Family tree usage

Templates and Showcase
#1

Hi all -

This one is mainly for those of you that use (or are keen to use) Aeon Timeline to view and analyse your family trees / genealogy.

I have been researching my own family tree for a good few years now and have 800+ people in my tree. I manage and store all of this information using the macos app MacFamily Tree. I was eager though to visualise this same data in Aeon but the only file format that most family tree makers export is one called a ‘gedcom’ file. This file type is of very limited use and is really only used to transfer information from one family tree software/app to another.

There are some online scripts that allow for conversion of these files but the results are patchy and many require you to use the computer terminal etc. As such I created a brand new utility app called ‘Tree to CSV’ (for macos) that takes the pain out of this whole process and offers different csv export options - each packed with columns containing extracted and derived data:

  • People (37 columns relating to each individual in the tree - with information about how they relate to other individuals)
  • Events (23 columns relating to each event - Births, Deaths, Burials, Census entries etc…)
  • Families (16 columns relating to marriages and children)
  • Locations (3 columns to represent locations and their hierarchy)

An additional feature that tree2csv offers is the nomination of a root person - this then calculates a kekulé number to indicate direct lineage of the selected person and also allows each relevant blood relative to be tagged as being on the maternal or paternal side (useful to filter out data in other applications for focussed research).

These exported files can then be used in the likes of Excel or Numbers (or a database etc) to conduct some additional research. They can also be used to import your information into Aeon Timeline (using the Import CSV option). See below for some screenshots. This demo uses a publicly available gedcom file for the Kennedy family. All of these views (with the exception of the Family tree view) required zero intervention after importing the csv data to the template file.

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If there are any Mac computer users here that have a family tree and would like to test out this whole process then let me know and I will pass on a code so that you can freely unlock my tree2csv app (max 10 people). I will also provide an Aeon template and instructions of how to get your family tree data added.

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#3

Hi @stuart it looks like you’ve created a very useful tool. Thanks for sharing it with the community here.

I’ll be sure to mention this utility to any family history researchers that get in touch with us as I’m sure they’ll find it useful.

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#5

I use MacFamily Tree and have been looking (for ages!) for a Timeline app/program to plan out our Family Story. I have tried with Aeon Timeline previously but never succeeded to get to grips with it in such a useful way that you have.
I would really appreciate it if you will share

  • the unlocked tree2csv app,
  • your Aeon template and
  • (*full please) instructions of how to combine the two together.
    Thank you very much
    Regards,

Stephen Pugh

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#6

Hi @SteveP -

I don’t have any of the free codes left but it is cheap to unlock the tree2csv app should you wish to do so.

You (and anyone else) can test things out with the Kennedy family files like I used in the demo. Note that the blank demo file was created in v3.5 so you would need to be using the beta to be able to open it. I believe 3.5 is to be fully released next week though if you don’t have it.

Download files

Once you have the files then follow these instructions to import the different csvs (that tree2csv produces). These will guide you through the import process step-by-step.

Once the files have been imported I recommend saving and restarting Aeon. Then it is just a case of playing with groupings, adapting the content displayed in each view and adding new views to suit your needs.

Also - the sample file has calendar markers added for the UK census years as I find these a good help in identifying missing entries etc. You may want to delete/adjust these depending on where your research is based.

Any questions you can let me know.

#7

Hi Stuart,
Thank you so much for sharing the sample files and tree2csv instructions.

I have downloaded the pro version of tree2csv from the App Store, and will spend some time refamiliarising myself with Aeon Timeline, so that I will be (more) ready to work with v3.5 when it’s released next week (Hopefully!)

Thanks again!

#8

I have just installed v3.5.36 in order to import a csv file but the import option is greyed out in the File tab.
What do I need to do to initiate the import function??
Thank you very much

#9

Seeing your post, I did a quick experiment and found that you have to be inside of an open project for import to work. I hope this helps.

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#10

Yep - if you have the template file open then importing should be an option.

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#11

Thank you very much for pointing out my basic error - more haste less speed! I was too keen to get started.

Can I just clarify in the instructions to import data into Aeon Timeline`:

Step 3d: Import your Families data

  1. Select the EVENTS csv that has been exported from tree2csv
    I think that should read FAMILIES csv data
    (else the names/details for the following steps do not correspond).

Thank you very much for the comprehensive instructions and the very useful tree2csv app.

I have now used the template to import the Sample (Kennedy) dataset and look forward to familiarising myself with all the new views &c in Aeon Timeline 3.5

Thanks again for your helpful support & app

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#12

Ah yes. It should indeed. Thanks for flagging. I’ll get that fixed up.

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