The successor to the venerable Family Origins, RootsMagic wowed genealogists everywhere when it hit the market in early 2003. The program combined remarkable ease of use with a wealth of organizational features and outstanding reports. But it lagged in one area: creating graphical wall charts (read our review in the June 2003 Family Tree Magazine). In version 2, RootsMagic's creators have conjured up a capable charting program, improved book publishing and added many more enchanting features.

Hitting the charts

RootsMagic Chart, a program included with RootsMagic 2, lets you create ancestor, descendant and hourglass wall charts with your choice of colors and fonts. Each person's box can include a photograph, life dates and places, and other facts. You easily can move and resize boxes, add freeform text and shapes, and insert a background image.