Version 5.3.6 of the Mac genealogy software MacFamilyTree includes the ability to customize the toolbar. In this video, Customizing the Toolbar in Mac Genealogy Software MacFamilyTree, I walk you step-by-step through the new features and ways that the toolbar can be customized.
Archives for December 2008
MacFamilyTree Updated to Version 5.3.6
Hot on the heels of the version 5.3.5 release, Synium has released version 5.3.6 of its Mac genealogy software. Here’s what’s changed according to the publisher:
- Alignment in the Virtual Tree vastly improved
- Generation and rendering performance of the Virtual Tree improved
- Virtual Globe marks events out of date range
- MobileFamilyTree sync improved (MobileFamilyTree is an iPhone/iPod Touch client for MacFamilyTree available in the Apple AppStore)
- Toolbar in the main window is configurable now
- GEDCOM importer improved
- Various other minor fixes and improvements
I didn’t produce a update walkthrough video as I did for the previous release. I take my cues from you and I didn’t get any comments. I’m assuming it wasn’t helpful. If that’s a bad assumption let me know in a comment.
That said, I’m intrigued by the configurable toolbar addition, so I’m going to create a screencast for that feature.
Here’s a Quick Way to Improve the Person View in The Master Genealogist 7
There is an often overlooked part of The Master Genealogist’s person view called the Other Info box. By default it displays the following information about the focal person, in this order:
- Reference
- Number of Children
- Surname Soundex
- Number of Tags
- Person’s Age
- Date Last Edited
This is all helpful information, but there’s a problem. The box doesn’t display all of the information at once, so you must scroll the list. It would be better to have the information you most often need displayed at the top so that it’s available at a glance instead. I prefer having the last edit date and person’s age displayed at the top with the reference number. You can put them in whatever order you desire.
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Find and Replace Names with Accented Letters in Reunion 9
An often overlooked feature in Reunion 9 is find and replace. I think this is because we tend to use the Find button on the toolbar instead of using the Find | Anything menu item.
At the bottom of the Find menu is a item called Replace…. It enables you to find and replace all occurrences of one piece of text with another. The search text can be sensitive to lower and upper case. It can limit the changes to marked people. It can also apply the change to all fields, or all source fields, or limit it to one these selected fields:
- First and middle names
- Last names
- All names
- Addresses
- Places
- Memos
- Facts
- Notes
- Structured source fields
- Free form source fields
One example of a use for this feature is replacing names without properly accented letters with an appropriately accented name. In this video from the MacGenealogist Archives, Find and Replace Names with Accented Letters in Reunion 9 for Mac Genealogy Software, I’ll show you how to make such a change without having to visit each family card. Along the way I’ll show you how to insert accented characters when the need arises.
Improvement Ideas for Volume 2 of the MacGenealogist Video CD Set
I asked for feedback from the MacGenealogists who ordered the first CD. Many of those who had received them responded in comments on the article or in personal emails to me. Thank you all for your input. Some have yet to have a look at their CD, but offered to give me feedback when they do. Thank you all in advance. All the feedback has been helpful in identifying improvements for future volumes.
The most common improvement request was to make a CDs that are program specific (i.e. all Reunion 9 for Mac, or iFamily for Leopard, or MacFamilyTree) while also including generic topics like the finder and such. I’ll do this next time, so volume 2 will be focused on Reunion 9.
I’m considering putting larger versions of the videos on the CD. The size of the videos I publish to this site is 720 x 450. I’m thinking of putting 1080 x 676 (50% bigger) videos on the CD. This would make the detail in the video more prevalent. I’d love it if you’d share your thougts on the matter in a comment on this article.
I’d also like to hear from those of you who chose not to buy a copy. What would it take to make it valuable enough to you that you buy one? What kept you from ordering? I’m going to send a free copy of the volume 1 CD to someone who didn’t order, but leaves a comment about why. Make sure you’re registered on the site or fill out the email address field when you comment so that I can contact you if I choose you as the winner of the free CD.