Family tree

Building family trees has been an activity going on for quite some time, and might even help uncover information you’re not be aware of. Regardless of purpose, this activity can now be easily performed with the help of specialized applications like Family tree.

In order to be able to use the application you need to have Java Runtime Environment installed on your computer. On the other hand, Family tree requires no installation to function, so it can just as well be carried around on a thumb drive to use on other computers besides your own, without affecting any registry entries in the process.

Most of the main windows space is where all info ends up. You can interact with existing elements to modify details on the spot, but these can’t be moved around. A background image can be loaded for a cool layout, or use a preset one. There’s also control over the start point of coordinates, as well as size of the canvas. A zoom slider is there to help you view the bigger picture.

Sooner or later you need to add a person so there’s some basic start point. Requirement fields show up in a different window, with the possibility to choose whether the person is visible or not. You get to write down the given, family, and birth name, comments, relative X coordinate, gender, as well as time of birth and death if necessary.

Pictures can be inserted and are used as a background for the information box in the main window. You can pick parents and children from a list of existing individuals. Connection lines are established automatically, with several options in this regard. When done, the project can be saved either as JPG, or PNG.

To sum it up, Family tree can feel a little rough around the edges overall, but once you get the hang of it, neat results can be obtained. Pictures can be used to better represent individuals, including a background image to make the whole project feel personal.