This page revised 14 Apr 2005
Version note: Applies to TMG 5 and 6.
Version 6.0 of TMG is an evolutionary update, adding a series of refinements and new features to the major restructuring of the program introduced with version 5.0. There are a variety of helpful additions, but no changes that fundamentally impact the user experience, as was the case with the earlier update. The Wholly Genes website has a good description of the new features, so I have not found it necessary to further describe them. As I find application for specific new features I will mention them in articles related to that application, such as in my article on an Expanded Census Tag, which uses the new Witness Memo feature.
Version 5.0 of TMG introduced a host of new and improved features. The list of additions and improvements, which are in Wholly Gene's announcements and on its website (click here to see press release) are extensive. Some appeal to new users, making the product easier to learn, and others respond to the requests of experienced users to make the program more flexible and to add powerful new capabilities.
Use of many of these features is self evident. But in some cases a few tips may help you get the most from these features as quickly as possible. I've listed below, and in some cases on the linked pages, some tips I've found useful in understanding and using these new features. If a feature doesn't appear on the list below, it either means I think its use is self evident, or that I haven't used it enough to provide any helpful information.
TMG 5.0 introduced a new "Beginner" data entry mode. Beginning users have long been told to simply ignore features that are not currently of interest to them. But the new Beginner Mode goes further – it actually hides several features that beginners generally don't use, producing a simpler, less cluttered interface for new users. See Help under "Beginner Mode/Advanced Mode" for details.
You will be offered a choice of Beginner or Advanced Mode the first time you try to edit data in the new program. Or you can go to Preferences under Program Options > Data Entry and change to the Mode. No data accessible under the Advanced Mode is lost while in Beginner Mode, but you will be unable to access the additional features to add or edit the data associated with them.
Note: You can access Preferences by using File > Preferences on the main menu, or even easier, from the right-click menu in most screens.
Beginning with version 5.0 the user can freely adjust the size of the main program window; select, size, and position a number of individual windows within the main window; and select and position a number of toolbars. Each arrangement created this way is called a "Layout." Layouts can be named and saved for future recall. For details, see my article on Working with Layouts.
Accent schemes can now be named and saved. This is a great improvement for those that use several different Accent arrangements. For example, I have one that accents my wife's ancestors according to how close they are to her direct line, and a similar one for my ancestors. Switching between them is easy in TMG 5 and later. If you have a saved accent in effect, the name of the accent scheme will be displayed in the Status Bar at the bottom of the main program window.
Another Accent improvement in TMG 5 and later is the ability to create Accents based on a long list of conditions, in addition to the use of Flags as in TMG 4. Open the Accent Definition screen and explore this highly improved feature.
The size of fonts used in screens with lists can now be controlled – go to Preferences under Program Options > Lists. The size of the fonts in the Tree and Person view adjust according to the size of the screen, but you can adjust their starting point in Preferences under Program Options > Other. You may need to experiment with this setting a bit to get it as you like it.
You can now specify the order that Flags are listed in the Flags window. Right-click on the Flags window to open Flag Manager, where you can move individual Flags up or down in the list, as well as disable any you would rather not see. You can similarly control the order of the items in the "Other Info" box in the upper right corner of the Person View. Right-click in that box to open the screen that allows you to change the order or disable any item.
The Picklist is one of TMG's more resource intensive features – depending on the size of your Project and the capabilities of your computer system, opening and navigating it may be slower than you like. TMG 5 addresses this by providing a choice of two styles of Picklist; Simple and Expanded. You chose between them in Preferences under Program Options > Lists. By default, the simple version is used at installation.
The Simple Picklist emphasizes speed of operation. In exchange, you give up some features. Accents are not shown, and you cannot specify which information will be displayed for each person (but you can adjust column widths, even to zero, effectively hiding a column).
The Expanded Picklist emphasizes flexibility and information, in exchange for some speed of operation. If Accents are enabled, they will appear in the Picklist. In addition, you can chose between Event List mode, which shows a list of events for the selected person (sort of a miniature version of the Person View), and Column mode, which displays various information about all the persons visible within the Picklist. In Column mode, you can select which columns appear, including display of parents and spouse.
The introduction of Projects in TMG 5.0 is an important change that users will need to understand. In previous versions of TMG, you could only open one Data Set at a time. You had to close one to open another. In TMG 5 and later, you open a Project, which can contain any number of Data Sets.
Failure to understand this change can lead to confusing results. For full details, see my article on Projects and Data Sets.
New in TMG 5.0 was the ability to open multiple copies of the program at the same time (computer types call each copy an "instance"). Each copy of the program appears in its own window on your computer desktop. Depending on your monitor size and resolution setting, you may be able to position the copies so all are visible at once, or you may want to position them so they partially overlap, and then click on one or another to bring it into full view. If you use this capability often, you might want to save special Layouts for the purpose – see Layouts, above.
When you have more than one copy of TMG open, you can have each display a different Project, perhaps so you can compare them. Or, you can have the same Project open in each copy. This allows you to examine two or more people in that Project at the same time. You might want to do this if you think two individuals in the same Dataset are really the same person, for example. If you are comparing a Dataset you have received from someone else with your own, you might what to display the same person in both Datasets in order to compare the information about that person contained in each Dataset.
The ability to Copy or Move people between Datasets in the same Project is a very powerful new feature. But like any powerful feature, you need to understand how it works to avoid unexpected results. For some important background and tips on this capability, see my article on Copying or Moving People.
In response to many user requests, the Add Person screen has been modified significantly to offer a high degree of user customization. You can now choose which tags will be included on that screen, being able to choose from all tags in the Dataset, including custom ones. You can specify which fields of those tags will appear, eliminating fields you don't commonly use to streamline the screen. You can also choose to have specific Flags appear. Click on the Setup button on the Add Person screen and explore the possibilities.
TMG users have long clamored for the ability to use different names for the same person in reports when describing various events in that person's life. TMG 5.0 introduced the ability to do that. For details, see my article on Using Name Variations.
I'm confident that the new ability to create and use Name Styles and Place Styles, which help control how names and places are displayed, will prove as useful to many users as Roles did when they were introduced in TMG 4.0a. But I've not yet explored them, so can't help with them yet. If you're interested, you might check back later. Or if you find good uses for them, drop me a note or post it on TMG-L!
The Export feature was been changed in TMG 5 to a wizard style feature, rather than being a sort of report as it was in previous versions. Users making occasional exports will likely find the new format easier to use. But those who have saved several specific export definitions will have to adapt to the new format. For details, see my article on Saving GEDCOM Export Definitions.
Many users will find the new multimedia features, including the ability to create "slide shows" that you can send to others, very interesting and useful. But I'm afraid multimedia is not my "thing" so I can't help with these features.
My book, A Primer for The Master Genealogist, is again available in the U.S. and remains available in Australia.
Details are can be seen here.
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