Tag: RootsMagic

RootsMagic Introduces Problem Alerts

Bruce Buzbee 42 Comments

As I teach RootsMagic classes or webinars, I’m surprised how often somebody will say “I didn’t know that feature was in there”.  One such “unknown” feature is RootsMagic’s problem list.  The existing problem list (found at Tools > Problem Search > Problem List) scans everyone in your file to try and find any potential data entry errors (people born before their parents, etc) for everyone in your file.

Since the problem checking is such an important feature, we are introducing Problem Alerts in our latest update (version 6.3.0.0).  With Problem Alerts, you no longer have to manually run the problem list to see possible data entry issues.

RootsMagic will problem check in the background and display an alert next to the name of any person with a potential problem.  This alert will show on the pedigree, family, and descendant views.

ProblemAlerts
Click to embiggen the image

Just click on the problem alert and RootsMagic will display a list of the potential problems for the person.

ProblemList
Click to embiggen the image

You can highlight any of the potential problems and edit the person or family, mark the potential problem as “not a problem”, add the problem to your To-Do list so you can work on it later, or print the list of potential problems for the person.

You can enable or disable Problem Alerts from the Tools > File Options screen. You can also select which types of problems you want the Problem Alerts to look for.

Here is a short video showing how this cool new feature works.

Remember, to use Problem Alerts, you’ll need to be using the latest version of RootsMagic 6 (6.3.0.0).  If you already own version 6, select Help > Check for Updates from the main menu.  If you are using an older version, you’ll need to upgrade to v6.

In our secret underground labs, we’ve already found the Problem Alerts to be very useful in helping us clean and maintain our genealogy data. We’re confident it will be just as useful for you too.

 

RootsMagic’s New “Who Was There” Report

Bruce Buzbee 24 Comments

RootsMagic 5.0.3 introduced the new “Who Was There” report, which can be as simple or as powerful as you want it to be.  At the most basic level it will print a list of people who may have been in a selected place at a selected time.  Just enter the place and date and RootsMagic will do the rest.  List people in a census, people who served in a war, or people who just happened to be living in a particular place at a particular time.

To access the “Who Was There” report, select Reports > Lists from the main menu.  It will be the last report in the Lists category (alphabetically).  Highlight the “Who Was There List” and click the “Create Report” button.  RootsMagic will display this screen.

Some Help with the 1940 Census

Let’s say you are interested in finding out who may have been in Iowa at the time of the 1940 Census.  You can simply type “Iowa” for the place, and enter “1940” for the date (you could also enter the actual “2 Apr 1940” date if you wanted).  Select any options you want and click “Generate Report”.

Tip: While the report will print in portrait mode, it looks a lot better printed landscape.  Click the “Layout” button and choose to print the report in Landscape.

RootsMagic will create a list of everyone in your file who may have been in Iowa in 1940 (you can click on the image above to see it larger).  Now of course you aren’t limited to typing in states.  You can enter countries, states, counties, or cities.  When entering a place that could be ambiguous, just make sure to enter enough of the place so that RootsMagic can figure out what place you mean.  In other words, don’t just enter “Springfield”, be a little more specific, like “Springfield, IL”.

The “Who Was There” report will list the name(s), birth and death dates, the person’s age on the date you selected, and any events in the person’s life which occurred in the place you entered.  You can also choose to print any alternate names for the person, as well as the most likely married name on that date for any females.

Other Uses For the “Who Was There” Report

While this report can be invaluable for finding people in a particular area during a census, it has a much wider range of usefulness.  Let’s say you wanted to find people under 30 who were in South Carolina during the US Civil War.  In the report options below, you would enter “South Carolina” as the place, and instead of entering a single date, you can enter a date range covering the time of the Civil War.  And finally you can set the minimum and maximum age to filter the results to those people under 30 (or between 18 and 35 or any other range).

The resulting list would look something like this.

RootsMagic also gives you a “People to include” filter which lets you use any criteria you want to further filter the list.  So if you only wanted males in your direct line, you can do that as well.

So while this is a very easy report to use (just fill in the date and place), it can also be a very powerful tool when used with the various options and filters.  And don’t forget that you can always press the “Reset” button on the report options screen if you ever want to go back to the default settings.

Coming to Arizona Next Week!

Michael Booth

With the holidays behind us, it’s time to get back to work.  And part of that is getting out there and meeting with our users face-to-face.  Since we’re surrounded by snow, ice, and fog, we might as well meet our users someplace warm, right?  So this coming week, we’ll be coming to sunny Arizona!

