The Master Genealogist (TMG) Gold Edition Version 7

Review by Val Conway

TMG installed easily and allows direct import from many genealogy programs including Family TreeMaker, Legacy and more. The import wasn't perfect but my relationships, facts and sources and notes all made the transition but there was much tweaking was needed to allow some items to be moved to their proper places within the TMG structure.
TMG is a complex program offering Professional Genealogists or technical savvy Family Historians great flexibility. Display windows and recording techniques can be varied to suit everyone's requirement and because of this TMG has a much steeper learning curve than any other family history programs I have used.
Its flexibility is evident right from the startup page. The standard layout consists or three windows; the focus person including a list of all their events and notes; the children window and the sibling window. Other layouts can be created, saved and then accessed with one click.
Every piece of information such as birth, death, etc. about a person is added with a "tag". In TMG it is possible to add an unlimited number of tags. This allows tags for things that may have previously be buried in notes that require time to find. Using tags makes the information appear on the startup page creating an immediate timeline. TMG also uses the information in these tags to create reports. The reports and charts allow many customizing options and charts have moveable box elements. The sentence structures of some reports that read like journals can be changed to suit your preferences. You can view examples of the reports at:
http://tinyurl.com/6xhe2v
The tags contain templates to help format details consistently. Surety values can be assigned not only to show the value of the information but can be used as a filter. Sources can be repeated as many times as needed eliminating continual copy and paste functions. A memo about the source can be added and customized to print or remain private.
The use of tags allows many text or note pages. These note tags can be made private. For example it's possible to have a main note page that will print and others that are private and won't print, such as various research notes. TMG allows this customization of notes and even allows codes to be put into public notes making specific text non printable.
Exhibit Logs track pictures and images, which can be embedded, or external. Research Logs can be used to track to-do lists, correspondence, unsuccessful projects etc. These logs can be attached to people, sources, places, or repositories.
Analyzing data is also a strong point of TMG. Viewing all the events according to dates gives an immediate chronology of the person's life. Adding the historical time line or even one created by you that included family events will provide a different outlook. Other analytical reports are Audit, Distribution of People and Staticical Reports. All will help you discover new ways of looking at your research.
Merging files can be dangerous. TMG allows for viewing and comparing both sets of information within your own database by using datasets. By color-coding each set you can compare your data to that of the other dataset. These two datasets are completely independent and nothing will be merged unless specifically directed.
Publishing your research to share with others can also be fully customized. Output can be sent to many different Wordprocessors.
Other things that are available are:
Customized Reports; Indexes on people, places and marriages; Table of Contents; headers and footers; page numbers; bibliography; endnotes or bottom of the page footnotes; control of fonts by data type; and inclusion of images. Web page construction tools include integrated hyperlinks, table of contents, endnotes, multiple indexes, and bibliography. Experienced users can even specify custom HTML code (scripts, tables, links, etc.) to be included in each document.
There is also a built in slideshow manager to help produce slideshows which include text, images, sound, and video; voice narration, transitions; and audio control.
Pros:
-Imports files directly without the use of Gedcom
-Flexible, customizable interface
-Flexible, customizable reports, charts.
-Both structured and freeform tag fields
-Strong Analytical functions
-Extensive support systems
Cons:
-Difficult to learn. Requires help right from the start.
-Not as user friendly as most other genealogy database programs
-Must learn technical genealogy terms to navigate the program.
Bottom Line:
Nothing about TMG has come easily and that goes for my evaluation. My first impression was one of being overwhelmed. Since no other program provided exactly what I wanted I persevered and I can now see how much TMG will aid in my research and publications. I've needed and used all the support systems and am now enjoying the program although after a month I still have lots to learn and haven't tried every feature available. TMG isn't for everyone but if you want a flexible program that allows you customize just about everything this is the best I've come across.
For those that would like to give it a try I'm listing some sites and tips so you can avoid my initial frustration.
Download and watch the TMG Guided Tour at http://www.whollygenes.com
Reading Terry's TMG Tips: http://tmg.reigelridge.com/index.htm
TMG Basic Concepts will give an overall understanding of how the program is put together. It was this site that really helped me get started.
Install the 30-day free trial.
If you want to import your present file skip down to Terry's Tips on "Importing from Another Program" or if you want to start from scratch read his tips in order.
TMG Tutorials by Lee Hoffman is another excellent site: http://www.tmgtips.com/tmgtutor.htm
Join the TMG mail list. http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Software/TMG.html It’s a busy one with lots of professionals providing answers. Delete the questions that are way over your head and jump in with your own. The help you can get is invaluable.
Manufacturer: Wholly Genes Software http://www.whollygenes.com
Requirements: Pentium 166 with 64 Megs of RAM (256 recommended)
Windows - 2000, XP, or Vista, Screen resolution of at least 1024x768
Price: $59.95 - 69.95
Support: is available through many venues such as direct contact by phone e-mail, forms, mail lists, chat rooms and FAQ's


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