* A couple of project questions...

[fhtess65]

1) Is there a way to copy source templates between projects?

2) Is it best to add the media to the project folder? Or just to link?

3) If we don't add media to the project folder, which backup is best?

I've made a bit of a mess with the RM8 file I've imported into FH so want to start again, but need the answers to the above questions first. I wish I'd asked them the first time round. I have, however, created some source templates in my current project, hence my first question.

Thanks for your patience.

Teresa

[tatewise]

1) If necessary, in Tools > Source Template Definitions... there are Import... and Export... buttons ~ so YES.

2) There is no absolute answer. It depends on how you wish to work.
If you need to continue using both FH7 and RM8 then it is best to keep them external to FH and accessible to both.
There are some benefits to keeping them in the FH Project folder especially if syncing two PC.

3) You should not rely on just one backup mechanism. At least one backup copy should be off-site somewhere.
The backups should include not just Media but also your Projects and your custom settings.
Whatever method you use, it should be applied to all your sensitive files and not just FH.
Windows has perfectly good local backup tools and there are many free tools.
It is popular to use cloud storage (OneDrive, Google Drive, Dropbox) for off-site backups.
See FHUG Knowledge Base Backup and Recovery advice.

[fhtess65]

Thanks, Mike...

1) good to know

2) Thanks for the advice ... I will think carefully. As I hate having all eggs in one basket where software is concerned and continue to use RM as well, I imagine I will choose to link only.

3) As for backup, I should have been clear - I do frequently back EVERYTHING up to two external hard drives and keep one off-site, so that's not the issue. I just wondered if I kept the media files in their original folders (which I ALWAYS back up to external hard drive) if I needed to do the full backup or if the medium would be ok. Of course, if I'm not keeping the media in the project folder, that will also make the full backup much faster.

As always, I appreciate your advice. Without this fantastic forum and its dedicated participants I would have given up on FH, but all of you have given me the confidence to learn its many nuances.

Teresa

[Mark1834]

The big difference now compared with when you first started using FH is that it now imports your RM file directly (and does a pretty good job of it by all accounts), rather than having to rely on GEDCOM transfer, which rarely copies everything.

To expand on your questions a little -

1. You cannot copy source templates, only source template definitions. If you created definitions, they copy as Mike described, but if you created templates, there are additional steps. Do you know which you have?
2. Unless you are a PC novice (which you are clearly not), I strongly recommend linking, particularly if the media files are used by other apps.
3. Personally, I never use the FH backup options. If you manage your own backups, you don’t need them.

It’s always worth remembering that both FH and RM have open structures, so every piece of data can be recovered without using the parent apps, so don’t worry about not being able to get your data out again. If you continue to use both apps, it’s probably best to update in just one and have the other as a copy, otherwise things could get a bit messy.

[tatewise]

If you back-up everything then using the FH Backup feature does not add much benefit, especially if Media are external.
For accidental minor upsets to the GEDCOM, there are always the FH daily Snapshots anyway.

What is worth running regularly is the Backup and Restore FH Settings plugin as advised in Backup and Recovery so its back-ups are included in your everything back-up. The plugin backs-up the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\ settings and the Windows Registry FH settings that your everything back-up may omit.

[fhtess65]

Hi Mark,

Yes - the direct file transfer from RM to FH is huge...makes such a difference.

1) It appears I have Source Template Definitions - the verbiage is different from RM, but I've included a screencap, just in case I'm misinterpreting - I'm still trying to figure it all out, so please excuse the mess:

2) No, I'm not a PC novice - been at this since my first little Zenith that ran DOS in 1988 Wrote my MA thesis in history on it! Thanks for confirming that it's best to link rather than add to the project folder.

3) Thanks also for the advice re FH backups - I'll take that into account going forward.

Re using both FH and RM...it's a big struggle for me to decide which is my primary one. I love aspects of RM's Ancestry TreeShare, but it does create a mess, despite the fact it saves my bad wrists many keystrokes. There are other RM features I like as well, including the ability to drag and drop people from one database to another. And I'm still far more familiar with it than FH.

OTOH, FH is much more powerful in most other ways and creates the BEST diagrams. I also love the support group here where people tend to give clear directions in response to questions and there's far less moaning about the software's drawbacks than in the Facebook groups for most other family tree software. No piece of software is perfect.

Thanks again for giving me so much food for thought. I really appreciate the guidance.

Teresa

SourceTemplateDefinitions.jpg (296.61 KiB) Viewed 960 times

The big difference now compared with when you first started using FH is that it now imports your RM file directly (and does a pretty good job of it by all accounts), rather than having to rely on GEDCOM transfer, which rarely copies everything.

To expand on your questions a little -

1. You cannot copy source templates, only source template definitions. If you created definitions, they copy as Mike described, but if you created templates, there are additional steps. Do you know which you have?
2. Unless you are a PC novice (which you are clearly not), I strongly recommend linking, particularly if the media files are used by other apps.
3. Personally, I never use the FH backup options. If you manage your own backups, you don’t need them.

It’s always worth remembering that both FH and RM have open structures, so every piece of data can be recovered without using the parent apps, so don’t worry about not being able to get your data out again. If you continue to use both apps, it’s probably best to update in just one and have the other as a copy, otherwise things could get a bit messy.

[fhtess65]

Mike,

Great info! I hadn't even known about daily snapshots til recently! Thanks again!

I will also remember to run that plugin more frequently - I have it, but forget to use it as much as I should.

As always, appreciate your helpful response...and endless patience.

Teresa

If you back-up everything then using the FH Backup feature does not add much benefit, especially if Media are external.
For accidental minor upsets to the GEDCOM, there are always the FH daily Snapshots anyway.

What is worth running regularly is the Backup and Restore FH Settings plugin as advised in Backup and Recovery so its back-ups are included in your everything back-up. The plugin backs-up the C:\ProgramData\Calico Pie\Family Historian\ settings and the Windows Registry FH settings that your everything back-up may omit.

[Mark1834]

Yes, you have Definitions, which makes life easier. FH saves all the Definitions in a Collection in a single file, which is what you can export and import as Mike described.

As you probably know, RM can export and import only single templates, each in its own .rmst file. Both FH and RM use plain text XML files for template definitions. It wouldn’t be difficult to create a plugin that imports RM definitions directly, or exports FH templates in that format, but it’s a rather niche application.

[fhtess65]

Yes, you have Definitions, which makes life easier. FH saves all the Definitions in a Collection in a single file, which is what you can export and import as Mike described.

That's a relief!!

As you probably know, RM can export and import only single templates, each in its own .rmst file. Both FH and RM use plain text XML files for template definitions. It wouldn’t be difficult to create a plugin that imports RM definitions directly, or exports FH templates in that format, but it’s a rather niche application.

I'm no good at programming myself and would not expect someone to create something so specialized for me. I'm sure I'll get there eventually with all this.

As always, appreciate the sound advice