Thursday – Phoenix Family History Center

Our first stop is at the Phoenix Family History Center.  They have graciously offered to host Bruce Buzbee, author of RootsMagic, for a demonstration of RootsMagic 4, its features, and how it interfaces with new FamilySearch.  The demonstration is free to the public.

Friday – Saturday, Arizona Family History Expo

Mesa-2010-WebHeader

Come join us at the Arizona Family History Expo on January 22-23, 2010 at the Mesa Convention Center, 263 N. Center Street, Mesa, Arizona.   Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our over $1,000 worth of prizes!

Free Exhibit Hall!

Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to answer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products. The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world. The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

  • Friday, January 22: 9 am – 6 pm
  • Saturday, August 29: 9 am – 5:30 pm

Free RootsMagic Classes!

Come learn about the new features in RootsMagic 4 ( including our award-winning integration with New FamilySearch) in 2 free classes.  That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

  • What’s New in RootsMagic 4 – Friday 3:00 pm, Robson Room
  • New FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 9:30 am, Robson Room

We are also teaching a couple of other classes as well:

  • Mapping Your Family History with Family Atlas – Friday 4:30 pm, Robson Room
  • Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories – Saturday 2:30 pm, Robson Room

Free Exhibit Hall Mini-Classes!

We’re trying something different at this expo and teaching free RootsMagic mini-classes in the exhibit hall.  These mini-classes will be about 15 minutes long and will be held at our booth during the break between the regular classes.

  • Getting Started with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • New FamilySearch Overview – Friday 9:30 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Fun RootsMagic Tools – Friday 11:05 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Creating a Shareable CD – Friday 12:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Mapping and Geocoding in RootsMagic 4 – Friday 1:00 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Entering Evidence Explained Sources – Friday 2:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Reports, Reports, Reports – Friday 4:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Data Clean-Up in RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 9:10 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Creating Wall Charts in RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 10:35 am, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Running RootsMagic from a Flash Drive – Saturday 12:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Publishing a Book with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 12:30 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Using RootsMagic’s Research Tools – Saturday 2:05 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth
  • Creating a Custom Report – Saturday 3:35 pm, RootsMagic Exhibitor Booth

Fun Prizes!

And to help show off some of the great features in RootsMagic 4, we’re going to give away these great prizes in each of our free RootsMagic classes.

  1. Two 4GB flash drives pre-installed with RootsMagic 4.  That’s right, RootsMagic 4 will run directly off a flash drive.  And with the included RootsMagic To-Go program you can easily transfer your data back and forth between your desktop computer and your flash drive as well.
  2. Two $25 gift certificates from Generation Maps.  Generation Maps makes it easy to print those large wall charts you’ve created in RootsMagic 4.
  3. Plus a bunch of stuff just for fun: RootsMagic tote bags, badge holders, genealogy ties, and more!

Other Classes!

Over 100 other classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community.  Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

If you wish to attend the other classes, registration is just $75.00 for both days or $40.00 for a single day.  Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

Year in Review

Bruce Buzbee 12 Comments

RM-2009-Year-In-Review

Well, 2009 has been a busy year for us.  It’s gone by very quickly and we thought it would be fun to review all that has happened in the last 12 months.  If you’re not one to dwell on the past, check back tomorrow as we present our 2010 New Years’ Resolutions with a peek at our plans for the coming year.  But until then, “Sherman, set the Wayback Machine to 2009!”

RootsMagic 4

RootsMagic 4 Insider

The biggest event by far this year was the release of RootsMagic 4.  Over three years in the making, RootsMagic 4 was a complete rewrite from it’s predecessor, introduced many new and exciting features, and paved the way for incredible new features in the future.   After working insanely long hours for months on end, it was apparent that we weren’t going to make our original goal of releasing version 4 in late 2008.  After a community preview in January with 2,000 of our own users testing it, we did something we had never done before and invited the public to preview RootsMagic 4 before it was released.  With the terrific feedback and suggestions we received, we were able to officially release RootsMagic 4 on March 25, 2009.  Our users were thrilled with the new features, we were thrilled to get some sleep again, and our families were thrilled to have us back.

Growth

We feel very fortunate that in these days of economic uncertainty, not only have we been able to stay in business, but we’ve been able to grow as a company.  To keep up with this growth, we’ve hired additional sales and support staff.  We recognize that this growth is only possible because of your support and eagerness to tell your friends and family members about us.  Thank you!

