GenealogyTools

Genealogy Software Tutorials for Mac & PC

Mac Software

Citing a Marriage Event in Reunion for Mac

by 7 Comments

The marriage event is different from the events for individuals and even “generic” event for the couple in the Macintosh genealogy software, Reunion. Even though it is accessed and stored differently, it’s just as important to cite sources of your event information. Like other sources in Reunion, marriage event sources can include multimedia. This makes it easy to include images of source records when you have them.

Adding a Marriage Event Citation in Reunion for Mac, I show you how to add a citation to a marriage event. I include adding an image of the source record. This part trips some people up because they (quite reasonably) expect it to be connected with the multimedia window, but it isn’t; multimedia for sources is separate.

The Secret to Entering Census Events in Reunion 9 for Mac

by 15 Comments

Entering census events into Reunion 9 for Mac can be time consuming and error prone if you don’t use the copy and paste feature.

Census events often apply to multiple people in our genealogy databases. Fortunately, events and their associated source citations can be copied an pasted to other records within Reunion. This method of populating event data can be more efficient and result in fewer mistakes when used for event records that apply to more than one person, like censuses.

In this video, Copying Events in Macintosh Genealogy Software Reunion 9 for Mac, I show you, click-by-click, how to use this time saving and error preventing feature.

Little Known Way to Use Group Photos in Reunion 9

by 14 Comments

You’ve got some group photos of ancestors, right? Do you use Reunion 9 for Mac as your genealogy software? If so, I’ve got a tip you’ll love! You can quickly select a parts of a group photo to use as head shots for multiple ancestors without duplicating or changing the image file. Each person in the photo can appear to have their very own, individual photograph while the original file on your Macintosh remains unchanged.

This “magic” is possible thanks to two features in Reunion 9 for Mac. Firstly, Reunion doesn’t copy your image files into the family file when you add them to records; it leaves them alone, right where they were, creating a pointer (called a “link”) to that file. Secondly, it enables you to zoom in and out and or change what part of an image shows in the “picture window.” It saves this information along with the link to the file, so the image can appear different for any record you add it to.
[Read more…] about Little Known Way to Use Group Photos in Reunion 9

The Secret to Being Comfortable Using Imported Data in Reunion for Mac

by 3 Comments

One of the problems with importing data into a new family file in Reunion for Macintosh is that the customizations you’ve made to your family file aren’t present. Did you notice that or did it just feel weird, but you didn’t know why? Well, there’s a simple solution.

With Reunion you can create a copy of your family file with all the customizations that make it feel just so, but without the family records. It’s a process called cloning a family file. Once you have your cloned family file you can use it as a template to create files into which you import data, like GEDCOM files. You’ll be amazed how “right” it feels when you import a file and see it using your view and explore it using your custom chart and report layouts.
[Read more…] about The Secret to Being Comfortable Using Imported Data in Reunion for Mac

Going Backward to a Previous Field in Reunion

by 2 Comments

One of the many MacGenealogists who shared with me their genealogy problems (thank you all!) asked me a question, but didn’t leave an email address so that I could answer directly. I’ll answer here so that I can close the loop and perhaps enlighten others.

My most bothersome issue is, and I would love it if there is already an answer, how can I tab backwards through fields in Reunion. I.E. I tab once too many times while entering data, and need to go back. I interrupt my rhythm and have to pick up the mouse and click on a previous box.

There’s a standard key sequence on the Mac (as well as Linux and Windows for that matter) that moves the cursor backward between fields: shift-tab. Hold down your shift key while pressing the tab key. That will move you back through a series of fields that can be tabbed through, for example the Edit Person dialog in Reunion 9 for Mac.

Thanks again to those who answered my survey. I appreciate all the thought provoking problem descriptions and questions. They will help me develop new ways to help you do this work we all love so much. If you haven’t added your genealogy problems and or questions to the mix, there’s still time. Click here to take the extremely short survey.