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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Daryl on Thursday 07 December 06 23:55 GMT (UK)
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Im not sure if this is in the right place but...
I have my own website, and understand some basic HTML, I am looking to put my family Tree on to my website, but would like something graphical rather than text like many of the converted gedcom files.
I have my tree on the Genes Reunited site, but would prefer one on my own site. At this time I don't have a php or asp webhost but can upgrade if it is worth it.
Anyone have any experience or suggestions?
Thank you
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What do you mean by graphical. ??? Family trees are text - lots of text.
A was the son of B who was the son of C who was the son of D etc etc
Sure you can add pictures, but theres not much else in the way of graphics one can add to a family tree. IMO anyway.
BD
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Hi Daryl
I guess you should have a look at various sites and find a style you like and then work out how they made the site. Maybe if you ask nicely they will tell you.
Click on the globe symbol on the message threads in rootschat to see some examples of family tree websites.
downside
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Hi Daryl,
I know what you mean about just data - but as the others have said the basic facts are all data!! ;)
I have added lots of photos on my site - some by the text (of people and places) but most on separate pages.
Again have a look at the sites on here there is a list of Rootchatters with websites on the Website Forum section.
Meanwhile have a look at mine!! ;D
http://batemans-history.rootschat.net/
Cheers
Keith
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I use Legacy Family Tree (free version available) for my tree and there are various options for building web pages from the database, including pictures.
It's a lot easier than trying to build the web pages yourself.
Example -- http://www.paynefamilyonline.com/familytree/pedigree/1.htm
It also builds pages of Surnames etc, which is invaluable when your tree gets larger.
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That's a lovely website Keith. Shame I can't find any Foster's on my side in the north, mine are from Warwickshire. Would be nice to trace back just a generation or 2 further and see just how many trees with the same name start to link up.
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Hi Daryl
You might want to browse through some of the Rootschat hosted family tree sites, some of which are listed here and have a wide variety of approaches to displaying info http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,23896.0.html - mine is as 'graphical' as I could make it, but depends what you're after really.
Not sure what your competence level of web design is, however, there are some website building tutorials here http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/board,292.0.html
Cheers
Biker
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Thanks for all of your replies - what I mean by graphical is instead of a list of names, it actually looks like a tree (details in boxes, graphics to click for links instead of just the name etc), similar to that of Genes Reunited etc.
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Hi Daryl,
I know what you mean about just data - but as the others have said the basic facts are all data!! ;)
I have added lots of photos on my site - some by the text (of people and places) but most on separate pages.
Again have a look at the sites on here there is a list of Rootchatters with websites on the Website Forum section.
Meanwhile have a look at mine!! ;D
http://batemans-history.rootschat.net/
Cheers
Keith
Keith
This is pretty much what I was looking for!!!
Rather than a page of text you have a visual tree!
How did ya do it? I have tried coding a page with html, graphics and tables, but just got confused after a while!!
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I use Legacy Family Tree (free version available) for my tree and there are various options for building web pages from the database, including pictures.
It's a lot easier than trying to build the web pages yourself.
Example -- http://www.paynefamilyonline.com/familytree/pedigree/1.htm
It also builds pages of Surnames etc, which is invaluable when your tree gets larger.
This is pretty good too - can you download this software? (although I do like Keiths more :( sorry Tony)
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Hi Daryl,
I'm still working on this, but I have two trees, written in HTML:
They appear as 'thumbnails' here,
http://www.margulies-chronicles.com/i-trees.php
and full size here
http://www.margulies-chronicles.com/ag/_coleman/fam-cole-tree-ag.php
http://www.margulies-chronicles.com/ag/_margulies/fam-marg-tree-ag.php
Both have hyperlinks to biographical pages. I'm hoping to find time over the christmas holidays to do the other three.
see also this topic for some more ideas:
Topic: Help and advice - family trees on websites
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,143930.30.html
it's the tables in reply #25 which I am now converting to HTML
Bob
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This link looks promising, thank you! Although it looks as though you guys know a little more than me about html, time to start learning again!!
With regard to my original post maybe I confused some terms?
I was meaning charts rather than trees (or are they the same?)
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Hi Daryl,
As Bob knows I know Nothing about HTML - just copy and paste - and let my software work for me.
That's my problem at the moment- updated my software (much against my better judgment) and it has wiped my custom built pages!!
So now will have to copy and paste them all back in from my backups - if only I had learnt HTLM I would at least know what I was doing!! ;D
Trouble is I am naive enough to think the software writers know what they are doing!!
Keith
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Php gedview produces some stunning graphics direct from your database. Try their site at http://www.phpgedview.net/ and check their sites.
Sutton Rog
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Daryl
You could make something similar to Keith's descendant charts using Excel.
Excel has cells (boxes) that can be increased in width and depth to accomodate text. You can also insert hyperlinks within the text and save the entire worksheet as a webpage. The main problem with this method of static charts is that they are difficult to update if you add more ancestors to your database i.e. it is not a dynamic method of displaying data.
