Genealogy on a Mac

I wanted to share with you all my thoughts about the availability genealogy programs for the mac.  My PC died in September of 2013 and as a result I have decided to try and do my genealogy strictly on a Mac.  This has provided many challenges including deciding on a program to use and importing the data from a PC to a Mac based environment.  Needless to say, I am still working through the change and have not been very happy with the options.

The Mac programs that I have tried included:
Ancestral Quest (Using Cross Over)
MacFamily Tree
Heredis
Reunion

First of all, I attempted to use Cross Over and run Ancestral Quest. I really like Ancestral Quest in the PC environment and was hoping that Cross Over would be the solution to my dilema. The program ran in Cross Over, but I had problems with the program running smoothly and allowing for me to sync with FamilySearch.  Ancestral Quest frequently froze using Cross Over resulting in having to close the program or restart my system.  I have not tried to use RootsMagic in crossover, so this may be an option for those that have RootsMagic.  I would recommend you try the free trial of Cross Over to see if it will work for you.

I also downloaded the trial versions of Heredis and Reunion.  Both of these Mac programs have been developed nicely, however, they do not sync to FamilySearch.  For many people, this may not be a concern, but for me, I wanted to be able to move my data freely between FamilySearch and my Family file on my computer, therefore, I chose to stick with MacFamily Tree.

I decided to try and learn how to use MacFamily Tree, as I had already purchased the program when I first got my MacBook Pro, but really hadn't spent much time working with it seriously as I was still using my PC for the bulwark of my genealogy research, before my PC crashed. At first I found the updated version to be a little tricky to work with as I was not familiar with the program.  There are many intuitive aspects to this program that I liked; however, I wasn't sure about the FamilySearch aspect of this program. I must qualify this statement with the caveat that I usually try to figure out the program without going to the manual.  I finally caved and went to the manual on how to have MacFamily Tree work with FamilySearch and have found it works well and I have used it several times and like it's functionality.

Another nice feature of MacFamily Tree is it allows for one to geocode the important events in a person's life.  The one drawback that I have found with this, is the fact that names of places and their locations have changed over the years as have the boundaries in which a location may be found. This is the result of changing of country, state, county, and city boundaries and therefore, the accuracy of the locations are not rock solid as the program uses current names, places, and boundaries, which have changed throughout years past.

The bottom line: There are many wonderful Mac genealogy programs for one to choose from, however, the only Mac based program that will sync with FamilySearch is MacFamily Tree.  MacFamily Tree also provides a mobile app that you can use, however, I have not attempted to use it at this point, as I have spent that past little while teaching myself the MacFamily Tree program.

Welcome to StoryTree!

In honor of  December 7th, the day Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, I thought this would be a great video to share to remind everyone the importance of recording our personal and family histories. One of the great places that I have discovered to record these videos is on Story Tree.  Story Tree allow you to video record your loved ones on a variety of topics that are suggested by Story Tree or you can create your own topic.  Invite your family to participate and you can begin to share the memories you had as a child, parent, grandparent.  What do you remember about your 1st car?  1st date?  It has been said, that if a person's history is not written down or in this case, a video biography, their life story will be lost within 2 generations. Don't let the memories of your grandparents, parents, or siblings be lost or fade away.  There are so many options and ways to share family history, but this site allows for collaboration.  If you would like to learn more, click the link Welcome to StoryTree!

Summer 2011 Genealogy Virtual Conference

The 2011 Summer Virtual Conference is going on this weekend. The genealogy conference runs from 9am August 19, 2011 to 11:59pm August 21,2011.  This conference is available for you to view at your convenience. Some of the instructors include Maureen Taylor from PhotoDetective, Lisa Louis Cooke from Genealogy Gems Podcast, and many others.  The cost for the Virtual weekend is $190.00, which gives you unlimited access to the conference over the weekend.  If you join the Family Tree Magazine VIP program for $49.99, you can get a discount on the Family Tree University courses, a one year subscription to Family Tree Magazine. The VIP program is also available for Canada and Internationally. If you are interested in the attending the confernce, click this link. Summer 2011 Virtual Conference | FamilyTreeUniversity.com

Ohana Software acquired by Real Time Collaboration

In a Move to Break Down Barriers for Genealogists,
Real-Time Collaboration, Inc. acquires Ohana Software LLC

Historically genealogists have been limited in their collaboration efforts by widespread incompatibility between programs and websites. As of February 9, 2011 Ohana Software LLC and Real-Time Collaboration Inc. have joined forces in a leap towards bringing together the web pedigrees and the thousands of desktop pedigrees found around the world.

