Getting Information Out of FTM 2010

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pauline McNeil on May 4, 2010 at 5:09pm

Thanks Larry - that's definitely something to consider - I may well give it a try!
pem

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 4, 2010 at 5:15pm

Robert,

Question: Can you provide a little more about what is missing with the Hour-Glass Chart?

I think the confusion between Facts and Notes. Data Entry and Presenting of the data. For Data Entry I use both ALL of the time, but Presenting of that data will vary depending on the audience.

Russ

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 4, 2010 at 5:12pm

Pauline,

Nope, didn't say that I don't put many FACTs in my reports. BUT, Yes, I do put information in the Notes. NOT instead. I have many, many FACTS in my file.

The Book IS one of the answers.

I can and have created 10 or so books, almost at a drop of a hat. BUT, I have a purpose or focus for the book. Four years ago, my Dad died. I created a book about him to share with those in attendance for his memorial service.

I have a book that is in a National Park, another in a State Park, another in a Historical House, not to mention others. Each has a focus. I do NOT tree to "tell a story" about everyone in my file.

Focus / Purpose of the book is important. What is the story you are trying to tell.

I think you miss understood, where ever you thought I didn't use Facts and Notes. I use both ALL of the time. The issue is, in the output, or what gets presented.

I use the Facts more for reports, recording of the Facts or Events in an individuals life. Each has a Source-Citation. Lets say that I find a Fact in a census record that only has the persons Age and where that person was born. The Date would appear as Abt. #### with the birth location. But, else where I find the exact birth date. Both are facts but don't tell a complete story. I would Only show Preferred FACTs, not ALL of the Facts that I have in my file.

Keeping with the Census Record, you can't tell the make up of the household in a Tree or Report, BUT, if I enter the Household information in the Notes AND present the Notes in a report, there is a better picture of that household.

The book feature is just a series of Chapters that are reports and charts that help tell the story.

I have a book on my Family Tree Maker User Home Page, if you are looking for an exampe.

I started by trying to create a website, which I did, telling the story, but quickly stopped. I know that I wouldn't try to create a book outside of the Family Tree Maker program. And, I am not bad in the use of any of the Microsoft products and other word processing programs. But, the FTM Book feature, for me, wins hands down.

Russ

Permalink Reply by Pauline McNeil on May 5, 2010 at 3:53am

Hi Russ, Dont think I misunderstood. - The issue is, in the output, or what gets presented -
Found your book (thank you, that helps a lot) but I have several queries.
Am I right in saying that the book has only two key elements direct from FTM i.e. the Ahnentafel Report and the Ancestor Tree Chart? (I know the index, bibliography etc can be created within FTM)
Does that mean that much of the text (e.g. pages 7 & 8) i.e. from Notes for onwards is written in the FTM Personal Notes for that individual - or has it been cut and pasted from elsewhere.
Also I presume other text e.g. p6 Genealogy of the Worthington Family has been cut and pasted from elsewhere - or is it also somewhere in your FTM program.
Thanks again for your interest - much appreciated.
Pauline

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 5, 2010 at 5:05am

Pauline,

Not sure what is on pages 7 & 8.

If you are talking about "Ancestors of Charles Campbell Worthington" on page 7, that is directly out of Family Tree Maker, notes section for CC Worthington.

Pages 18 - 24 of 30, are in Text Items within the book.

The entire Book, that is online, comes directly from the book. When uploading a book to a Family Tree Maker User Home Page, there isn't an option to 'add stuff'. But, within the Book, you can add Text Items, as you saw.

Page 6 is in the Book, again it's a Text Item.

What is important, at least to me, is that the Index be populated by the Genealogy Reports and trees. The Text Items are NOT indexed.

I have the book that is online, printed directly from the program. I didn't do anything different when I printed it, except to add some Chapter Dividers that were Color Pictures. I wanted my pictures to be on higher quality and in color, so I print them outside of Family Tree Maker and they make nice chapter dividers for a Self-Printed book.

