Discover Your Roots with Family Tree Maker: Beginner's Guide

Discover Your Roots with Family Tree Maker: Beginner's Guide

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. Starting a New Tree in Family Tree Maker 2.1 Opening the Program 2.2 Creating a New Tree 2.3 Entering Basic Information 2.4 Adding Birth Dates and Locations 2.5 Adding Parents' Names
3. Importing an Existing Tree 3.1 Importing from Earlier Versions of Family Tree Maker 3.2 Importing from a GEDCOM File 3.3 Importing from Personal Ancestral File 3.4 Importing from Legacy Family Tree 3.5 Importing from Ancestry 3.6 Importing from FamilySearch
4. Syncing Your Trees 4.1 Syncing Changes with Ancestry 4.2 Syncing Changes with FamilySearch
5. Managing Media and Citations 5.1 Downloading Citation Media from Ancestry 5.2 Deciding What Media to Download
6. Tips for Large Trees 6.1 Downloading Large Trees from Ancestry 6.2 Considerations for Processing Time
7. Conclusion

Creating and Managing Family Trees in Family Tree Maker

Introduction

Family Tree Maker is a powerful genealogy software that allows users to create and manage their family trees. Whether you're just starting out or have an existing tree in another location, this article will guide you through the process of building and managing your family tree using Family Tree Maker. From starting a new tree to importing existing ones, syncing with online platforms, and managing media and citations, we'll cover all the essential steps to help you navigate this software effectively.

Starting a New Tree in Family Tree Maker

1. Opening the Program

To begin using Family Tree Maker, you need to open the program. After launching the software, you'll be directed to the Plan menu, where you can start a new tree.

2. Creating a New Tree

Once you're in the Plan menu, you'll see an option to start a new tree. Click on it to begin building your family tree. A blank pedigree starting template will appear on the right-hand side.

3. Entering Basic Information

Start by entering the information of the first person in your family tree. This could be yourself or any other ancestor you wish to build the tree around. Family Tree Maker automatically adds the surname to the new tree name field and suggests a file location to save the tree on your hard drive.

4. Adding Birth Dates and Locations

Next, choose the sex of the person and enter their birth date. Family Tree Maker provides a date calculator tool for easy calculation. It's not necessary to add complete dates if you only have a birth year or a range of years. Enter the information you have and specify the birthplace location using the Resolve Place Name Tool.

5. Adding Parents' Names

Add the names of the person's parents by clicking on the pencil icon and filling in the necessary details. Although you can't add titles or alternative names at this stage, you can include suffixes and use special characters through the "Insert Simple" option.

Importing an Existing Tree

If you already have a family tree on Ancestry, FamilySearch, or another program, you can import it into Family Tree Maker to avoid starting from scratch. Family Tree Maker offers various options for importing existing trees.

1. Importing from Earlier Versions of Family Tree Maker

If you have a tree created in an earlier version of Family Tree Maker, you can import it directly into the program. Simply select the option to import an existing tree and follow the prompts to browse and import the file.

2. Importing from a GEDCOM File

GEDCOM is a file format that allows sharing family tree data between different programs. If you have your tree saved in a GEDCOM file, you can import it into Family Tree Maker by selecting the option to import from a GEDCOM file and choosing the file location.

3. Importing from Personal Ancestral File

Personal Ancestral File (PAF) was a popular genealogy software. If you have a tree in PAF format, you can import it into Family Tree Maker by selecting the corresponding option, browsing the file, and importing it.

4. Importing from Legacy Family Tree

Legacy Family Tree is another genealogy software. If you have a tree in this format, you can import it into Family Tree Maker by selecting the Legacy Family Tree option, giving the tree a new name, and importing it.

5. Importing from Ancestry

If your tree is on Ancestry, you can download it and import it into Family Tree Maker. Sign in to your Ancestry account, select the tree you want to import, and click on the download tree option. Family Tree Maker will import the tree, and you can choose to sync changes between the two platforms.

