MacKiev’s Maker is a top-tier genealogy application because of its all-around performance and user-friendliness.
Pros
- Effectiveness of data input is high.
- It’s really easy to operate
- The 2019 update adds some good improvements.
Cons
- It doesn’t offer any ideas for further study.
Family Tree Builder is a user-friendly genealogy program that lets you create a family tree with the Help of straightforward data entry options and high-quality image editing tools.
FamilySearch and Ancestry, two free genealogy services, can help you learn more about the people in your family tree, while the paid service Ancestry offers access to historical information. The mackiev family tree maker works on both PCs and Macs, but you can’t check it out first because it doesn’t come with a trial version or a refund policy.
User-Friendly and Straightforward Design
Family Tree Builder is a fantastic option for both experienced and novice genealogists due to its intuitive interface and straightforward approach to imputing family members.
You may quickly enter information about your family members, including photos and media that can be modified in the Picture Darkroom. The mackiev family tree maker discount also has the following additional features:
- There are over 25 distinct types of charts and reports to choose from.
- Ancestral migration may be tracked with an interactive map.
- A database of locations including more than three million different place names
- Tips for using the FamilySearch and Ancestry websites
- Combined search engine
Family Tree Builder is compatible with Macs running OS 10.10 or later and Windows computers running Windows 7. Unfortunately, ChromeOS is not now mackiev family tree maker support by the software. However, this may change in the future.
There were a few features of the program that I found unsatisfactory. Your DNA test results can be added to the family tree. However, the program does not yet evaluate raw DNA data to look for matches on genealogical websites. In addition, with such a high price point, there would be no issues when inputting GEDCOM files from several other programs. Unfortunately, there were inevitable mistakes, and after researching the topic on user forums, I learned that I wasn’t alone.
Here Are Some Of Family Tree Maker’s Finest Attributes.
You may view the MacKiev Family Tree Builder tree on your Android or iOS smartphone at any time and in any location, even after you have exited the application on your computer. FTM Connect is a free software that can be downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store. You are free to navigate your family tree using any device that has access to the internet.
It is an excellent method for keeping relatives up to speed on the progress of your genealogical research and for displaying your family tree to them. When you make changes to your family tree using Family Tree Maker, those revisions will be mirrored instantaneously on FTM Connect as soon as you save them.
A regularly mackiev family tree maker update copy of your family tree is backed up by The TreeVault’s Emergency Tree function. This feature also stores your family tree’s previous versions. Even if your hard drive crashes or your computer completely stops working, this backup of your work and whatever progress you’ve made will ensure that your data is protected.
If you had access to more than a billion old weather records, you might potentially find a treasure trove of information to add to your family tree. Find out if it was raining when your Grandma was born or if the sky was clear when your parents were married. You may also find out if the sky was blue when your parents got married.
To ensure that your TreeVault account and family tree are preserved after your passing, it is important to name a Next of Kin. You should include a document in your will that gives your heirs instructions, passcodes, and the license key to your Family Tree Maker account so that they may continue your genealogy research from where you left off. In this way, they will be able to pick up where you left off.
Helpful Tips for Your Research
Those that are included in the index are accompanied by profiles that may or may not provide recommendations for potential matches on Ancestry or FamilySearch. You might learn more about your family history by using genealogy websites; but, in order to directly submit data to these websites, you will require accounts with such websites.
A premium subscription is required in order to obtain access to historical records and to sync your tree with Ancestry. While it is free to browse the most recent information on FamilySearch, a premium subscription is required in order to access historical records.
Easy Media Management and Editing
With the straightforward tools provided by the Picture Darkroom, fading photographs may be brought back to life in a matter of seconds with only a few mouse clicks. Investigate the depths and details that are concealed in the historical photographs that your family has.
You can zoom in on your ancestor’s face just enough to acquire the ideal photograph for their branch using the profile photo cropping tool, which also has facial recognition functionality. Even more impressive is the fact that the advanced image editor doesn’t change the original photograph in any way. Family Tree Builder simplifies the process of assembling and organizing all of your different media collections. You have the option of using images that have been scanned into the app or photos that have been taken with the mackiev family tree maker phone itself to create amazing presentations.
Advantageous Color Coding System
Using the Color Coding function, you may give an individual and their relatives up to eight distinct colors. You may use these hues to quickly identify relatives and sort them into distinct groups on your family tree.
