Family Tree Maker Version 5.0 Review
--- Match/Merge is improved. You can do a global match and select the individuals to merge by displaying the report. You can also select the information to merge.
It seems like just a month or so ago when I purchased FTW 4.4 and now here is version 5.0. I suggest you read the review of version 4.4 before you read this. Version 5.0 does not include the innovations I had hoped to see - with one exception.
--- There are still those boxes to contend with. Version 5.0 does not include an option to print reports without boxes. This affects the Pedigree Charts, Descendancy Charts, Fan Charts, their new "Hourglass" Chart and the new "Timeline" Chart.
--- There is still only the family view and NO 5 generation view to allow you to "walk" your lines. The 5 generation view is one of the more useful ways of getting around in your genealogy.
--- The "Book" option allows you to design your books as to content - Title Page, Index, which views of your genealogy to include (such as family group sheets, pedigree charts, register reports etc.) There is no improvement over vers. 4.4 however.
--- Publishing to the Internet at the FTW site is the same. You do not have editing options prior to upload. FTW will assist you in designing a Home Page using templates but the genealogy you choose to place there, either kinship reports, register reports, or whatever you decide you want on the page, is designed by the program and uploaded for you.
So What Is New
--- The best thing that FTW has included in vers. 5.0 is unlimited event entries. You can also add events that are not in the very generous list of canned events. Unfortunately, if your individual has had more than one of such events as Occupation, Education etc. the program makes you choose which one to print on group sheets. If you choose the option to include "More About...." Facts on the register reports the facts are in order entered and not in chronological order. Also, only one of each type of fact (occupation etc.) will print on the report.
--- The statements used in compiling the Register Reports are still not editable.
---The Hourglass Chart allows you to show ancestors AND descendants of a given individual. These charts, like the Fan Charts, can be very large.
--- The Timeline Chart. Choosing this option will place your genealogy on a Timeline using boxes with just the name of the person. You can include a variety of historical facts either mixed in the chart or at the end. I generated one and was very disappointed with it. There is no option to print the Timeline as a text report. It generates a report like the fan charts - that is, very long and large.
NOTE: The opinions expressed in this Software Review are the author/user's own and in no way reflect on the opinions of the Genealogy Forum.
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