Again, when I do a book, it will have a focus and a story to tell. I am NOT a writer, I collect information and put that information into Family Tree Maker and let the program generate the book. Depending on the book I may or may not have Text Items (Chapters) included. Most will have Color Pictures as Chapter Dividers.

That is why I like the Book Feature of Family Tree Maker.

Hope that helps,

Russ

Permalink Reply by Pauline McNeil on May 5, 2010 at 9:11am

Hi Russ,

Now I've got a much clearer picture of how to go about this. You have lots more narrative information in your Person Notes that I have at the moment but I can see how you've managed to get all the elements to work together within the program.

I take your point about wanting better quality, colour pics to be printed outside of Family Tree Maker.

I would echo the point made by others elsewhere that it would be nice to have a notes section attached to places. Much of the additional info I have collected relates to places where there were multiple individuals and this really helps to put the history in context.

Thanks again,
Pauline

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 5, 2010 at 1:56pm

Pauline,

Glad it's a little clearer.

Please expand on "nice to have a notes section attached to places".

I think I understand what you are getting at, but my question how would you want to present that information?

Actually, the book that I have, online, does exactly that. Yes, it's the Genealogy of Charles Campbell Worthington, but there is a story about a Church, the one built by his parents; a chapter on the State Park, a story about Shawnee-In-The-Delaware.

What you are asking about, I think, is exactly why I put that book together. The Worthington State Park has two links to me. I how that was pretty clear in the book. 1) the Surname, of course, but 2) it's about 20 minutes from where I live. My goal was to find out more about the State Park and not CC Worthington. But, finding one very small piece of information, in a not so obvious place, I was able to make the connection back to the early 1600's. Information that I had already researched.

In another line, mine this time, but a book on a historical house, I did the same thing. I was asked to give a talk about the house. Couldn't do that, but I could talk about the people AND the history of the area and how the the people and history impacted the area by the folk that lived in that house.

All that to say, Have you thought about a Chapter on the history of the area to "tell' that piece of your history, or the history of the Place. Oh, and what about throwing in a Timeline Chart, with Historical Events for that person.

So, the possibilities are there, and for me, the Book feature gives that to me.

Now, how would (or did) I go about adding the historical piece of the book.

As I do my research, I might start some Word Documents and work on that outside of Family Tree Maker. Don't know if I will use it or not. In fact, one of the Chapters in that online book is an example. I had been working on that Chapter, keeping information about the Worthington Surname. Didn't know IF or when I might use it. But kept putting information, editing, reformatting the information for a couple of years. Then the idea for that book came to light. Basically after I had made the connection.

I know how the basic format of what I put in the book. But, I stop every once in a while, to make sure the focus of the book is on track.

When I had stopped, I remembered that I had that document on my computer, looked at it, and decided to include that document as a chapter in the book.

I have several documents like that, just waiting to be used, when or IF I choose to use them.

Again, it gets back to how to display your data.

Charts and Reports, as we know them today, probably don't have a good place to include Place Name "history". OR, the program might end up by displaying that historical information every time that this Place Name is listed in the Report or Chart. That would be worse then the way EndNotes are presented. For me, making the Place Name "history" as a chapter in a book.

Just a couple of random thoughts on your question.

Thank you,

Russ

Permalink Reply by Pauline McNeil on May 6, 2010 at 2:14pm

Hi Russ,

I was thinking about a 'Place Note' comparable to the 'Person Note' that would/could be linked to multiple people through the Place. Printing it in a report would be optional - in the same way as Person Notes or Fact Notes can be included or not from the current program.

I was thinking about snippets of information that relate to the place rather than a full narrative which, as you suggest, might be better outwith the program.

The following is an example of the sort of thing I mean:

Oldbury was part of the ancient parish of Halesowen, a detached part of Shropshire (surrounded by Worcestershire and Staffordshire) until Counties (Detached Parts) Act 1844, when it was incorporated back into Worcestershire after an absence of nine-hundred years. (Wikipedia).

