Adding Pictures in Legacy
Any number of pictures, sounds and video clips (media files) can be attached to each individual in a Family File. Legacy reads most popular picture file formats. The pictures can then be displayed at any time and also included in many printed reports as well as Web pages.
Please note that Legacy does not actually add pictures, sound and video files to a family file. Rather the program remembers the path (drive and folder) and filename of the image, sound bite or video clip. While this helps keep the size of the Family File to a minimum, it means when sharing GEDCOM files with other people, you should also send them your media files.
1. To open the Media Gallery click the 
button in Family View or in the person's information screen.
2. click the Add Media button and then choose the type of media you want to add.
3. The Load Picture dialog box appears, prompting for the folder and name of the picture file you want to attach. The pictures can be previewed in this window so you can make sure you are selecting the correct one. (Whenever a picture is attached to an individual, only the picture file name is included in the Family File database. The actual picture file is not loaded.)
4. When a picture has been selected, it is loaded into the Display Picture window where you can view it and add captions and descriptions.
5. Clicking Close from the Display Picture window adds the picture to the next available location in the Media Gallery.
6. Click the Help button in the Media Gallery for additional information.
To view a free video demonstration showing how to add pictures, please watch the Legacy for Beginners training video by Geoff Rasmussen. Go to http://www.legacyfamilytree.net/videos/beg8/LegacyForBeginners.html. Next, start the video. After the Introduction is finished, you can mouse over the left side of the video screen and click on Multimedia on the popup menu.
Scanning Pictures
To scan a new picture to the Picture Gallery, click the Add Media button and select Scan a Picture. Your scanner window will then open. Place the picture in the scanner and do a preview scan. The next steps are a general description of most scanner functions:
1. Fit the image selection frame to the picture.
2. Choose your options, such as grayscale (black and white) or color.
3. Make other adjustments as needed.
4. Perform the final scan.
The exact steps for your particular scanner will probably vary somewhat. The screen shots include on this page will not reflect exactly what your scanner software looks like. Consult your scanner's operator's manual or help system. When the final scan is complete, the Save File window will open. Here you need to select the drive and/or folder where you want to save the picture (the Save in box); give your picture a name (the File name box); select a format (the Save as type box), and click the Save button. The formats that you can save an image as include:
- Bitmap (*.bmp)
- PCX (*.pcx)
- TIFF (*.tif)
- JPEG (*.jpg)
- PNG (*.png).
When the scanned picture has been named, it is loaded into the Display Picture window where you can view it and add captions and descriptions. Clicking Close from the Display Picture window adds the picture to the next available location in the Picture Gallery.
When scanning and saving your picture, be certain to choose your options carefully. The right settings will make certain your picture is the optimal quality with a minimal file size. Consult your scanner's owner's guide for more information.
