General Help for iFamily for Mac

iFamily for Mac is a family tree program with a difference - there wasn't much point in simply duplicating perfectly good software like Reunion and Family Tree Maker. It uses a CoreData ManagedObjectModel with SQLite for its database and it will not run on systems earlier than Mac OSX 10.9 (Mavericks). It works best on a Mac with a 20" screen (ie plenty of real estate) set to its maximum resolution and a mouse with more that one button, e.g. I use a mighty mouse with 4 buttons.

I have minimised the number of menu options and I hope most things are intuitive but if in doubt then the right mouse button can often be used to display a context sensitive menu.

Usage Hints

1. The iFamily for Mac database files have a file extension of *.FtkSql and may be opened with the File->Open menu option. They are stored in the folder called /users/username/iFamilyData.

2. You can load Gedcom (*.GED) files into an iFamily for Mac database - menu option File->Load Gedcom File.

3. To navigate around the context diagram double click on a person's name or use Command+Click or use RightClick.

4. You can drag most types of picture and also pdf files into the pictures window, or onto a person in the context diagram. Web pages can be dropped on the Story page.

5. The simplest way to add people is click on an empty box and enter his/her name and gender. If the ghost boxes are not currently visible then click on Show Ghost Outlines in the options panel. You may also add children to their parents in the Family dialog - which is invoked when you left click on a person hold down the mouse button and drag the pointer to his/her spouse.

6. To see or change the relationship between two people - left click on a person in the diagram, then hold down the mouse button and drag the mouse pointer to another person and release it.

7. The objects shown in green are members of the current "Ancestral View". To create an Ancestral View - activate the preferences panel from the toolbar icon and press "Create Ancestral View".

8. In the toolbar the people search is based on "words that start with" - so to search for Elizabeth Windsor you would enter eliz win. Or, if you hace activated Include Titles in Search then you could simply search for q e ii. The search is case insensitive.

9. And lots more ...