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General => Technical Help => Family History Programs, Tree Organisation, Presentation => Topic started by: florna on Saturday 12 December 15 12:00 GMT (UK)
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I have a subscription to Ancestry and use Family Tree Maker.
If I download a GEDCOM file with my family tree data to RootsMagic 7 will all of my media info be transferred as well ie photographs; photocopies of certificates; census pages etc etc as well as data about my family?
Also I am not sure what is contained in a GEDCOM file.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
florna
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This might answer some of your questions: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEDCOM
If you open a GEDCOM with a text editor such as Notepad, you can see what it contains. Just a warning: you'd be very, very brave to go editing the file with Notepad!
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The contents of a GEDCOM file can vary, but usually it will be all the names, dates, events (births, deaths, etc), places, etc. but photos, photocopies, etc. will not normally be in the actual GEDCOM.
To quote from RootsMagic Help: RootsMagic lets you add unlimited media items (pictures, audio clips, video clips, or files) to your database. When you add a media item, RootsMagic stores a link to that media item, but does not put the media item itself into the database
If the Photos, etc. are stored on your hard drive it will simply be a matter of linking to them in RM once the GEDCOM has been imported. If they are in an online database you will need to somehow download them to your hard drive before proceeding as above. There may be a quick and simple way to do this on Ancestry but I've never tried.
Mike.
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Many thanks Mike for your help. Your comment has given me a clearer understanding of what a GEDCOM does.
florna
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There is no way to download, in bulk, the photos, certificates, census returns and so forth from Ancestry! ::)
You can always copy each such entity one at a time?!
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I have always found that notes don't export properly from one program to another. Probably something to do with how each program has its notes facility set up.
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One problem with GEDCOM is that the various programs invent extra headings which only work in their own program. The core data is normally exported/imported correctly between different programs though. There is usually a list of options to select from when creating the GEDCOM to export.
Mike.
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Ancestry outputs it's GEDCOM files in version 5.5.
So make sure that wherever you import the GEDCOM file, can read version 5.5!
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Ancestry outputs it's GEDCOM files in version 5.5.
So make sure that wherever you import the GEDCOM file, can read version 5.5!
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Thanks for that advice KC.
Joe
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GEDCOM is a specification meant to ensure that [ genealogical ] data is transferred in a standard/common manner. The latest/last version of the GEDCOM specification from LDS is version 5.5.1
Only use earlier versions if there is no other option in the software package into which you intend the import.
Other (higher numbered) specifications are NOT to the LDS specification and are really only meant as transportation back into the software package that creates them. They may or may not include media data depending on the software package chosen.
Gedcom X was intended to be a "agreed common" replacement for v5.5.1, but seems to have disappeared.
That may be just be lack of published/communicated information.
Gedcom v5.5 does NOT include any media (photos/documents) nor references to media unless those references are stored as notes.
The real problem with media is that the target (of the move) Drive+folder(s) structure/hierarchy is not part of the known environment at the point of export. So LDS kept it (v5.5.1) simple and said "No media".
c:/genealogy_data/UKfamily/family_1/etc_a/etc/etc/
d:/genealogy_data/USAfamily/family_2/etc_1a/etc/etc/
Ray
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To put it simply, if you send a GEDCOM to someone else who uses the same software as you everything should work, but if they use a different program some of the extra information will almost certainly be lost.
In either case media files will need to be shared by other means, and new links created within the program.
Mike.
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Hi
It's worth noting that there are a couple of topics about GEDCOM in the RootsChat Reference Library Lexicon (created 2006 onwards) here . . . . .
http://surname.rootschat.com/lexicon/reflib-lexicon.php?letter=G&lang=EN&input_form=0
It includes . . . . .
(http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,593221)
plus some very good stuff from falcybe and jc26red et al.
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This may interest one or two Rootschatters, it will probably bore most.....
GEDCOM was/is meant for standardising a method of transferring (family tree) data between "points", not necessarily backing-up (family tree) data.
It should be remembered that the last (and final) specification for a "GEDCOM" file was published in 1996, being version 5.5.
It encompasses the view of the world at that point.
Based upon "DISKETTES" and in DOS (+ MAC equivalent).
The specification of the GEDCOM standard allows for the developers of genealogy software to create their facilities (for media) using one of two ways.
1) Breaking the object into segments of 32kbytes and embedding into the exported file. You should remember that you are dealing with diskettes of a size 1.44mb (2.88mb were around for a "short" time)
2) providing a reference to an external (to the gedcom file) file.
Filename only, to DOS naming standards
eg myfoto01.jpg or mylist05.doc
(max name length 8.3). NO drive/folder/directory detail.
It is likely that the GEDCOMv5.5 specification "committee" could not have forseen the explosion in media availability that we have at our finger tips now.
The normal way of pointing to media (et al) was by the way of "source reference" linking ie naming/pointing to the original book/GRO ref/etc where the information can be found.