Earl Mott, the founder of Real-Time Collaboration, explains that his excitement about working with Ohana Software stems from the ability it will give the two companies to match and synchronize pedigrees no matter where they are located, web or personal computer.

Ohana Software has already established a wide range of compatibility with programs like RootsMagic, Legacy, Ancestral Quest, Personal Ancestral File (PAF), Family Tree Maker for Windows, and Family Tree Maker for Mac. Real-Time Collaboration is bringing together and making the many resources on the web easily accessible. The joining of these forces should mean one thing; a huge improvement in the collaborative efforts of genealogists.

Eight years ago, John Vilburn began to develop a highly effective match evaluation tool that is the key to sifting through the mountains of genealogical information. The algorithm behind Ohana Software's FamilyInsight, evaluates information based on similarities, phonetics, and other significant factors to ensure the user sees the most relevant and accurate results. Vilburn is eager to see this relevancy algorithm used to narrow down results on the web, which should cut down on search time dramatically.

Another advantage to the merging of web and desktop genealogy technology, is the breaking down of communication barriers. John Vilburn, the founder of Ohana Software, said he is “anxious to see the day when genealogists can easily and openly synchronize their efforts regardless of which desktop program or which website they keep their records on.” This was one of Vilburn's major motivations to partner with Real-Time Collaboration.

Real-Time Collaboration, Inc. is a privately held Delaware corporation. Sharing Time LLC will focus on the web and Ohana Software LLC will focus on the desktop.

Preserving Family Pictures

As a follow-up to my previous post regarding Picasa, I wanted to show you the possiblities of Picasa by creating a little video utilizing some of my family pictures.  As you can tell, I love the numerous ways that Picasa allows you to preserve memories.  I hope you enjoy it.

Now who was that in the picture?

How many times have you looked at older photos of family or friends and wondered: "Now who was that in the picture?" I have numerous pictures from the past and present that have multiple people in the photos. Wouldn't it be great to be able to label the people in the pictures so that their names will not be forgotten?

I am not the only one that has thought of this idea.  As the digital age continues to explode, it affords the individual with more options for family history work including preservation, research, sharing, and documentation of family history. You only need to go to Dead Fred and see all of the nameless pictures of people to realize how important the documentation of the names of individuals in a photo.  It has been said that if your history is not written down or documented, you or your family will be lost in the memories of others within 2 generations. 

The Apple/Mac platform utilizes I-photo which allows for the labeling and categorization of the photos on my laptop computer.  I liked this platform very much, but I also have a PC so I wanted one that would work across both platforms.  I wanted the flexibility of being able to work on either my macbook or my desktop PC while working on my family history picture archives.  I began searching for a program that would satisfy these requirements.

Over the past month or two, I began utilizing a free program that I think every genealogist will want to have at their finger tips. The new tool that I have begun to utilize is most likely familiar to many of you; it is Picasa.  The newest version of Picasa is free to download and use to assist with the organization of your family photos.  If you have used this before, you know how easy it is to install and the program automatically finds all of the photos on your hard drive. The newest version allows one to perform simple color corrections, remove red eye, and a few other tools to tweak the picture to be at it's best.  Another feature of Picasa is the face recognition program.  The face recognition works fairly well however, it does not always pick up every face in the image.  This is easily corrected as the program allows you manually tag/add individuals in the photo. Once you have labeled the individual the program will begin to search the photos on your hard drive organizing them by individuals.   The program works well in categorizing the faces properly, requiring only a click for you to confirm the identity of in the individual.  Additionally you can geotag each photograph.  I am impressed with the program and the ease of use. I think that you would enjoy using it as well.  To download and/or learn more about this program check out Picasa.

Could this be a tool for the future of Genealogy?

I was reading Dan Lawyers blog this morning and saw this video that he had posted from TED. The technology described here (which is under development at the present time) has some intriguing possibilities for usage with genealogical work. Enjoy the video!

Would You Like To Meet A New Cousin?

