FTM 2009 Released

The Ancestry blog announced the FTM 2009 release yesterday along with a list of features:

The Family Tree Maker team is pleased to announce the release of Family Tree Maker 2009. We are excited about the new features and user requested tools included in this version.

Over the past year, we have been making patches available that include additional functionality and features that our customers have asked for. In addition, the features included in the 2009 version come primarily from our Family Tree Maker 2008 users, showing us what features should be released next and testing the product to make sure it is working at top efficiency. We had more than 300 beta testers for Family Tree Maker 2009. We appreciate this active and ongoing participation.

Take a look at what’s new since the original release of Family Tree Maker 2008. Features available for the first time in Version 2009 are marked with an asterisk (*).

Genealogy Reports

• Register and Ahnentafel full reports


• Register and Ahnentafel simplified reports*


• Data Errors report*

Charts

• Vertical Pedigree Chart


• Hourglass Chart*


• Horizontal Hourglass Chart*


• Bow Tie Chart*


• 180-Degree Fan Chart*


• Family Tree Chart*

Publishing Functionality

• Book layouts for main charts


• Saved settings in charts/reports


• Saved templates in charts


• Preparer information included in chart footers


• Enhancements to the RTF export


• Ability to show siblings within charts*


• Single-page PDF export from charts*


• Ability to add boxes in charts to a “Marked Box” category and modify box settings for these boxes*

Improved Data Manipulation Tools

• Change Place Name tool


• Find and Replace tool


• Streamlined data entry from any workspace using a full-featured edit person
  window*


• Ability to set spouse order (Person menu)*


• Ability to order media items for an individual*


• Find Individual tool (Edit menu)*


• Find Duplicate Individuals tool (Edit menu)*


• Ability to update multiple facts at one time (From Manage Facts or Fact options): change fact types, move description to place or place to description,
  mark as private*


• Insert foreign language characters into text fields*

Improvements within Research Tools

• Automatic simple backup at shutdown


• Ability to ignore hints*


• Option to delete existing facts in individual and Web merge*


• Inclusion of married names, AKAs, and titles in index*

Improvements to Import

• Improved name parsing


• OLE objects (PDF, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF) from previous FTM versions*


• Import previously ignored hints lists*

Improvements to Places

• Track and print your ancestors’ migration paths on interactive maps*


• Places toolbar that allows for researching place names not currently in the
  file and pinpointing places such as libraries, churches, and courthouses*

Improvements to Sources

• Copy and paste source citations

* New in Family Tree Maker 2009

Here’s what’s coming:

In addition, we are currently working on new features that will be available as part of Family Tree Maker 2009—as soon as they become available:

• Book Building


• Better Ancestry Member Tree Integration


• Improved Relationship Calculator


• Source templates based on Evidence Explained by source expert, Elizabeth Shown Mills


• And many others…

Thank you to all of the Family Tree Maker community for their loyalty through the years. We are committed to making Family Tree Maker the best desktop software for doing your family history.

Thank you,
The Family Tree Maker Team

Family Tree Maker 2009

It appears that FTM 2009 will continue to be improved based on FTM 2008 user feedback and that additional features will be added for no cost during the year. The upcoming bookbuilding feature will be available from within FTM2009 - no need to use AncestryPress.

Those who registered FTM 2008 will received FTM 2009 for Free.