The Brisbane TMG Users Group's Home Page

THE BRISBANE TMG USERS GROUP
Welcome! Thanks for visiting the Brisbane TMG Users Group website, hosted and resourced by Garrison Communications.
WHAT'S NEW?

Our TMG Users Group {usually} meets the FIRST SATURDAY MORNING of each month at Garrison Communications, 26 Montrose Street, Gordon Park {Brisbane}, from 10am to noon.
Bring along your questions, your answers, your dataset on a memory stick...and let's workshop your TMG issues/tips/problems and share the lessons learned/solutions revealed!
THIS month a dozen TMG-ers, from novices to power users, lead to extra seating having to be summoned up in the Garrison Communications Boardroom.
Starting just about on-time, the get-together's focus settled on the most efficient TMG screen layout settings and touched on how to beef up the functionality of the "standard" default layout with its huge, space-hogging icons.
There were plenty of questions on the finer points as we together helped resolved various users' individual issues with TMG.
At least one attendee was baffled by recurring problems in getting TMG to back up successfully to her memory stick device...this too was satisfactorily resolved. We even managed to migrate a very ornery Family Tree Maker® ver.12 dataset file - in its native FTW format and containing several thousand names and heaps of high-resolution images - from one user's seriously under-powered laptop across to a brand new TMG ver.7.02 installation on a slightly more powerful laptop running Windows XP® - eliminating the necessity to re-key the lot (not to mention the prospect of losing years of genealogical background research).
In the end, the newly validated and optimised TMG dataset revealed it had been reinvigorated by a factor of some four megabytes of unneeded or wasted space! A great result.
STOP PRESS: A Primer for The Master Genealogist is now available from Garrison Communications. Click here to get this essential guide next to your keyboard now!
The 2008 scheduled BTMGUG meeting dates will be as follows (please re-check this website closer to each date for any last-minute postponements and/or cancellations):

Saturday, February 2 - attendance 4
Saturday, March 1 - 10
Saturday, April 5 - 10
Saturday, May 10 - 14
Saturday, June 14 - 12
Saturday, July 5
Saturday, August 2
Saturday, September 6
Saturday, October 4
Saturday, November 1
Saturday, December 6 {pre-Christmas break-up}

NEW VERSION RELEASED ON NEW YEAR'S!
The Master Genealogist® ver.7.x is now available from Garrison Communications! Click here to go to the order page.
This great new update includes bug fixes and more than 50 new and exciting features that were requested by researchers. TMG ver.7.x now includes even more tools to help you manage your research project, search and navigate the program, and produce professional reports. Following is a list of the major modifications in TMG ver.7.x - recently patched through to ver.7.02!
NOW EVEN EASIER TO USE