We Get Around

In 2009, we traveled more miles, taught more classes, and attended more conferences than we ever have before.  In fact, there was one weekend where we were present at four different events in four different states at the same time!  Thank you to all the societies, user groups, family history centers, and companies that organized these events.  And thank you to all of you who came to see us!  By far, the most rewarding aspect of these events is the chance to meet our users face-to-face, answer your questions, and receive your suggestions.

Website Facelift

RMWebsite

After almost 7 years with the same basic design and layout, our website was starting to show its age.  We’ve been meaning to update it for several years now, but something has always gotten in the way (cough.. Version 4…cough).  We finally bit the bullet and did it and on November 18, our new website was launched.  It’s not perfect but it’s much better organized and, from what you’ve told us, easier to find what you’re looking for.

RootsMagic Essentials

RootsMagic Essentials

2009 brought another first for us.  Many of you have told us about friends or family members that would like to dip their toes in the world of genealogy but weren’t ready for software as comprehensive as RootsMagic.  In answer to these requests, on November 18, we released our first completely free genealogy software, “RootsMagic Essentials“.  RootsMagic Essentials contains many core features found in its namesake but at a much friendlier price- free.  Since then, thousands of people have downloaded RootsMagic Essentials and have started tracing their family tree.

Awards

We’ve been honored with several awards this year including:

RMFSAward

2009 FamilySearch Software Awards
Best Dashboard and Easiest to Sync

ThinkGenealogy Innovator Award

ThinkGenealogy Innovator Award
July 2009

GeneAward 2009

GeneAwards 2009
Best Genealogy Product of 2009
Most Improved Product of 2009

Thank You!

We know this sounds clichéd, but none of this would have been possible without you and your support.  2009 has been a big year for us and, rest assured, we’re working hard to make 2010 even better!

RootsMagic 4 Update Released (4.0.6.0)

Bruce Buzbee 29 Comments

We have just released a new update to RootsMagic 4 (version 4.0.6.0).  This update adds several new features, plus returns several reports (such as the blank forms) which didn’t make it from v3.

If you have the RootsMagic News screen come up when you start RootsMagic, it may have already notified you of this update.  If not, you can do “Help > Check for Updates” from the RootsMagic menu to download and install this update.

You can also download the update from http://www.rootsmagic.com/download.

Here are the new, fixed, and updated items in this update:

NEW

– Added blank reports (pedigree chart, group sheet, cemetery record log, correspondence log, research log)
– Added Print button to the Count Trees screen
– Added Print button to the Relationship Calculator screen
– Added option to display birth year in side list index
– Added option to display record number in side list index
– Marriage list report can now print marriage rec# with any sort order (as an option)
– Any events which don’t fit on a printed calendar print on an overflow page at the end of the calendar
– Double clicking a fact in RM Explorer now opens the edit screen to that fact in edit mode
– Added “Edit Family” button to problem list
– Added RootsMagic Launcher to manually start RM on flash drive since Vista now disables autorun on removable drives
– Installer will warn if you try to install on a removable drive (use RM to go instead)
– Added Oquirrh Mountain temple to LDS temple list

FIXED

– Direct line children in ancestor narrative now show spouse / marriage information
– Doing “Add multiple people” when sharing a fact now assigns a default role (which can be changed for each person)
– When deleting a shared fact, RM will warn you that it will delete the fact for everyone sharing it
– Named groups side list is now updated when you change color coding for a person
– Alternate names in family group sheets now reference the correct sources
– Family sources are now printed on group sheets
– Sources now print in group sheets for LDS facts
– Replacing a “submitted” ordinance with the actual ordinance in the NFS sync screen now clears “submitted” in the RM fact
– Unlinked non-image media items now show broken link in media gallery and media albums
– Fixed the format that latitude and longitude are exported to GEDCOM
– Lat/Long and Media for place details are transferred via GEDCOM
– Mapping screen (Tools > Mapping) remembers size and position
– Fact types turned off for individual summaries aren’t printed in the summaries anymore
– The title of a text page in publisher appears in the table of contents (instead of “Text page”)
– [Husband] and [Wife] fields now work properly in narrative report sentence templates
– :Age and :Role modifiers now work for [ThisPerson] in witness sentence templates
– Helper status bar now shows on File > FamilySearch > FamilySearch Import when in helper mode
– Living flag is cleared during FO import if person has a death-like fact or over 105 years old
– Publisher can print blank pages that appear at the very front of a publisher book
– Todo report doesn’t print false repository when todo item doesn’t have a repository
– RootsMagic on flash drive (To-Go) can find place database on computers w/o RM installed
– Deleting places and place details removes media links to those items

Come See Us in California, Arizona, Idaho and Indiana

Bruce Buzbee 5 Comments

This month finds us traveling around the country for conferences and presentations.  If you live in one of these areas, please stop by and say “hi”.

