* Document programs

[gwilym'smum]

Hello, this is not exactly a Family Historian question but I would be grateful for any opinions. I have used FH since it first came out and it is perfect for me. Along side I have intermittently used Custodian 4. However I am having problems with this. In a family history magazine I have just read about a program called 'Clooz'. Looking at it, it seems very American. I chose FH originally because it was British. Has anyone used this and is it a useful adjunct to FH please?
Regards Ann

[tatewise]

If you enter Clooz in the FHUG global Search... box at very top left (not Search this forum...), you will find many discussion threads on Clooz.

[mjashby]

gwilym'smum,

I have made some use Clooz occasionally in the past, primarily to assist with the analysis of US Census records but found maintaining the data input and the methods of linking information to individual records quite tedious. Use of the Ancestral Sources companion software in conjunction with with Family Historian has also increasingly made that form of of record keeping largely unnecessary for me, especially with the continued development of Ancestral Sources capabilities.

I understand that Clooz can now directly import/export data from and to Family Historian, but I haven't tested that capability as it would probably perform a largely similar function to Ancestral Sources (without the same level of detail), i.e. it seems far easier and quicker (in my opinion) to use Ancestral Sources to record a much wider range of source data to multiple individual records through the input templates it makes available. As you mentioned, I also found that, with the exception of Census records, the available Clooz templates were, understandably, much better suited to documenting US research/sources than UK sources, and I don't think that has changed significantly yet. Clooz certainly has nowhere near the range of pre-built or detailed document templates that Custodian had/has.

If you want to try the Clooz software then the publisher does offer a two week trial version, so I would recommend taking that option prior to any purchase. You should also bear in mind that Clooz isn't just a 'one-off purchase' as, after your initial purchse, there is an annual subscription charge for users who wish to continue receiving ongoing support and software updates, but that cost does also include Version Upgrades. This is all made clear by the publishers, but you do need to be fully aware.

Mervyn

[gwilym'smum]

Hi, thank you Mervyn and Mike for your replies. I think I will stick to AS as it has served me well for a long time.