Family Historian

[rbere]

I purchased the FTM platinum 2010 software with the 6mths free essentials and whilst I find it ok, some areas seem overcomplicated and also find having to have a separate photo folder a pain.

Thinking of buying the family historian would like your feedback on this software and what deals are out there. I understand it comes with 30 day trial subscription to worldvirtualrecords.com, not sure what that includes?

Regards

[Cloggie]

Why not download the free trial and give it a go? You can use it free for 30 days, and then purchase a licence if you decide you want to keep it.
Here's the link: http://www.family-historian.co.uk/

I can't comment on FTM 2010, but Family Historian 4 (FH4) did take quite some getting used to after FTM 2006.
I would say FH4 is the more versatile program, and add-ons like Gedcom Census are very useful, but the interface is less user-friendly than that of FTM 2006.
For example:
- when using Alt+Tab to toggle between windows, when you toggle back to FTH4, you have to use the mouse to reposition the cursor. With FTM 2006, the cursor stays where you left it. This does work in some of the smaller sub-windows in FH4 (like the date window), but not in the main window used to enter data.
- FH4 always opens with the "root person", whereas FTM 2006 opens with the last person viewed
- FH4 doesn't recognise dates entered as numbers - it will recognise 21 feb 2010, but not 21-2-2010, whereas FTM 2006 does.

I've searched the FH4 knowledge base but can't find any solutions to the above issues.
Although minor complaints, these are all things that make entering data a bit more tedious in FH4 than in FTM 2006.
Having said that, I soon got used to the somewhat clumsier user interface and now use FH4 as my main program. But it would be nice if it could be made more user friendly.

I've never heard of wordvirtualrecords. Do you mean: http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/ ?
Click on "record types" to browse what they have.

[jtaubman]

As a long time FH user (having moved from FTM 7), I am probably not in the best position to comment on a comparison. My main reasons for moving were it strength of the Auto-Source tool and the ability to handle images and do face selection and reports on complete photographs showing all the people in photographs details.

[rbere]

Why not download the free trial and give it a go? You can use it free for 30 days, and then purchase a licence if you decide you want to keep it.
Here's the link: http://www.family-historian.co.uk/

I can't comment on FTM 2010, but Family Historian 4 (FH4) did take quite some getting used to after FTM 2006.
I would say FH4 is the more versatile program, and add-ons like Gedcom Census are very useful, but the interface is less user-friendly than that of FTM 2006.
For example:
- when using Alt+Tab to toggle between windows, when you toggle back to FTH4, you have to use the mouse to reposition the cursor. With FTM 2006, the cursor stays where you left it. This does work in some of the smaller sub-windows in FH4 (like the date window), but not in the main window used to enter data.
- FH4 always opens with the "root person", whereas FTM 2006 opens with the last person viewed
- FH4 doesn't recognise dates entered as numbers - it will recognise 21 feb 2010, but not 21-2-2010, whereas FTM 2006 does.

I've searched the FH4 knowledge base but can't find any solutions to the above issues.
Although minor complaints, these are all things that make entering data a bit more tedious in FH4 than in FTM 2006.
Having said that, I soon got used to the somewhat clumsier user interface and now use FH4 as my main program. But it would be nice if it could be made more user friendly.

I've never heard of wordvirtualrecords. Do you mean: http://www.worldvitalrecords.com/ ?
Click on "record types" to browse what they have.

Thanks for your response before i purchased FTM2010 i did download the 30 day trial of FH , however decided that FTM2010 was a better deal with its 6mnth essentials included. The trial has run out now and in all fairness, should have explored its potential a little more than i did.

I did copy and paste the (wordvirtualrecords) from the site which were offering a 7 day free trial, i'm sure the link you gave was the correct one.There does seem a lot of record info there albeit US related with some UK records.

[rbere]

As a long time FH user (having moved from FTM 7), I am probably not in the best position to comment on a comparison. My main reasons for moving were it strength of the Auto-Source tool and the ability to handle images and do face selection and reports on complete photographs showing all the people in photographs details.

Thanks for your response if i remember the image handling and reports were better than my FTM2010, how does the auto-source tool work in FH? also if i'm not mixed up wiith another software isn't there a system of credits you can buy to download records if so how do they work?

[Anne in Carlisle]

I use FH and am now on v4. I have looked at others but am happy with all the things FH can do. You can use it in as simple or as complicated way as you wish.

One GREAT advantage of FH is the super user group http://www.fhug.org.uk/ which Jane modestly didn't mention (she is the mainstay of the group!). They have got me out a several problems caused by my computer ignorance and I hope I've offered one or two nuggets myself.

As far as I know (not far!) there are no special deals, vouchers or offers with FH. What you see is what you get. I chose it because it was excellent and not because it was cheaper or had 'giveaways'. I need stability and hope never to have to change family history programs again, having done it once from Ultimate Family Tree - *spit*. That was a nightmare experience!

