Price $29.95

Give your family history a professional look, whether you have only one file to share or 1,000. Passage Express publishes your Family Tree Maker data in an attractive CD or DVD format, automatically extracting scrapbook items and captions.

The high-quality menu designer helps you quickly create a beautiful, customizable menu that makes your project unique. You can also include face labels, even in large group photos, so your ancestors are easily identifiable. Passage Express is especially created for Family Tree Maker 2006.

Whether you're going for 'fun' or 'serious', Passage Express always gives your work a professional look. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to publish your work in our 3-step process. Simply add the files you have, use our high-quality menu designer to give your project the personality you want, and then publish!

Although Passage Express is packed with impressive features, it really doesn't take long to go from your folder of files to a beautiful multimedia presentation.

Whether you have one file to share or a few thousand, Passage Express is the way to present your work to your family as the treasure that it is.

Features

1. Build - The Project Builder allows you to organize your project in a folder system. Whether you have 3,000 files to share or just one, the Project Builder allows you to easily add and keep track of them.
   • Project Builder: The Project Builder allows you to organize your project in a folder system. Whether you have 3,000 files to share or just one, the Project Builder allows you to easily add and keep track of them.
   • Pictures: Passage Express has special features for pictures. You can add them by dragging and dropping into the project builder, scanning pictures directly, importing from your digital camera, etc. This is the window where you add your title, caption, and date. You may also add a narration by clicking the 'record' button, or by importing a sound file from somewhere else.
   • Picture Editing: Passage Express includes image editing features. You can crop, remove red-eye, adjust colors, rotate, adjust brightness and contrast, and much more.
   • Face Labels: 'What are face labels?' We were hoping you'd ask! Simply draw a box around a face or object and enter the name. Later, when your project is published and viewed, people can simply move the mouse over someone's face to see the name appear underneath. (They also have the option of seeing all face label text at once.) This is especially handy for large group pictures! No need to name everybody in the caption. You can choose the font and color of your face labels.
   • Save and Print Pictures: As you build your project, you may save or print pictures with the title, date, caption, and face labels embedded.
   • Other Files: Although Passage Express has special features for pictures, all file types are welcome!
     
     • Documents
     • Video clips
     • Audio clips
     • Genealogy files
     • Spreadsheets
     • ...and any other file!
     You have the option of entering a title and description about each file, as well as a narration and attaching a thumbnail from a picture already in your project.
     Worried about people having the correct software installed to read your file? Be sure to read about the 'File Readers' feature!
   • Genealogy Software Imports: Do you have some work already done in one of the genealogy programs listed here? Importing will give you convenient options, such as copying pictures into your project and retaining all title and caption information. No need to re-type that all in again!
     Each import is customized to the type of software, and can have a Passage Exress project already built from a few clicks of the mouse!
   • Manage Projects: Passage Express makes it easy to manage many projects. You can store them in multiple locations, including on a network. Passage Express projects can easily be imported from a CD or other published form.
   • Text Editor: A text editor allows you to create simple documents without even leaving the software.
   • Search: Our advanced search function is simple to use. Type in a word or phrase, and it will search your file titles, captions, dates, and even face labels! This is also available in your published project.
   • Slideshow Creator: If you have some pictures in your project, it's a snap to create a slideshow! Add some free music provided in the installation of Passage Express (or grab an audio CD track of your own) and you have a powerful multimedia presentation all ready to go! Although you can just go with the defaults, you can have as much control as you like over how the slideshow looks and sounds.
     If you have narations attached to your pictures, you have the option to have them play during your slideshow. That makes a really neat effect!
   • Slideshow Transitions: It's fun to add variety to your slideshow by selecting from our list of transitions. Pictures can fade into eachother, slide over top of eachother, zoom, etc. Over 80 transitions to choose from.
   • Project Size Indicator: A handy feature is the project size indicator. If, for example, you are intending to burn CD's of your project and want to make sure that the size will fit on a CD, you can set your guideline here. As you build your project, it will show you how close you are to your limit.
2. Design Menu - It's easy and fun to use Passage Express' high-quality menu designer. You may start from scratch, or begin from one of the templates that comes installed with Passage Express. Add pictures, shapes, and text to give it an attractive look. Add buttons to do whatever you want them to do.
   • Menu Designer: It's easy and fun to use Passage Express' high-quality menu designer. You may start from scratch, or begin from one of the templates that comes installed with Passage Express. Add pictures, shapes, and text to give it an attractive look. Add buttons to do whatever you want them to do.
     See the other features in this section to get a better feel of how easy it is to make a professional menu!
   • Image Library: For background images and buttons, Passage Express includes a large library for you to choose from.
   • Button Functions: The menu buttons are how people access your project that you built. Passage Express will conform to your specific project and allow you to have as many buttons as you like.
     They can launch specific files, open your project in its own built-in project viewer, launch a search of your project, go to a web site, start an e-mail to someone, etc.
   • Shapes: Passage Express has a variety of shapes you can add to enhance your menu. You can define the shapes' size, color, transparency, etc.
   • Sound Library: Passage Express includes a library of sound effects and music to add another dimension to your menus and slideshows. Sound effects can include small noises when moving over or clicking buttons.
     You may also have a 'Welcome Sound'. This plays once shortly after the menu first appears. An example may be the sound of someone saying, 'Welcome to my project. Click the buttons to see the legacy of your ancestors.
   • Grab Audio CD Track: Passage Express will import your own music from audio CD's. Simply select the track you want.
   • Video DVD Menu: If you have video or slideshows in your project, you can create a Video DVD that works on most players. Using the same interface as the project menu designer, you create a menu for your DVD.
   • Disc Label Creator: You can easily re-arrange the elements you used on your menu to create a label for your CD or DVD, if you choose to publish your project that way. It's a quick and easy way to make your project look uniform and professional. Simply save the image and print it with your disc label printing software.