It seems to me that you are making lots of money from your Ancestery . com from the researchers and genealogy users and not worrying to much about the FTM programmes.
Remember that we are the ones that can choose what programme that we use. eg we pay your wages….
I would like to see a lot more report features eg Fan Chart covering 8 generations.

Box Charts and a few more general reports that work.

Also deletes of spouseless relationships to be able to delete wrong information entered.
A new data box for christning dates there is nowhere in the entering fields to place this information.

Thanks

last month I bought and registered FTM2008 and it shows the version-Nr. 17.0.0.757.

On your Homepage I found the message , that I have to Update with a patch.

I tried it manually but I always get the Error-message as being seen in the attach.

Please help,
I am a german user and I have FTM2008 in german.

Thanks in advance and kind regards

Eberhard Ronnewinkel

Email: eronnewinkel@netcologne.de

following is the conclusion of exchange with your tech staff regarding Chart graphics not being visible in preview or print modes. I was in disbelief. By all means they need to be versed on how FTM 08 works on various generations of XP etc, and suggest OS tweaks as needed.

Now, here’s the rest of the threads.

> [===> Please enter your reply below this line Well…then you can’t help the average user very well, can you?. I guess you read from a script of expected questions, and don’t think outside the box. Look, some of us are at best computer literate, but not well versed in the programming and tools that make operating systems work, various service paks etc. As a software seller, Ancestry.com needs to HELP the average user by asking those little questions about their operating systems…considering an older computer just doesn’t support all the Ancestry FTM graphics. I feel bad for the community that doesn’t understand older operating system limitations and spends countless fruitless hours, as I did, trying to get answers from you folks. This is a freebie for you, and I hope someone writes it down for lessons learned. If you are using Windows XP circa 2001, you need the latest XP service paks to make the Ancestry FTM charts work.

Subject
> Re: no text in charts in preview or print mode [Incident: 080729-000480]
>
> Discussion Thread
> Response (Troy) 09/08/2008 05:37 PM
> Dear Bridget,
>
> We appreciate your message.
>
> That is great. I am sorry about not knowing that we are not trained on Windows products only our own.
>
> If there is anything else with which we might assist you, please let us know.
>
> Troy
> Member Solutions
> Family Tree Maker Support
> http://ftm.custhelp.com/
> Customer (Bridget Bauer) 09/05/2008 09:33 AM
> my office computer technician installed the latest service pak for Windows XP. That solved it. Now why couldn’t you figure that out?? All you had to do was consider my computer specifics that I gave you and ask if I had installed the latest XP service paks. Brilliant. Thanks for not much help.

A computer hardware savvy friend installed the latest Windows XP service pack…which seemed to fix the problem. I’ve not seen it yet for my own eyes. But…your folks could not come to this answer. Very disappointing, as is the Ancestry version of what was a great family tree maker. The verdict is not yet in…when I get my computer back home and restart my latest project, I will decide if the Ancestry version is worth keeping. I still have FTM 16 on my system….think I’ll hang on to it.

One subject I did not see addressed in the blog was the ability to drag and drop photos. In the Broderbund version, on my banner length descendant chart, I could insert photos from file and drag them wherever I wanted them, for example wedding photos above the boxes of the persons, and size them to be easily seen, 3×4 or 2×3. These pictures were in the blank white space above the chart boxes…and really add to the look of the 22 foot banner. I did not put them in the chart boxes. Makes the image way too small.

Does the Ancestry version have an INSERT PICTURE tool, or do the pictures have to be in the chart boxes??

I can see many other folks have the same frustrations as I have had. Honestly, Ancestry FTM has too many bells and whistles, if you ask me.

Now…here’s the unhappy threads…

> 08-27-08 - My computer has been upgraded with addtional RAM and storage capacity, and newest service paks, etc. It’s been cleaned, defragged, etc. . We tried again and there is NO text showing in any of the CHARTS other than the relationship chart. I don’t need that one. I need the hourglass chart. No text appears in the boxes. Yes…there are facts in all the PEOPLE sheets. I select NAME, Birth and Death for items to include. Then generate the chart. NOTHING….only boxes. What is your tech help telephone #?? I can’t call during business hours…so I need a # that answers after 6pm Central time. Thanks. Meanwhile, I am going to try to get some answers by googling this problem. Bridget in KC