Beginner Buttons on the Person View make it easier to add, edit, delete, or change the primary status of tags (events, names, and relationships). Experienced users can deactivate these new buttons using a new Preference setting (Program Options > Data Entry).
The options and buttons on the Report Definition screen have been revised as requested by users.
The Exhibit Log contains new buttons that make it easier to add, edit, delete, check image properties, and perform other functions.
The method of resizing windows has been revised to be consistent with that of most other Windows applications. When you drag the border of a window with the mouse, the text stays the same size and the data space increases so that you can see more information on the screen. The base font size can be controlled by the minimum font size settings in Preferences (i.e., Lists, Project Explorer, and Memos). The new resizing method does not apply to the Family View and Tree View which would not benefit from such a change. The base fonts for those windows, however, can be specified in Preferences (Program Options > Other). Users who preferred the scaled objects of the older resizing method can revert to that behavior using a new Preference option (Program Options > Other).
New Reminder Pop-Up Windows for Tag Types, Sources, and Source Types help you to remember how to use the fields and encourage consistent data entry. When recording a source, for instance, the window will remind you where to record each piece of data, how to use split memos (when appropriate), what to reserve for the citation detail, etc. Reminders can be customised but default reminders are applied to existing projects which use standard tag and source types. Reminder windows open and close automatically but this behavior can be disabled with a Preference setting (Program Options > Data Entry). Where reminders are available, the window can be opened and closed with a new "light bulb" button.
A new feature to Check for Duplicates While Adding People will help to eliminate duplication in your project. Matching rules are based on the name and birth date but can consider non-primary names and other criteria. A new Preference page (Program Options > New People) gives you control over the matching rules and thresholds (Soundex, exact spelling, number of years, etc.). When possible duplicates are found, a Picklist button allows you to examine those people without losing your work on the Add Person screen.
New buttons on the Master Source List allow you to Export and Import Sources. Select all sources or a specific subset and send them to an external file which can then be imported to a different project, shared with another researcher, etc.
New buttons on the Source Types List allow you to Export and Import Source Types. Like sources, you can specify which source types to export and then transfer them to other projects or researchers. Researchers who specialise in different cultures can share source types along with their appropriate data entry fields, output templates, etc.
The source output preview buttons now honor formatting codes (bold, underline, italics, etc.) rather than displaying the codes themselves.
New buttons on the Tag Entry Screen make it easier to repeat the previous citation or select from a list of recent citations.
A new button on the Citation Entry screen allows you to add a new source without going first to the Master Source List.
A variety of new options have been added to right-click menus at the suggestion of users. For instance, the Focus Group list has a right-click menu option to "Select All." The Project Explorer has a new right-click option to "Change focus to this person in other windows". (This is handy when the Project Explorer is not linked to those windows.) The new Associates window (see below) has right-click options to "Add this person to the Focus Group" and "Add all of these people to the Focus Group".
MORE RESEARCH/ANALYSIS TOOLS

A new Associates Window shows all people (principals and witnesses) who share an event tag in any way with the focus person. A person might appear multiple times, each with the date and type of the shared event and the role that he or she played in it. This handy new window helps you see the "big picture" by showing the focus person's "circle of friends" all in one navigable list. By right-clicking on the Associates window, you can filter and sort it in a variety of ways or you can reduce it to a list of unique people, each showing the number of events which are shared with the focus person. The Associates window compliments other top-level windows, can be opened along with others, and is available from the Layout toolbar. Its size and position can be saved with your custom screen layout. The filter and sort settings are remembered and used again the next time that you use TMG.
The List of Witnesses on the Tag Entry Screen now displays the specific name variation that has been associated with that event for each witness.
The Picklist and Project Explorer can now be sorted by the Last Edited Date.
The Picklist and Project Explorer now support a variety of multi-level sorts. For instance, if you have a dozen people with the same given name and surname, they can be sorted within that group by birth date or by death date. Other multi-level sorting options are also available.
The Research Log can now be filtered by task keyword.
The Relationship Calculator and the Automatic Relationship Tag now also display relationships as calculated through the spouse(s) of one of the two people. For example:
third cousin of his wife
wife of her third cousin
father-in-law (father of her husband)
daughter-in-law (husband of his son)

Y-DNA templates have been added for DNA Ancestry. The Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) test now includes DNA Ancestry® as a selection.
MULTIMEDIA ENHANCEMENTS

