New Tree Tool ???

[Jim Barrett]

One absolutely crucial thing is missing in the Beta. That is that LOCATIONS (birth places) MUST be displayed for the induviduals in the default view! Just showing names is just confusing.

Alpha testers didn't see date or location!

[tlgarrison]

Have you found a way to make that work at FTDNA when the surname is found beyond the first 9 generations? Often, my intent is only to identify the location of that surname when it gets back that far, and if it's not on the first page, I get the "ping" letting me know it's not found when in fact it's only hidden somewhere in the 10th or 11th generation. At Ancestry you at least have the surname column list on the left hand side.

instead of clicking 9, click All. Then use the browser Find. That is how I do it. Of course you could type the name in their search box but like stated before I prefer to use browser search.

[ShellyH]

instead of clicking 9, click All. Then use the browser Find. That is how I do it. Of course you could type the name in their search box but like stated before I prefer to use browser search.

You know, I've never even noticed "All" before! Thanks. That helps a lot!

[LynCra]

I had also misunderstood and thought that the maximum was 9. I wrongly assumed that "all" was the same as 9. Now I am going to have to go back through all match gedcoms and take a new look at the extra generations lying hidden behind "all". I hope that in the new version it becomes more intuitive that the full pedigree can be seen.

[ERHill66]

I am one of the lucky 5% and glad to help if i can. A couple of the big advantages Ancestry has is number of people testing and the number of those testing having already a tree which makes a big difference. Having something to look at is very helpful besides the chromosome browser which want tell you names, times, and location like a tree.

[ShellyH]

I had also misunderstood and thought that the maximum was 9. I wrongly assumed that "all" was the same as 9. Now I am going to have to go back through all match gedcoms and take a new look at the extra generations lying hidden behind "all". I hope that in the new version it becomes more intuitive that the full pedigree can be seen.

Glad I'm not the only one. If they leave it as is, perhaps they could move "all" below "9" to show that it's a different animal.

[KATM]

Description in Learning Center

Just saw the "New Feature: Family Tree" page in the Learning Center, added Sept. 4th:

https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/ftdna/how-to-family-tree/

Gives an idea of what it will be like for those of us who were not early testers. Looks like location and more will be available to add to each person's profile:

"To edit a profile further, select the Edit icon near the top-right corner. From here you may edit or add names, birth information, location, surnames, or add stories and notes."

I'm looking forward to it!

[WCoaster]

I like the pedigree charts as they are, clean and easy to navigate. Maybe I'll decide I like this when it's rolled out, but right now I'm not sure.

So now we can import matches to our family tree... Will we have a say over who can import us or how they can claim we're related to them? Surely we'd need to agree to that? And will old "distant cousin" confirmations count as automatic consent?

I don't mean this as a rant. I'd just really like to know.

[MoberlyDrake]

I like pedigree charts too. Not only are they easy to navigate, but they make counting generation from common ancestor to tester a whole lot easier!

If you can ever find such thing as a common ancestor. All I can find are hypothetical ones, supposing such-and-such a theory is correct.

So now, we are supposed to be able to add our DNA matches to our tree. Does that mean we have to first add their whole line of descent from the common ancestor?

My mother's kit was among the first to be done here after they offered the kit in 2010. I think she got her results in June. Outside of other family members and one 3rd cousin, I have only identified a common ancestor in 3 cases and in all 3 cases it was 8 to 10 generations back. I don't see what good it would do to add these matches to my tree.

Do they think that adding pictures and stories will be an incentive to persuade people to upload trees?

[WCoaster]

Do they think that adding pictures and stories will be an incentive to persuade people to upload trees?

Sure looks that way. I wish they would leave the pedigrees alone and make the interactive tree an extra.

My handful of matches are pretty remote, too, and I don't see the point of adding them, as I'm sure they won't see any reason to add me.

[John McCoy]

In this discussion I've seen references to adding relationships with matches such that the common ancestor is many generations back. How exactly does that work? Do you add an entire branch, carrying the line down from the common ancestor to the match, showing all the intervening generations? Or do you just attach a notation to that common ancestor, indicating that a particular person from your match list descends from that ancestor? Under the new system, is the display (that others see) limited to your pedigree, or is it a "complete" representation of whatever GEDCOM you upload, with all the siblings, their marriages, etc.? Did this thing just become too complicated to use?

[MoberlyDrake]

I wasn't one of those chosen to test it, but from this https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/...o-family-tree/ it looks like it could be too complicated to bother with. I'm not sure from this what the advantages might be. I would have liked a simple pedigree chart with dates and places of birth, death and marriages showing without having to point your mouse to get a pop-up with the info. That made it almost impossible to copy the info.

I don't need fancy, just utilitarian!

[T E Peterman]

I think they should retain the gedcom trees as they are, but add an interactive global tree (which of course people could opt out of) that would include all tested patrilines & matrilines & Family Finder data. I sent the following to the beta tester email a couple of weeks ago:

1. When adding a new person to the tree, give the option of linking to someone already in a tree, regardless of whether DNA has been tested. I have numerous cases of double first cousins & to get this right, I have to be able to do this.

2. Allow us to link an individual to a kit without either: a) forcing a name change in the tree, or b) forcing a name change on the kit.

3. Allow the author to state the quality of a paper connection:

a. strong
b. weak
c. copied without original research
d. speculative

If strong is selected, a drop down list (click all that apply) would pop up with choices like: a) vital record, b) census, c) probate, d) land record, e) court record, f) obituary, g) cemetery, h) DAR or SAR verified. Give the author the option of attaching documents that make the case.

Quality should be stated for both given name & surname of each parent. For example, I have a g-g-g-g-g grandfather named Henry Kivett. His wife was clearly named Sarah. Family tradition says her maiden name was Aldridge. The will of William Aldridge names a daughter Sarah (without surname) & Henry Kivett witnessed the will. I would say that the link to Sarah is strong & the link to Aldridge is weak. In addition, quality should be assessed for events, including marriage/ divorce events.

If weak is selected, allow the author a space to state why he thinks this is valid.

If copied is selected, allow the author to cite a source.

4. merge all of the trees. We don't need to have 100 people rehashing the same stuff over and over. If there are differences between trees, create alternatives, so that each is represented with quality stated.

5. The author of each link should have his name attached to the link (added by). Give authors the right to make a link (or people) private (not viewable by others). But if only one author makes it public, it will become public, with (made public by) added.

6. Regarding DNA, each link should be either: 1) DNA confirmed, 2) DNA supported, 3) DNA untested, or 4) DNA excluded (with a big red X over the link).

If I think of anything else, I will send it to you.

Timothy Peterman
beta tester

[ERHill66]

Using a Tree to help with your research

I have two trees at the other company. One primary the second Gedcom. Primary has pictures and documentation and stories while the Gedcom has only Grandparents with birth and death information dates and places. The Gedcom is probably what I will do with the tree here at FTDNA. Maybe as time goes by I will add pictures and other information to help sale the product which helps with my research when other test and match me.

[Tenn4ever]

I wasn't one of those chosen to test it, but from this https://www.familytreedna.com/learn/...o-family-tree/ it looks like it could be too complicated to bother with. I'm not sure from this what the advantages might be. I would have liked a simple pedigree chart with dates and places of birth, death and marriages showing without having to point your mouse to get a pop-up with the info. That made it almost impossible to copy the info.

I don't need fancy, just utilitarian!

Where is the family tree page? I just signed it. I've searched the entire page and don't see the family tree page.