The current version of the GEDCOM v5.5 specification is held ....
http://www.rootschat.com/links/0lei/ (http://www.rootschat.com/links/0lei/)
It's probably also worth noting that FTM12, for tree export, includes both the standard Gedcomv5.5 method and a separate FTM Gedcom version. I have yet to try this FTM-"specific version" to see what the differences are.
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Ray
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I have a subscription to Ancestry and use Family Tree Maker.
If I download a GEDCOM file with my family tree data to RootsMagic 7 will all of my media info be transferred as well ie photographs; photocopies of certificates; census pages etc etc as well as data about my family?
Also I am not sure what is contained in a GEDCOM file.
Any help would be appreciated
Thanks
florna
Are you using FTM 2012 or 2014? If yes, if you synchronise a copy of your ancestry tree into FTM (or just download a copy) with all the media, and then use the export facility in FTM to Gedcom 5.5 (using I think ANSI format) ensuring the tick boxes for media are all selected, this will export a copy of your tree in Gedcom format with links to all the media attached or linked to the tree. It will also import into Roots Magic with the links to the media, including all the media attached to source citations. When you "save" a copy of an ancestry record to your ancestry tree (as opposed to uploading a copy manually), ancestry links this to the Source citation for the particular Fact associated with the individual.
It's not as easy to find in RM, but they do transfer. If you've manually attached media to your ancestry tree, then in RM they will show in the media gallery for the specific individual.
If you've saved a copy of documents such as census using ancestry "save" facility, then they won't show in the media gallery when you select Person Media in RM. It can, though, be found by selecting "edit person" (which opens up a new window), then click source button the bottom right hand side of the screen (it should say how many sources are available). This opens up Citation Manager for that source, click edit (third button along at the top), which opens Edit Source, then click the Media button (fourth button along at the top). This will show the media attached to the source.
Its a fiddly way of doing things, and there may be a better way to view but I've not found one yet experimenting. The media attached to source citations (such as census) can be viewed by opening up the Media Gallery itself, but you can't filter them against a particular person because of the way ancestry names the media files when they are downloaded.
Hope this helps.
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If you have the FTM files on your computer, RootsMagic has the ability to import them directly (i.e. without using GEDCOM). Not being a FTM user I have no experience of using this:
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You can only import FTM files from v2006 and earlier into RM, not the later files which most people will have. FTM2008 onwards doesn't work because ancestry rewrote the program completely and have to be exported to Gedcom first.
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You can only import FTM files from v2006 and earlier into RM, not the later files which most people will have. FTM2008 onwards doesn't work because ancestry rewrote the program completely and have to be exported to Gedcom first
ooops! :-[ sorry, I didn't notice that bit :(
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I know you were looking to move to RootsMagic, but the notes from the Family Historian User Group, linked below will help you with moving the linked images etc.
http://www.fhug.org.uk/wiki/doku.php?id=how_to:import_from_ancestry
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. . . . . although there is this warning paragraph there regarding the Media Download Service . . . . .
" WARNING
To use the Downloader service requires your Ancestry plus DropBox or Google Drive usernames and passwords, so use it at your peril, and change passwords immediately after use.
Also FHUG members have reported that they could not get the Downloader service to work. "
>:(
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I too have be trying to move my trees from FTM to Roots magic 7.
Last night when I opened RootsMagic they had issued an update, fixing a few bugs. One new feature is to import images and when I went into people their media was attached. Haven't had a chance to check them all out yet.
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Thanks to everyone who has given advice. It is much appreciated!
Happy Christmas
Dave
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Sorry if this has been covered, but I am finding it a little confusing to understand file links...
I managed to import my tree into RootsMagic 7 via a Gedcom created in FTM (that had been sync with my Ancestry Tree online).
After the latest program updates in RootsMagic 7, the media images were also imported.
Up to that point I'm OK.
When I look at the image file data, it says it is in:
C:\Users\My Name\Documents\FamilyTreeMaker\The Tree Name Media\1851 England Census etc
Now my confusion! Obviously if I delete my tree from FTM the media links and images disappear. Also I'm not sure on the copyright rules on these things we download into our trees. Should I go into the file "Tree Name Media" and copy, save and rename the images then link in RM7 individually. Does that break any rules? Ancestry and FTM being so closely connected.
Thank you in advance for any help to help me understand!
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Not sure if I fully understand the situation, but it should be possible to copy the entire media folder from your FTM folder to a dedicated RootsMagic media folder, obviously before you delete anything.
I believe the copyright rules allow you to keep copies for your own use so I don't think it's necessary to rename the image files.
If you want to redirect the media file links you can use the RootsMagic Search & Replace command as below:
search for C:\Users\My Name\Documents\FamilyTreeMaker\The Tree Name Media\1851 England Census etc
replace with (say) C:\Users\My Name\Documents\RootsMagic\The Tree Name Media\1851 England Census etc
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Thanks mike175 I will give it a go!