Exhibit Highlighting allows you to "draw" on an image to annotate it. You're actually drawing on a invisible layer above the image, however, so the original is not changed. You can select any color, use various drawing tools, and even specify the transparency level of your annotations. If the highlighted image is made primary, it will be displayed in the Image window and output in box charts and other reports which support images. At any time you can click "reset" to erase the highlighting and return to the original image.
In addition to the interface changes mentioned above, a new option on the Exhibit Log's right-click menu is Insert New Exhibit (other). It lets you more easily link Word® documents, Powerpoint® presentations or other non-standard exhibit types. The same thing can be achieved by clicking on the new button and then changing the file type to "All files (*.*)".
A new Preferences page (Program Options > Exhibits) allows you to specify whether new images that you add to the Exhibit Log will be made internal or external by default (or ask each time).
NEW NARRATIVE CONTROLS
A new Sentence Preview helps you to predict what a sentence will look like in a report. By being able to immediately see the effect of your changes, you'll gain more control over these advanced features and produce better narrative reports. (Source citations are not shown in the sentence preview)
A new sentence code, [+], when placed at the beginning of a sentence will cause it to be added to the end of the previous sentence when a report is generated. This makes it easier to output compound sentences, including embedded source citations.
A new sentence code, [:NP:], tells TMG to add no punctuation to the end of the sentence. Among other purposes, it might be entered as the sole value in a sentence in order to output an event exhibit at a specific point without any accompanying sentence.
You can now use characters that would otherwise have a special meaning in TMG by "escaping" them. The escape character is a backslash (\) and it tells TMG that the character which immediately follows it should be output literally and not interpreted as a special character. The backslash itself is not included in the output. For instance "\{1820\}" will be output as "{1820}" rather than being interpreted as sensitive data. Similarly, "\[ED\]" in a source template will be output as "[ED]" rather than being interpreted as a source element. The backslash itself can also be escaped ("\\"). The escape character is recognised in memos (tag, witness, citation, source, and repository), sentence structures, source templates, source fields, and the citation detail.
A new standard tag type, NarrativeChildren, can be used to override the standard "Children of X and Y were:" text when introducing a list of children or the "There were no children of X and Y" text in a Journal report.
The Options>Tags tab has a number of new options to provide more control over the content of the list of children in the Journal report. Among other uses, you can limit the report to 1 generation (on the General tab) and then use the new options on the Tags tab to limit the text for all children, thereby producing a narrative for a single person (and optionally his/her spouse) that includes a brief list of children.
Embedded citations now support inclusion of the citation memo, e.g., [CIT:]124; citation detail; citation memo[:CIT].
NEW REPORTING TOOLS

A new Columnar Option on the List of Citations report allows you to specify the fields to be included and supports export to spreadsheets and databases for external processing.
Likewise, a new Columnar Option on the List of Sources report provides more flexibility than the default formatted report.
The List of Events and List of Witnesses reports now allow you to output the specific name variation that has been associated with each event participant (not just his/her primary name).
Hundreds of New Filter Options allow you to search your data by even more criteria.
EVEN MORE CUSTOMISATION OPTIONS
In addition to those mentioned above...

A new Preference option (Program Options > Tag Box) allows you to turn off the memo and source columns in the Tag Box.
The custom toolbar can now include one or more buttons to load specific layouts.
New Preference settings (Current Project Options > Advanced) let you specify the default folders for exports, report output, configuration files, repeat files, slideshows, and timelines (among other earlier options).
A new Preference option (Program Options > Prompts) lets you control whether or not to search for embedded citations when deleting a source.
OTHER NEW FEATURES

TMG ver.7.x is native to Windows Vista®. It will also run on Windows XP® and Windows 2000®. (Windows 98® and NT® are no longer supported).
TMG ver.6.12 and TMG ver.7 can both be run on the same machine without conflict (but not with the same project).
The TMG installer now allows you to select the installation language. English, German, Dutch, and Norwegian are currently supported.
The Help File has been updated to include the new features of TMG ver.7.x and now uses the more modern HTML-help format, including support for full-text search.

