Progeny Software announced new programs and some upgrades.
Progeny Charting Companion 2.0 was released this week. The Charting
Companion is being released in three versions: one each for users of Legacy,
Ancestral Quest and Ancestry Family Tree. With these new Charting Companion
programs, users can create a variety of professional genealogy charts and reports
that significantly expand their charting capabilities. Charts available include
the traditional Ancestor, Descendant and Hourglass charts, as well as Fan chart,
and a new Bow Tie chart, designed and developed by Progeny Software. As its
name suggests, the Bow Tie chart takes the shape of a symmetrical bow tie, displaying
the subject in a center box, with the mother and her ancestors to the right,
and the father and his ancestors to the left.
The Legacy Charting Companion Version 1.1 is an upgrade to the
initial release in October 2001. Ancestral Quest and AFT Charting Companion
are being released to the market for the first time.
Another popular program from Progeny Software, GeneLines Timeline
Software version 2.0, continues to be the leading timeline program for genealogists.
This program will read data directly from GEDCOM files or directly from Personal
Ancestral File, Family Tree Maker, or Legacy. It will then print timelines in
more formats than I can remember. See the Progeny website at www.progenysoftware.com
for visual examples. Version 2.0 added a full descendants time line chart, a
new fan chart (which still has me scratching my head, trying to find the words
to describe it), as well as the ability to publish files in Adobe Acrobat PDF
format without requiring Adobe Acrobat software. GeneLines Timeline Software
version 2.0 also now has the ability to edit charts on the screen for color,
fonts, and some layout variations. The previous edition required the user to
specify all this on menus, then click on an icon to create the charts. The latest
version allows the user to edit the results in somewhat of a WYSIWYG (what you
see is what you get) manner without resorting back to the menus. GeneLines Time
Line Software version 2.0 is presently in late beta test; it is expected to
be released within a very few weeks. Keep an eye on www.progenysoftware.com
for more details.
Perhaps the "sleeper" in the Progeny Software catalog
is their brand-new, free timeline program, called TimeLine Maker 1.0. Even though
this program also has the word "timeline" in its title, it should
not be confused with their other program, GeneLines Timeline Software version
2.0. It is a different program that addresses the needs of a different audience.
TimeLine Maker 1.0 is a generic timeline program for use by historians, students,
or anyone else that needs to create a timeline. It does not have the wide variety
of reports and other options that are in Progeny’s primary timeline program.
Since it is not aimed at genealogists, it does not read GEDCOM files. All data
must be entered by hand. However, it can create some very impressive timelines
in color or in black-and-white on any Windows compatible printer. Best of all
is its price: free. Since there is no profit in free software, we can overlook
the fact that Progeny doesn’t advertise this program very much. However,
depending upon user feedback, this might become a commercial product in the
future, once it receives more functionality. In the meantime, if your child
or grandchild needs to create a timeline for a homework assignment, go to www.progenysoftware.com
to download the free TimeLine Creator 1.0 program.
Dick Eastman Online
