How do you handle family trees? «123...Next Go

MaggieMarley

Obviously, the family trees in TS4 are a bit lacking. Personally, I can’t really use them because people are getting culled and then deleted from the tree all the time, especially if you have been playing for many generations. Also there’s no room to write some details about each sim and you can’t select what picture gets used. So, I use other family tree software instead. This made me wonder what everyone else does and how many people actually use the lacklustre in game family tree.

Optional:
Share a link/picture of your family tree. Here’s mine on family echo:
My Legacy Family Tree

And: share your ideas on how the in game family tree could be improved.

mia_noelle97

I use the plum tree family tree

I use the plum tree because I don't like how hard it is to see the entire extended family with the in game one. The link to mine is in my signature.

Simpkin

Other (please give details)

I make my own.

aprilrose

Other (please give details)

I used to use plumtree but got lazy with updating it so I just started writing all my births down in a notebook I have for sims. I have a link of my family tree in my siggy but I've played through several generations since.

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

@mia_noelle97 nice family tree! I like how you give all of your sims’ kids their own families (I generally just focus on the heir!). I agree about it being difficult to see extended family in the in game tree.

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

I did use ancestry but then discovered that you can’t share ancestry family trees. So, I switched to the plum tree. But I had one gripe with the plum tree app: you can’t add the parents or siblings of your sims’ spouses to the family tree (and I like to do that). So I switched to family echo.

mia_noelle97

I use the plum tree family tree

MaggieMarley wrote: »

@mia_noelle97 nice family tree! I like how you give all of your sims’ kids their own families (I generally just focus on the heir!). I agree about it being difficult to see extended family in the in game tree.

Thank you! Although a lot of that is because of MCCC. I'll usually give my spares one kid via playing with genetics in CAS once I marry them off, but pretty much the rest of it is MCCC's doing.

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

@aprilrose wow how many generations are you on? The family tree in your signature is very extensive and if it’s not up to date then I’m even more impressed!

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

mia_noelle97 wrote: »

MaggieMarley wrote: »

@mia_noelle97 nice family tree! I like how you give all of your sims’ kids their own families (I generally just focus on the heir!). I agree about it being difficult to see extended family in the in game tree.

Thank you! Although a lot of that is because of MCCC. I'll usually give my spares one kid via playing with genetics in CAS once I marry them off, but pretty much the rest of it is MCCC's doing.

@mia_noelle97 ah yes MCCC. That reminds me: I do let MCCC set up my few mortal spares (I generally play with vampires) with their own families but I’m usually too lazy to keep up with them so they mostly don’t appear on my tree.

QueenofMyshuno

Other (please give details)

I just write mine out in groups of text under the last name using mostly standard genealogical abbreviations (example: dv = divorced). This is my geneaology page from my previous save:

https://simchick.wordpress.com/genealogy/

aprilrose

Other (please give details)

@MaggieMarley I've honestly lost count at this point but I'm working on seeing how many generations I can play through before Sims 4 ends.

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

@QueenofMyshuno oh that’s also a neat way of keeping track!
@aprilrose haha well good luck!

dorcsyful

I use the plum tree family tree

I used to use family echo but I started using the plum tree. Though for actually writing down their skills etc (since I'm doing a legacy challenge) I use a separate PowerPoint document.

sueplayssims

I use the plum tree family tree

Ive very recently started using Plum Tree and so far I'm happy with it. It allows me to add the Sims I want to add as well as their traits and aspiration. Although takes some remembering to update! I like how with Plum tree I can view the whole tree at once and zoom in and out as I do give my spares families and side stories etc. I don't really like in game where it just focuses on one branch at a time.

EnkiSchmidt

I use some other family tree software (please specify)

I use Ahnenblatt ("ancestor sheet"), because it is an offline program. It is pretty extensive, with far more info boxes than I need in a typical sims game.

Also tried Plum Tree and like it, but it shines more for multi-generational playstyles, in contrast to my family charts that are more broad than deep.

NorthDakotaGamer

I just use the in game family tree

When I want to look I do, especially for challenges. Otherwise, I forget it is even there.