I remember the first time that I actually was in contact with a new distant cousin. I found it was exhilarating to meet someone who was looking for the same family groups and was my cousin, albeit a distant cousin. The workings of genealogy/family history can be an isolating task, but when you finally connect with someone who is in your family line it is like Christmas morning. I have had several successes of meeting and sharing data with some of my distant cousins. To date, I have found three distant cousins in the UK, one in New Zealand, and one in my home town.

It was from the cousin, Gil Nielsen that I blogged about previously who helped me find another great tool for those of us researching our Danish family lines. GEDCOMP is designed for those researching genealogy in the kingdom of Denmark as it is structured currently and also includes the areas that previously belonged to the kingdom of Denmark, including Norway, Iceland, Schleswig-Holstein, Skåne, Halland and Blekinge. It also includes information regarding European Royalty.

Mr. Lars Ludin is the genius behind this project which began as an experiment when he was in graduate school. According to the New York Times review completed by Peter Wayner, he stated the following: "Mr. Lundin's work began as an experiment when he was a graduate student in applied mathematics at the Technical University of Denmark. A fellow amateur genealogist suggested that it would be impossible to create a database that contained information on everyone who has ever lived." What began as a mathematical experiment has benefited thousands of individual researchers trying to connect with their Danish roots. As of today, November 26, 2008, there are over 4.2 million names in this database.

The website is designed for one to submit their GEDCOM (GEnealogy Data COMmunications) file that is created by utilizing a genealogical program such as PAF, Family Tree Maker, Ancestral Quest, etc. Once you have the GEDCOM file created it is then submitted via email to Mr. Lars Lundin. He utilizes his computer software to analyze the file and then you are sent an email providing the contact information (email address) of others who have submitted their files and are researching the same names. This service is completely free and works great in connecting you with others in your family tree. The only stumbling block one might experience is the language barrier as the emails returned are in Danish; however, this is easily overcome by utilizing any one of the translation sites located on the internet such as GramTrans, Google, etc.
Note: I am very protective of private (living) data therefore I sent a GEDCOM file starting with my grandparents to protect private data. Many of the genealogical programs provide a feature where you can privatize the file prior to creating a GEDCOM, but if yours does not, I would create the GEDCOM from your Grand or Greatgrandparents on back if you are concerned about privacy.

If you would like to read the NY Times review by Peter Wayner, click From Shared Resources, Your Personal History. If you would like to jump in and research further regarding the opportunities that await you with GEDCOMP, click GEDCOMP (English Version). You can view the site in the native language of Dansk by clicking on the Danish Flag on the home page. Have fun connecting with cousins!

FamilyInsight Beta Released

Ohana Software has just released the beta of FamilyInsight to everyone. Please note that not all of the features will be operable if you do not have access to New FamilySearch. This program is similar to the PAFInsight in the way it functions, but it has a new component that will allow the user to sync your database with New FamilySearch. This program is designed to work with your PAF file and program and New FamilySearch; it is not a stand alone program for genealogical research. FamilyInsight has improved upon the edit places to include the standard nomenclature that is utilized with New FamilySearch. I am excited to learn more about the program utilizing their tutorial that is provided within the program. Another great feature of the program is the "Guide Me" button which can be clicked at any time while you are working within the program that will provide you with step-by-step instructions regarding the screen that you are working within at the moment.

I started to work with the snyc option with New FamilySearch, but will need to complete the tutorials to fully grasp every nuance of the program. It appears on the surface to be very intuitive and very similar to PAF Insight with the exception of improved "Edit Places" tab where you will be able to coordinate your place names with those that are in New FamilySearch.

If you are interested in participating in the Beta of the program, click FamilyInsight. If you have a current PAFInsight license you only need to download the upgrade. If you have never purchased a PAFInsight license you will need to pay the minimal fee of $25.

Please remember that the product is still in beta format and as such, you will most likely come across some bugs with the program that will need to be worked out. Being as it is in Beta format, I would strongly encourage you to make a back up of your file and work on the backup file only during the beta phase of the program. If you are feeling adventurous and would like to get in on the ground floor of FamilyInsight, you will want to check this update. Have fun!

