FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Waypointing/Basics of Waypointing

The objective of Waypointing is to group images together according to localities, record type, and year range.

Waypointing tool layout
The tool is divided into four different windows: Waypoints, Notes, Thumbnails, and Image View.

Waypoints Window
This window is divided into two halves, a template side and a summary side. The template side is where you select the type of waypoint you are creating, and enter information extracted from the images. Each project will have two types of waypoints: Administrative and Consolidated Form. They each have a different template, found on the template side of the Waypoints window. You switch between the two templates by using a drop-down box.


 * Administrative Template
 * This template is used for images that patrons do not need to see. There are no fields in the Administrative template. Be aware that administrative images may be found in the middle of a film. An Administrative image can include title-boards that contain general information such as Country, City, or archive, but should not to be relied on for dates. Blank images can also be administrative, depending on the project.


 * Consolidated Form Template
 * This template varies according to project, but generally contains three types of fields. Locality fields describe where the record was created, such as the State, Municipality, or Parish. Record or Event Type fields describe the type of information in the record, such as Baptisms, Deaths, Marriages, etc. Year Range fields contain the first and last years in the individual waypoint. All this information is extracted from the images and notes, and then put into the Consolidated Form.

Note that an individual folder may contain information from different localities, record types, or year ranges. Waypoints must be created for each group of images. Refer to the Waypointing Wiki page for the specific project for instructions on grouping the images.

There are two buttons on the template side: New is used to create a new waypoint, and links it to the selected images. Update is used to save changes made to a previously completed waypoint.

The summary side of the Waypoints window shows a written list of all images in the folder. Images that have not been waypointed are listed in red, and images that have been waypointed are listed in black, with all of the information that was entered. This side includes three buttons: Save Draft, Delete, and Finish. Finish saves all waypointing information and closes the folder. Note that Finish cannot be clicked until all images have been waypointed. Once Finish has been clicked, you will no longer have access to the folder. Please make sure to review all information before clicking Finish. Delete is used to clear information from a waypoint selected in the Summary.

While it is best to finish each folder you open, if you have to stop before all images have been waypointed, the Save Draft button will save all information that you have entered. To retrieve a saved draft, select File, Takeover Waypointing Draft, and find your username in the list of saved drafts. Please try to finish every folder you start, and use this function only when absolutely necessary.

Notes Window
This window includes notes from the Family History Library Catalog about the specific film. These notes may include Locality, Record Type, and Year Range information, but should only be used as a guide. The images should be checked to verify any information pulled from the notes window. Not all folders will have notes.

Thumbnails Window
This shows all the images in the current folder. In this window, clicking on an image will select it, highlighting it in blue, and deselect any other image already highlighted. Holding the shift key down and clicking a second image will select all images between the two. Holding the control key down and clicking on a second image will select that image without deselecting any others. You may also use the control key to deselect an image, without losing other selections.

Image View Window
This gives an expanded view of a selected image in the Thumbnail window, or the first image in a larger selection. You may use this window to zoom in, rotate, or invert the colors of the image in order to read the information from the record.

To Begin
Open the Waypointing tool from your desktop. Arrange the windows according to personal preference, making sure that the Waypoints window is large enough to see all fields of the Consolidated Form.

To Waypoint

 * 1) Open a project by clicking on File, Open Project.
 * 2) Select the project that you have been assigned. A folder from this project will load into the tool.
 * 3) After the images in the folder have loaded, scan through the thumbnails and mark all Administrative images, using the Image View window as needed. Do this by selecting an administrative image, or range of images using the shift and control keys, and clicking New.
 * 4) Once all Administrative images have been marked, change the template to Consolidated Form and select a range of images according to Locality, Record Type, and Year Range (usually the group of images between Administrative waypoints).
 * 5) Fill out the Consolidated Form using information from the images.
 * 6) After all fields are finished, click New to create the waypoint.
 * 7) Repeat this process until all images have been waypointed. Waypoints can be edited by clicking the Summary line you wish to edit. Make any changes needed to the Consolidated Form, make sure the correct range is highlighted, and click the Update button. If you need to remove an entire Waypoint, click the Summary line, and click the Delete button.
 * 8) When all images have been Waypointed, click the Finish button in the Waypoints window to close the folder and save the Waypoint information. You cannot make changes to a folder once you have clicked Finish. Please make sure all entered information is correct before clicking Finish.