Family Historian User Group

I have just downloaded and installed the 6.0.1 upgrade. FH no longer crashes when importing directly from my previous TMG project, however I get no records at all. No individuals, families or anything.

Not to much of a problem for me as I had already imported everything I needed by GEDCOM. They way I had used witnesses in TMG was not really appropriate for FH and GEDCOM based programs.

Chris

What TMG database version are you using?

Just for the record, I have used the driect import on FH (6.0.1) from TMG (9.05) and, from what I can see, all data has been imported okay (including Witnesses, etc). I have around 6,000 indivudals and 1,300 Source records, but only use Witnesses in the "traditional sense (viz. on Marriage records, etc., but not on Census records).

That said, Source Elements are still not being imported so, for me, the Gedcom import is still the more "complete" methodology.

I have tried a direct import of my TMG data V9.05 to FHV6 and all the individuals and families come across with names but no data - ie: birth, death, marriage, notes etc are all missing. I don't expect to have to re-enter data for 826 individuals.

I have also tried creating a GEDCOM file in TMG but all I get through that is approximately 19 individuals with all their data.

How can I start using Family Historian within the 30 day free period so I can make an informed decision re purchase?

Re your "small" Gedcom import, try checking the Gedcom file that was exported from TMG. I have found that on quite a few occasions, and despite TMG saying the export was a success, it actually only output a small incomplete subset of data - I often have to run the TMG export 3-4 times before I get a complete Gedcom file.

Gerard, could you try a direct import of the TMG sample project.

Do your data tags for birth, death, marriage, note, etc, use standard TMG Tag Type definitions?

If you use Tools > Master Tag Type List what does it say is the GEDCOM tag for Birth, Death, Marriage & Note?
The defaults should be BIRT, DEAT, MARR & NOTE.
(Although NOTE is not a valid GEDCOM Fact tag, but that is another story).

I have just downloaded V6 of Family Historian. Importing from TMG v8.08 failed for me as well as step 10 witnesses.

In case anyone asks TMG Sample project imported ok and tag types in my own database are standard.

Alan, if you are using the V6.0.0 Free Trial, there is known problem with direct import of TMG Witnesses, that is fixed in V6.0.1 but is only available to purchased licence users.

I think it's a shame that the free trial can not be done on the latest version for a proper assessment. I guess I will have to do it with the Sample Project.

Alan, from past experience, the latest Upgrade version does eventualy become the Free Trial version, but perhaps only when Calico Pie are happy that it is a good flagship version.

See http://www.family-historian.co.uk/downl ... ad-archive where all the Free Trials for old releases are the same as latest Upgrade.

You may just have to be a little patient or buy a licence.

Thanks Mike. I shall be patient and hope it is before my 30 days runs out.

The free trial has now been updated to 6.0.2
See http://bit.ly/1zjWm6I

The new update worked for me. I database imported ok. I have now got to learn how to look at my data.

I've now upgraded V6.0.2 the witnesses are now working fine.
Now as far as I'm concerned is learning the finer points of FH and it's navigation and of course getting used to it.
The next stage is how to generate and produce similar if not better than that produced by TMG/second site.
and thanks you all who tended advice and help
Regards
Rich

Depending on the range of TMG features you use, I would urge caution - there are still significant problems with the TMG import - 17 of my bug reports have still not been addressed, and I'm sure I could find more if I spent more time on it.

The biggest problem (true of all programs trying to import from TMG) is that none have the sentence construction sophistication of TMG or even attempt to convert anything to their own simplistic templates.

So just beware before you make a decision to jump....

Don

Don, excellent caution. I moved some months ago from TMG to FHv5, which after a tidy up in TMG first, I had few problems with, BUT, I had always designed my data structure to be easily Gedcom exportable, i.e. no witness, and sentences meant little to me as I am more interested in the raw detail, rather than "writing a book or similar" (that is a whole other topic).

I think there are so few genealogy programs that equate with TMG (3?), I think that if you have used many of TMGs features, whatever move is made will probably require some work. Your list of 17 bugs should be very useful and taken note of in any move.

BUT, it is not just about how easy it is to transfer, but the potential of the new program, including features not available in TMG.

AND, how portable your data will be in the future to possibly a future better genealogy program, sharing data with others and exporting to other programs such as the probable new breed of GPS/mapping/DNA programs, most likely online.

It's a time consuming exercise, and one which I have thought carefully about in my data design approach, and on top of that is the new GPS/mapping which I have managed to incorporate in my move.