As I expect you know, we have a problem in the UK with places that 'move' from one county to another or one registration district to another over time. Notes like the above are really helpful in keeping track of what's going on. It relates to the Place not the Person - at the moment I have it in the Person Notes for one of my ancestors in Oldbury - it would be REALLY tedious to copy and paste it into all the other people that relate to that place! (OK not the best example - there's only 5 people in Oldbury at the moment but I have several hundred in other places).

It would also be good to be able to add media to the 'Place Note' as we can with the Person Note - that would mean we could include photos of some of the places.
If, as you suggest, Family Tree Maker is the repository for all / most of the Family History information it would be useful to have the place snippets in the same program - at the moment I have to try and remember what I've got.

Just had a thought that I could add a 'memo' to the place saying I've got info elsewhere but that brings me back to the original problem!! It would help to have the opportunity to add notes to places!!

Thanks again for the discussion - there's nothing quite like bouncing ideas around to spark off new ones.
Best wishes,
Pauline

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 6, 2010 at 2:30pm

Pauline,

I do understand the issue and how it might be used.

Like the UK, the US has the same type of issue. For example, my ancestors came from the UK in about 1675 and landed in the state of Maryland. Preceding my ancestors there were many other former UK folk that settled in the area, bringing with them the type of judicial organization that they were familiar with. The biggest, that deals with this topic, is the "Parish" as an area surrounding an Anglican Church. (yup, in the USA). So, my ancestors came to St. Anne's Parish.

You won't find that designation in the Mapping Feature. However, the Mapping Feature in Family Tree Maker is very, very helpful to see how families had events in specific parts of the country.

Over time, St. Anne's Parish changed Counties several times and towns several times over the years.

Your example, on my example would take a book, OK a couple of pages and a fair amount of time to research.

Now, IF that Place Name Notes were implemented, and I am not saying it should not, but IF it were, with the option to print. I would have to have a number of Place Name Notes that were Date / Time sensitive. Meaning that IF an event took place between two dates, one Place Name Note would be presented. That Same Place may be used for an event between to different dates, then that first note might not apply, but another place name note would apply. Not sure that I would want a very long note, with parts of that note NOT applying to a specific event that happened within a specific time period.

All of this to say, that what you are asking for, can get very complicated.

To me, there are other Genealogy features / enhancement that might be considered for most of the users.

In the mean time, I am willing to create the Place Name History in a separate file and include that in a book, when appropriate, depending on the audience of the book.

Again, this is NOT to say that there is anything wrong with your feature.

Russ

Permalink Reply by Pauline McNeil on May 6, 2010 at 4:41pm

Russ - I see what you mean it could get very complicated but I was thinking more of a brief 'aide memoire'. Your idea sounds more like a place FACT.

Perhaps the last thought of just using it as a pointer to info elsewhere would work best.

The point is that at the moment we dont have any way of expanding the details on a place within Family Tree Maker. The description field, of necessity, is tied to a particular FACT and not to the place in general.

Anyway something to think about - as you say there are probably other things that are of higher priority.

Best wishes,
Pauline

Permalink Reply by Russ Worthington on May 6, 2010 at 6:46pm

Pauline,

I can only suggest that you make your Detailed Requirements known on this website: But, please be very specific of as to what you are asking for. That would include both Input and Output, including the fact that you would want options on when to display and HOW do display this information.

http://ftm.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ftm.cfg/php/enduser/ask_feedback.php

The development team has reported that they DO read these requests.

The thought about how and where to display the Place Name Notes, for me would be just before the EndNotes or at the end of the Genealogy Report Narrative if EndNotes (Source-Citations) are not displayed. In other words, Point to where you can find More about that location.

Don't want to mess with the Description Field and certainly not part of a Source-Citation. OR offering a new feature called a Foot Note. What would put the Place Name Notes on the Same page of the first appearance of the Place Name. That would give the reader a quick look at the Place Name Note, while on the page that the Place Appears the first time. I am not sure that I would want that Same Foot Note appear every time that Place appears in a report.

Just some more to think about.

Thanks for the discussion.

Russ