You can use the table below to compare the features and capabilities of the
following products:
While the information given below is correct to the best of our knowledge and
belief, we cannot take responsibility for any inaccuracies. Please check with
the publishers of the individual products to verify. Also bear in mind that
different versions may have different capabilities. If you find any errors,
please notify us by emailing webmaster@family-historian.co.uk.
Features relating to sources and source citations occur under various categories
(e.g. Data Entry Features, Pictures and Multimedia, etc).
| |
Family Historian 3
|
Roots Magic 3.0.3
|
Family Tree Maker 2006
|
|
GEDCOM Support
GEDCOM is the global standard format for shared genealogical data. It
was deliberately designed so that genealogy programs could easily support
as much or as little of it as they wanted to. If a GEDCOM file contains
data of a kind that a genealogy program does not support, the program
can ignore it and just load the parts it does support. This means, however,
that to say that a genealogy program supports GEDCOM is to say very little.
It does not tell you how much of the GEDCOM standard the program supports.
Calico Pie's GEDCOM Coverage
Test was designed to test the extent to which different applications
actually support the standard, and to find out whether they will warn
you if the file contains data that they cannot load and have ignored.
|
| Coverage (as calculated using Calico Pie's GEDCOM
Coverage Test) |
100%
|
22.5%
|
4.5%
|
|
Main Genealogy record types supported out of 6 (see Calico Pie's GEDCOM
Coverage Test)
|
6
|
4
|
4
|
| All GEDCOM record types supported |
|
|
|
| Warns of data that, for whatever reason, cannot be loaded |
|
|
 (in test
warned of fewer than 1% of fields that it could not load) |
| |
|
|
|
| Chart/Diagram Types Supported |
| Ancestor |
|
|
|
| Descendant |
|
|
|
| Hourglass |
|
|
|
| All Relatives |
|
|
|
| Everyone/All-in-One |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Diagram Integration
Use of diagrams for browsing, exploring, navigating, click-and-drag
data entry, editing, etc. |
| Diagrams are integrated into main application |
|
|
|
| Expand tree branch to one level (branch expansion buttons) |
|
|
|
| Expand tree branch to full depth |
|
|
|
| Close tree branch (branch expansion buttons) |
|
|
|
| Access full record details from within diagram (e.g. by double-clicking
on box) |
|
|
Basic record details only. No relationships.
|
| Diagrams dynamically update to reflect changes made to the
underlying data |
|
|
 (but only
basic edits are possible within a diagram - no record additions or deletions
or changes of relationship). |
| Click-and-drag to add parents |
|
|
|
| Click-and-drag to add spouses |
|
|
|
| Click-and-drag to add children |
|
|
|
| Set automatic source citations when adding/editing
data using diagrams |
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| Re-order spouses by moving boxes in diagram |
|
|
|
| Re-order siblings by moving boxes in diagram |
|
|
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| Delete records from within diagram (with rigorous checks to
ensure that it can't be done accidentally) |
|
|
|
| Use diagram to select records for other purposes (e.g. to
open more diagrams) |
|
|
|
| Work with multiple diagrams simultaneously |
|
|
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| Toolbar buttons to access standard diagrams in one click |
|
|
2 clicks
|
| Change most diagram options 'on-the-fly' |
|
|
|
| |
|
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'Wall Chart' Features
Wall Chart features are features that are especially useful for producing
chart output - e.g. for displaying on a wall, or for sending to others. |
| Standard orientations (top-down, left-to-right,
bottom-up, right-to-left) |
|
|
All charts have 1 orientation only (vertical), except
Ancestor which has 2 orientations (vertical and left-to-right)
|
| Fan charts |
|
|
(3) |
| Scale charts to any size |
|
|
|
| Multi-tree charts (i.e. additional trees can be
inserted into existing charts) |
|
Only by copying and pasting all boxes in a tree from
one chart to another
|
|
| Automatic linking of duplicate boxes across multiple trees |
|
|
|
| Number of data items in boxes |
Unlimited
|
8
|
Unlimited
|
| Set font, size, colour and alignment for each data item separately |
|
|
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| Set indentation (3-levels) separately for each data item |
|
|
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| Set vertical gaps between data items |
|
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| Set conditions for data items (e.g. based on box type, gender,
record flag, etc). |
|
|
|
| Show all/any instances of data items as required (e.g. all
occupations) |
|
|
Limited
|
| Show notes (record notes and/or fact notes) in diagram boxes |
|
|
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| Show all names/events/attributes/notes etc for each person |
|
|
|
| Create and save complex Text Schemes (specifying box contents)
for re-use |
|
|
|
| Export Text Schemes and Import Text Schemes created by others |
|
|
|
| Include pictures within boxes |
|
(primary
only) |
|
| Hide/show boxes |
|
|
|
| Show/Unhide hidden boxes |
|
|
|
| Link duplicate individuals |
|
|
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| Link duplicate families |
|
|
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| Suppress duplicated branches |
