Thursday, April 3, 2014

CreateFan.com Offers New Charts, Features

I’ve mentioned before a free website for FamilySearch Family Tree users called CreateFan.com. As you can tell from the name, it is a website that creates fan charts. A coworker pointed out that they now do much more.

CreateFan.com supports six different chart types which can be downloaded as PDF files that you can print or take to a print shop for enlargement. Or you can buy prints from CreateFan.com. CreateFan.com also produces name clouds. And it has a cool new feature called “Source Tracker.” You no longer have to be a FamilySearch Family Tree user to create charts; CreateFan.com supports GEDCOM upload.

CreateFan.com generates nine-generation fan charts in black and white or color. I find the coloring more useful and aesthetic than the FamilySearch seven-generation chart, which CreateFan.com can create, giving you a one-stop shop for fan charts.

CreateFan.com fan charts

I didn’t care much aesthetically for the four-generation photo pedigree and the standard pedigree charts, but do you remember those old, 12-generation fold-out charts? The nine-generation chart has that same look-and-feel and looks pretty good (shown below, left). It is designed to be printed at 34 x 33 inches, which Adobe Reader can do on a standard printer using Poster mode. Don’t be surprised if seeing that number of generations all at once doesn’t reveal numerous errors in Family Tree. There is also a run-on problem, where long locations overlap the following generation (see below, right).

CreateFan.com 9-generation chart CreateFan.com run-on problem on 9-gen charts

A fun feature is the given-name cloud. If you have English ancestry, yours may look a lot like mine:

CreateFan.com given-name cloud

The most exciting new feature to me is Source Tracker. In census mode it lists each ancestor and indicates for each U.S. census if a source from that census has been attached. Where a source for a census is not attached, it gives a link that launches a search for that census.

CreateFan.com Source Tracker feature shows missing census sources

In Vital Events mode it indicates for each ancestor if sources have been attached and tagged for basic vital facts. Again, links are provided to initiate searches for missing sources.

CreateFan.com Source Tracker feature shows missing vital fact sources

This is yet another great tool added by a third party to the FamilySearch Family Tree ecosystem.

 

CreateFan.com is a product of Misbach Enterprises, TreeSeek.com.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks for letting us know! Unfortunately, the last 3 charts can only be produced through a tree on FamilySearch - which is astonishing to me since I haven't seen more than a few people with sources. So many great apps coming out but so many are tied to FamilySearch and I just don't get how it will be better than World Family Tree or OneTree or any of the other projects destined to be shelved.

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  2. Thanks for letting us know about these new charts and features!

    I want you to know that your blog post is listed in today's Fab Finds post at http://janasgenealogyandfamilyhistory.blogspot.com/2014/04/follow-friday-fab-finds-for-april-4-2014.html

    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  3. My daughter printed a fan a few years ago and we love it. I tried to print one again and now it sends me to an error page. Is there any way around this? I need this for my sunday school lesson. There is one video that is linked through the lesson please help

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  4. My daughter printed the 9 generation color fan a few years ago and it was wonderful. I tried it today with my sunday school class and it sent us to an error page. is there any way around this? Please help

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