Get My Ancestors Released by Ohana

I woke up this morning and thought that I would check out the progress of Incline Softwares release of Ancestral Quest 12.1 and Ohana Software Family Insight. To my surprise, Ohana has released the new program Get My Ancestors for New FamilySearch. Get My Ancestors is a utility program that accesses New FamilySearch allowing for you to download members of your family tree into a PAF 5 format. The utility allows you to download your ancestors or progenitors utilizing the Personal Identifier number. I tried it out to see how it works and it is efficient in extracting the data from the enormous FamilySearch database. To test how fast the program worked, I tried to download 15 generations of ancestors on both sides of my family and found that the download time varies depending upon the amount of information available. One side of the family downloading 15 generations took approximately 20 - 30 minutes for 1500 individuals; the other side took 1 hour and 13 minutes for 5083 individuals. I would caution that if you choose to utilize this utility that you download only a few generations at a time.

On a side note, I would suggest taking the information that you download, confirm it the information is accurate prior to adding to your family file at home. On the other hand, if this is the first time you have ventured into family history/genealogy work, the information that you find on New FamilySearch can provide you a great starting point for your family records, finding and confirming the information along your journey.

The utility program can be used on a MAC or PC, but at this time it only interfaces with the PAF program. I confirmed with Ohana regarding the MAC compatability and was told that the program only generates a PAF file resulting in those MAC owners having to either run the first version of PAF for MAC or to utilize a PC emulator program to run PAF in the Windows environment.

To learn more about Get MyAncestors click Ohana Software.

Family Insight and Ancestral Quest given the go ahead with New Family Search

I just received an email from FamilySearch Support this afternoon that stated that PAF Add-Ins of Ancestral Quest 12.1 and/or FamilyInsight are now going to be released. What does this mean to all of us? Well, if you are not currently on New FamilySearch, it means nothing. You will not be able to utilize these new programs. If you are on New FamilySearch, it means a great deal. The programs have been designed to directly interface with New FamilySearch allowing for syncing of information between the two databases. Simply put, it will save you a great deal of typing. I personally have not been involved in the beta tests of these two products, so I can't tell you how well they work.

I do have past experience with PAF Insight (the previous version of FamilyInsight) and found that it was a great tool in coordinating databases and finding problems with pedigrees and/or place names. I worked with Ancestral Quest a long time ago and have not used it since, but I know that it does have more bells and whistles that the spartan PAF program. Both of these programs have a 60 day free trial period. The programs have not been released as of yet from the two vendors, but I will let you know when I find out. If you would like to view the FamilyInsight information visit Ohana Software. If you would like to view Ancestral Quest, visit Incline Software. I would suggest looking at both programs and deciding which will best fill your needs as a genealogist. Ancestral Quest and PAF5 will access the exact same database which will allow you more flexibility with printing capabilities for reports, pedigrees, research logs, etc. Please remember that you need to be able to access New FamilySearch to make these new updates work for you in the best possible way. Have fun!

Need A Personal Genealogist?

Have you ever wished to have a genealogist or family history consultant could sit by you or be available at your beckon call when you have a question, wonder how to write your personal history, or need ideas for a family reunion?

If you need help with starting your family history or genealogical pursuits, help is no further away than a click of the mouse at the Ogden Regional Family History Center Desktop that you can view in the comfort of your own home, office or other place that you might log onto the internet.

The site is organized in a user friendly manner with all of the links located on the left side tool bar. The desktop provides you with information regarding organization of family files including links to downloading the various programs for the PC or MAC environment.

Other features of this site include instruction on how to write a history, penny postcards, photographs, website design tutorials, "Teach Me" tutorial CD that is viewable online, and various other tidbits of information including where and how to start your searching. If you have been doing genealogy for a while, you most likely are familiar with most of the information but the site could provide you with ideas on how to create your own family history website for some concepts of genealogical research. If you are new to genealogy, this is a great site to review and get some hints. Also listed on this site are classes that are taught at the center which is located in Ogden Utah.

Whether you are new to genealogy or a seasoned veteran, there are numerous ideas that may be of assistance to you on this website. If you would like to browse or begin learning new concept of genealogical work, you will want to check out the Ogden Regional Family History Center Desktop website. Have fun!

Memory Miner

Mac and PC users alike will rejoice in the new Memory Miner Program being developed by John C. Fox, the founder of Group Smarts. The program was initially designed for the Mac environment but they are currently working developing the program to also run in the Windows Vista and XP environment. The program, Memory Miner does exactly that.....helps you to go back through your pictures and mine for gems or snippets of one's life that are memorable. Memory Miner has been developed complementing the iLife Suite for Mac computers and working with Pulp Motion, but they are in the final process of developing the program to run on PC's. The program allows you to create a digital storybook that is connected by people, places, and time.

The intuitive nature of this programs allows you to easily drag and drop information specifying who is in the picture, where and when it was taken, and you can even map it with Google Maps obtaining the longitude and latitude. If you are like me, you can see the value and potential of this program especially when working with pictures that have a more than one person. You will be able to tag each individual with their name, birth date and place information along with identifying how they are related to you. Adding audio, video, documents and URL's from your Internet Browser and adding text to each photo add further understanding of the photo and your ancestors in the photos. For example you can add to your photo an audio recording of the person in the picture or a video that was taken during the time the picture was taken. For example, you have several Family Reunion pictures that you took and also short video clips from the reunion. You can add some of those video clips in connection with the pictures adding depth and personality to those pictures.


To view an in depth video (12 minutes) regarding the wonderful features of the Memory Miner program, click here to be directed to the site. Click on the pictures that looks like the ones shown below and it will start the video in a new window. I think that you will be as happy about this as I am.





Getting Started: MemoryMiner for Windows overview: repository creation and basic annotation.

Publishing to Web: MemoryMiner for Windows: publish to web.

If you would like to learn more about MemoryMiner for Windows or MemoryMiner for MAC, click MemoryMiner. To fully understand the capabilities of the program for genealogy work, I would suggest spending time in the Video Gallery where they demonstrate the full capabilities including importing your GEDCOM files. Have fun! I know that I am having fun with the Windows Release Candidate version.

Could you use GRAMPS?

Gramps, a genealogical computer program that has been designed to run on Linux and Windows, but guides for installation on MAC OS X, BSD and Solaris are available From the information that I have been able to glean, Gramps is primarily designed to work on the Linux systems, but Gramps being an open source program, others have been working on tweeking it to run on MAC OS X, BSD, and Solaris. Installing on a Windows based computer is considered experimental, although people have installed the program on their Windows based computers. GRAMPS usage in Windows is to be considered unstable.
I have not personally installed the program on my computer as I am currently windows based, just recently reformatted my computer, and not very adventerous.

Having stated the cautions of using the GRAMPS program, it appears to provide some great features including: standard pedigree and family group records; relationship views, allows multimedia input such as video, pictures, documents, spread sheets; brower like navigation allowing easy access to file; nine different views for navigating your family tree including people, relationship, family list, pedigree, events, sources, place, media, respository; eight output formats; custom charts; merge features and also a soundex generator. This program is available in multiple languages, The GRAMPS program is constantly evolving as users contribute to changes and improvements. If you are interested in reading more about this program, click The GRAMPS Project to be directed to the home page of the program. Prior to installing this program, make sure you check the compatibility with your system and back up your file. If you would like to read an interview of the original program developer, Don Allingham regarding the development of this program, click Full Circle Magazine to be directed to the magazine PDF File. You will need to scroll down to Issue 2 and click on "Get it while its hot"; then click on issue 2. You will then be able to read the issue in English, Polish, or Italian. Select the language you prefer to read and then go to the appropriate article (page 26 in the English version). Have fun!

Genealogy Software Links

If you have ever wondered where to find information about the various genealogical computer programs that are available, Kessler's Genealogy Software Links is a one stop shop. If you recall my previous post regarding the program "Behold" authored by Louis Kessler, he also maintains this Genealogy Software Links page. Louis has over 50 links to various genealogical programs consolidated in one site, providing a brief description of the program.

He provides the following information:

Contents

1. The 3 Best Liked and Top Rated Programs
2. The 5 Most Popular Genealogy Programs
3. The 4 Most Comprehensive Genealogy Programs
4. Other Full Featured Genealogy Programs (English Websites)
5. Other Full Featured Genealogy Programs (Non-English Websites)
6. Online Genealogy Programs
7. Utility Programs for Genealogists
8. Utility Programs to Produce Web Pages from Genealogical Data
9. Genealogy-Related Programs
10. Programs for Pocket PCs
11. Programs for Palm Organizers
12. Software Repositories
13. Newsgroups and Mail lists
14. Periodicals all about Genealogical Programs
15. Independent Comparisons of Genealogy Programs
16. Other Lists of Genealogical Programs on the Web

Although not listed in the contents above, Louis also will provide you with links to the genealogical programs that will operate on the Mac and Linux operating systems. Louis is very quick to respond if you would like to provide other links that you think would benefit others. If you would like to see what is available please click here and you will be directed to the website.