|
(box chart
reports only) |
|
| Auto-size boxes |
|
|
|
| Manually size boxes |
|
|
|
| Re-enable Auto-size after manually resizing |
|
|
|
| Move boxes and branches |
|
|
In one Ancestor & one Descendant diagram only
|
| Move trees |
|
By selecting and moving all boxes in a tree only
|
Limited support in 2 diagrams only
|
| Position diagram on page |
|
"
|
"
|
| Scale diagram to fit required size (e.g. one page) |
|
|
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| Move boxes and branches relative to a 'fixed point' |
|
|
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| Smart Trees automatically adjust to accommodate moved boxes/branches |
|
|
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| Spouse Display Options: spouses in own boxes |
|
|
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| Spouse Display Options: one box per marriage |
|
|
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| Spouse Display Options: no spouse info |
|
|
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| Layout options for spouse boxes |
(3) |
|
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| Change displayed order of spouses and siblings |
|
|
|
| Insert text boxes |
|
|
Limited (no control over font, size, frame, background
or text colour)
|
| Insert pictures |
|
|
|
| Insert lines |
|
|
|
| Insert rectangles |
|
|
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| Standard box features (box shapes, colours, line types, shadows,
etc) |
|
|
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| Specify standard box features depending on generation |
|
|
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| Specify standard box features depending on gender |
|
|
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| Specify standard box features depending on record flags |
|
|
|
| Specify standard box features depending on box type |
|
|
|
| Specify standard box features depending on any combination
of generation/gender/flags/box type (you set priorities) |
|
|
|
| Display icons with boxes boxes based on any of the above conditions
(an 'icon' is a little picture displaying below a box to show something
about that box, just as a shower icon in a bed-and-breakfast catalogue might
show that a room has an en suite shower) |
|
|
|
| Maximum number of icons per box |
Unlimited
|
n/a
|
n/a
|
| User can create and use own custom icons |
|
|
|
| Control front-to-back ordering of diagram elements |
|
|
|
| Show page boundaries |
|
|
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| Force boxes to avoid page boundaries |
|
|
Limited
|
| Save chart to file |
|
|
|
| Save chart in picture formats |
(9 formats) |
(6 formats) |
|
| |
|
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Data Entry Features
See also data entry and editing features in the Diagram Integration
section above. Also see Events and Attributes features below.
|
| Auto-complete fields |
|
|
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| Automatic source citations |
|
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| Copy and paste sets of facts (events and attributes) |
|
|
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| Copy and paste source citations |
|
|
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| Copy and paste any field |
|
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| Validate data on entry |
|
|
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| View master place list & fix place name errors throughout
file |
|
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| Ditto for occupations, religions, group/castes, origins |
|
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| See at a glance all data you have any individual or
family |
|
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| Hide rarely-used events and attributes in selection lists |
|
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| Record place details for any fact |
|
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| Record note for any fact |
|
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| Dates can be entered as 'range', 'before', or 'after' |
|
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| Dates can be entered as periods ('from... to...') |
|
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| Dates can be approximate |
|
|
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| Dates can be quarter dates |
|
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| Dates can be text (e.g. "one week after his wife died") |
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| Dates can be 'double dates' (for crossover to Gregorian calendar) |
|
|
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| Date entry assistant dialog to help enter dates in supported
formats |
|
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| |
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Named Lists & Record Flags
Named lists are a general purpose tool that have a wide variety of
uses. They can be used as to-do lists, bookmark lists, work-in-progress
lists, delete-pending lists - or just as a convenient way of grouping
together people whose records you are now working on. Record flags are
another kind of general tool. They can be used for marking records for
whatever purpose. For example, in Family Historian, a diagram might display
records with particular flags in distinctive colours or with special icons.