BUG FIXES

Ancestry.com and Genealogy Portal.com have been removed from the web search because of changes to those web sites. Searching of Ancestry.com may be reinstated but, in the meantime, the results screen after searching RootsWeb includes a link to see results for the same search on Ancestry.com.
Fixed searching by Reference field on the Picklist and Project Explorer.
Fixed subscript errors that were possible during GEDCOM® export.
Fixed primary events after an import from Family Origins®.
Fixed a problem that could cause an error while adding a married name tag.
Fixed a problem that could cause the Exhibit Log to open when not intended.
Fixed a problem that could cause a Picklist filter to be applied instead to the Project Explorer.
The Delete button on the keyboard did not work to delete a highlighted tag.
Fixed a rare problem that could cause the program to lock up when changing flags with a List of People report.
The font was not being resized correctly for the "cited" column on the Master Source List.
Fixed a possible "array dimensions" error when editing a citation for a name tag.
Fixed some contexts in which the focus person would sometimes change erroneously.
Fixed the sorting of the List of People, Names, Events, and Witnesses reports when sent to an Excel file.
Fixed an error that occurred if a source template was previewed by two different instances of the program at the same time.
Fixed a bug that caused the default sentence to not be displayed in one language when there was a local sentence in another language for the same tag.
Fixed a bug that would cause "1 NOTE" to be exported to GEDCOM® when the note was excluded.
Fixed a bug that would cause tags with excluded sentences to be exported to GEDCOM® even though "Show excluded data" was selected.
eviations.
Fixed a bug that allowed the current language to be deleted.
Fixed an "Array dimensions are invalid" error if the user clicked on the [Move Up] or [Move Down] buttons on the list of citations or witnesses if using the tabbed version of the Tag Entry screen and those lists are empty.
Fixed the [Go To Principal 1] and [Go To Principal 2] buttons on the Master Event List when opened from the Master Place List.
Fixed a problem that could cause the F1 (Help) key not work on the Message Manager.
Fixed a problem that would cause a non-primary tag to be automatically changed to primary when edited.
Filtering by repository fields did not work from the List of Sources report.
If a family record in a GEDCOM® file had more than one divorce, one of them was not imported.
Fixed a problem with the import of citations from Family Tree Maker®.
When exporting an entire project to an Excel® file, the memo fields (e.g., event memo, citation detail, etc.) were not included.
Fixed a problem with Validate File Integrity which would erroneously report errors after importing a TMG ver.4.x project.
Fixed a possible problem editing the name of an existing role.
Fixed a variety of other more rare and esoteric bugs as reported by users.
UPGRADING USERS:
The unlock code can be purchased now by registered ver. 6.12 (or earlier) users for just $35.00 (incl. GST) - delivered by e-mail - just click here.
Screen shots about some of the new features are available from: http://www.whollygenes.com/tmgnew7.htm
To purchase your copy or to upgrade to The Master Genealogist® ver.7.x, please visit: Garrison Communications or http://www.whollygenes.com/upgrades.htm
==== Important Note About Upgrading to TMG ver.7.x ===========
Users upgrading to TMG ver.7.x should please understand the following important points:

TMG ver.6.12 and TMG ver.7.x can run happily on the same computer at the same time. Your unlock code (aka "licence" or "serial number") for TMG ver.6.12 will not unlock TMG ver.7.x, however. Shortly after purchasing the TMG ver.7.x upgrade, you will receive a new serial number by email to unlock the new program. If you do not see it, please check your spam or junk folder for a message with a subject that begins with "Serial Number for The Master Genealogist® ver.7.x".
Although TMG ver.6.12 and ver.7.x can be run at the same time on the same computer, they cannot access the same project. Once a project is upgraded to TMG ver.7.x, it cannot be read again by ver.6.12.
To upgrade an existing project to TMG ver.7.x you must back it up from ver.6.12 (or earlier) and restore it to ver.7.x. You cannot simply use File>Open to access a project which was created in an earlier version.
TMG ver.7.x uses a new strategy for data file storage in accordance with Microsoft® recommendations. Most notably, data files can no longer be stored in the program folder. During the restore process, ver.7.x data files are automatically placed in their new default locations, depending on their type (e.g., projects, exhibits, speller checking dictionary, layouts, report configurations, etc.). Again, this process is completely automatic and most users will be satisfied to just accept the default settings in the Restore Wizard.
If you are curious about the details of the new file storage system, however, please consult the topic called "Data File Storage" in the TMG ver.7.x Help file. Power users who prefer to isolate multiple projects so that they don't share configuration files, exhibit folders, etc., are especially encouraged to read this help topic and the linked topics for "Advanced Users".
THEREFORE, the process to upgrade your data from ver.6.12 (or earlier) to ver.7.x is as follows:

