Download the Tutorial

(Windows 98, XP, Vista)

This tutorial illustrates the basic concepts behind Ancestral Author (AA). The files used can be downloaded here (1.2 Megabytes). Save the tutorial installation program to your hard disk, then run it. It will ask you to choose a location for the tutorial files. We suggest you create a new directory, so you can better keep track of it. The remaining portion of this tutorial will assume you have installed the files in C:\AAtutorial. Of course, if you've installed elsewhere, substitute appropriately.

The tutorial files contain a PDF version of the tutorial (Tutorial.pdf). It may be easier to follow the tutorial by working from a printed version. Also, it may be helpful to refer to the output PDF file (Genealogy.pdf) that will be created by AA. This will help you see what the results will be as you step through the tutorial.

Plan Your Document

Before running Ancestral Author, decide what kind of document you want, and how it will be organized. The steps are as follows:

If you want a title page, decide what the title will be, what the byline should say, and if you want to include a coat-of-arms, or other image on the title page.
Create an outline of your document, showing chapters, and sections.
Use the AA Wizard to specify title page, chapters, sections, and descendant reports.
Save the results in a script file. This will be used later when you want to make changes to the document.
Generate the PDF file.
Rerun the AA Wizard to make changes.

The outline (table of contents) for your document corresponds directly to the script that AA will use to create the PDF file. For this tutorial, we will use the genealogy of Paul Revere Sullivan, and his wife Ursula Beebe (Jones) Sullivan, who resided in Jamestown, Chautauqua Co, NY during the early to mid 1900s. Both had interesting ancestors who figured prominently in the history of Jamestown and Chautauqua County. The document will start with a brief introduction, and will show the ancestors of Paul as well as the ancestors of his wife, Ursula. Of course, it will also show their descendants.

Here is the title and outline we will use for the tutorial.

Title:

Genealogy of Paul Revere Sullivan,
and Ursula Beebe Jones,
of
Jamestown, Chautauqua Co, NY

Outline:

I. Introduction - Acknolwedgements, picture of Solomon Jones, summary of research

II. Descent of Paul Revere Sullivan from Michael Sullivan, his father's immigrant ancestor.

III. Descent of Paul Revere Sullivan from Henry Grunder, his mother's immigrant ancestor

IV. Descent of Paul's wife, Ursula, from Solomon Jones, an early Settler of Jamestown, NY

V. Descendants of Paul Revere Sullivan and Ursula Jones

VI. Sources And Endnotes

VII. Name Index