Even if you are familiar with HTML and JavaScript, writing dynamic graphical charts is a difficult business. Each browser has its own quirks and can display graphical data in different ways. PhPGed is quite a good suggestion and it should be OK with any browser.
downside
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Website building
I have recently purchased the soft The Next Generation of Genealogy Site building
The cost was 29$US which is about £15.
I previously had my family tree on Legacy which is ok, but if you really what to place your site on the web then the software I am using is perfect for the job, it is PHP based, so it does not involve lots of pages containing HTML.
Although there is some HTML involved if you want to add some Meta tags etc, or a links page, but most people will use it straight from the box.
I have only just started to build my site with this software if you would like to see the results feel free to have a look,
www.pikefamilytree.co.uk
David :)
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The nice thing about Legacy is that it builds the web pages for you.
The drawback is that it rebuilds everything every time, and you can't modify the pages yourself, or if you do then those changes are going to have to be re-applied the next time you create them.
PHP based software is probably the way to go since you would be creating everything online in the first place.
Whatever you do, if you decide to switch software then you are going to have a huge conversion problem on your hands, most likely you will have to re-enter all the details for all your family members manually.
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The good thing about PHP software is that you shouldn't have to rebuild as it dynamical generates the website from your Gedcom. Once you have loaded your software onto your server just uploading a revised gedcom causes instant revision.
I tried this out a couple of years ago but my server doesn't support PHP and is the biggest drawback.
Sutton Rog
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Thanks for all of your replies - what I mean by graphical is instead of a list of names, it actually looks like a tree (details in boxes, graphics to click for links instead of just the name etc), similar to that of Genes Reunited etc.
You mean like this??
http://burrowdigger.rootschat.net/stephens_mccallum.htm
BD
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premo, I love the look of your site, especially the thumbnails.
It will be a long time until I build my site, and we have hardly any family pictures.
Well done!
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Website building
I have recently purchased the soft The Next Generation of Genealogy Site building
This is it!! :D
Just need to find out how much it will cost me to upgrade to a php host :'(
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My host has PHP plus a whole host of other options.
They have a fixed rate of $7.77 a month, that's under 4 pounds a month, which is pretty small these days. I have had my main site hosted there for 6 years, and recently moved another 6 sites under the same account - yes you can actually configure multiple domains under 1 account. Even with all these I don't even use 10% of the transfer amount or storage space, and I have a lot of web pages and images.
Goto www.poddys.com and click on the link at the top of the home page for POWWEB. There is always better, but the price hasn't increased in 6 years, yet the options and reliability have greatly increased.
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Hi Daryl
Just to follow up on your post, I use the U.K. based host, www.eukhost.com I have found them very good with excellent backup 24/7 and an easy to use cpanel.
Take a look at the video tutorials, www.eukhost.com/support/cpanel.php
The cost is also very competitive for the packages on offer, but I guess every body as their own opinion of what’s good and what’s bad, these are only suggestions and at the end of the day you have to decide which is best for you.
There is an excellent website called www.w3schools.com/default.asp it covers just about everything for building a website, and it is in plain easy to understand lessons, you can even write some HTML in the split screen tutorial and see the results almost instantaneously.
The software I am using for my website is from the U.S. it’s the best PHP software I have seen for running your family tree on the web, its easy to setup and use, although I have tweaked mine for my own use, if you just follow the setup instructions you cannot go wrong, the guy who wrote the program Darrin Lythgoe is based in America, He is very helpful and answers your emails very quickly, Should you have problems setting up the software.
When you do get to the point of submitting your site, you may find this link very helpful www.sitemapdoc.com it will write your sitemap for you and you can also edit the map online.
If you would like any more info feel free to ask.
David
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Just to add my two pence worth.
I have tried (in no particular order)
1. GedHTree - Very cumbersome to use.
2. Gedmill - It's quite simple but powerfull and I quite like the output. You can see mine at http://www.creynolds.eclipse.co.uk/genealogy/
3. PHPGedview - Simple to use once set up all you do is upload your gedcom file and it works. I haven't played with it much but the initial results are at http://reynolds.rootschat.net/phpGedView/
4. Family Historian v3 also generates html directly from the gedcom you have opened. I haven't got a version of it online anywhere (ran out of space :() but it's output is pretty good.
I haven't done much to change the output from any of these packages and they are all capable of doing a lot more so I think its just horses for courses.
The main issue I have is purging living person details for this I use gedclean32 and filter on a living flag I have set using Family Historian.
I don't find it to bad to rebuild the site regularly and upload it, although I must admit the php route is attractive if you have a server that supports it. Which the free space available here does :)
Regards
Clive
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I like what you did Clive, especially nice to see someone's life history by date, haven't seen anyone do that before, but it's a good idea.