1) Run TMG ver.6.12 and back up your data (File > Backup). In Step 2 of the Backup Wizard, be SURE to make a note of the backup file location. In Step 3, be sure to include accents, filters, layouts, report configurations, and any other customisations that you want to move to ver.7.x.
2) Purchase your ver.7.x Unlock Code upgrade to The Master Genealogist® ver.7.x or the full program on disk from Garrison Communications.
3) Install TMG ver.7.x and run that program with the Sample project. Consult the "Data File Storage" help topic if desired.
4) Restore your project to TMG ver.7.x (File > Restore), selecting the backup file that you created in Step #1. Since TMG ver.6.12 and ver.7.x can peacefully co-exist on your computer, we recommend that you do not uninstall the earlier version until you're happily accessing your data with the new program.
CHECK OUT THE 'GUIDED TOUR'
This extensive self-running demo provides a complete overview of TMG's main features. You can use pause, rewind, and fast forward buttons to view the demo at your own pace or you can jump directly to a topic that interests you.
This is a great way to learn the basics of The Master Genealogist® and it is strongly recommended for new users.

Click here to download the file guided tour (only about 8 Megs).
In the meantime, don't forget to regularly log into the Wholly Genes Community at http://www.whollygenes.com/forums201/index.php for all the latest news, chat rooms, forums, downloads and so much more.
Some beaut new filters
If you are looking for some beefed-up filter protocols, download samplefilters.zip and unzip same into your "projects" sub-folder of The Master Genealogist®.
Microsoft Windows® Vista® and TMG ver.6.12
If you are using Vista® you will need to download the free 30-day Trial UK Gold Edition of TMG from the Wholly Genes website. Only the full installer version of ver.6.12 will work correctly.
Please see the following article on TMG and Windows Vista®. It includes the resolution for the Help files.
http://www.whollygenes.com/files/tmg6andwinvista.pdf
Its extensive list of features and attention to the highest academic standards has given The Master Genealogist® the reputation among experienced researchers as "the one that does it all".
Users with a standard installation of The Master Genealogist® (you must have Gold Edition ver.5.11 or later) to upgrade to the UK Gold Edition ver.6.12.For more information about TMG UK Gold Edition ver.6.12, visit: http://www.garrisonau.com/webcontent24.htm.
YOUR FEEDBACK WELCOME!
If you have some feedback, please e-mail your thoughts to the Brisbane group's Honorary Convenor, Peter Collins, at tmg@garrisonau.com.
Perhaps you will tell a friend about the existence of the group and bring him/her along next time.
While stocks last, you can pick up a superseded, but fully-working copy of TMG Gold Edition ver.5.x with its associated printed manual, installation CD and unlock code for just $25.00 (incl. GST and P&H).
This would be a great option if you've always wanted to upgrade to ver.5.x from an earlier edition, or if you have a colleague who is curious about the program and would like to try it without going straight to ver.6.12.
Please note that ver.5.x's unlock code will not work on a ver.6.12 installation.
The upgrade path to ver.6.12 - available from Garrison Communications - costs $115.45 (including GST, and certified Australia Post postage and handling). Visit www.garrisonau.com/prod37.htm to purchase ver.6.12.
Phone (1300) 303-608 (local call charge within Australia) for more details.
History
The Brisbane TMG Users Group (BTMGUG) - for those who have purchased, or are contemplating purchasing The Master Genealogist® - was formally inaugurated at Australian Genealogy Roadshow on Thursday, April 17, 2003.
This website went "live" on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 at 12.45pm, with your honorary webmaster and convenor of the group, Peter Collins, in the design chair. I would very much appreciate your input as to how we progress this project further.
Some ideas I'm kicking around include having an ongoing Q&A column running on this page, so that users can canvas opinions/suggestions/work-arounds that other TMG users might find helpful.
As a long-term TMG Gold user, I am determined to "get under the bonnet" of this wonderfully versatile piece of software and to stretch its capabilities even further...perhaps you are too?
These were the 2007 meeting dates at Garrison Communications' Board Room:

