RootsMagic 4 Unwrapped – A Brief Note About Reports

Bruce Buzbee RootsMagic

After my last article on the new report engine in RootsMagic 4, I noticed we were getting a lot of questions and comments regarding individual reports, mainly whether we have enhanced or added a particular report.  Let me clarify a couple of things about RootsMagic 4 and reports.

As I have previously mentioned (and as you have seen from all the new features we have shown), RootsMagic 4 is a complete rewrite.  Many, many hours have gone into its design and development.  Beyond the enhancements in the report engine, it has also been in our plans to add new reports, and enhance existing reports.  While you will see some of these enhancements in version 4, there are many new unfinished reports and enhancements that we are having to temporarily remove in order to get this version out.  These new reports and options will be released in future updates.  We would be happy to put them in before version 4, if you are willing to wait another 6 months for us to release this new version 😉

33 thoughts to “RootsMagic 4 Unwrapped – A Brief Note About Reports”

  3. I would be willing to wait, not because I don’t need or want the enhancements, but because RM 3.2.6 works so well.

    Just release RM 4 when you are really satisfied, not because of a date commitment.

  4. Please, get RM4 out now.

    I hope you will include the WallChart feature in the first release. I have a “big” family reunion over Christmas, and need to order my charts by 12/10.

    Thank you.

  6. Even though “better reports” are my personal highest priority for RM improvements, I still vote without hesitation for early RM4 release with improvements to come later (including report improvements).

    I very much appreciate Bruce’s clarification about the status of report improvements.

  7. Back in August you started to tell us about web pages, but with no screen shots. And I thought you intended to say more later??? Is there more, hopefully.

  8. Bruce,

    Have you made any changes to the “Timeline List” feature? I would like to use this more, but it never prints correctly. And color would be nice. 🙂

    I’m very excited about RM4. I’m already recommending it to my friends who use other programs.

  10. Just don’t make the mistake the competition did with a slow product. It did not even have all of the reports that were in the previous version. A recent comment talked of an overnight import of a Gedcom somewhere about 17,000 names.

  11. Will the Narative Report on the descendants of a person be able to print details of children brought into a marriage from a spouse who is not a descendant of that person?
    In the 21st century, I think this would be an important feature.

    Also, the end of the year is fast approaching, when can we expect to be able to buy RM 4 ?

  12. I’d agree with the majority view here – get RM4 out as soon as poss and add extra reports later.

    There’s so much more to RM4 to us busy than a couple of new report formats that I can wait for them.

    Personally I’d like an ancestor fan report, but hey, I’ve managed without one till now so I’ll wait. But all the other good stuff Bruce mentions – I want it now.

    I know what’s going to be on my Christmas list…

  14. Release today and blog on the future updates.
    With what we have seen so far it is much stronger than anything out on the market and you have given us an ability to wait for updates since the blog started. 🙂

  16. I agree that the current version works very well. The current web reports are lacking and if we have to wait till next year for the new web and other reports to be finished we could live with that.
    Dont rush out a new version if the new reports are not finished. That’s what all the others do and RM is above that.

  18. It seems that RM is all but ready for release all but a few new reports and enhancements to some existing reports, so I see no point in delaying the release. All existing users will know how orthcoming Bruce is in releasing updates as and when they become available.

    I echo the concerns about the speed and ease of operation especially since RM4 is a complete re-write, we will just have to hope this has been an area of focus during development.

    It is also without doubt that once RM4 is released with all the new features that it will be followed with a number of wishes. This will not imply it is lacking in any way but just opening up the think tank on the new fatures and how they could be improved, that’s called evolution.

    I believe that is where we need to be now, we have heard so much about the new features and I think it’s time we got our hands on them and started working towards 4.1, 4.2 and 5.0.

    I also leave it completely up to Bruce to decide on the release, I would not want a release of a program which was not ready and tested.

    Once it comes it will be worth waiting for.

