On 14 May 2003 in soc.genealogy.methods, Heather Olsen wrote: > I am not using TMG, but am interested in the program. I have heard > wonderful things about TMG. I have been to the site and read > reviews and think that I am ready for an upgrade. I understand that > I can keep my 'whole' family in one file, but have subgroups so that > if I want to exchange info I can export only the subgroup that I > need. In the current version of TMG (5.07), you can either keep separate 'projects', or within a project, keep separate datasets. Alternately, you can create flags. You can use either one flag with multiple values, or multiple flags with T/F values, so that you can select people based on a flag. So you would either have a flag Mylines, with (arbitrary) values A for those in husband's father's line, B for husband's mother's line, C for wife's father's line, etc. Or you can have a flag Husbfather with values Y/N, Husbmother, ... TMG supports "up to 250 unique flags in each data set. There is no limit to the number of flags in a project." [TMG Help] I believe each flag can have up to 36 values (A-Z and 0-9). > Also, I understand that there is a way to save > variations of surname spellings, so that you can still search and > find, my current program will not find someone with a MUNDAY and > MUNDY as being connected. As with everything else, TMG offers several solutions to this. You can have an unlimited number of name records with an individual, so if you find an individual with MUNDY on some records and MUNDAY on others, you can record both variations. You can have, with each name record, a 'sort surname'. I research folk of Scottish origin, for whom M', Mc and Mac names are equivalent. So I can go through and set the sort name for all my McINTYRE and MacINTYRE records to MacINTYRE so they sort together. As with most genealogy programs, you can do soundex searches. > Also, can > TMG print out charts on one page??? Or at least let you preview to > fit the screen so that you have some idea of what is being printed. I've not used it much, but from what little I've played around with it, TMG's charting module, Visual Chartform, is a quite capable. If you send it to TMG's Chartform Delivery, they can print 3 feet square for US$20, and up to 3 feet x 30 feet for US$70, which I understand is quite reasonable. *Note* - I haven't used this service. If you want more opinions on TMG, you could join the TMG-L mailing list: http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/other/Software/TMG.html Also, you can order and try TMG, and return it within 90 days and get a refund. <standard disclaimer>I have no association with WhollyGenes other than as a satisfied customer.</standard disclaimer> -- Joe Makowiec can be reached at: http://makowiec.org/contact/?Joe Joe Makowiec <makowiec@nycap.rEMOVECAPSr.com>