Online Family Tree
Navigating Your Online Family Tree

The easiest way to move around in your Online Family Tree is to use the Pedigree View. A Pedigree View displays a genealogy chart that starts with an individual in a box at the left side of the page. This individual, often called the root individual, is then linked to boxes containing the names of his or her parents. These boxes also have links to the parents' parents, and so on.

A Pedigree chart can go as far back as you can fill it out. Each time you fill in a new box, you are adding information to your Online Family Tree. Each column of boxes represents one generation in your ancestry. When you move one box to the right on the Pedigree View, you are actually going back one generation in time. The Pedigree View has the ability to display a root individual with parents and grandparents, as well as a listing of spouses and children.

Each box contains the name of the individual along with the date they were born. The following methods will help you navigate around your Online Family Tree:

Go to Start Person: To display your Online Family Tree with the start person as the base of the tree, follow the instructions below:

  1. Click Search from the menu bar. A drop down menu will display.

  2. Click Go to Start Person from the drop down menu. The pedigree chart will display with this person at the base of the tree.

Make Start Person: Make an individual the start person if you want them to display as the base on your Online Family Tree. To do this, follow the instructions below:

  1. Highlight the individual you want to make the start person by clicking on their name. You will know a person has been highlighted by the change of background color from tan to turquoise.

  2. Click Search from the menu bar. A drop down menu will display.

  3. Click Make Start Person from the drop down menu. The pedigree chart will display with this person as the base of the Online Family Tree.

Move to Root: If you want a person to display in the root position, follow the instructions below:

  1. Right click on the person's name. A drop down menu will display.

  2. Select Move to Root. The pedigree chart will display with this person as the root.

Names: You can double click any name to go to their individual record page displaying detailed information and to add other events in their life.

Navigation Arrows: Use the arrows at the far right of the page if you want to see preceding generations. Each time you press an arrow, you move one generation back on that line of your ancestry.

Online Family Tree Properties: To view statistics about an Online Family Tree, follow the instructions below:

  1. Click File from the menu bar. A drop down menu will display.

  2. Click Properties from the drop down menu. A separate browser window will launch displaying statistics regarding the Online Family Tree.

Short Cuts

Double Left Click: You can double click any name in an Online Family Tree to display the Edit Individual screen.

Right Clicking: From the pedigree chart, you can right click on a name and a drop down menu will display allowing you to access the following items:

Single Left Click: Single clicking a name on the pedigree chart will highlight the person allowing you to view, edit, or add new information about this person.

Tool Bar: Located directly below the menu bar is a series of icons making up a graphic tool bar. Each of the icons provides a short cut to different areas of the Online Family Tree.

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