Akl500P

Other (please give details)

Notebook for me personally. Lame I know but it’s something I can easily keep up with. Might try one of the places mentioned though.

annaliese39

I just use the in game family tree

I tend to play the same family with ageing off so the in game family tree system is usually sufficient. However, I do have plans to move through generations now with one of my families, so I think I might give The Plum Tree a go, as well as using my own notes, to help maintain the family tree/information.

DaWaterRat

Other (please give details)

MCCC has a Gedcom command that creates a Gedcom family tree file for the named sim. I then import that into a family tree program (my Heritage, because it has a desktop version and it's free. I just disable syncing.) There's some patching to be done, but I've been working with MyHeritage Family tree for my other writing projects for a while, so it's not a huge deal.

Of course, you have to do this at least once a generation because once a sim is culled, they don't show up on the Gedcom file any more.

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

DaWaterRat wrote: »

MCCC has a Gedcom command that creates a Gedcom family tree file for the named sim. I then import that into a family tree program (my Heritage, because it has a desktop version and it's free. I just disable syncing.) There's some patching to be done, but I've been working with MyHeritage Family tree for my other writing projects for a while, so it's not a huge deal.

Of course, you have to do this at least once a generation because once a sim is culled, they don't show up on the Gedcom file any more.

@DaWaterRat Oh awesome I didn’t know this was an option in MCCC! It’s too late for me to use it now in my main save (too many sims culled and consequent blanks on the family tree) but I’ll definitely bear it in mind for the future. Where would I find the Ged command in the MCCC menu?

DaWaterRat

Other (please give details)

MaggieMarley wrote: »

DaWaterRat wrote: »

MCCC has a Gedcom command that creates a Gedcom family tree file for the named sim. I then import that into a family tree program (my Heritage, because it has a desktop version and it's free. I just disable syncing.) There's some patching to be done, but I've been working with MyHeritage Family tree for my other writing projects for a while, so it's not a huge deal.

Of course, you have to do this at least once a generation because once a sim is culled, they don't show up on the Gedcom file any more.

@DaWaterRat Oh awesome I didn’t know this was an option in MCCC! It’s too late for me to use it now in my main save (too many sims culled and consequent blanks on the family tree) but I’ll definitely bear it in mind for the future. Where would I find the Ged command in the MCCC menu?

It's a command line you put in the cheat/command window, rather than a button on MCCC. "Gedcom [simfirstname] [simlastname]" I believe.

SimKonfetti

I just use the in game family tree

I extract the family pictures generated with every save with Sims 4 Studio and save them in a folder numbered, every time someone ages up, dies,get pregnant, is born, etc.

This way, I can overlook the development of my families through the years.

Example:

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

DaWaterRat wrote: »

MaggieMarley wrote: »

DaWaterRat wrote: »

MCCC has a Gedcom command that creates a Gedcom family tree file for the named sim. I then import that into a family tree program (my Heritage, because it has a desktop version and it's free. I just disable syncing.) There's some patching to be done, but I've been working with MyHeritage Family tree for my other writing projects for a while, so it's not a huge deal.

Of course, you have to do this at least once a generation because once a sim is culled, they don't show up on the Gedcom file any more.

@DaWaterRat Oh awesome I didn’t know this was an option in MCCC! It’s too late for me to use it now in my main save (too many sims culled and consequent blanks on the family tree) but I’ll definitely bear it in mind for the future. Where would I find the Ged command in the MCCC menu?

It's a command line you put in the cheat/command window, rather than a button on MCCC. "Gedcom [simfirstname] [simlastname]" I believe.

@DaWaterRat ah good to know! Thank you

MaggieMarley

I use family echo

@Dakota88 that’s a great idea! Unfortunately I can’t do that because my custom gallery poses mess up those shots so that not everybody is in frame haha. Lovely family

Sharonia

I don't really. I should look into a way that doesn't take to much effort. I'm actually quite sad to have recently learned about culling as I usually just relied on the game to keep this information in past versions.

SimKonfetti

I just use the in game family tree

MaggieMarley wrote: »

@Dakota88 that’s a great idea! Unfortunately I can’t do that because my custom gallery poses mess up those shots so that not everybody is in frame haha. Lovely family

Oh? What kind of poses mod is that?