Cluster Auto Painter

Generate a chromosome map from your clusters of DNA matches so you can:

  • • Make notes and identify clusters as maternal or paternal
  • • Look at the segments behind the clusters and identify potential 'pileups'

Genetic Affairs and DNAGedcom are two services that are able to extract "clusters" of interrelated matches from DNA testing companies. Similar Autocluster functionality is available at Gedmatch and MyHeritage.

This tool lets you map these clusters into a DNA Painter chromosome mapping profile that you can then edit and manipulate just like any other. To use it, you'll need:

  • An autocluster HTML file from geneticaffairs.com or a Collins' Leeds Method HTML file from DNA Gedcom (version 3.1.1 Build 5 or newer needed), or an autocluster file generated at Gedmatch or MyHeritage.
  • If you're using a file from Gedmatch or MyHeritage, or an older autocluster file from Genetic Affairs, you'll also need to provide a CSV file of segments from the site that the autocluster results are from (e.g. 23andme, or MyHeritage, FamilytreeDNA or Gedmatch).

Please note: since AncestryDNA does not provide segments, you cannot use AncestryDNA clusters at this time.


Read more in the DNA Painter Blog   CAP FAQ

Important: due to recent restrictions placed on data by DNA testing companies, you can only currently get data for this tool from Gedmatch.

Instructions for other companies and sites still appear below for reference since the tool will still work for previously downloaded files.

This page will be updated in future if/when this situation changes.

In order to generate chromosome maps you need to log in to your DNA Painter account
(or register if you haven't already)

Cluster
Cluster Map

Cluster Auto Painter FAQ

How do I edit a cluster to make it maternal or paternal?
I've written an example covering how to do this, including other tips on annotating your clusters:
Why are some of the matches and/or clusters missing?
There are a few reasons why this can happen:
  • A match may have opted out of sharing segments with you.
  • A match may not have any segments over the cM threshold (the default is set to 7cM)
  • If this applies to all matches in a cluster, the cluster itself will be missing
  • You might accidentally have used a segments file for just one match, or a segments file for another family member
Why do some of my clusters contain only one match?
Please see above. Also:
  • Gedmatch appears to use thresholds very differently between its cluster tool and the segment search tool.
  • Depending on the threshold you use, you may find your clusters include many matches that don't appear in your Gedmatch segments file.
  • You may be able to work around this by either adjusting the thresholds, or by increasing the number of matches included in your segment search report at Gedmatch
How do I add my painted clusters to my existing DNA Painter chromosome map?
At present CAP generates a new chromosome map. To import this into an existing profile:
  • In the cluster profile, click on the settings cog above chromosome 1 and click 'All segment data'.
  • Optionally filter this table to include just certain clusters
  • Click 'CSV file' at the top left
  • Within the profile you want to import the clusters, click the settings cog, and click 'Import segment data'. Browse for your downloaded CSV file from the clusters profile, adjust the threshold settings if desired (the default is 10cM), and click 'Import this file'

More about Clustering

For more background information on how clusters are generated, please take a look at the following: