excluding country from, 266
Kinship Reports, 187
facts associated with, 119–120
finding nearby places of inter-
L est, 116–117
layout GPS coordinates for, entering,
changing for charts, 167–169 122–123
poster, 168 guidelines for entering, 37
LDS options, displaying, 259 in linked trees, 237
LDS Ordinances Reports, 182 reports of usage, 190
legal disclaimer, 295 standardizing, preference for,
libraries, locating on maps, 266–267
116–117 troubleshooting, 289–292
320 Index

unidentified media items

resolving multiple, 291–292 adding
resolving one at a time, for facts, 92–93
289–290 adding to Smart Stories, 67
warnings for, 267 categories for, 103–105
viewing as groups, 289–290 choosing sort order, 102–103
viewing for individuals, display of, changing, 94
120–121 editing within Family Tree
viewing in groups, 118 Maker, 101–102
log of sync changes, 240 entering details about, 95–96
file names, changing, 102
in linked trees, 237
M linking to
main toolbar, 10 source citations, 84
maps linking to individuals, 99–100
GPS coordinates for locations, missing, troubleshooting,
entering, 122–123 292–293
printing, 117 notes for, 96
maps (Microsoft Bing Maps) online, adding to trees,
aerial, 111 141–142
bird’s-eye, 112 printing, 108
Streetside, 114 printing, troubleshooting, 307
viewing, 109–113 privacy for, 96
zooming in and out of, reports about, 190–192
113–114 scanning into Family Tree
Marriage Reports, 187 Maker, 93
marriages slide shows of, 105–108
entering, 38–39 Smart Stories, 62–68
multiple, 56–58 types of, 91
removing from individuals, Media Usage Reports, 192
280–281 Media workspace, 19
reports of, 187 medical conditions, entering, 43
statuses of, 59 Member Connect, 11
married names menus, 10
including in Index, 264–265 merging
media categories, creating, 103–105 Ancestry records into trees,
Media Item Reports, 191 134–137
 Index 321

duplicate facts, 286–287

duplicate individuals, 277–279
migration paths
maps of, 120–122 O
printing, 117 online facts, adding to trees,
139–140
N online images, adding to trees,
names 141–142
completing with Fastfields, 262 online trees. See trees (Ancestry)
guidelines for entering, 36 Outline Descendant Reports, 188
including AKA names in Index,
264–265 P
including married names in page numbers
Index, 264–265 in books, 209–210
nicknames, entering, 43 including in charts, 167
standardizing tool, 252 including in reports, 200
titles in, 43 parents
nicknames, entering, 43 adding to tree, 40–41
notes attaching children to, 282
adding for individuals, 47–48 detaching children from, 281
changing display size of, 49 reports about, 189
create using online informa- partner relationships, indicating, 58
tion, 142–143 PDFs
in linked trees, 237 of charts, creating, 176
making private, 50 of books, creating, 221
for media items, 96 of reports, creating, 204–205
personal, 48 troubleshooting, 305
printing, 49 pedigree charts
reports of, 184 standard, 150
research, 48 vertical, 151–152
for source citations, 85–86 pedigree view, 15
spell checking, 283 People workspace, 12–16
using in Smart Stories, 67 performance issues, troubleshoot-
Notes Reports, 184 ing, 305
personal notes, 48–49
322 Index

Person tab, 17 general, 259–261

photo albums, 190 for names, 264–265
Photo Darkroom, 98 for spell checking, 262
photographs. See also media for tab displays, 263
items,See media items for Web Search, 260–261
adding to books, 213–215 preferred facts, 45–46
assigning default for individu- preferred spouses, 57
als, 97 printing
available on Ancestry.com, 129 charts, 177–178
for charts, 161–164 large charts, 177
missing, troubleshooting, maps, 117
292–294 media items, 108
printing, 108 notes for individuals, 49
scanning into Family Tree reports, 205
Maker, 93 troubleshooting, 297, 306–308
physical descriptions, entering, 43 privacy
place holders, adding to books, 216 for facts, 269
places. See locations for Ancestry trees, 235
Places workspace, 18 for FTM trees, 227
Place Usage Reports, 190 in linked trees, 237
Plan workspace, 10–11 for linked trees, changing,
plug-in 245–246
Charting Companion, 178 making facts private, 46–47
Family Book Creator, 222 making notes private, 50
portraits for media items, 96
assigning to individuals, 97 roles in Ancestry trees, 248
cropping in workspaces, 260 problem solver. See errors; trouble-
defaults for charts, 97 shooting
including in charts, 162–163 public trees, 235
poster layout, 168 Publish workspace, 21
predefined facts
modifying, 270
R
preferences
for alerts, 266–268 reference notes, 80
for automatic backups, 260 reference numbers, automatic, 254
for dates, 263–264 registering software, 4
for errors, 266–268 Register reports, 180
for Fastfields, 261–262 Relationship calculator, 250–251
 Index 323

relationships about kinship, 187

charts about, 157 about LDS Ordinances, 182
between children and parents, in linked trees, 237
59–60 about locations, 190
between couples, 58 about marriages, 187
details about, entering, 38–39 about media items, 191–192
media items for, adding, 38–39 of notes, 184
reference numbers for, 254 about parentage, 189
removing marriages, 280–281 printing, 205
reports about, 186–189 Register, 180
status of, 59 about relationships, 186–189
viewing for individuals, 55 of research tasks, 185
removing individuals from tree, 279 saving, 203–205
reports of sources, 192–194
Ahnentafels, 179–180 of surnames, 184
of ancestors, 179–180 timelines, 185
of anniversaries, 183 titles for, 199
of birthdays, 183 repositories, 78, 85
in books, 215 adding, 86
choosing facts to include, deleting, 89
195–197 editing information, 89
choosing individuals to in- managing, 87
clude, 198 replacing, 88
of contacts, 183 reviewing usage of, 87
creating, 195 requirements, system, 3
custom, 181 research notes, 48
customizing, 195–201 roles in Ancestry trees, 246–248
default settings for, changing, RTF (Rich Text Format), saving
202 reports in, 204–205
of descendants, 180, 188
display names for locations
S
entering, 124
of documented facts, 193 saving
emailing, 205–206 charts
of errors, 181, 287–288 in Family Tree Maker, 175
fact sentences for, 271 as files, 176
fonts for, changing, 201
about individuals, 182
324 Index

reports software updates

in Family Tree Maker, Family Tree Maker, 308
203–204 preferences for, 259
as files, 204–205 sorting children by birth order, 40,
scanning photograph into Family 255
Tree Maker, 93 Soundex calculator, 249
searching source citations
Ancestry, 128–131 adding notes about, 85–86
online with Family Tree Maker, attaching media items to, 84
138 copying, 82–83
for specific people, 253 creating new, 79–82
search results details about, 80
excluding Ancestry trees from, explanation of, 71–72
235 using multiple times, 80–82
search tips for Ancestry, 132 source repositories, 85
sentences for facts, modifying, 271 sources
separations (marriage), indicating, adding, 73–78
59–60 basic format, 77–78
settings, default explanation of, 71–72
for book items, changing, including in charts, 161
219–220 in linked trees, 237
changing for reports, 202 reports of, 192–194
slide shows, creating, 105–108 repositories for, 78
Smart Stories spell checking, 283
adding facts, 65 templates for, 74–77
adding images, 67–68 using in Smart Stories, 66
adding notes, 67 Sources workspace, 20
adding sources, 66 source templates, 74–77
creating automatically, 268 Source Usage Reports, 194
creating biographies with, spell checker
64–65 using, 283
creating timelines with, 68 spell checking
fact sentences for, 271 preferences for, 262
overview, 62–63 spouses
text, editing, 68–69 adding to tree, 37
software adding to trees, 37, 56
closing, 9 multiple, 56–58
opening, 9 preferred, 57
 Index 325

