What Are Your Favorite RootsMagic Features?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dae Powell on July 8, 2009 at 10:10pm

I also like the active online linkage to familysearch.org directly from RM. Very nice.

Permalink Reply by Midge Frazel on July 9, 2009 at 9:41am

I LOVE the RootsMagic To-Go feature as I have a new Acer netbook which I don't want to clutter up with too many apps. I used RM 2 Go to install the app and my RM data to a flash drive I purchased specifically for that purpose. After you do that, you can just insert the flash drive into the USB port and choose to open RM and there you are working on your genealogy!

I think this is the thing that sold me on leaving behind PAF and upgrading to RM4. Now, if Bruce can make the kind of outline descendant chart report I need (direct from an ancestor to me) I could give up Family Tree Maker.

Permalink Reply by Bruce Buzbee on July 9, 2009 at 11:00pm

I like the great customers who are so willing to help each other out in user groups, forums and message boards. The RootsMagic community is the friendliest, most helpful one I've ever seen. Thanks everyone.

Permalink Reply by Amir Dekel on July 10, 2009 at 1:01pm

I love the way you can open several databases side by side and just drag and drop people from one to the other. Then you can choose to copy/merge just that person all the way to an entire database. At first I just used it to merge GEDCOM files. But now I know better :-)

When I start researching a location or family I build them into their own database. Once I verify the link back to my main tree I just copy them in this way. It also helps when looking at similar trees that may have name variations. I don't think any other program gives you the ability to easily "stare and compare."

Permalink Reply by Richard Miller BROWN on January 10, 2010 at 11:38pm

I, too like the feature of working on 2 databases side-by-side. I use a similar technique as Amir. I work on a new line in its own window, collaborating with others. When we are happy with the accuracy of the results, have sources quoted etc, I will then merge the smaller tree into my main tree.

I use RM3

Permalink Reply by Poppy Gladstone on July 15, 2009 at 11:25pm

I have never used any other program (I started with Family Origins 2 and went up the #s till the name changed to RootsMagic). I have seen other people's Descendant and Ancestor charts that were made by other genealogy programs and (how do I say this modestly?) mine just look better.

Also, my gen. soc. does a display in a local park during our town's annual birthday party. Before this, I run off many copies of the Ancestor Charts and Family Group Sheets to give to people who stop to share or ask questions. If they seem really interested, I give them two copies of each of these charts (one to fill out & one to make copies). These charts are also available on Family Tree Magazine and Ancestry, but I like the Roots Magic forms.

And, I have gone to the recent NGS Conferences that have been in the West ... and the Bruce Buzbee is always there to answer questions.

Permalink Reply by Earline Hines Bradt on July 18, 2009 at 10:15pm

I originally decided on Rootsmagic3 because I was new to genealogy and it seemed the most user-friendly program. I discovered the shareable CD feature and made CDs for my family for Christmas. I have a family reunion coming up and I'm going to make shareable CDs for everyone.

Permalink Reply by Bill Bienia on July 22, 2009 at 8:17am

My favourite features were added in version 4. The first is the Share fact, which allows us to add a fact with sources, etc., for an individual or couple, then add others who share the fact - great for census, immigration, land records, marriages, births, etc., where there were other people involved or where people witnessed an event. The main couple or individual uses the main fact sentences, and can incorporate all the shared people into this sentence. Each of those who share the fact have their own "role" sentence. The second is the new sentence template language which is quite powerful, when you take the time to study and learn the language (the same language is used in the source templates.) The third feature is the new interface in RootsMagic 4 with the live-edit panes. A fourth feature is the new source templates, and the ability to create new templates on your own from scratch or start by copying and existing source template and modifying that.

Permalink Reply by Sharon Lighthouse on July 30, 2009 at 3:52pm

I love the RM to go and I love the online interface search engines right there in the record. It is an easy to use program and neat and tidy. And.. Bruce. I like that the man behind the program is accessible and we know who he is by putting himself out there behind his product. It makes me more confident about the product.

Permalink Reply by Jane on September 6, 2009 at 12:27pm

I only just installed the full program (GEDCOM) after playing with the trial version a bit and I'm very pleased with the display and navigation and reports (love the sources list that lets me find me where I have the wrong source) and the places list that tells me what events happened at that place. And I expect to get much use of the Missing Information list!!
I'm not sure yet who got lost (TMG exported more people that RM imported) and don't know why the descendants view didn't work (but after closing and re-opening it was there) but I will learn as I go.

I WISH there was a tab for the Individual Information view so I could see the 5 name variations and all the events for a person. Or if they all would display in the family view tab.....
J

Permalink Reply by Jane on September 7, 2009 at 7:20pm

Oh, and I really like to be able to modify the family page so I could show baptism when no birthdate is known. But I'm having a great time adding some new info...
J

Permalink Reply by Victoria Highton Moloney on September 26, 2009 at 8:48am

I am wondering if RootsMagic will ever consider giving webinars on their software? I have RM4 and I have purchased the RM4 book--but for creating reports, it is still a bit confusing for me. I would like to be able to get the most out of that feature.

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