One change in genealogy software in the past few years is the
addition of database fields for longitude and latitude in all the better programs.
You are no longer restricted to recording locations of ancestors’ homesteads
by street address alone. After all, addresses do change over the years. The
mailing address for the location of your great-grandfather’s farm probably changed
as urban sprawl took over the area. It is best to record the longitude and latitude
as these will not change with urbanization, addition of ZIP codes, or any other
man-made events.
Legacy Deluxe version 4.0 has always had the capability to record
latitude and longitude. Now a new update adds even more functionality: a Distance
and Bearing Calculator. The new Calculator will tell you the distance in miles
(or kilometers) between any two points on earth. It will also tell you which
direction to travel. You can also convert decimal bearing values to degrees,
minutes, and seconds. It even ties into the Master Location List, where you
can select any two cities (with latitude and longitude values) and quickly figure
out how far apart they are and in which direction. The calculator uses great
circle spherical trigonometry to figure the shortest distance and direction
between points.
The Distance and Bearing Calculator is reached by choosing Bearing
and Distance Calculator from the Tools menu. It is also available by clicking
the Calculator button on the Master Location List, Add/Edit Location screen,
and Address screen.
The Distance and Bearing Calculator is found only in Legacy 4.0
Deluxe, not in the (free) Standard Edition. To learn more about Legacy 4.0 Deluxe
Edition, go to www.legacyfamilytree.com
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