OCTOBER 16-17 – REDDING CALIFORNIA (CALIFORNIA FAMILY HISTORY EXPO)

We will be in Redding, California October 16-17, 2009 as major sponsors of the California Family History Expo.  Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our over $500 worth of prizes!  The exhibit hall and our RootsMagic classes are free, but there are other great classes you can register for as well.  For more information about the California Family History Expo, visit:

http://www.fhexpos.com/events/upcoming.php?event_id=52

OCTOBER 16-17 – MESA ARIZONA (MESA REGIONAL FAMILY HISTORY CENTER)

Michael Booth, VP of development for RootsMagic will be presenting two RootsMagic classes open to the public at the newly remodeled Training Center of the Mesa Regional FHC located at 464 E. 2nd Ave, in Mesa, AZ.  The first class will be Friday evening at 7:00 PM, and the second class will be at 10:00 AM Saturday morning.  Classes are free but you are asked to register by calling 480-964-1200.  For more information visit:

http://www.mesarfhc.org/new_books_publications_1.htm

OCTOBER 17 – REXBURG IDAHO (BYU IDAHO FAMILY HISTORY CONFERENCE)

This Family History Conference is sponsored by Brigham Young University – Idaho. The conference provides instruction on how to find information about your ancestors and other related topics.  Jason Mendenhall will present a class “Introduction to RootsMagic 4” which will cover the new features in version 4, including the New FamilySearch support.  More information is available at:

http://www.byui.edu/ce/familyhistory

OCTOBER 30-31 – FT. WAYNE INDIANA (INTL. BLACK GENEALOGY SUMMIT)

Then on October 30-31, 2009 we will be exhibiting at the International Black Genealogy Summit in Ft. Wayne, Indiana.  For more information visit:

http://www.blackgenealogysummit.com

RootsMagic 4 Book Available for Pre-Order

Bruce Buzbee 16 Comments

The book Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 4 is on a truck racing towards our warehouse.  This 336 page book written by Bruce Buzbee (that’s me) starts with the basics (creating a database, adding people, etc).  Subsequent chapters go into detail on more advanced aspects of RootsMagic 4.

We are now taking orders for the book which will begin shipping the day the books arrive (probably Wednesday August 26).  As always, the fastest way to order is online.  You can also order by phone starting Monday morning, but be prepared to leave a message and be called back since we could be getting a lot of phone calls those first few days.

The regular list price of the book will be $14.95, but we are going to offer it for the bundle price of $10 (plus s/h) for a limited time.

Click here to order your copy of Getting the Most Out of RootsMagic 4

Join RootsMagic at the Salt Lake Family History Expo

Michael Booth 7 Comments

SaltLake-2009-WebHeader

Come join us at the Salt Lake Family History Expo August 28-29, 2009 at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.  Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our over $1,000 worth of prizes!

Free Exhibit Hall!

Visit us at the RootsMagic booth in the Expo’s exhibit hall and experts will be on hand to answer questions about the RootsMagic software.  Don’t miss special conference discounts on various RootsMagic products. The Exhibit Hall also features family history vendors from across the world. The Exhibit Hall is free to the public and is open:

  • Friday, August 28: 9 am – 6 pm
  • Saturday, August 29: 9 am – 5:30 pm

Free RootsMagic Classes!

Come learn about the new features in RootsMagic 4 ( including our award-winning integration with New FamilySearch) in 3 free classes.  That’s right, these classes are FREE to anyone (but you do have to come pick up a ticket from our booth to attend).

  • New FamilySearch Made Easy with RootsMagic 4 – Friday 11:30 am
  • What’s New in RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 8:00 am
  • Sharing and Publishing Your Family History with RootsMagic 4 – Saturday 2:30pm

We are also teaching a couple of other classes as well:

  • Personal Historian: Bringing Life to Your Life Stories – Friday 3:00pm
  • Where in the World? GPS and the Genealogist – Saturday 11:00am

Fun Prizes!

And to help show off some of the great features in RootsMagic 4, we’re going to give away these great prizes in each of our free RootsMagic classes.

