Proposal A: A 3D Genealogy Program

Website: http://www.frontiernet.net/~nconantj/genealogy3D

Summary: To create a user interface to view, and perhaps edit, a family tree loaded from an XML based input file.

Objectives:

1. Represent an ancestor, descendant or hourglass (ancestor and descendant) family tree with or without siblings (user configurable) in an interactive 3D manner.

2. Read in said family tree from an XML based input file that follows the GedXML 6.0 Beta format from Family and Church History Department The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and available at http://www.familysearch.org/GEDCOM/GedXML60.pdf

3. Possibly allow editing and saving of said XML file.

4. Possibly allow automatic touring of tree. This would involve a path finding algorithm from one individual to another, perhaps configurable (shortest route vs. first route found), visiting every node of the tree at most once (with a brief pause) and animating the camera.

System and Software: Linux and either Java3D or OpenGL (former more likely)

Project Components:

1. XML Parser, probably a Java implementation.

2. GUI - Tree type selector, Manual touring of tree

Project Timeline:

• October 4 – XML Parsing completed

• October 11 – Name and relationship display completed, including manual touring and tree generation.

• October 18 – Remainder of data display completed

• October 25 – Editing and saving of tree completed (if it will happen)

• November 1 – Automatic touring of tree completed (if it will happen)

• November 8 – GedCOM 5.5 to GedXML conversion utility (if needed)

• Presentation Date – Project completed and cleaned up.

Final Presentation: A general over view of what was done and a demonstration with an example file containing my family tree.