Detailed Reports to Make Your Tree Come Alive
Family Tree Creator is capable of producing close to 25 unique types of charts in addition to reports. There are several types of charts included, such as pedigree and descendant charts, multicolored family tree diagrams, bowtie or fan charts, and more. The charting controls provide some very useful information about each chart type, including what it displays, why genealogists use it, and why they use it in the first place. If you have problems keeping track of all the many choices that are accessible to you, this information is provided for you.
The charts have a pleasant appearance; they are not intricate and have clean lines; but, they do not have the variety or sophistication of those that Heredis provides. You’ll be able to collect several graphs and analyses into a single book with the help of the genealogy book generator, which you can then send through email like Mail.com or print out and give to the people you care about.
Cultivating A Tree Is Simple, But the Expense May Be High.
With Family Tree Maker’s user-friendly interface and straightforward data entry process, creating a family tree is a breeze.
Utilizing oneself as a starting point, We were able to add details and images for a dozen relatives to my family tree in about half an hour. I didn’t get lost in a sea of tabs since the workspace is well-organized, and just a few functions necessitated the opening of additional windows.
Once I had depleted my specific family history experience, the on-screen indications for prospective partners to documents in the FamilySearch or Ancestry archives helped me continue my study and find more information about my ancestors. FamilySearch’s records may be accessed without cost, whereas Ancestry’s historical records need a paid membership. It can significantly increase the total cost of tracing your Ancestry.
As I ran into dead ends on several genealogical websites, I switched to the integrated online search available within the Family Tree Builder interface. It helps input fresh data since it eliminates the need to switch tabs repeatedly.
Additional features that I loved in Family Tree Maker are the superb photo editing & media management capabilities, the color-coding option, and the Come Back Time application, which lets you retain track of the most recent 1,000 changes you’ve made changed to your tree. All of these features help you to organize your family tree in a more organized manner. Any errors or blunders may be quickly identified and corrected in this way.
But it wasn’t all roses when I used Family Tree Builder. When compared to programs such as Family Historian and Heredis, there was far less selection of charts and reports available on Ancestry.com. The charts themselves were colorful and well-kept, but the report and chart options were quite restricted. You’ll have to pay extra for access to other types of graphs, though.
As a result, I’ve come to the largest drawback of Family Tree Maker: the cost. Although it has several useful extras, Family Tree Builder is the most costly family tree maker I’ve tried, coming in at a whopping 79.95 dollars. In addition, for such a pricey item, the quality of customer care leaves much to be desired.
High-Priced Family Tree Program with Expensive Add-Ons
Family Tree Creator is the most costly family tree maker I’ve tried, costing $79.95 to download once on both Mac and Windows. Both the DVD and download (at $89.95) and the USB (at $99.95) come with a $5.95 shipping and handling charge. But, if you’re researching your Ancestry extensively, the charges associated with using Family Tree Creator will rapidly pile up.
You can only install it on one computer for the $79.95 one-time fee. The Family Pack Upgrade ($20) enables installation on three computers, which three persons in the home can simultaneously work on the family tree. TreeVault Cloud Services, which may also be used to keep your family tree safe, come at an additional cost. After what is currently a free trial period of three months, the regular price of the service will be $1.99 per month going forward.
These expenditures occur prior to any use of the program. When it comes to genealogical websites, FamilySearch’s clues are free to use, but Ancestry’s historical data need a paid subscription. The price of using Family Tree Maker to create a detailed and exhaustive family tree based on research might add up.
You may incur the following extra expenses if you decide to make extensive use of Family Tree Maker:
A 325-page, full-color, illustrated guide to using the application to its full potential; costs $40. The DNA Edition add-on for Family Tree Maker’s Chart Companion adds over a dozen new chart kinds, including a mechanism to visualize DNA matches inside your family trees.
Hence, the crucial query. Is it reasonable to purchase Family Tree Maker? The extensive research into one’s Ancestry will likely make the premium price tag and other features worthwhile for dedicated genealogists. If you’re new to genealogy and want to check out a family tree builder before committing to one, try out a program like Family Historian or RootsMagic, which offer free trials or money-back guarantees.
Live Help is a letdown.
The Family Tree Maker Help Center has a plethora of information, despite the software having a restricted knowledge base to begin with. In spite of this, it would have been wonderful to offer a link to video tutorials and other material in the event that the frequently asked questions and the troubleshooting hints proved to be beneficial.
The live mackiev chat service might be used in two different ways. It was incredible how soon I got a response to my original query, especially taking into account that I submitted it on a Sunday afternoon. The topic of discussion, however, took a sharp turn for the better as soon as I inquired about the genetic information that you might add in your family tree. The live chat representative questioned me and then stopped responding; I waited one hour before giving up and closing the window.