Anne

[rbere]

I use FH and am now on v4. I have looked at others but am happy with all the things FH can do. You can use it in as simple or as complicated way as you wish.

One GREAT advantage of FH is the super user group http://www.fhug.org.uk/ which Jane modestly didn't mention (she is the mainstay of the group!). They have got me out a several problems caused by my computer ignorance and I hope I've offered one or two nuggets myself.

As far as I know (not far!) there are no special deals, vouchers or offers with FH. What you see is what you get. I chose it because it was excellent and not because it was cheaper or had 'giveaways'. I need stability and hope never to have to change family history programs again, having done it once from Ultimate Family Tree - *spit*. That was a nightmare experience!

Anne

Thanks for the link to the group/site will check it out, the offer i was referring to was the 30 day access click here


NB. Just joined the group;)

[wulliam]

I bought FH4 a few months ago. It's a bit daunting to start with - but I love it! It doesn't do everything I want it to - but it's far better than anything else I've ever seen IF you're willing to put the work in and learn how to use it properly. The support group is immensely helpful. I wouldn't change back to FTM6 which I had before.

[SiTodd]

Hi I'm new here, but old everywhere else.
I have been doing my family tree for almost 20 years and have finally taken the plunge to publish it in a printable book format.
I have a trusty copy of Family Tree Maker 2010. A supreme product that can handle pretty much anything I can throw at it... but I have a few gripes, prepare for gripeage

1. Publishing a media gallery for an individual does not allow you to select which images go on the page, or give you freedom to add any text comment.
2. Unlike earlier versions there is no chance to add text boxes on family tree charts, so you cannot add any comments there either.
When you try to publish an individual report you get a great header with full details and photo image of the individual. The trouble is all that detail is then repeated on the subsequent pages for that individual. You just don't get the control.
3. I would love to publish my own web pages for my tree, but of course, because Family Tree Maker is linked with Ancestry, it does not actually give that support, forcing you to sign up with ancestry at some extravagant rate. This is ok for the time you need to have access to the extensive records on ancestry (I have been using it for almost three years) but at some point I would like to branch out alone onto the web. I have had to resort to buying a diferent program...family historian in fact, that I'm am witing to arrive.
4. It has had problems publishing sourcing pages managing to transpose the word "marriage" so it appears one letter to a page. So I have had to remove the valuable source page from the book...

With family tree maker, there is a vague sense of you blending into some great hemogenous corporate tree, a depersonalised quality which seems to be the antiphesis of what genealogy is about. When you go on ancestry and look at the public trees available it is a minefield of misinformation, where many have plumped for someone that looks like a match with no concrete evidence, but because it is on the grand and glorious behemoth which is ancestry it could be taken as fact.
I could not have completed so much of my tree without this website, but there is a vague sense that this is not what our hobby is about....

Si Todd

[borobabs]

See GS are selling this at £34.45 is this a good deal looks like it to me ;;
also is this the latest version one please ??

http://www.genealogysupplies.com/index800.htm?product_display.php?prodid=5803&cat_no=8.ref

[rbere]

See GS are selling this at £34.45 is this a good deal looks like it to me ;;
also is this the latest version one please ??


http://www.genealogysupplies.com/ind...3&cat_no=8.ref

Thats the one i got latest version mine had a 30day access click here

[rbere]

Hi I'm new here, but old everywhere else.
I have been doing my family tree for almost 20 years and have finally taken the plunge to publish it in a printable book format.
I have a trusty copy of Family Tree Maker 2010. A supreme product that can handle pretty much anything I can throw at it... but I have a few gripes, prepare for gripeage

1. Publishing a media gallery for an individual does not allow you to select which images go on the page, or give you freedom to add any text comment.
2. Unlike earlier versions there is no chance to add text boxes on family tree charts, so you cannot add any comments there either.
When you try to publish an individual report you get a great header with full details and photo image of the individual. The trouble is all that detail is then repeated on the subsequent pages for that individual. You just don't get the control.
3. I would love to publish my own web pages for my tree, but of course, because Family Tree Maker is linked with Ancestry, it does not actually give that support, forcing you to sign up with ancestry at some extravagant rate. This is ok for the time you need to have access to the extensive records on ancestry (I have been using it for almost three years) but at some point I would like to branch out alone onto the web. I have had to resort to buying a diferent program...family historian in fact, that I'm am witing to arrive.
4. It has had problems publishing sourcing pages managing to transpose the word "marriage" so it appears one letter to a page. So I have had to remove the valuable source page from the book...