switching between, 58 formatting in books, 213

unknown, 299 online, adding to notes,
standard hourglass charts, 151–153 142–143
status (sync), viewing, 241 Smart Stories, editing, 68–69
stepfamilies, viewing, 54–55 spell checking, 283
stories timelines
in linked trees, 238 creating in Smart Stories, 68
Streetside view, 114 historical events for, creating or
support, contacting, 7 editing, 272–273
Surname Reports, 184 in reports, 185
syncing trees. See FamilySync viewing, 60–61
Sync Weather Report, 243 titles
system defaults for books, 209–210
location for trees, 259 changing for charts, 160
searching Ancestry, 259 changing for reports, 199
system requirements, 3 including in Index, 264–265
titles (in names)
fact for, 43
T To-Do lists
table of contents, creating for adding tasks, 255–256
books, 216–217 creating task categories,
tabs 256–258
Collection (Publish), 21 marking tasks as complete, 258
Current Tree, 11 sorting, 258
Detail (Media), 19 toolbars, 10
Detail (Publish), 21 tools
displaying on editing panel, 263 book-building, 207
New Tree, 11 Compact File, 233
Person, 17 Convert Names, 252
Tree, 12 Date Calculator, 251–252
task lists, 185 Find and Replace, 284–285
technical support, 7 Find Individual, 253
templates (chart), 174–176 Finding Duplicate People,
templates (source), 74–77 276–279
text managing historical events,
adding to books, 210–212 272–273
adding to charts, 165 Relationship calculator,
finding and replacing, 284–285 250–251
326 Index

Soundex calculator, 249 renaming, 227

Web clipping, 139–144 size of file, reducing, 233–234
tree charts. See charts statistics about, 226
trees uploading and linking to An-
adding cestry, 234–236
children, 39–40 Tree tab
notes, 47–48 customizing facts on editing
parents, 40–41 panel, 273–274
spouses, 37, 56 family group view on, 16
default directory for, 259 Index on, 12
home person of, 13 tree viewer on, 15
importing, errors during, tree viewer, 15
301–302 troubleshooting
trees (Ancestry). See Ancestry accessing software Help, 5–7
trees,See also linked trees conflicts between linked trees,
comparison with Family Tree 244–245
Maker trees, 236–238 contacting technical support, 7
inviting others to view, damaged files, 299
246–247 data entry errors, 283–288
privacy options, 235 Data Errors report, 287–288
trees (Family Tree Maker) Data Errors Reports, 181–182
backing up files, 231–233 display issues, 300
comparison with Ancestry error messages, 300–301
trees, 236–238 FamilySync issues, 298–299
creating, 23–29 installation, 302–304
deleting, 227 Internet connections, 304
exporting, 228–230 legal disclaimer, 295
guidelines for creating, 25 linked trees, 298–299
home person of, 30–31 marriages, removing, 280–281
importing, 25–26 missing media items, 292–293
linking multiple FTM trees to PDFs, 305
Ancestry, 238 performance issues, 305
number of generations in, printing, 306–308
viewing, 226 program shuts down, 307–308
number of individuals in, view- reducing file size, 233–234
ing, 226 unidentified locations, 289–292
opening, 225–226 uninstalling Family Tree
removing individual from, 279 Maker, 304
 Index 327

U for sources, 80
wildcards
uninstalling Family Tree Maker, in Ancestry searches, 132
304 in FamilySearch searches, 133
unmarried couples, indicating, 58 windows, enlarging font size of, 259
Unrecognized Place Name error, workspaces
289–292 Media, 19
unrelated individuals People, 12–16
adding to trees, 60 Places, 18
updates, software Plan, 10–11
Family Tree Maker, 308 Publish, 21
user information, entering, 274 Sources, 20
Web Search, 22
V
vertical pedigree charts, 151–152
videos. See media items

W
Web clipping tool, 139–144
Web links for an individual, 50
Web Merge Wizard, 134–137
Web pages. See websites
Web Search
adding records to trees,
134–137
preferences for, 260–261
results, ignoring, 127
using, 126–128
Web Search workspace, 22
websites
archiving, 144
favorites
adding to, 145
sorting, 145–146
searching with Family Tree
Maker, 138
 About the Original Author

Tana L. Pedersen
Tana has been writing and editing in the technology industry for
more than fifteen years. She has earned several awards for her writ-
ing, including the Distinguished Technical Communication award
from the Society for Technical Communication. Tana is author of
Beyond the Basics: A Guide for Advanced Users of Family Tree Maker
2012, five editions of The Official Guide to Family Tree Maker, and
co-author of The Official Guide to RootsWeb.com.