Behold Genealogy Program

Louis Kessler, an avid genealogy enthusiast of 30 years, is the mastermind behind the development of a new format for genealogical record keeping. As you know, when utilizing the standard programs for genealogy record keeping you see a family group record and pedigree. If you like documenting information of family members that are not directly related to you except through marriage, for example if you have your 2nd cousins family and their descendants in your file, it is a bit more tedious to find them in the standard genealogical format. Louis has developed a program currently in the alpha trial and soon to be released in the beta trial format that does not follow the current record keeping style. The closest format that it is possible to compare this new program to is the standard genealogical programs include the ahnentefal chart style or book format for printing. One of the many differences between "Behold" and the standard programs, is the program once Version 1 is released in will allow you to see errors and correct them on the screen as you see the error. When you import your file, you will see that the data in Behold will have a split screen with the navigation links on the side as well as in the document. Please see the picture below for an example.



I have been in correspondence with Louis about the program design and he said it best:

"Behold is different from other programs in a significant way. Yes, the Everything Report can be thought of as something like book format, but the big difference is that Behold is output-based. The primary interface to the user is the Everything Report. You don't have individual forms and tabs to navigate through to access your data. You don't have to generate your report when you want it because the primary window is the report.

Right now it is just a GEDCOM browser, but my aim is towards version 2.0 when I add editing directly onto the Report. Then it will effectively become a word processor customized for your genealogy data. You will add and change your data right where you see it and there will be no need to jump back to forms to find your data to correct it and regenerate your report. I expect this innovation will save each genealogist countless hours in data entry time - simply because you see what you've entered immediately and in the context of everything else. Errors will be obvious and instantly correctable.

Behold's organizational tools to select, number, and display families are unique and powerful, especially the Instant Organize which with one click will produce a report including everyone related to a specific individual that you can then send to them.

I've never felt the need to print standard family group sheets or pedigree reports with Behold. Nor have any of my users asked for it. With Behold, the goal is to allow you to print ALL your data about several thousand families whether related or not related and put it in a binder for hard copy reference. This includes all notes, all sources, references, repositories, indexes, etc. Group sheets would take several thousand pages and be impossible to navigate through to find the one you want. I really feel something new is required. I've been doing genealogy for 30 years and have always felt something better was possible than the old manual recording methods. Behold is the embodiment of these new ideas. The people who have discovered it already are quite excited by it. I've received many wonderful comments and with their permission have posted many of their testimonials on Behold's home page."

I have downloaded this program and have enjoyed playing with it. It has some great features that make keeping track of all your ancestors streamlined. I love the table of contents feature and the ability you have to navigate so easily through your database. Once you purchase this program (for a nominal fee), you will receive a lifetime of updates for free. Louis is offering the genealogy community a new and innovative way to track ancestors and descendants. One that has great potential to make sharing and printing your files easier. If you are interested in checking out this new and exciting program, please click here and you will be directed to the homepage of the program "Behold". If you click this link, you will be able to look at some of the screen shots of this program. Have fun.

Are you needing a PAF Guru?

What is a PAF Guru? By definition, being a guru means a person who guides, counsels, or mentor. Having said that a PAF (Personal Ancestral File) Guru is a person who is able to help you with your PAF genealogical database or the program.

Rob Nielson a database programmer has significant experience with working in the PAF environment. His extensive knowledge and expertise from working on his on family database but also others, has resulted in development of three helpful guidelines for genealogists in cleaning up their database.

The guidelines are in PDF format and titled:

1) Download Data Entry Standards for PAF
2) Download Standard Approach for Using PAL and Insight
3) Download FamilySearch TempleReady Procedures

Although these guidelines have been developed for those using PAF, the basic guidelines apply to any genealogical program that you might be using for organizing your database. Rob has graciously allows downloading of the PDF files and circulation withing your family, friends, and genealogical groups. If you have difficulty with understand the how's and why's of the PAF program, Rob will also for a fee, clean up your database for you. He is able to accomplish this through emailing of your file to him, cleaning up the database and finally the returning your file to you through email. If you are interested in these PDF Guides, click here.