Family tree mapping is the process of

geocoding Address geocoding, or simply geocoding, is the process of taking a text-based description of a location, such as an address or the name of a place, and returning geographic coordinates, frequently latitude/longitude pair, to identify a locati ...

places in

family tree A family tree, also called a genealogy or a pedigree chart, is a chart representing family relationships in a conventional tree structure. More detailed family trees, used in medicine and social work, are known as genograms. Representations of ...

files to produce

geospatial Geographic data and information is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as data and information having an implicit or explicit association with a location relative to Earth (a geographic location or geographic position). It is also call ...

data suitable for viewing with a

virtual globe A virtual globe is a 3D computer graphics, three-dimensional (3D) software model or representation of Earth or another world. A virtual globe provides the user with the ability to freely move around in the virtual environment by changing the vie ...

or 2D mapping program.

Overview

The availability of several free applications for viewing geographic data has led to a growing interest in the use of this technology by

genealogists Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kins ...

and family history researchers. The ability to share

keyhole markup language Keyhole Markup Language (KML) is an XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Key ...

(KML) files through sites such as

Google Maps Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panorama, interactive panoramic views of streets (Google Street View, Street View ...

means that researchers can find matches based on geographic location rather than just a place name.

Family tree mapping applications

Genealogy software that can be used for family tree mapping include: * Ahnenblatt using the supplied Google-Earth Plug-In. * Ancestral Quest * Family Historian * Family Tree Builder * Family Tree Maker * GEDitCOM II * GenealogyJ * GenoPro - a

Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...

Genealogy Genealogy () is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kin ...

software, whose Report Generator has ability to convert Places and geographical locations and export them in

. * Gramps * Heredis * Legacy Family Tree automatically map where your ancestors lived. * MacFamilyTree * RootsMagic Utility applications that can be used for family tree mapping include: * ''AniMap''- contains historical maps that show the changing county boundaries * ''Centennia Historical Atlas'' - the map forward or backward in time from the year 1000 to present. * ''Family Atlas'' - a

application that imports data from genealogy software for mapping with its own internal maps. * ''Map My Ancestors'' (as of 3 October 2011 this application was withdrawn from sale and no longer available, due to closure of Yahoo Mapping services see the source site for details) - a

application that imports

GEDCOM FamilySearch GEDCOM, or simply GEDCOM ( , acronym of ''Genealogical Data Communication''), is an open file format and the de facto standard specification for storing genealogical data. It was developed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

files or

comma-separated values Comma-separated values (CSV) is a text file format that uses commas to separate values, and newlines to separate records. A CSV file stores Table (information), tabular data (numbers and text) in plain text, where each line of the file typically r ...

(CSV) files and converts them to

(KML) files for viewing with KML compatible programs such as

Google Earth Google Earth is a web mapping, web and computer program created by Google that renders a 3D computer graphics, 3D representation of Earth based primarily on satellite imagery. The program maps the Earth by superimposition, superimposing satelli ...

. * ''Map My Family Tree'' - a

application that imports data directly from a number of popular

programs. The program uses its own location database to resolve places from the source family tree. Viewing data is generally undertaken from within the program using the internal viewer but individual placemarks can be viewed using

, TerraServer-USA or MapQuest.Map My Family Tree
Progeny Genealogy Inc

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Family Tree Mapping Family history Keyhole Markup Language Windows-only genealogy software

Overview

Family tree mapping applications

See also

References