Fill-in, Save, and Email FGRs and Pedigree Charts

On the FHCNET Forum there has been some discussion of having charts that can be placed on a website, Facebook page, or blog. The idea is that relatives can download them, fill them in, save them, and email them to you so you can update information on their branch of the family. e.g. in preparation for a family reunion.
( http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FHCNET )

I created a Family Group Record and a Pedigree Chart in Excel97 format. This is as close to a universal file format as I could find. Any office software created since 1997 can normally read these files.

If these would be any help to you, you have my permission to use them as you see fit.
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/fillable_FGR.xls
https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20318248/fillable_pedigree_4_generations.xls

Here is a snip of the pedigree chart ...

Mac Genealogy Lesson

Mac Genealogy – Can Be the Best of Both Worlds

A good Mac genealogy software site: http://www.macgenealogy.org/Recently Updated Genealogy Software (as listed on the site above)

• Reunion 10.0.4 (Sep 2012)
• Family Tree Maker for Mac 2 21.2.5 (Sep 2012)
• ohmiGene 5.31.1 (Sep 2012)
• iFamily for Leopard 2.753 (Aug 2012)
• PAWriter Version 101 (Jul 6 2012)
• MacFamilyTree 6.2.14 (6 Jul 2012)
• Heredis for Mac 2.0 (Jun 2012)
• GEDitCOM II 1.7 Build 2 (14 March 2012)
• Family Bonds/Ties (German) (Jan 2012)
• GedScape (Jan 2012)
  

What are most popular? Probably Reunion and Family Tree Maker, where I live.

What will sync with new.familysearch.org and eventually familysearch.org/tree? At present the only choice is MacFamilyTree, although FamilyInsight will sync Family Tree Maker Mac with nFS/FT.

Is there free software? Yes!!! Personal Ancestry Writer II http://www.macgenealogy.org/paw2u/

Find the instructions and download link at http://www.lanopalera.net/Genealogy/AboutPAWriter.html

or at http://www.lanopalera.net click the link to PAWII on the left hand side of the page. The author describes it as what Mac PAF 2.3.1 might have become, if it had continued to be developed. (Mac PAF was Mac OS9-based software.) 

Macs and Windows

Macs can run Windows software, with help. e.g. BootCamp, Crossover, VMWare Fusion, Parallels

These will allow you to run Windows genealogy software in addition to Mac software, if you choose. 

FamilySearch Software?

Why is FamilySearch not developing Mac Software? Actually FamilySearch is moving away from developing software for any particular OS (operating system). Instead it is developing web sites that can be accessed from any computer that has an up-to-date browser. (Safari works fairly well, but Firefox or Chrome sometimes works better.) Being web-based means that the material can usually be accessed regardless whether you are using Mac OS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android, Unix, FreeBSD, BeOS or whatever OS you may prefer. 

Maintenance: Being web-based also means that we need to delete the temporary internet files frequently. And if a page fails to load correctly, make sure that the pop-up blocker is turned OFF. Then click the screen reload/refresh  icon to reload the page. On many computers pressing the F5 key will also refresh the page. 

[These are the notes I created for last week's class on Mac Genealogy. -  Bill Buchanan]