> [===> Please enter your reply above this line
>
> Subject
> no text in charts in preview or print mode
>
> Discussion Thread
> Response (Troy) 08/08/2008 11:49 AM
> Dear Bridget,
>
> We appreciate your message.
>
> The problems that you are seeing is not normal for use I have never had anyone not have data in a chart.
>
> You may want to call in and see if someone can help you over the phone. There is too many variables to go over thru email.
>
> About the pictures if you have pictures in your profiles for people, then on the right of the screen you will see picture in the options and you can pick between thumbnail or photo
>
> If there is anything else with which we might assist you, please let us know.
>
> Troy
> Member Solutions
> Family Tree Maker Support
> http://ftm.custhelp.com/
> Customer (Bridget Bauer) 08/08/2008 09:46 AM
> OF COURSE, THERE IS INFORMATION ABOUT ALL THE INDIVIDUALS!!! But I am not talking about REPORTS!!!!! I am talking about the CHARTS, the family tree graphics feature. You missed the whole point of the question. This is a problem with the CHARTS….
>
> I have over 700 individual records in my family tree database. All the data is there in individual records, family records, etc. For my current project, I am selecting less than 200 of those records. Reports work fine. The charts do not.
>
> I never had this problem with the Broderbund version of the CHARTS. I could always preview any style of chart, hourglass, ancestry, descendants and all the requested information would be there in the little boxes. In FTM 08…even if I request a small chart, for example, of myself, my parents and grandparents (not a lot of data for such)…the boxes appear, the thumbnail photos appear but NO text, no matter how I size the boxes and fonts. In a few of the boxes, some text appears, but it is all
> scrambled, no matter how I size the font, or the box. I thought it might be a problem of the thumbnail occupying too much space, so I deleted that from the Items to Include list.
>
> My computer is Windows XP….it’s about five years old. But like I say, I do not have this chart problem with the Broderbund version of FTM I’ve used for years.
> Honestly, I am tempted to dump FTM 08. It just is more complicated, has features I don’t need but are in the way, and the chart doesn’t work. I had other questions you didn’t answer, like the* insert picture in to the chart feature *I described. I have not tried to do that yet, but if we can’t get a basic chart to appear with text, I am not going to proceed further. Most of the reports functions in FTM 08 are available on the old Broderbund I know and love.
>
> I am having my computer serviced….just in case this is a hard drive capacity issue, but I don’t think that’s it. I printed the 700 person chart, complete with pictures and basic information (name, birth - death) last fall on this computer, using the old Broderbund FTM. No problems. I think you all messed up this fine old program.
>
> looking forward to your reply.
> Response (Troy) 08/07/2008 07:01 PM
> Dear Bridget,
>
> We appreciate your message.
>
> So let me see if I get this right, in FTM 08 when you run a report not matter what report it is you have NAME,BIRTH,DEATH selected in items to include and you are not getting any information populating in the boxes.
>
> If you go to your PEOPLE and select PERSON ( where it shows the facts is there anything in this section)
>
> If there is anything else with which we might assist you, please let us know.
>
> Troy
> Member Solutions
> Family Tree Maker Support
> http://ftm.custhelp.com/
> Customer (Bridget Bauer) 07/29/2008 09:51 AM
> I just started using FTM 2008 - have downloaded the patch, etc, and updates. Have used the Broderbund FTM for years, so I am not a rookie!! Since 1995, I have prepared family histories for four different families.
>
> I am very frustrated with Ancestry.com’s version. While all the existing data seems to load, the general layout and workability is way too process oriented.
>
> One product I produce is the family tree charts (always very easy in the old FTM). My current project includes many generations of ancestors and descendants , using my grandfather as the primary person.
>
> When I generate the hourglass chart, NO text appears, in either PREVIEW or PRINT modes. The boxes are empty. I included basic name, birth and death info. If it appears, it’s garbled…but most of the boxes are empty. I’ve changed box sizes, etc. That didn’t help. I added thumbnail pix, and some of those appear, but not the ones tagged as primary in the OLD FTM database.
>
> I zoomed in and out, thinking it was so small not to be seen. Nope…nothing there. In the old FTM, I could zoom in and out and see all the text, pictures etc. I didn’t put pictures in the boxes on the old, because I could insert and drag them where I needed near the box for the particular person. And, in print preview and print…the pictures would stay where I put them.
>
> But right now, pictures are not the issue. I want basic information to show up in the chart boxes, and it doesn’t. At all.
>
> I tried the other charts and the same thing happens. The ONLY chart where text appears in the boxes (partial at that) is the Pedigree Chart.
>
> Do I have to buy the Charts program advertised in your store?? This is ridiculous.
>
> I am tempted to junk the new version entirely unless you can tell me what’s wrong. Again, when I generate an hourglass chart (or any of them) NO TEXT appears in 99% of the boxes, and if it does, it is garbled no matter how I size the font and box. It’s not my computer, because I have routinely printed a 25′x 4′ banner desecendant chart for past family reunions, complete with pictures!!! And been able to see it on the screen before I hit print.
>
> I am at work now, my family tree project is on my home computer. I will read your answer here, and send it home. Tell me a phone number and hours I can call from home for this kind of tech support.
>
> Last thing….I didn’t receive a help guide with my software. Can I get one? I’ve been going on basic instinct and experience with the Broderbund FTM.
>
> thank you
>
> Bridget Bauer
> 12245 Charlotte
> Kansas City MO 64146
> Auto-Response