This post is created for all those users who are seeking to learn how to exporting charts, reports and books from FTM. Therefore if you too are one of them then you would definitely be happy to have found this blog. You just need to read through this page thoroughly in order to fully understand the process.
Problem Exporting Charts, Reports and Books from FTM
Well, to begin with, we know that charts, reports and books in Family Tree Maker are a great way to combine information into a very presentable and highly readable format. However, at times you can come across several issues when generating or exporting them especially when there is a lot of data. Although there is simply no set limit within FTM for these charts, reports and book sizes. But you could have other limitations on your computer.
In this blog we have discussed about four items mentioned below;
- Potential Computer Limitations
- Charts and Reports
- Books
- Troubleshooting
1. Potential Computer Limitations
Firstly, you need to know that any computer device can have factors that slow or fail to generate and export publications such as charts, reports and books.
For example; FTM software like all programs on your computer, uses a part of the RAM (Random Access Memory) to function. Hence when you run programs or background tasks at one time then the amount of available RAM diminishes which causes the processes to halt.
Therefore remember that in the same spirit, your computer’s processor can only manage so many processes at a time. This means that if you run multiple programs at once then it can contribute to a logjam in your processor power. Also, note that the more RAM you have on your computer and the more processing power you have available then the better chances a given program must complete the task that you had it involved in.
Facing Issue Publication items
So now if you are facing some issues with the ‘Publication items’ such as, charts reports and books, slowing or freezing, then you should try and close programs or background tasks and then start the process all over again.
Although it is less of a concern with more modern computers, you should know that a low amount of remaining hard drive space can also be the causes of any undesirable behavior appearing because it hampers the amount of virtual memory that you have available.
NOTE: Moreover, as a rule, you should first stop filling a hard drive with information as soon as you reach about 90% capacity.
Also, know that you can always adjust virtual memory manually on a computer. Hence if you decide on doing this then you must make sure that you are not setting it too low. In addition, the best choice is you let your operating system decide which amount is perfect for you.
2. Charts and Reports
Now although smaller than books, charts and reports in Family Tree Maker software can still be quite big in size. Besides in the more recent versions of the software, the number of generations that you can include now in these publication types can go up to 99 which is as much more than the average a user would require.
A little more perspective on this is a 10-generation report of only ancestors which means no descendants would be just over 1020 people. Well, with an average of about 5 people per page, you would end up with about 204 pages.
So keeping that in mind you should know that there are outlines of the format limitations that you might run into with the more commonly used export options such as;
- PDF/EMF/RTF
- Charts
- 200×200 in a poster layout
- Reports
- Poster layouts are not available for reports
You must know that these figures are more about the PDF format’s memory limitation than the physical dimensions. Nevertheless, as of now, these numbers are only approximating.
It all depends on the amount of text, number, size of photos, etc, that you have on the chart/report, your size range could significantly vary. Besides, in case you exceed the memory limitations of the PDF format then you should only be able to see a giant, red ‘X’ across the viewer when you try and open it.
Decrease Information from your Publication items
Hence if you come across this, then you would need to decrease the amount of the information that is in your publication item. Find the troubleshooting section below that covers it all.
- EMF
- Charts
- 2GB in all layouts
- Reports
- Not available in reports
- RTF
- Charts
- Not available in Charts
- Reports
- Unlimited size, however, keep in mind that the programs that are used to open this format have limitations.
- 512MB in Microsoft Word
3. Books
Now because books are simply charts and reports combined the same rules apply when it comes to the terms and export limitations. However, the only difference is that you do not get to export books in image formats.
Also because of the nature of the book function users usually tend to make them exceptionally bigger than they would do an individual chart/report.
It is important to note that the bigger can put in more of a memorable impression on your system as well as burden your processor more heavily while trying to generate.
4. Troubleshooting for Exporting Charts, Reports and Books from FTM
Well, in case you face any problem while trying to generate a publication item then you should try and do the following steps.
- If you find that your system seems to be slowing down while generating or exporting then you should try to close other programs or background tasks. Moreover, you can also try a different computer that has more RAM or a faster processor.
- Next, if your computer or the export choice seems to be running out of memory while exporting an item as a PDF, then you should try an EMF or RTF instead.
- Kindly note that EMFs are a better choice for very large charts. All Windows users can choose to export to EMF or other image formats.
- Regrettably, you should know that the EMF options are not available for Mac users. But you can definitely try other image formats on that operating system if you want.
- Remember that some PDF programs have larger memory buffers compared to others. If you switch to a different reader like PrimoPDF can at times slow you to viewing larger PDF files.
Troubleshooting Steps:
- Now if you find that your item is still too big to view/export successfully then you could consider splitting the publication or removing the irrelevant information there.
- An alternative for this solution is that you should try and use lower resolution photos (only if included) or you could remove the images altogether.
- You could choose to run one publication item for each of your parental lines such as maternal side vs. paternal side.
- Also, keep in mind that if you limit your item to a certain number of ancestors and descendants can be helpful as well.
- Furthermore, the charts in the poster layout let you drag the person nodes around the chart area.
- Finally, note that all charts have a ‘Spacing option’ which allows you to decrease the distance between the person nodes.
Conclusion
Well, we truly hope that you find this blog useful. We were able to provide you with the most appropriate solutions. If you encounter any sort of issues with exporting charts, reports, and books from FTM then you can call us directly. Our toll-free Family Tree Support Number is +1-888-257-3335 you can always contact us without any hesitation. We provide our customers with the most eligible team of experts who are highly trained and dedicated. They will then assist you accordingly with the solution required’ making sure that you are satisfied with the results.