Or again, when creating reports and websites, record flags can be used
to mark Individuals as 'Private' - i.e. not to be mentioned in the website
or report.
|
| Built-in record flags for Individual records |
2 (Private & Living)
|
1 (Private)
|
0
|
| Create your own record flags |
|
|
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| Create named lists of Individuals |
|
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| Create named lists of records of any type |
|
|
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| Add notes to named lists |
|
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| Add notes to items (records) in named lists |
|
|
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| Configure display columns for named lists on a per-list basis |
|
|
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| Set record flags based on named list membership |
|
|
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| Set named list membership from flags |
|
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| Print named list reports |
|
|
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| |
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|
|
Queries
Queries are another kind of general purpose tool. They are stored
sets of instructions for retrieving and displaying data. A query allows
you to do things like finding out the age at death of all your ancestors
who were born in Ireland, say. They can be used for any number of purposes
- e.g. to produce a report, to locate data for further analysis in another
program, to define a way of 'splitting' a family tree file, or to mark
boxes in a diagram (e.g. mark everyone in this diagram who died of a heartattack
under the age of 65).
|
| Standard queries included |
34
|
No queries as such, but 20 of what R.M. calls 'lists'
that provide similar data
|
No queries as such, but 10 reports that provide similar
data
|
| Output data to a spreadsheet-like window with cells |
|
|
|
| Create custom queries |
|
|
|
| Select any field for output in a query |
|
|
|
| Select any field for inclusion in filering criteria within
a query |
|
|
|
| Use query to mark boxes in diagrams |
|
|
|
| Use query to split a family tree data file/database |
|
|
|
| Use query to select pictures for viewing |
|
|
|
| Copy query output to clipboard for easy transfer to other
programs |
|
|
|
| Save query output to a file (in text or .CSV format) |
|
|
|
| Output query as report |
|
|
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| Use query to select records for deletion |
|
|
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| Use query to select fields for deletion |
|
|
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| Import queries created by others |
|
|
|
| Export queries for others to use |
|
|
|
| Download queries from website |
|
|
|
| Use a query to set record flags |
|
|
|
| Use a query to set named list membership |
|
|
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| Test record flags in a query |
|
|
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| Test named list membership in a query |
|
|
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| |
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|
Merge/Compare
File compare/merge is when you compare an entire file with the current
file, and optionally merge the whole thing into the current file in a
single operation. Typically, matching records are merged and unmatched
records are appended as new records - though ideally you should have full
control over this (as you do in Family Historian). Record compare/merge
is when you compare and/or merge 2 records within a file. Branch compare/merge
is when you compare an entire set of duplicated records, and optionally
merge all matching records in one go.
|
| File Compare |
|
|
|
| File Merge |
|
(The nearest equivalent is that you can append all records from one file
into the other and then get Roots Magic to search for duplicates in the
resulting file and automatically merge the ones it finds). |
|
| See before doing a file merge exactly (down to the field level)
what the outcome will be |
|
|
You can't see exactly what the outcome will be, but there is a report
which provides a lot of information about it. |
| Override any aspect of a file merge before starting
it |
|
|
|
Branch Compare
|
|
|
|
| Branch Merge |
|
|
|
| Record Compare |
|
|
|
| Record Merge |
|
|
|
| Record comparisons (within File/Branch/Record Compare) show
all fields in each record |
|
|
|
| Record comparisons show which fields match and which don't |
|
|
|
| Control not just which records are merged but which fields |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Website Creation
This is a tricky one for comparison purposes, because the kind of
Website Creation features offered by Family Historian and Roots Magic
on the one hand, are very different from those offered by Family Tree
Maker on the other. With Family Tree Maker you are not so much creating
a website of your own, as being allowed to upload your data to the publisher's
website - on the condition that you effectively donate your data to the
publisher's data archive, and sign up to a complex, legally-binding agreement.
|
| Create Website to be uploaded where you wish |
|
|
|
| Create Website without having to donate your data to
an online data archive |
|
|
|
Create Website without having given anyone rights in
perpetuity over your data
|
|
|
|
Create Website without having to sign up to a lengthy
legal agreement
|
|
|
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Create Website without having to indemnify anyone against
possible claims/losses arising from your data
|
|
|
|
Create website that you can view prior to uploading
|
|
|
|
Degree of control over data content and layout
in pages for selected individuals
|
Very extensive. You have a choice of 13 reports to use
as templates for each page, and can set extensive, detailed options on
whichever ones you use.
|
Choice of 6 website 'types' only. No ability to configure
content options within each page.