  1. Two 4GB flash drives pre-installed with RootsMagic 4.  That’s right, RootsMagic 4 will run directly off a flash drive.  And with the included RootsMagic To-Go program you can easily transfer your data back and forth between your desktop computer and your flash drive as well.
  2. Two copies of Evidence Explained (a $50 value each) to highlight the updated SourceWizard in RootsMagic 4.  It will automatically write your sources in Evidence Explained, Evidence!, Cite Your Sources, or other formats, as well as let you create your own custom formats.  And it’s easy to use!
  3. Two $25 gift certificates from Generation Maps.  Generation Maps makes it easy to print those large wall charts you’ve created in RootsMagic 4.
  4. Plus a bunch of stuff just for fun: RootsMagic tote bags, badge holders, genealogy ties, and more!

Other Classes!

Over 100 other classes will be presented by industry leaders and experts from the local and national genealogical community.  Products and services from genealogy companies will also be showcased in an exhibit hall where you can meet with specialists for free personal consultations on research questions or problems.

If you wish to attend the other classes, pre-registration is just $68.00 through August 24.  After August 24, you may register at the door. The cost at the door will be $78.00 for both days and $48.00 per day. Individuals who want to attend only one or two classes and visit the Exhibit Hall can register for single classes at $12.00 each.

Expo details and the class schedule are available online at: www.FHExpos.com.

Competitive Upgrade Discount Ends in 3 Weeks

Bruce Buzbee 7 Comments

$19.95 Price Ends August 31st

When we released RootsMagic 4, we offered a limited time “competitive upgrade” price to users of other genealogy programs to thank them for their help testing RM4 during our community preview.  That competitive upgrade price will expire on August 31st.

So if you are a user of Personal Ancestral File (PAF), Family Tree Maker, Legacy Family Tree, or The Master Genealogist, (or an other genealogy program for that matter) you can still buy RootsMagic for the upgrade price of $19.95 (that’s $10 off the regular price).  Or if you have a friend you have been trying to switch over to RootsMagic, there’s no better time than now.

To receive the competitive upgrade discount, visit:

http://www.rootsmagic.com/upgrade

RootsMagic Book Coming Soon

As a side note, the long awaited book for RootsMagic 4 is at the printer.  Keep watching this blog, or make sure you are subscribed to the RootsMagic News email newsletter to be notified as soon as it is available (sorry, we can’t take orders for it until it is ready to ship).

Free RootsMagic Classes, Cool Prizes, and Fun Buttons at BYU Conference

Bruce Buzbee 18 Comments

BYU Family History Conference 2009

Come see us at the BYU Family History Conference this week (Tuesday July 28th – Friday July 31st).  Visit our booth, attend our classes, or take away one of our $1,000 worth of prizes!  You don’t even have to be registered for the conference to attend the class or be eligible for the prizes.

Free RootsMagic Classes!

Come learn about the new features in RootsMagic 4 ( including our award-winning integration with New FamilySearch) in 3 free classes.  That’s right, these classes are FREE and don’t require registration for the conference.  So whether you are attending the conference, or have to work, these evening classes are open to everyone.

Each class starts at 5:15pm in room 2295 of the Harman Continuing Education building.  Classes will be held Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings at that time.

Fun Prizes!

And to help show off some of the great features in RootsMagic 4, we’re going to give away these great prizes in each of our classes.

  1. Two 4GB flash drives pre-installed with RootsMagic 4.  That’s right, RootsMagic 4 will run directly off a flash drive.  And with the included RootsMagic To-Go program you can easily transfer your data back and forth between your desktop computer and your flash drive as well.
  2. Two copies of Evidence Explained (a $50 value each) to highlight the updated SourceWizard in RootsMagic 4.  It will automatically write your sources in Evidence Explained, Evidence!, Cite Your Sources, or other formats, as well as let you create your own custom formats.  And it’s easy to use!
  3. Two $25 gift certificates from Generation Maps.  Generation Maps makes it easy to print those large wall charts you’ve created in RootsMagic 4.
  4. Plus a bunch of stuff just for fun: RootsMagic tote bags, badge holders, genealogy ties, and more!

And we’re giving away all these prizes during each class!

RM-NFS-ButtonFree Buttons!

And if you’re one of those users who has already experienced how easy RootsMagic 4 makes working with New FamilySearch, show your appreciation at the conference by sporting one of our free “I Love RootsMagic and FamilySearch” buttons.  Just stop by our booth and pick one up for yourself and a friend.