The software we use to power our family tree, The Next Generation in Genealogical Software (or TNG for short), now allows users to produce ‘fan charts’ to show their direct ancestors through multiple generations.
Here’s an example of the fan chart.
As shown in this example, you choose the subject for the fan chart. It could be you or any other person in the database. You can then select how many generations back you want to go up to a maximum of 8 generations. The software defaults to four generations. In the example, you see Peter George Benedict is at the centre. Peter is the subject. The next ring out are his parents. The next ring out are his parents’ parents (ie Peter’s grandparents). And the next ring out is the grandparents’ parents (ie Peter’s great grandparents).
The fan chart is helpful for a quick overview of direct ancestors but it’s also really helpful for identifying unevenness in your genealogical research. You can quickly see a ‘gap’ where you’ve not gone far back compared with other lines. So it’s great for honing in on areas you need to flesh out in more detail.
Overall, a great addition.
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