 RootsWeb Help
This page will serve as a
short tutorial on what you can do with the Family Tree file
on RootsWeb.
Search by Surname (Last
Name) (If
you're searching from RootsWeb)
Your only option to start with is to search for a
surname. Enter the last name of the individual you would
like more information on. Remember to use maiden names for
women. Living persons are only listed as "living" but you
can still search for that surname. Enter the surname in the
search box and click List (or click Advanced Search for more
options). You can also just click the letter of the last
name you are looking for.
(You can also search
directly from my eTrees page. Enter last name
or last name, first name then click List. You
will then be directed to the RootsWeb page and the rest of
these directions will apply)
Select Surname
After you search, select the surname you are looking for
by clicking it. You will then go to all persons with that
last name. This step will only apply if you only
searched for a last name.
Select Name
Now all persons with the surname you searched for will
be listed, along with some basic vital information. Click
the person you are looking for and more detailed information
will be brought up.
Other Options
On this page, all information I have on that person will
be listed, including parents and children as available. You
can click on any of those individuals to go their page.
Also, above the vital information is a series of options you
may choose, described below:
- Index. This will
return you back to the list of surnames you searched
for. You can select another person, or search for
another surname.
- Descendancy. This will
provide a list of all persons descended (his or her
children, their children, and so on) from the person you
chose.
- Register. Similar to
the Descendancy, but it will provide a report with all
persons vital information rather than a list. Printing
is a possible use.
- Pedigree. This will
show a family tree for the person you selected, showing
his or her parents, grandparents, and so forth as
available.
- Ahnentafel. Similar to
a Pedigree, it will provide a report of the ancestors of
a person, numbered in such a way that the starting
person is number 1, the father 2, mother 3, paternal
grandfather 4, paternal grandmother 5, maternal
grandfather 6 and so on. The same numbering is usually
used in pedigree charts, though pedigree charts are laid
out differently. Printing is a possible use.
Download
GEDCOM File
If you want our family tree viewable
on your home computer, you can download
the latest GEDCOM file.
TIP!
GEDCOM is a
specific file format that allows sharing
of family tree data between two
potentially dissimilar programs. All
vital information on each individual in
the database is collected and put in a
format the receiving computer may
understand. Remember to come back
every one in a while and download
another file if you wish to have the
most up-to-date information.
- Go
to My RootsWeb page (see above).
- Go
to any individual. In the link bar
there will be an option to "Download
GEDCOM." Click it.
- Click
the option to "Download full GEDCOM
as a ZIP file." Save it to your
documents. Do not click the
Download button at the bottom of the
page.
- Use
a Family Tree program (see below) to
read the file.
Family
Tree Programs
I currently use ancestry.com to work
on our file, so I no longer use a
computer program. If you are
looking for one, the last one I used was
Family Tree Maker (FTM) 16. I
liked it quite well and it was easy to
use. With all the internet
resources available, however, it was
more convenient for me to keep things
online. If you want to buy FTM 16,
you'll have to look to ebay; it's no
longer available in stores. FTM
2008/2009 has taken its place and I
didn't like it nearly as well.
Instructions for downloading file to a
computer program: Download the GEDCOM file
above first and save it to a location
you'll remember. Then download the FTM
software (skip this step if you already
have software). Open the software and
click File... Open. Change the "Files
of type" box to "GEDCOM (.GED)". Change
the "Look in" box to the location you
saved the GEDCOM file to. Open it. It
will then ask you to resave the file in
FTM format. Do so. Then you should be
able to view the file. |
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