Rootsmagic Basics, with free version options

Rootsmagic

• Free Version• Importing Data• Menu Options• Interacting with Family

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VersionsRootsMagic 7 is available for purchase (search the internet for discounts). A free trial version with limited options is available for download at http://www.rootsmagic.com/try/RootsMagic/

When you initially open RootsMagic, go to the file menu and select “New”

Select a file name and location and other options.

If you already have a GEDCOM or other file on your computer, you can “Import” it.

Select the type of file you are importing and it’s location.

Once you import your file, the program will be populated with your data. You can have multiple files on RootsMagic and have more than one open at a time. The first view option is “Pedigree.” All members of the tree are listed alphabetically to the left.

The next option is “Family.” Where available, it shows the person, their spouse, both of their parents, and the children with vital statistics. The red arrow means that the person has descendants in the tree. “Descendants” “People” and “Timeline” are only available in the full version. “WebSearch” allows you to search the web from within RootsMagic and with the full version, search Ancestry.com and other family history sites.

To create a list of people who share common traits, go the “Lists” drop-down menu and select “Fact Type List.”

There are several pre-defined fact types, you can make your own, and facts can be combined. Unfortunately, this option is not available on the free RootsMagic Essentials.

In order to search for duplicate individuals and merge them, go to the “Tools” menu.

RootsMagic scores potential duplicates based on how likely it perceives them to be a match. You then can compare the two individuals and decide if they are.

RootsMagic has more than one way to find problems. One is the exclamation point inside a red triangle next to a person’s name. Another way is to use th “Tools” drop-down menu and do a “Problem Search.”

RootsMagic allows you to define what type and range of problems in the search.

The problem list will show potential problems and give options for dealing with them.

To create different types of reports/lists of people in your tree based on different criteria, go to the “Reports” drop-down menu and select “Lists.”

You can explore the different types of reports and create several useful documents.

To see how RootsMagic interacts with FamilySearch.org, click on the FamilySearch icon.

FamilySearch Central will open, and have several options for interacting between the two programs, including Find Match, Share Data, Ordinances, Temple Work, Import, and AutoMatch.

Once you have your file data, you can match individuals to their corresponding person on FamilySearch.org. You can also merge duplicate individuals on FamilySearch.org.

When your RootsMagic person and FamilySearch person have different data, you can share data between the two programs.

Temple Ordinance data (for those with church membership log in) can also be shared.

Sources are also shareable.

After syncing RootsMagic with FamilySearch, changes to individuals are visible.

This is only a brief overview of the many options on RootsMagic, so if you want to keep your own database separate from FamilySearch or any other online family history program, RootsMagic is a useful tool.