Source based software - does my dream exist?

[JennysTree]

I'm new to this forum and just picking up my family tree research again after a long gap. I've dabbled with lots of trial versions of software but haven't found one that seems to do what I want in terms of recording sources - or rather in allowing my research & recording to be very much source based. This post is to ask if there is any software out there which does what I want!

As I find a new source I want to type out the info into a source template form - i.e. birth cert info into a pre-formed birth cert template - and then link the info in that form to the individuals in my tree. So, when I select a person from my family tree I get a "master" profile which has been automatically populated by information from all the source templates attached to it. If I select "Fred Bloggs" I want to be able to see at a glance which data in his profile comes from which source - and what sources I have yet to find for him. I also want to be able to see all the variants in the different sources, so if I click on his name I want to see that he appears as "Fred" "Frederick" "Bloggs" "Blogs" and "Blogges", or as having different occupations, or even different dates of birth, in different sources - and in which different sources.

If I discover that "Fred Bloggs's" birth cert and "Frederick Blogs's" census entry don't, after all, relate to the same person, I want to be able to unlink all of Frederick's sources from Fred's profile - thus instantly removing all the entries on Fred's profile which were automatically filled in from Frederick's source templates.

That's just for starters - and of course I'd also like it to display trees and do all the usual stuff that genealogy software does!

Custodian seems to come closest but from what I understand it doesn't have it all. I'm sure everything I want should be possible, and I've had a go at DIYing it with Microsoft Access but never having used Access before it's a bit of a mountain to climb!

So, does anyone know if my dream software exists?

Sorry for such a long post!

Jenny

[CanadianCousin]

Hi Jenny,

You may want to look at the most recent release of Legacy (Legacy 7.0) which came out in June. I think it has most/all of the features that you mentioned - while I'm not an expert, here's what I know:

The Deluxe version (which costs US$30 - about £16 - to download, US$10 more if you want the CD-ROM and printed User's Guide) includes a feature called SourceWriter, which is a template-based sourcing system. Although not included initially, they now have templates for UK-specific sources (e.g., 1841 - 1901 censuses, GRO and local RO certs) as well as for general sources (e.g., books, newspapers, directories, etc...).

Assigning the same source to multiple individuals can be done quite easily using the Source Clipboard; you can still customize source details (e.g., page references) for one or more individuals. There's an excerpt from one of their training videos which you can view for free (the excerpt, not the entire video) which shows how the Source Clipboard works (skip the Introduction and click on 'Source Clipboard'). The Master Source List lets you quickly see what individuals are linked to a particular source and then go in and edit their entry (e.g., removing or changing assigned sources) at a later date.

Charting (i.e., tree drawing) used to be considered one of Legacy's weak areas, but has been addressed quite well (IMO) in this latest release. There are lots of other features and capabilities, many of which have been carried over from earlier versions (I've found their reports to be particularly good).

I'm not affiliated with Legacy in any way, but I've used their software for several years now and been very satisfied (I started with the free Standard Version, which is quite capable in its own right). There are lots of features that I've never used (e.g., Web site creation), but it's nice to know they're there if/when I eventually need them.

Hope this helps -

Tim

[Mary Anne]

Jenny

I have just switched to The Master Genealogist after years using Family Tree Maker. FTM just was not doing what I needed in relation to sources or fact recording of the kind you describe. (I am not affiliated with either of these companies.)

You will hear that TMG is *difficult* and has a *steep learning curve*. Partly this comes form the immense flexibility you have in determining how you want to display your information, including sources.

I have been working with TMG now for around 4 months, and I still have a lot of work to do, tidying up my data and getting it to look the way I want it to, and learning how the program can help me do that. But I am very definitely happy to have moved to TMG, because I find it will do all of the things I want it to do, and more that I hadn't thought of, but would now like to do. I also find it helps me keep consistent.

The other thing I find really helpful is that there is a very active online user group mailing list that is peopled by many long-time users and also by the folks who created and improved the program. They are extremely helpful, and many of them have devised ways of doing things that are just what I want, so I can crib what they have done, without having to invent something new all by myself.

Another great thing about TMG is that it has editions that are slightly different for the US and the UK...and, like Legacy, it has pre-designed templates for GRO sources, local RO cert sources, UK locations, etc. .... now if only there was a Canadian one!

[Peter Goodey]

There's a danger of confusing two different things here.

Echoing what has already been said, Custodian is good for recording your transcriptions of the original source data. This software is a favourite for one-name studies.

The Master Genealogist is very strong on sources and is highly tailorable.

I think those two packages should suit you.

[v.wells]

My question is will either of these programs import a GEDCOM created from A* and identify exactly where there are errors? FTM only seems to note a few specific errors and does not identify all of them.

Another question: Will I be able to import the GEDCOM from either of these into Tribal Pages with all the data displayed?

[Mary Anne]

Vanessa

I don't know about Tribal Pages, but TMG does support GEDCOM.

If you mean by "identify errors" being able to compare two files and see where they differe, then choose which information you want to keep and which you don't want to. For example, if you were to merge imported information on a person that you got from another source into your own file on that person: yes, you can look at both files simultaneously before deciding which info to merge. Personally, I prefer to keep discrete copies of GEDCOMs I download or that people send me, and transfer the information *manually* into my own file, so I don't often do this. But you certainly can.

You can actually store transcriptions in your TMG as well, depending on how you want to use the various "citation detail" and "memo" functions the program has.

Mary Anne

[v.wells]

I had a look at Legacy yesterday so will have a look at TMG to see if there is a difference.

Mary Anne, I was put off last week by FTM after I finally started working with it and had a lot of difficulty identifying the errors it couldn't/wouldn't import. I had to change the report file extension, go into another program and add line numbering which didn't help much as the error didn't really show any identity. I have only had FTM on the pc in order to import/export GEDCOMS to Tribal pages. I now realize I need to do more.

[Mary Anne]

Vanessa

See, this is the thing with FTM. It can do a fair amount if you are a sort of *casual* genealogist. But as soon as you want any analysis, or detailed source citations or stuff like that, it breaks down, because it wasn't designed to do that.

If you're going to have a look at TMG seriously, you might want to *lurk* for a while on their user group mailing list and also look at the *tips* pages that one of the heavy users, Terry Reigel, has created. I'll pm you the details...

[v.wells]

And then again I might keep FTM

[Mary Anne]

Yup, and it certainly is a good program, still. I understand the new version (2009) has *solved* a lot of the issues people had with 2008. I still like the reports it is able to produce and the *find and replace* function!