Author Topic: Downloading a GEDCOM file  (Read 3743 times)

Offline [Ray]

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #9 on: Sunday 13 December 15 09:51 GMT (UK) »

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
"The wise man knows how little he knows, the foolish man does not". My Grandfather & Father.

"You can’t give kindness away.  It keeps coming back". Mark Twain (?).

Offline mike175

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #10 on: Sunday 13 December 15 10:28 GMT (UK) »
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.
Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex/London, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex, Wyatt - Essex/Kent

Offline [Ray]

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 13 December 15 11:27 GMT (UK) »
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.

~~~~~~~~-------
 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/
 
 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.
 ~~~~~~~~---------------


Ray
"The wise man knows how little he knows, the foolish man does not". My Grandfather & Father.

"You can’t give kindness away.  It keeps coming back". Mark Twain (?).

Offline smudwhisk

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #12 on: Sunday 13 December 15 14:41 GMT (UK) »
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.
(KENT) Lingwell, Rayment (BUCKS) Read, Hutchins (SRY) Costin, Westbrook (DOR) Gibbs, Goreing (DUR) Green (ESX) Rudland, Malden, Rouse, Boosey (FIFE) Foulis, Russell (NFK) Johnson, Farthing, Purdy, Barsham (GLOS) Collett, Morris, Freebury, May, Kirkman (HERTS) Winchester, Linford (NORTHANTS) Bird, Brimley, Chater, Wilford, Read, Chapman, Jeys, Marston, Lumley (WILTS) Arden, Whatley, Batson, Gleed, Greenhill (SOM) Coombs, Watkins (RUT) Stafford (BERKS) Sansom, Angel, Young, Stratton, Weeks, Day


Offline mike175

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #13 on: Sunday 13 December 15 15:26 GMT (UK) »
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:
Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex/London, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex, Wyatt - Essex/Kent

Offline smudwhisk

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #14 on: Sunday 13 December 15 16:34 GMT (UK) »
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.
(KENT) Lingwell, Rayment (BUCKS) Read, Hutchins (SRY) Costin, Westbrook (DOR) Gibbs, Goreing (DUR) Green (ESX) Rudland, Malden, Rouse, Boosey (FIFE) Foulis, Russell (NFK) Johnson, Farthing, Purdy, Barsham (GLOS) Collett, Morris, Freebury, May, Kirkman (HERTS) Winchester, Linford (NORTHANTS) Bird, Brimley, Chater, Wilford, Read, Chapman, Jeys, Marston, Lumley (WILTS) Arden, Whatley, Batson, Gleed, Greenhill (SOM) Coombs, Watkins (RUT) Stafford (BERKS) Sansom, Angel, Young, Stratton, Weeks, Day

Offline mike175

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #15 on: Sunday 13 December 15 16:57 GMT (UK) »
Quote
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  :(
Baskervill - Devon, Foss - Hants, Gentry - Essex, Metherell - Devon, Partridge - Essex/London, Press - Norfolk/London, Stone - Surrey/Sussex, Stuttle - Essex/London, Wheate - Middlesex/Essex/Coventry/Oxfordshire/Staffs, Gibson - Essex, Wyatt - Essex/Kent

Offline Jane Taubman

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #16 on: Tuesday 15 December 15 12:08 GMT (UK) »
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
Taubman, Mitchell, Purcell - Lancashire,
Couglan, Byrnre - Ireland
Mullins, Bowditch, Crabb, Record - Dorset

Offline [Ray]

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Re: Downloading a GEDCOM file
« Reply #17 on: Thursday 17 December 15 09:08 GMT (UK) »

. . . . . 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. "


 >:(
"The wise man knows how little he knows, the foolish man does not". My Grandfather & Father.

"You can’t give kindness away.  It keeps coming back". Mark Twain (?).