genealogy_cd
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If you've decided to use a software program such as Family History CD to create your genealogy CD, you're pretty much good to go. If, however, you'd like to create a family history CD using PDF or HTML, then here are some tips to get you started:
Creating a Family History CD Using PDF
As mentioned previously, Adobe Acrobat's PDF format is very useful for family history cd's because it allows for easy navigation, formatted printing, searchable pages, and can be read by anyone if you include the free Adobe Acrobat reader software on the CD.
If you don't own the fairly expensive Adobe Acrobat software, however, you still have a few options available to you:
Creating a Family History CD Using HTML
If you have a genealogy Web site, or family history software that can create a stand-alone Web site, then these HTML pages can be re-used on your family history CD.
Alternatively, you can use HTML authoring software to create a series of HTML pages from scratch and/or use on of the many free and shareware GEDCOM to HTML pages to generate lineage-linked family trees.
Alternative Ways to Present Your Family History on CD
If you don't have the time or desire to include a full-fledged family history on CD-ROM, you can still use this method to create, save and share GEDCOM files or photo slideshows.
<< Back to Page One
If you've decided to use a software program such as Family History CD to create your genealogy CD, you're pretty much good to go. If, however, you'd like to create a family history CD using PDF or HTML, then here are some tips to get you started:
Creating a Family History CD Using PDF
As mentioned previously, Adobe Acrobat's PDF format is very useful for family history cd's because it allows for easy navigation, formatted printing, searchable pages, and can be read by anyone if you include the free Adobe Acrobat reader software on the CD.
If you don't own the fairly expensive Adobe Acrobat software, however, you still have a few options available to you:
- Many genealogy software programs will export various reports or even a full family history book into PDF format. Look for this option in the software program that you use to maintain your genealogy data.
- Ancestral Author software creates a hyperlinked PDF book from a GEDCOM file, with provisions to add title page, chapters, register style descendant reports, list of sources, index of names, etc. Free to try, US$19.95 to register.
- Adobe's Create Adobe PDF Online service allows you to create PDF files from many formats, including Microsoft Office files (such as Microsoft Word and Power Point), graphics files, Web pages, text files, and even scanned images and documents. Unlimited files can be converted with this service for a monthly fee of US$9.99.
Creating a Family History CD Using HTML
If you have a genealogy Web site, or family history software that can create a stand-alone Web site, then these HTML pages can be re-used on your family history CD.
Alternatively, you can use HTML authoring software to create a series of HTML pages from scratch and/or use on of the many free and shareware GEDCOM to HTML pages to generate lineage-linked family trees.
- Make sure you keep your HTML pages simple. Images, audio files, etc. are fine, but you shouldn't use advanced features such as javascript and databases.
- If you want your CD to be compatible with the largest number of browsers and operating systems (including MAC), then you should use "8.3" filenames - capital letters, numbers and underscores (_) with a maximum of 8 characters, a period, then a maximum of 3 characters (i.e. SOFTWARE.HTM is a valid 8.3 filename).
- Since your HTML pages on CD may be at any position in a particular user's file system, make sure that all your HTML links are relative, and remember to use forward slash characters, not PC backslashes.
- To make it easy for people to explore all of your content, be sure you include some type of navigation system.
Alternative Ways to Present Your Family History on CD
If you don't have the time or desire to include a full-fledged family history on CD-ROM, you can still use this method to create, save and share GEDCOM files or photo slideshows.
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