Working Efficiently with Sources

Pedigree Forge is designed around a "source first" workflow: rather than adding a fact then finding the source, you add the source, then create the fact from it. This is the natural approach when researching properly and the one Pedigree Forge supports best.

The source-first workflow

1. Locate the source — for example, using the built-in web browser to find a record on a genealogy website.
2. Download the image to your project folder.
3. File Watcher — Pedigree Forge detects the new file and pops up the File Watcher dialog automatically.
4. Make Source — click "Make Source" in the File Watcher. A new source record is created with the image already linked.
5. Enter details — add the title, archive, call number, and select a template if applicable. Pedigree Forge may use OCR to suggest template and fact-type values from the image.
6. Transcribe if desired (see Source transcripts).
7. Import the fact — navigate to the relevant person and click the magic wand button above the Facts and Events table. Select the source and click OK. Pedigree Forge creates the fact with the date, place, and citation already filled in.

Note — The import will fail if a fact of the same type already exists for the person, or if the source has no Fact type or Date set. Check these fields on the source panel if the import does not work.