6. Importing from FamilySearch

FamilySearch is a popular genealogy platform, and if you have a tree there, you can grant permission to Family Tree Maker to access it. You can either select yourself or provide a personal ID number as the central person and choose the number of generations to import. Once imported, your FamilySearch tree won't be in sync with Family Tree Maker.

Syncing Your Trees

After importing or creating a new tree in Family Tree Maker, you have the option to sync it with online platforms like Ancestry or FamilySearch.

1. Syncing Changes with Ancestry

If you imported your tree from Ancestry or made changes in Family Tree Maker that you want to sync with your Ancestry tree, you can choose to sync changes manually or automatically. It's recommended to make changes in Family Tree Maker first and then sync them to Ancestry.

2. Syncing Changes with FamilySearch

While Family Tree Maker can read information from FamilySearch, it doesn't allow writing back to FamilySearch. So if you imported your tree from FamilySearch or want to access FamilySearch information, you can do so within Family Tree Maker, but you can't make changes that will be synced back to FamilySearch.

Managing Media and Citations

Family Tree Maker offers options to manage media and citations associated with your family tree.

1. Downloading Citation Media from Ancestry

When syncing with Ancestry, you can choose to download the citation media linked to the Ancestry sources. This includes images that are linked to the sources on Ancestry. Consider downloading this media if you have an active Ancestry subscription and need it for your research. Otherwise, leaving it on Ancestry can save storage space on your computer.

2. Deciding What Media to Download

Consider the pros and cons of downloading the citation media from Ancestry. While having the media can be beneficial, it can also occupy significant space on your computer and create digital clutter. Evaluate your storage capacity and personal preferences before deciding which media to download.

Tips for Large Trees

If your family tree is extensive, with over a thousand people, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.

1. Downloading Large Trees from Ancestry

When downloading a large tree from Ancestry, be prepared for the process to take a significant amount of time, possibly hours. Plan accordingly and consider running the download overnight or during non-researching hours to avoid disruptions.

2. Considerations for Processing Time

Large trees require more processing time, both during downloads and general usage. If processing time becomes a concern, prioritize the essential media and limit the number of synced changes to optimize performance.

Conclusion

Building and managing family trees in Family Tree Maker is an organized and efficient way to explore your genealogy. Whether you're starting a new tree from scratch or importing an existing one, Family Tree Maker offers user-friendly tools to create and maintain your family history. By syncing with platforms like Ancestry or FamilySearch, you can further enhance your research capabilities. Utilize the tips provided in this article to make the most out of Family Tree Maker and embark on an exciting journey into your family's past.

Highlights:

• Learn how to start a new tree in Family Tree Maker.
• Find out how to import existing trees from different platforms.
• Understand the process of syncing your trees with online platforms.
• Discover efficient ways to manage media and citations.
• Get tips for handling large trees effectively.

FAQ:

Q: Can I import a tree from Ancestry into Family Tree Maker? A: Yes, you can import a tree from Ancestry into Family Tree Maker by downloading it and using the import feature.

Q: How can I sync changes between Family Tree Maker and Ancestry? A: You can choose to sync changes manually or automatically between Family Tree Maker and Ancestry, allowing you to make updates in one platform and have them reflected in the other.

Q: What media should I download from Ancestry? A: It depends on your storage capacity and personal preferences. If you have an active Ancestry subscription and need the media for your research, you can download it. Otherwise, it's recommended to leave the media on Ancestry to save storage space.

Q: How long does it take to download a large tree from Ancestry? A: Downloading a large tree from Ancestry can take hours, so it's advisable to plan accordingly and set it to download overnight or during non-researching hours.

Q: Can I sync changes between Family Tree Maker and FamilySearch? A: While Family Tree Maker can read information from FamilySearch, it doesn't allow writing back to FamilySearch. So you can't sync changes made in Family Tree Maker with FamilySearch.

Q: What are some tips for managing large trees in Family Tree Maker? A: If you have a large tree, consider prioritizing essential media, limiting synced changes, and being patient during processing times to optimize performance.