* Adding selective GED data, advice please

[peterbel]

I have had a look around FH and the Plugin store but not seen what can help me.

I have been sent a GED from a relative which includes a branch of my family in much greater detail than I have recorded in mine and I want to add this part of it. For your information this relative created the GED from Ancestry but seems to have used a different way of using Sources and Facts to me.
I looked at using Merge/Compare in FH to do this but decided that it would take more work sorting and tidying up than adding and updating my individual records manually, using 2 windows and 2 instances of FH.
I have now completed this step so the details in their Property window match, but no Sources or Facts.

Is there a way for me to add just the Facts for this selection of Individuals, preferably with an editing stage. Then doing the same for the Sources.

Thanks

[tatewise]

Sorry Peter, but I got lost halfway through your description.

It seems you have two Projects that you open side by side in two instances of FH and tidied them.
You say "the details in their Property window match, but no Sources or Facts".

So presumably the only things that match are the family relationships to Spouses and Children.

Then you talk about adding just facts, which I assume is the usual manual process of adding Facts.
What is not clear is where those fact details originate since you say above that there are "no Sources or Facts".

Then "doing the same for Sources". I'm not sure what this means.
Are you talking about adding Source Citations manually to all the Facts?

Maybe you are simply asking about using a Fact-Driven data entry instead of a Source-Driven data entry.

Merge Strategy
The recommended approach is to import the new GED data as a separate Project.
Then clean & tidy that into the style you prefer for your master Project and delete unwanted Individuals, etc.
The objective is a matching subset of your family branch but with additional Facts, Source Citations, Media, etc.

Finally, a File > Merge/Compare File... stage should be straightforward.

Rebuild Strategy
Alternatively, add details to your master Project using your usual methods (such as AS) but driven by the new GED data.
i.e. The new GED Project provides clues to the new Facts and Sources that you verify and entered from scratch in exactly the same way as would any newly discovered information about your family ancestors.

[Little.auk]

Then you talk about adding just facts, which I assume is the usual manual process of adding Facts.
What is not clear is where those fact details originate since you say above that there are "no Sources or Facts".

Peter said that " this relative created the GED from Ancestry but seems to have used a different way of using Sources and Facts to me." . So. there are Sources and Facts, but not in the format he wants them.

As I understand it - he then says that he has manually added the Individuals to his project, so that the two trees match, but has not added any of the fact or source data.

I have not used the Merge facilty in FH, I presume that your Merge Strategy instructions will still work and add the source and fact data from Peter's relatives edited FH project, to the people that Peter has manually entered in his FH Project.

Or would it be preferable to delete those people and start again?

[peterbel]

Thanks for the reply Mike, sorry if my post was not very clear.

presumably the only things that match are the family relationships to Spouses and Children.

Correct. Where missing or incorrect I have manually entered the information.

you say above that there are "no Sources or Facts

I have not manually, or otherwise, added the Facts or Sources from the new data. It is a step by step way that I wanted to do next and would like guidance on the best approach.
From what I have read I believe the Merge process is all records in the two databases so the only way I could see to go step by step would be to make lots of small databases from the new data and merge them one at a time.

[tatewise]

A lot hinges on how much faith you have in the supplied GED database from Ancestry, which presumably needs verifying to your own standards.

Whichever strategy you choose to adopt the first step is to create a new Project from the GED so you can clean & tidy the data to conform with your standard practices and remove Ancestry junk UDF, etc. See the FHUG KB for Importing to FH.
If there are images worth obtaining from Ancestry then consider the FTM or RootsMagic options.

Yes, the Merge/Compare File process is best fully completed in a single session.
So splitting the new GED data into sub-branches would make that task easier.
Without knowing how many people and facts there are in the new GED then it is difficult to advise further.

As I tried to explain in my proposed Rebuild Strategy, a step-by-step process would manually add Facts and Source Citations to your master Project using exactly the same techniques you would use for any new research information that you discover. The only difference is that you have a lot of clues provided by the new GED. However, I would not trust them without doing your own independent confirmation of each Fact and Source.

[peterbel]

Thanks both.
I will mull over the suggestions and then perhaps experiment.
I found manually entering the individuals dates and relationships was quite tedious so I was hoping for an 'assisted' method which I could use for the Facts and then Sources. One that enabled each individual's Facts/Sources to be displayed, cross checked then either discarded, used or partly used.
Not sure what the count of Individuals is of the subset I am interested in. Is there an easy way to find it?

[tatewise]

Whatever strategy you choose the first step is to create a new Project from the GED and clean it up.

Then you can remove any branches you don't want to investigate by deleting records.
What is left will be the number of Individuals you are interested in researching further.

You could work through the Facts and Sources in that new Project and ratify them in the usual way.
Maybe use AS to add Source Citations that could replace the existing ones.
You then finish up with a revised Project with Facts and Sources ratified to your usual strategy.
i.e. They are a perfect match with your master Project but in a separate Project.

Now the Merge/Compare File will simply be a rubber stamping exercise to accept all the new Project details synchronised into your master Project.

The only alternative is to use Merge/Compare File without synchronisation so that all the new Project records remain independent from your master Project records. Then you can Copy & Paste each Fact from the new records to your existing records, but that will only achieve the same as the synchronised merge.

[peterbel]

I have started again, thank goodness for Backups!
I intend to split the supplied GED/Project so I have just the relatives I want to merge with my dB. I can then clean them up and merge, one of your suggested strategies Mike.
I am looking for a 'smart' way doing the split, I estimate there are about 500 individuals I will end up merging.
Suggestions please !

[tatewise]

Peter, you have not given any clues about the new GED branch structure and how those 500 people are related

There are various ways of selecting who you want to keep and who you want to remove using Diagrams or Queries.
e.g. FHUG KB Create an export GEDCOM based on a diagram explains how to create a Named List from a Diagram for people to be retained. (Ignore the bit about exporting a GEDCOM.)

Then use the File > Split Tree Helper... to delete/retain Individuals leaving just the 500 of interest.
i.e. If there is a Named List of the 500 then use the Name List Members query.

Is that enough clues or do you need more details?

[peterbel]

Yes, sorry, I should have said that my selection are descendants of one individual.
I used the Diagram > Named List > Split Tree Helper process and now have Project file that I can now tweak before a Compare/Merge into my dB. Thanks for the suggestions.
The first tweak I need to do is remove all but one of the Media links as I wasn't sent any Media with the GED.
I have tried a few ways but without success.

[tatewise]

Peter, it always helps to tell us what you tried.
I guess you are actually wanting to delete all but one of the Media Records?

Use the FHUG KB Delete One or Many Records techniques such as via the Media tab of the Records Window.

Did you notice in the Split Tree Helper there is an option to Delete all Multimedia Records?
You can then just add back the one Media item you have.

I hope you used the other Split Tree Helper options to remove records with no links to them.

Don't overlook cleaning UDF as per FHUG KB Handling Uncategorised Data Fields.

[peterbel]

Thanks Mike I hadn't used the Delete Multimedia records so I went back and used it.
Thanks again for your guidance.