Footprints Genealogy Program
"RootsMagic"
The genealogy program used by Footprints began in 1982 with with a program I designed in DOS
which could hold only 99 names. In 1984 I purchased PAF which was one of the few programs
available. In the beginning it was a small database and as we continued it became quite
large. At first, our database consisted of all family members, then we added our ancestors.
Many of our readers (of the Footprints Newsletter) ask if we could enter their connections
to our Ancestor lines. We did this and the database begin to grow leaps and bounds.
However we added only those names that connected to a name already on the database (which
we still do to this date). When it reached 50,000 names, we reached the limit of our PAF
program.
In 1990 we began testing different Genealogy programs to find one that would fit our needs.
We tested and used FTM, ROOTSIV, PAF for windows, Family Quest, Family Origins, and a
number of others hoping to find one that would fit all of our needs. All of the above listed
programs were good, but we found that Family Origins out classed them all and
fit our needs the best. We began using Family Origins in 1991 or 1992, which we continued
to use and upgraded each year.
"Parsons", the company that was at that time licensed to sell and handle Family Origins for
Windows (FOWIN) had decided to drop the program, as it is also licensed to sell FTM at the same
time. FOWIN is a much superior program. We believe the decision was due to raising
competition. We continued to use FOWIN version 10 until we found a suitable replacement,
which we believed we found. The author of FOWIN had designed a new Genealogy Program which
was introduced in January 2003. From it's looks and the reviews it has received we
believed that it would be the program of the future. We continued using both programs
[Family Origins and Roots Magic]. However, when I lost my computer, we only reinstalled
RootsMagic. To see the quotes & reviews go to:
http://www.rootsmagic.com/quotes.htm
See pricing at bottom of page.
The following was taken from the Roots Magic Web
page. We recommend you visit their web page for more information. While there, you may
also want to subscribe to their Mail List to keep abreast of any new information published on
Roots Magic.
Roots Magic
FormalSoft, Inc. was founded by Bruce Buzbee in San Jose, California in 1986, and moved to
their current location in Springville, Utah in 1993.
Although FormalSoft has written several programs, we are probably best known as the developer
of Family Origins, a genealogy program was licensed to Parsons Technology in 1990.
This license was bounced from company to company, to the point that we basically lost control of
the program. It became necessary for us to just write a whole new genealogy program.
RootsMagic was written by the same programming "team" that has written every version of
Family Origins (for the past 13 years).
We have a favor to ask... There are hundreds of thousands of Family Origins users out there, but
we only know who a small fraction of them are. So if you have friends or relatives that you have
told about Family Origins, we hope you will let them know about RootsMagic.
General Features
- Runs under Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, and XP
- Three navigation views: Pedigree, Family, Descendants
- Open multiple databases on screen at the same time
- Drag and drop people between databases
- Open multiple copies (and views) of the same database
- Add unlimited people, facts/events, notes, sources, and more
- 60 predefined fact types (birth, marriage, death, occupation, religion, etc)
- Create your own user defined fact types
- Easily track multiple relationships, such as adoptions, foster parents, etc
- Integrated backup and restore help safeguard your data
- Support for international character sets
Easy to Learn and Use
- Work from pedigree, family, or descendants view (or switch back and forth)
- Family members are automatically linked as you add them
- Automatically checks for duplicates as you add people
- Just double click on a person's name to edit that person
- RootsMagic Explorer lets you easily find and edit anyone in your family tree
- Customize the tool bar to include the functions you use most
- Easy to use Explorer-like help system
Publish Your Family History
- RootsMagic Publisher lets you create complete books with narrative, notes, charts,
photos, source bibliography, index, and more.
- Print to printer, Adobe Acrobat (PDF), or export to your word processor (RTF)
- Customize headers, footers, margins, fonts for any printout
Reports
- Pedigree Charts (standard and cascading)
- Family Group Sheets
- Narative reports (modified register, indented descendancy, Henry descendancy,
D'Aboville descendancy, and ancestor)
- Individual summary prints everything you know about a person
- Calendars with birthdays and anniversaries
- Custom report designer
- Relationship chart shows exactly how two people are related
- Scrapbook of pictures for people, families, sources, and places
- Blank pedigree charts, family group sheets, research logs, correspondence logs, and
cemetery records forms
- Address labels for mailings
- Dozens of lists
Multimedia
- Attach photographs, sound clips, video clips and documents to any person, family,
place, source, or event
- Scan photos directly into RootsMagic
- Photo editor lets you adjust sharpness, brightness, contrast, and crop, rotate,
and zoom images
- Include photos in your books, group sheets, and other printouts
Documenting Your Family History
SourceWizard automatically writes proper sources for you
Add notes and stories/notes to any fact or person
Easy to use source list tracks all your documentation (certificates, census, books, etc)
Enter each source only once, then reuse it elsewhere
Add a global source to each person when importing a GEDCOM file.
Track repositories where the sources are found
Print your documentation (notes and sources) in your reports, summaries, and forms
Internet Features
- Automatically create a website including photos, notes, sources, index, surname list,
GEDCOM file, email, etc
- Six types of websites: pedigree charts, group sheets, combo pedigree chart / group
sheet, descendant narrative, ancestor narrative, alphabetical narrative
- Add your own links to your home page
- "Privatize" living persons in your website
- Automatically check for updates to your software
- Family Reunion Planner
Tools
- Correspondence Log lets you keep track of all your incoming and outgoing
correspondence
- Bookmark any individuals in your database
- Spell Checker checks the current notes, or all notes.
- Global search and replace for notes, sources, names, places, etc.
- Counts the number of separate trees in your database.
- "To do" list lets you keep track of research you still need to do for any person or
family
- Date calculator
- Relationship calculator shows you the relationship between any two people
- Soundex calculator (including alternate methods)
- Powerful merge capabilities, including SmartMerge and ShareMerge
- Search by name, record number, dates, places, notes, and many other types of data
Compatibility
- Full GEDCOM 5.5 support so you can exchange data with other programs
- GEDCOM import option to combine into current database or create a new database
- Full LDS support (optional), including full TempleReady support, automatic ordinance
updating, selection of qualified ordinances, and the ability to view and edit all
ordinance information from a single screen.
RootsMagic began shipping the program in January 2003 and has received compliments
from many well known users.
A DEMO can be downloaded free of charge.
It is the same as the regular version except that you are limited to 50 names and some
forms may not print. However, it will accept a larger GEDCOM to work with but you woould
not be able to add additional names. This is a good way for a newcommer to test the
program out if you are not ready to make the change or start a new Genealogy program.
Later, if you decide to purchase the program, it will load right over the DEMO without any
problem.
RootsMagic
One (1) copy of RootsMagic genealogy software $29.95 plus s/h - Upgrades are $19.95
**
RootsMagic + Book
One (1) copy of RootsMagic and one (1) copy of the book "Getting the Most Out of
RootsMagic - $35.95 plus s/h
RootsMagic Book only - $14.95.
UpDates to any version are FREE - Current update is 3.2.2
**
Footprints recommends ordering software on CD and the
book.
The software program and/or book or the DEMO may be ordered from:
Roots Magic Web page.
To submit your bit of HISTORY you may use the mailbox below.
Please place in the Subject Line:
WEBPAGE-HISTORY
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