Saturday, February 3 - attendance 7
Saturday, March 3 - 9
Saturday, April 14 - 8
Saturday, May 12 - 7
Saturday, June 2 - 9
Saturday, July 7 - 9
Saturday, August 4 - meeting cancelled due to illness
Saturday, September 1 - 6
Saturday, October 6 - 6
Saturday, November 3 - 8
Saturday, December 1 {pre-Christmas break-up}
These were the 2006 meeting dates at Garrison Communications' Board Room:

Saturday, February 4, 2006 - attendance 6
Saturday, March 4, 2006 - 11
Saturday, April 1, 2006 - 7
Saturday, May 6, 2006 - 9
Saturday, June 3, 2006 - 12
Saturday, July 1, 2006 - 8
Saturday, August 5, 2006 - 10
Saturday, September 2, 2006 - 11
Saturday, October 14, 2006 - 8
Saturday, November 4, 2006 - 9
Saturday, December 2, 2006 - 12

These were the 2005 meeting dates at Chermside Municipal Library:

Thursday, February 10, 2005 - attendance 6
Thursday, March 10, 2005 - 5
Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 6
Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 8
Thursday, June 9, 2005 - 7
Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 9
Thursday, August 11, 2005 - 6
Thursday, September 8, 2005 - 8
Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 7
Thursday, November 10, 2005 - 5

These were the 2004 meeting dates at Chermside Municipal Library:

Thursday, June 17, 2004 - the inaugural get-together
Thursday, July 22, 2004
Thursday, August 19, 2004
Thursday, September 16, 2004
Thursday, October 13, 2004
Thursday, November 18, 2004 - attendance 8

So don't stand on ceremony...pass on your own contributions to this TMG users' dialogue. Simply e-mail me your thoughts/suggestions and I may post them on this page for all to share.
BTMGUG stalwart, Pam, has passed on the following tidbit and URL link that should be of interest to all local family historians:
"Australian celebs to trace family tree Following the success of the UK series Who Do You Think You Are?, an Australian series has been under production, tracing the family history of celebrities. Now details have been revealed as to who the Australian celebs will be. For more information go to: http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/09/aussie-celebs-to-trace-family-tree.html". Thanks for the item, Pam.
By the way, have you seen the amazing array of report formats that TMG (Gold Edition) ver.6.12 is capable of whipping up from your data, lately? Check out the sample reports demo on the Wholly Genes website.

Longing for links?

Check out Lee Hoffman's amazing collection of TMG hints.

Essential viewing: Terry Reigel is a TMG expert user.Click here to brush up on the basics or to find out what's new, go to http://tmg.reigelridge.com/whatsNew.htm.

Sydney TMG Users Group - a sub-group of the Sydney-based Society of Australian Genealogists Incorporated. (Click here for more details).

United Kingdom TMG Users Group. Its content is perhaps a little bit dated, but still worth bookmarking, if only for the nostalgia of the report about Bob Velke's first trip to the UK back in May 2004 when he launched TMG on to the British genealogy community.

Perth TMG Users Group. This group is a sub-set of the Western Australian Genealogy Society Incorporated, based in Perth.

Canberra TMG Users Group. Be sure to check out the CTMGUG member, Shane Baker's very handy "how-to" guide (in PDF format) for perfecting your own TMG "timelines". Click here for more details.

Ottawa TMG Users Group. See how the Ontario users have taken to all things TMG.

Check out this presentation about the very nifty "associates" menu that now is standard in TMG ver.7.x. This PDF-format report was give on January 12, 2008 by Sue Hilton, a member of the TMG Users Group of Southern Maine in the United States. Click here for details.

Drop me an e-mail at tmg@garrisonau.com.

This space for this website and all webmaster/design work has been kindly donated by Garrison Communications.
It was first posted on Tuesday, May 13, 2003 and was last updated on Monday, June 16, 2008. TMG Users Group [BTMGUG] websites [www.garrisonau.com/tmg] are the property of their respective holders.