  19. Having spent almost 30 years in the software industry, I can empathize with your complete rewrite. From the report comments, it is clear that people have come to know and use existing reports. Though they can wait for new reports, hopefully the old ones function at least as well as the RM3 reports do. What a decision – to keep reports in RM4 or make a new report product. Not an easy one to wrestle with.

    I’m sure we will be extremely pleased with your design decisions.You’ve not let us down in the past!

  20. Hi Bruce,

    Please release RM4 now – we can wait for enhanced reports.

    I think the fact that you’ve got the support of the genealogical community is that you are explaining clearly what’s new…and what will come.

    Hyping up a new rewrite, issuing an unstable product too early, not listening to users’ views and not keeping purchasers properly informed of future planned/necessary updates is how a large competitor lost the trust of its users.

    You have always provided free updates and tweaks. If this blog is maintained after release, and real dialogue sustained, I think most of the RM4 community would happily wait for future enhancements.

    After all your teasing and tempting, you wouldn’t make us wait much longer…would you?!

    As usual, thanks for your continuing hard work.

  21. I vote with the majority — I want my RM4 NOW!! I can wait for the report improvements as future updates.

  22. Type your comment here.

    I’ll wait until you feel it is ready for us.

    I know I’ll have a lot of clean up work on my Sources. When I started I did them wrong. Also lots of other things.
    I’ve found My Grandmother-in-law + 7 generations. and My brother-in-law + 6 generations.
    After showing the Family the information they are ready to get started.
    From what I saw on the cruise and your blogs I know it will be easy for them to work with.

    I’m trying to get everything on my to do list done so I’ll be able to play with RM 4 when you do get it out.

    Thanks for all your & your Staff’s Hard Work.

  23. I think that too many of you are much too selfish and inconsiderate! Poor Bruce and his assistances have been working unhealthy and excessive hours just to please us. It’s time we gave them a break, one well deserved one I might add. A month or two sabbatical I think is well in order! Well I might represent the minority but my wish is to wait until all contemplated enhancements are completed and tested.
    It’s been wonderful for me and I have a whole new purpose in life. Every night when I retire I look forward to the early morning so that I can run downstairs and check on those hopefully newly arrived RM blogs. My wife says she hasn’t seen in me for nearly a decade this much excitement, enthusiasm and joy in me. She even mentioned that she detected a a new gleam in my eye and a new little spring in my step! Now just try and convince me why I would want things different!
    P.S. Wishing all the very best for the Holiday season unless I don’t receive RM by Christmas! (heh heh)

  25. Bruce, you and I have known each other since Family Origins was a DOS program. I am quite content to let you release your best effort and either provide the updates and additional reports as minor upgrades to v. 4, or to allow them to be part and parcel of an early release of v.5

    However, for me, for now, I really want to get my hands on Version 4

  26. Started with DOS Family Origins then to Family Tree Maker and various other programs during the hiatus.

    Was sooooo happy to find RM3. Use it with Vista with no aparent problems

    One area I would to see improved over RM3 is the addition of more reports and wall chart capabilities. So, my vote is to wait for the reports then publish RM4. One of my pet peave with one competetor was the constant upgrades they made available at every turn, it reaks planned obsolecenced (sp).

    Keep up the good work of providing the best software available for the money, a proven good business aproach.

  27. Hey can someone point me to a RootsMagic family tree posted on a website. That is our next trick and I wanted to see how the experts do it!
    thanks Phillip

  31. I really hope version 4 will be completely compatable with Vista and also allow us to restore backups that were created in XP. Presently, backups moved from XP to Vista cause lots of Multimedia problems becuase of different file systems.

    Thanks and keep up the good work. Still the best genealogy software available.

  32. Anonymous, RM4 will be a native Windows program, so it won’t run directly on a Mac. But if you have Fusion, Parallels, or any of the other Windows emulators on your Mac, RM4 will run under them.

  33. I have downloaded the trial of RM4 and find the new features enhance an already excellent program. However I would like to be able to produce a ‘family report’ that can include a mother + illegitimate child by father ‘unknown’ + a step father and further half siblings born later. This family were from the 19 Century but blended together well living happily as a family. I want to reproduce them as a whole family on the same page.

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