Family Historian User Group

Hello readers,
I have now decided to use Ancestral Sources but what about converting existing facts to Ancestral Sources format.
Can this be done without inputting all the data again?
Genie15

Maybe, but you will need to let us into your secrets before we can even begin to answer

The answer below is quite long winded, but we will help you along the way when there is a clearer route.

Why are you only considering Census facts when AS handles a lot more?
Which of your existing facts are you hoping to convert, and how is their current data organised?
How much data is involved? How many Individuals? How many Source records? How many Media?

Which Ancestral Sources (AS) format options are you considering?
Remember that as well as Census, AS copes with Birth, Baptism, Marriage, Death & Burial key facts for the Principal person(s), and many other facts such as Occupation and Residence for close relatives.
So even when capturing Census returns AS can create/update not only Census facts, but also Occupation, Residence, Birth, and other facts and link them all to the same Source Citation.
There is also the choice between Method 1 'splitter' Source Citations and Method 2 'lumper' Source Citations.
Have you tried the AS tutorials on the Family Historian Sample Project to gain an understanding of how it operates?
See ancestralsources:index|> Ancestral Sources and particularly the Ancestral Sources Tutorial ~ Enter Census Facts.
There is a lot to think about.

Some users when faced with such decisions do decide to enter all the data again because it gives the opportunity to review all the Source documents afresh and perhaps discover new documentation that was not available when the research was previously undertaken, e.g. the UK 1939 Register. I am sure some of those users will give their opinions.
It is not necessary to update all your data at once. You can take your time.

You do not even have to convert anything, but just apply AS to any new research.

Hello Mike,
Your reply was very interesting.
From what you said, Ancestral Sources is purely a data input aid. So if I don't need to convert my existing facts for Ancestral Sources will there be any problems with reference to say other 'plugins'?

I only mentioned census facts as I didn't want to get too bogged down with the other facts.

Most of my existing data was imported from The Master Genealogist some years ago when it stopped being supported.
Meanwhile I have come across problems (Census family facts being one of them) and have slowly been sorting them out.
I have the following:-
Record Counts...
Individual Records:19658
Family Records: 4857
Note Records: 0
Source Records: 111
Repository Records: 33
Submitter Records: 1
Submission Records: 0
Media Records: 28
Place Records: 2330
Being added to almost daily. Now using Ancestral Sources.

The AS format option I'm using is method 1.
I have been through the AS tutorials after some misunderstandings on my part.
With reference to your paragraph 'Some users..........)' are there any pitfalls I may come across relating to say plugins.

Your last paragraph not to even convert anything seems to sum it all up.

I'm just now trying to get my data to be more consistent before the next Family Historian upgrade.

Genie15

As one who moved over from TMG seveal years ago (when support stopped), perhaps I can add my "non-expert" thoughts / experiences!.

I use AS for all offered types of input utilising Method 1. I "played around" with AS settings for many months before I decided on what worked for me and my website (which is not generated via the FH Website offerings).

For Census records, I do not use the Occupation and Residence options to create their own Facts (plenty of discussions on this forum on the pros and cons of this approach) and do not use the Family Census facts (ditto). I have though, changed some settings within AS so that the Note created on each Individuals Census fact includes the values for Marital Status, Relationship to Head of Household and Occupation as input to AS. AS puts the "Ref ID" (which contains the PRO Reference) in to the "Publication Information" field on the FH Source record and I use the pre-formatted Text field on AS to capture the Source text (which goes in to the "Text From Source" field on the Source record) - both of these get published on my website).

I am using AS to slowly re-capture Census records, but I am not "busting a gut" to do it!. (AS will prompt that a Census record already exists for each Individual and do I want to replace it). The sentence structure for my website works "OK" for both the imported pre-AS records and those I have input via AS.

Hello Brent,
Read your thread and think it's useful to me.
Will digest it and think what to do.
Genie15

From what you have said, and your other postings, it sounds like you have some Census (family) events for couples and Witness Facts for non-head of household members such as Wife, Son, Daughter, etc.

See how_to:recording_census_records|> Recording from a Census Record that offers much general advice and links to the Plugin Store.

Before you start any conversions, make sure you have a Project Backup in place, just in case.

To convert your Census Witness Facts to standard Census events to be consistent with AS, Plugins, Reports, etc, use the Give Witnesses Their Own Facts Plugin and choose Census and Census (family).
(You can convert other Witness Facts too but that is for a different Forum thread.)

Having done that for Census (family), you can then convert each 'principal couple' Census (family) event into a pair of standard Census events to be consistent with AS, Plugins, Reports, etc, by using the Migrate Census Family to Individual Events Plugin.

Once those conversions are complete you should be able to use various Plugins, Reports, Queries, etc, that are designed to operate on just standard Census events.

Hello Mike,
Thank you for the advice and will follow along those instruction shortly.
Genie15