• Identify the new filename.
• Determine the location for the file.
• Set options, including the date format for the file, whether to display a number after a name, whether to display surnames in all capital letters, and whether to set up and support some additional fields for the Latter-day Saints and FamilySearch family tree support.
• Choose whether to start a file from scratch or import data from another program.
2. Enter the new filename in the New File Name box, set any of the optional formatting items, and identify whether you’re starting a new file or importing an existing one; then click OK.
In our case, we’re starting a family tree for the Abell family, so we entered Abell as the filename. We set the date format and selected the option for starting a new file.
3. Click OK.
The database is created and the Pedigree view opens, as shown in Figure 1-4.
FIGURE 1-4: The Pedigree tab.
You can start entering information about yourself in the Pedigree page (presuming that you choose to start with yourself). Then you can add information for four additional generations.
Completing the Pedigree Page
Usually, it’s easiest to enter information about yourself, your spouse, and your children, and then work backward through your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. After you complete your direct lines back as far as you can, enter information about each of your siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins, and other relatives. Always enter as much information as you can in each of the fields in the Add Person dialog boxes. Follow these steps to fill in the Pedigree page:
1. Select the Click to Add a Person box in the Pedigree page.
The Add New Person dialog box appears, and then you can fill in details about yourself or an ancestor.
2. Complete the Add New Person box and click OK.
Type the first and middle names in the Given Name(s) field and the last name in the Surname field. Then complete the remaining fields to the extent that you know the biographical facts about that person. Remember to use your maiden name if you’re female – regardless of your marital status. Of course, we want to set a good example in this book when it comes to privacy for living relatives, so rather than typing information about one of us, we type in Matthew’s great-grandfather, William Henry Abell.
After you click OK, the Edit Person dialog box appears.
3. Complete the Edit Person dialog box and click Save.
You can add more facts about yourself or an ancestor by clicking these buttons in the Edit window – Notes, Sources, Media, and Address. You can also add or delete facts by clicking the appropriate button and then following the prompts in the Fact Types box that appears. After you finish adding the details, click Save.
4. Click Close.
After you’ve entered your first person, you can click the next person box you want to complete or click the Add People to the Database icon on the toolbar and enter information for people related to the individual, such as spouse, children, and parents. You can keep track of family units by clicking the Family tab. We add more people to RootsMagic and discuss how to source information in Chapter 2.
Creating the Virtual You
If you’re going to be researching using a variety of computers, you may prefer to use an online family tree rather than an application stored on one computer. Several companies have created online family tree applications, including Ancestry.com (http://trees.ancestry.com), My Heritage (www.myheritage.com), and Findmypast (https://www.findmypast.com/family-tree). To give you a taste of what online family trees can offer, we look here at one full-featured application at Ancestry.com. In this application, not only can you enter genealogical information, but you can also upload media files and integrate your data with the content found on the Ancestry.com subscription site through the Hints function.
To get started, try the following:
1. Point your web browser to http://trees.ancestry.com/.
The Ancestry.com online family tree page appears.
2. Near the top of the page, enter your first name and last name, select your gender, age and a person to search for (father or mother), and click Start Your Tree.
A new page appears labeled Father’s Information.
3. Type in as much information as you know and click on the Search for Records button.
The searchable information includes first and last name, birth year and place, and the names of his father and mother. You can choose to enter additional information by selecting grandparent information from the drop-down box. When you click the Search for Records button, a pop-up box appears asking you to provide your email address to register.
4. Enter your email address and click on the Save & View button.
The searchable information includes first and last name, birth year and place, and the names of his father and mother. The resulting page shows the search results for your father, as well as notifies you that your family tree has been saved and login information emailed to you. Certain items are marked with Preview buttons indicating that a subscription is required. Other items have a View button showing that it is free content.
5. Click Trees in the black menu bar.
The menu bar is located at the top of the page next to the Ancestry logo.
6. Click on the [Your Name] Family Tree.
The resulting page shows a three-generation ancestor view with you as the first person at the bottom; see Figure 1-5.
7. Add the name of a family member to the tree by clicking the Add Father link or the Add Mother link.
In the pop-over box that appears, enter the first and middle names, maiden (or last) name, gender, birth date, birthplace, and, if applicable, death date and death place. A pop-over box is similar to a dialog box except that you must complete its fields and click a button to make it disappear. When you begin to enter a location in the Birthplace field, a list of potential matching locations appears beneath the field. You can select from the list to enter the information more quickly. You can also use this list to standardize the location that makes searches easier in the Ancestry.com database.
8. Click Save.
The new individual now appears on the family tree. If there is information on the individual in the Ancestry.com database, a shaky leaf will appear.
9. Click the leaf symbol to see the hint. When you finish reading the hint, click the gray Return to Tree box.
