NAUVOO UNIVERSITY FAMILY HISTORY CLASS Class 08 -- SETTING PREFERENCES AND PRINTING REPORTS IN PAF ©2010 by Donald R. Snow
This page last updated 2010-03-02.
Return to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , or Don's Class Listings Page .

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REVIEW AND INTRODUCTION

• Instructors are Donald R. and Diane M. Snow ( snowd@math.byu.edu and dms34@juno.com ) of Provo, Utah; St. George, Utah; and Nauvoo, Illinois.
• This page with active Internet links is posted on the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group website http://uvtagg.org under Class Outlines , Don's Listings , Nauvoo University.
• Spiritual thought
• Review of last week's class on Social Security Death Index and ourtimelines.com -- any questions?

SETTING BASIC PREFERENCES

• Can set PAF to work the way you want -- Go to Tools > Preferences
  • Note the tabs at the top for the many choices for name styles, folders, fonts, what you want to show, etc.
• Preferences are of two types, (1) those that transfer with the database, and (2) those that only stay on the machine you are working on
  • Examples that transfer with the database -- format for names, dates, RIN's used, relationships shown
  • Examples that stay with that machine only -- fonts, folders, columns in Individual View, templates
  • When you start a new database it defaults to the last preferences used until you change them
• General -- put checks in all the boxes on the General tab 
  • If Use LDS Data and Show LDS Data on Reports boxes aren't checked, you don't see the LDS fields at all
• File -- set Home Person to be you by entering your RIN
  • Also set Relationship Indicators person to be you by entering your RIN and set it to show relationships on screen 
• Names -- set preference so it puts slashes (//) around surname the right way
  • Check Verify Surname Marks, Capitalize Surnames, and Append RIN's to Names
• Prepared By -- type in your name, mailing address, phone, email address, so they will be printed on reports, charts, web pages
  • Click Set This As Default so you don't have to type it in again for other databases
• Folders -- set where you want PAF to look for your files
  • Usually a good idea to put all databases in one folder, e.g. C:\Program Files\FamilySearch\PAF5\Data
  • Can set Backups to go to D:\ (or whatever drive letter your flash drive takes when you plug it in) so you don't have to enter it each time when you Backup or Restore your data
• Many other settings, but leave them set for the default settings for now -- can change any of these anytime

REPORTS IN PAF

• PAF has many reports and forms -- click on File > Print Reports or else click on the Printer icon on the toolbar
• Titles of the tabs are types of reports available -- clicking on a tab shows picture at lower right of type of report
• Help Hint:   Hover the cursor over an item and right click to see a description of  it -- This is true anywhere in PAF.
• Fonts for reports -- To change font for a particular report click on Fonts at right side of Print Menu
  • To change fonts for all reports go to Tools > Preferences > Fonts
• Family Group Sheets, Pedigree Charts, and Descendants Charts are the most commonly printed reports -- many options on each
• Blank forms -- PAF will print several blank forms, e.g. pedigree charts, family group sheets, calendars
• Calendars -- Can include birthdays and/or anniversaries to get a calendar for any group selected, e.g. descendants of your grandparents 
  • Can also print blank calendar sheets for any month from 100 - 2100 AD
• Lists -- many different kinds with different options
  • Particularly helpful ones are Possible Problems and Places Sorted Alphabetically
• Books -- PAF will actually write a narrative book from your database
  • Ancestors (ahnentafel) charts -- a form of "compressed" pedigree charts -- father's number is twice that of child, mother's is twice that of child plus one
  • Descendants charts -- Modified Register format is based on the New England Historic Genealogical Society Register format
• Many other types of charts by using other programs on your PAF database, e.g. PAF Companion which is now bundled with PAF 5.2 from LDS Distribution Centers

ASSIGNMENT

1. Print out a family group sheet with you as a child.
2. Print out a pedigree chart with up to 5 generations starting from you.
3. Go through the PAF Print Menu Lists tab and do a Preview of each of these reports.
4. Select and print out at least two different reports from the List Menu.

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Return to the Utah Valley Technology and Genealogy Group Home Page , or Don's Class Listings Page .