|
You can choose a background and a 'style' only. No control
over the information presented about selected individual or its layout
|
Max. number of selected individuals
|
Unlimited
|
Unlimited
|
2,000
|
Max. additional reports you can add to be accessed directly
from home page?
|
Unlimited
|
None
|
5
|
Can use custom reports as templates for default web pages
for individuals?
|
|
|
|
Can specify a website title to appear at top of each page?
|
|
|
|
Can specify a website logo to appear at top of each page?
|
|
|
|
Index Page
|
|
|
|
Separate Index Page for Surnames Only
|
(but surnames
are 'picked out' within the main index making them easy to view and find) |
|
|
Contact Details
|
(on contact
page) |
(on home
page) |
(on home
page) |
Statistics Page
|
|
|
|
Exclude all references to individuals flagged as 'Private'
|
|
Not exactly, but you can opt to have the names of people
flagged as 'Living' replaced with the word 'Living'
|
|
Include only basic details about individuals flagged as 'Living'
(or flagged in other ways)
|
|
(but if
you do this, you can't also replace their names with the word 'Living'
- see previous) |
|
Number of colours you can set for page elements
|
10
|
6
|
n/a (but you can select a choice of colourful styles
and backgrounds)
|
Website wizard remembers settings so re-generation
is easy
|
|
Website individuals have to be re-selected each time.
Other settings are remembered.
|
(but very
few options) |
| Advanced Feature: Number of places within each HTML web page
for selected individuals where you can add custom HTML |
4
|
2
|
n/a (no access to HTML)
|
Advanced Feature: '.CSS' style file used to store style info
(useful for HTML editing)
|
|
|
|
Save any report as a distinct web page
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Family Tree CD |
Design Family Tree CDs
|
(using all
the same power and features as are available for website creation) |
Limited. You can design the introductory page. Apart
from that, viewers have to use a ReadOnly version of Roots Magic to view
your data.
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| Pictures and Multimedia |
Pictures of Individuals
|
|
|
|
Pictures of Families
|
|
|
|
Pictures of Events/Attributes
|
(but do
not appear in reports) |
(but only
appear in Scrapbook reports?) |
|
Pictures of Sources
|
|
|
|
Link multiple individuals to the same picture
|
|
|
|
Link Individuals to their face within a picture (without cropping)
|
|
|
|
Show linked faces in diagrams, reports, websites, CDs, etc
|
|
|
|
Select a person (e.g. to view their properties) by clicking
on face in picture
|
|
|
|
Can embed multimedia?
|
|
|
|
Can link to external multimedia files?
|
|
|
|
Tool for managing links to externally held multimedia?
|
|
(but you
can use search and replace to update links) |
|
Sounds, Videos and other Multimedia also supported
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Events and Attributes
|
Create custom events and attributes
|
|
|
|
Create events and attributes that can be re-used in different
family tree files
|
|
|
|
Export fact sets
|
|
|
|
Import fact sets
|
|
|
|
Can preview sentence templates for narrative reports
|
|
|
|
Can edit sentence templates for standard events/attributes?
|
|
|
|
Can add sentence templates for new custom events and attributes
|
|
|
|
Can override sentence templates for individual events and
attributes
|
|
|
|
Each event and attribute can have its own note(s)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Reports |
| Standard reports included |
28
|
9 (approx).
R.M. does not clearly distinguish reports from charts. Also, this count
excludes 'lists' which have already been counted as equivalent to 'standard
queries' - see Queries above.
|
4
Excludes reports which have already been counted as equivalent to 'standard
queries'- see Queries above.
|
Save all reports as web page (i.e. HTML)
|
|
|
|
Save all reports as word document (i.e. Rich Text Format)
|
|
|
|
Ancestor Narrative report
|
|
|
|
Descendant Narrative report
|
|
|
The Genealogy report contains some narrative elements,
and is a descendant report
|
Individual Narrative report
|
|
|
|
Family Group Sheet
|
|
|
|
Descendant Outline Report
|
|
(descendant
box chart) |
|
Ancestor Outline Report
|
|
(ancestor
box chart) |
|
Pedigree Chart
|
(pedigree
chart standard diagram) |
|
|
Complete Record Details Reports
|
|
|
|
Change report options on-the-fly
|
|
|
|
Work with multiple reports simultaneously
|
|
|
|
Continue working without closing report
|
|
|
|
Open reports automatically update if you change data or correct
errors
|
|
n/a
|
n/a
|