APPLE CHOICE Mac software
Charts are rendered much more quickly and you’re now
offered a far wider variety of customisation options.90 | MACFORMAT | DECEMBER 2019 Image credit: Synium SoftwareMacFamilyTree 9.0
£54.99 FROM Synium Software, syniumsoftware.com
NEEDS macOS 10.13 or laterFamily history tool gets a major overhaul
L
et’s cut to the chase here.
MacFamilyTree is by far the
best family history app currently
available for your Mac. It’s packed with all
the features you’d expect, from powerful tools
for recording your tree to seamless integration
with FamilySearch for tracking down
ancestors and records. Version 9.0 lifts this
comprehensive genealogy app to new heights.
The interface has been refreshed and
redesigned, with the main navigation sections
and tools moved from the top of the window
to the left-hand side. After the initial jarring,
it works – everything is pretty much where
it was, so no re-learning required. The
submenus are also collapsible, making
it easy to reclaim more workspace.
Version 9.0 focuses most of its changes
on the software’s publishing tools. These
have been rewritten from the ground up:underlying tech improvements result in
snappier performance and better rendering of
charts and reports. New default themes and
templates bring them up to date, and once
you’ve worked out where all the existing
customisation options have been movedto, you’ll be able to
appreciate further
improvements. These
include better export
options, and new
and revamped chart
and report editors
that support
MacFamilyTree’s proud
boast that they’re almost
infinitely configurable. While
the same can’t be said for the
software’s book publishing tool,
you do at least get more control
over fonts and colours.DNA and database
One other major new feature is another
overdue addition: support for recording
DNA test results next to individuals in
your tree. This is accompanied
by a smattering of database
improvements, such as support
for alternate place names and the
ability to manually specify birth
order among children with no
birth dates. And the CloudSync tool now
has no more limits on family tree sizes.
MacFamilyTree is the perfect example
of how software should be developed: since
version 8 was launched back in 2015, Synium
has released five major free updates. Version
9.0 may not debut any radical new features,
but its significant overhaul of its charting
and reporting tools, coupled with interface
tweaks, make it a compelling pull, both
for existing users looking to upgrade and
newbies. Pair it with MobileFamilyTree
9.0 and you’ll also be able to sync, view and
update your tree from your iPhone and iPad.
Is it perfect? Not quite – we’d like integration
with more online services like Ancestry,
for example – but it’s damned close.
Whether you’re an existing user or
getting into family history for the
first time, MacFamilyTree 9.0
is a must-have. NICK PEERSVersion 9.0 lifts this genealogy app
to new heights; focusing most of its
changes on the publishing toolsMacFamilyTree is
powerful, easy to
navigate, and packed
with useful features.HHHHH
Slick new interface
Revamped
publishing tools
Record your DNA results
Snappier performanceVERDICT