With family tree maker, there is a vague sense of you blending into some great hemogenous corporate tree, a depersonalised quality which seems to be the antiphesis of what genealogy is about. When you go on ancestry and look at the public trees available it is a minefield of misinformation, where many have plumped for someone that looks like a match with no concrete evidence, but because it is on the grand and glorious behemoth which is ancestry it could be taken as fact.
I could not have completed so much of my tree without this website, but there is a vague sense that this is not what our hobby is about....

Si Todd

Hi SiTodd
Welcome to the forum I personally can't answer your questions, It would be better to start a thread of your own as I'm sure there will be others that may be able to help you with your particular issue.

[Cloggie]

- FH4 doesn't recognise dates entered as numbers - it will recognise 21 feb 2010, but not 21-2-2010, whereas FTM 2006 does.

I've just discovered that it does recognise dates entered using a forward slash (21/2/2010), just not those entered with a hyphen (21-2-2010).
So that helps speed up data entry for dates at least.

But it would be nice if they made it possible to open FH4 to the last person viewed instead of the root person, and for the cursor to remain in place when using Alt+Tab to toggle back and forth between programs.

[Somerset Sal]

I tried several "free trial" family tree programs and went for Family Historian. I'm extremely pleased with it. It is a bit complicated if you want to manipulate your tree, or extract information from it, but it's not so difficult to get the hang of. I'm not sure whether you can do these things at all with the other programs.

The things I've love are that every time I look at an individual's records, FH tells me what relation they are to me. Extracting info is useful too: I needed to find out which relatives had any connection with the Clerkenwell district of London and I was able to build a simple query that produced exactly that information.

But we're all different and what is easy for one person is difficult for another. Have fun trying them all out!

[jtaubman]

Yes that's the latest one. Once installed, it will check for any updates automatically and tell you if there is one.

[rbere]

I tried several "free trial" family tree programs and went for Family Historian. I'm extremely pleased with it. It is a bit complicated if you want to manipulate your tree, or extract information from it, but it's not so difficult to get the hang of. I'm not sure whether you can do these things at all with the other programs.

The things I've love are that every time I look at an individual's records, FH tells me what relation they are to me. Extracting info is useful too: I needed to find out which relatives had any connection with the Clerkenwell district of London and I was able to build a simple query that produced exactly that information.

But we're all different and what is easy for one person is difficult for another. Have fun trying them all out!

I tend to agree with you, I like the way it displays the info too as opposed to FTM and as you say its personal choice, however, like a lot of software you usually find that one part of the software works better than the other and you end up using more than one software to get the best of both .

[borobabs]

Thats the one i got latest version mine had a 30day access click here

Roy can I ask what you mean by a 30 day access and who from S & N ???
getting it for mothers day from daughter ;;??

[rbere]

Roy can I ask what you mean by a 30 day access and who from S & N ???
getting it for mothers day from daughter ;;??

Ok the one i bought had a 7 day access .......click here

Each boxed copy includes Getting the Most From Family Historian 4 as an online book, plus 30 days access to over 1 billion records at WorldVitalRecords.com.

[rbere]

Ok the one i bought had a 7 day access .......click here

Each boxed copy includes Getting the Most From Family Historian 4 as an online book, plus 30 days access to over 1 billion records at WorldVitalRecords.com.

sorry got my undies wrapped over it wasn't 30days but 7days access

[Janet]

I Have FH 4 and think that it is great. I had Generations previously and got used to adding on certs as well as photos but this programme is even better, as there is a separate Media page showing you all your material and you can literally add anything to the media page, not just photos. I also like the way it condenses down your photos on the main ancestal pages so you have thumbnail shots of all. But you can enlarge as you want. I must admit I prefer to write dates 11 Feb 1887 rather than 11-2-87 or 11/2/87 mainly because the written way is English, rather than American and I know the "2" refers to Feb, instead of wondering whether I should have written 2 November, as the Americans write their dates differently to ours so writing the month means there are no mistakes.

I also like the idea of a root person and at first I had my father as the root person but decided the root person ought to be me, all the relationships to me are then shown, so the programme always defaults to me first. I am happy with this as it is quite simple to get to where I want and it may not necessarily be where I was yesterday.

The other point I like is the way each individual is named as my first cousin, second cousin twice removed, wife of second cousin and so on, especially as I have always had difficulty with deciding how I am related to a person. This is so easy. The charts are great and I can send person charts to people without sending whole trees.

I really am thrilled with this programme and hope it will have updates unlike Generations, so as I never have to purchase another programme!

Family History software is very personal but this is very easy to learn although I am still leraning lots about it.

One challenging bit not yet fathomed is three siblings on one side married three siblings from another family so one of them is down as husband of aunt but should be my uncle in his own right, as I am related on both sides of the family! I will have to ask in the forum about that conundrum as the software is having difficulty recognising this particular problem! It may not happen often but it does happen.

Janet